Class Z^aq_ Book_ • > i *Cj kJ /U ~ ^ t ^) LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. JAMES D. McCABE, Jr. WITH STEEL PLATE AND MAPS. (iMued by subscription only, and not for sale in the book stores. Residents of any State ic the Dnioa desiring H copy should address the publishers, and an ageut "will c>ill upon them.; NATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, .ATLANTA, GA. ; PHILADELPHIA, PA.; CINCINNATL OHIO ; ST. LOUIS, MO. Entered according tu Act of Cmigress, in the year 1870, by J. K. JONES. In the Office of tlie Lilinirian of Congress, at Washington, D.C. ?. A. GEORGE i CO., STKRKOTTPERS AND PRINTERS, PHILADELFHIiL. PREFACE. I HAVK been led to the preparation of this work by a desire to collect in a useful and convenient form a history of the achievement of the greai soldier, recently at the head of the armies of the South, and who has just gone to his rest ; and as he is endeared to his countrymen chiefly by his connection with them in their gallant struggle for independence, I have devoted the srreater part of these pages to that portion of his life, passing over the preceding with as little delay as possible. I have brought to the execution of this task a sincere desire to lay aside the feelings engendered by four years of war, and to investigate fully, and discuss impartially and truthfully, the topics that are presented in this volume. I have spared no pains to render my sources of information as complete as possible. In May 1861, I commenced to collect such papers and documents, both official and unofficial, relating to the war, as I could procure. To this task, begun for a purpose not altogether different from that tp which I have now applied it, I devoted the entire period of the war, and was aided in it by many members of the various branches of the Confederate Government and of the army. In this way I secured an extensive and valuable collection of materials for a history of the war, or biographies of the individuals connected with it ; a collection embracing over fifteen thousand papers of all kinds, to which, through the kindness of friends, I have been able to add many valuable maps and charts. Since the close of the war I have greatly enlarged this list by the addition of the (3) 4 PEEFACE. reports and oflScial papers of the United States Commanders and Govern- ment. These sources of information have enabled me to make my book more complete than it would have been had my material been less exten- sive. I have also derived much assistance from the very valuable work by Mr. William Swinton, entitled " The Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac.'''' I have sought to present a fair and dispassionate narrative of the events of the late war. It is for my readers to decide whether I have succeeded or failed, but I trust that, whatever may be their decision, they will at least do me the justice to believe that I have recognized the responsibility of the task I have undertaken, and have honestly tried to do my duty. I take this opportuinty of returning my thanks to the friends who have aided me in the collection of materials ; to Mr. S. W. Clifford, of Boston, for valuable maps received from him ; and to the publishers for the gene- rous and constant encouragement they have held out to me since the enter- prize was begun. J. D. McC, Jr. \ CONTENTS. I. EARLY LIFE. I. The Lee Family, n. Life Previous to the War, 9—14 16—26 n. THE FIRST DAYS OF WAR. I. Col. Lee Leaves the Federal Army, . . . 27 — 31 n. General Lee Commands the Army in Virginia, . 32 — 39 m. The Campaign in Western Virginia, . . . 40 — 47 rV. General Lee Commander-in-Chief, .... 48 — 50 in. THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN. L ^Iatters at Centreville, n. The Federal Plan of the Campaign, HI. General Johnston Falls Back, rV. The Move to the Peninsula, . V. A Good Fight, .... VI. The Siege of Yorktown, Vn. The Retreat up the Peninsitla, (5) 61 — 61 62 — 69 70—73 74 — 76 77— 8i 82-87 88- -92 g CONTENTS. Vm. Dark Day3, 93—96 IX. Seven Pines, 97 — 105 X, A Change OF Commanders, 106 — 112 XI. The Ride Around McClellan, .... 119—120 Xn. General Lee's Plan OF Operations, . . . 121 — 12i Xni. Mechvnicsville 125 — 132 XIV. COoD Harbor, 133 — 143 XV. Savage Station, 144—148 XYI. Frazier's Farm 149 — 156 X\T:I. Malvern Hill 157-161 XVIII. The End of the Pursuit 162— 1 09 XIX. The Close OF the Campaign, 170 — 174 IV. THE CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. I. General Pope in Virginia, 175 — 192 II. Cedar Run, 193—198 III. The Advance to the Rappahannock, . . . 199 — 205 IV. Jackson's Flank March, 206 — 210 V. What Pope Found IN His Rear 211—217 VI. The Second Battle of Manassas, . . . .218 — 226 Vn. Ox Hill, 227—232 V. THE INVASION OF THE NORTH. I. Over THE Border, 233 — 241 n. The Capture OF Harper's Ferry, . . . .242 — 247 HI. South Mountain, 248 — 258 IV. Sharpsburg 259 270 V. The Retreat Across the Potomac, .... 271—275 VI. A Season OF Rest, 276—283 CONTENTS. VI. THE FREDERICKSBURG CAMPAIGN. I. McClellan Advances, n. The Movejlent to the Rappahannock, m. Waiting for Burxside, rV. Fredericksburg, .... V. Winter Quarters, .... 284—296 297—302 303—307 308 — 324 325—335 vn. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN. I. The Campaign Opens 336—338 n. Hooker Advances, 339 — 345 in. Chancellorsvxlle, 346 — 357 rV. Marye's AND Salem Heights, ..... 358 — 367 vm. THE SECOND INVASION OF THE NORTH. I. Preparations FOR AN Advance, 368 — 370 II. The March to the Potomac, 371—378 in. In the Enemy's Country, 379—386 rV. Gettysburg 387—404 V. The Retreat into Virginia, 405 — 413 rx. THE SECOND CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. I. The Expedition to Manassas, 414 — 423 H. ISIiNE Run, 424—429 HI. Winter Quarters, 430 — 44i' CONTENTS. THE OVERLAND CMIPAIGN. I. Preparations for the Campaign, n. The Wilderness, .... III. Spottsylvania Court House, . rV. The March to the Chickahomint, . V. The Second Battle of Cold Harbor, VI. The Campaign in the Valley, . VII. The Campaign on the South Side, . 447 — 450 451—464 465 — 474 475—481 482 — 489 490—492 493—600 XI. THE SIEGE OF PETERSBURG. I. Grajjt Crosses the James River, , . . .601 — 504 n. The Siege Begun, 505—514 HI. Burnside's Mine, 515 — 520 rV, Matters North and South of the James, . . 521 — 542 V. The Valley Campaign, 543 — 566 VI. Winter Quarters, ....... 567 — 579 xn. THE LAST STRUGGLE. I. General Lee Co.mma^der-in-Chief, .... 680 — 684 n. Fort Steadman, 585 — 590 ni. Grant Moves to the Left 691 — 600 IV. FiTE Forks AND Petersburg, 601 — 007 V, The Evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg, . 608 — 613 VI. The Last Retreat, 614—624 VII. The STTKREjiTDER, 625—636 VIII. Closing Years, 637—655 >^OTES, 657-717 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. I. EAELY LIFE. I. THE LEE FAMILY. This tamily, which has given so many great men to America, is of ancient and honorable descent. As early as the year 1333, we are informed by an old manuscript,* that Johes de Lee, a soldier, received lands from one Hugo de Hinton. The son of this Johes de Lee was Robertus de la Lee, and he mar- ried Margarita, daughter and heiress of Thomas Astley, of Nordley, about the year 1400. Later still, we find the name of Thomas Lee, of Cotton, in King's Nordley, in the Parish of Alvely, who was the son of Johannes Lee.| Later still, in the reign of Charles 1, of England, the Lee Family were located in the County of Shropshire, and were of * This MS. is written in Latin, and its authenticity is well established. The pedigree which it contains was extracted from the London Tower, and is certified by Charles Townley, York, and John Pomfret, Rouge Croix, August I, 1750. t The Pedigree of the Lee Family. Piiblished in the Richmond Dispatch, January 7, 1865. 2 (9) 10 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the Cavalier sto.'k. One of these, Richard Lee, a gentleman of good position and many accomplishments, determined to emigrate to the New World, concerning which such marvelous talcs were being told in the mother country. Bishop Meade says of him, " He was a man of good stature, comely visage, enterprising genius, a sound head, vigorous spirit, and generous nature. When he got to Virginia, which at that time was not much cultivated, he was so pleased with the country that he made large settlements there with the servants he carried over." He came to the colony as Secretary, and member of the King's Privy Council. He made several voyages back to England, and finally settled in that part of Virginia lying between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, known as the Northern Neck. He was for a long time the Secretary of the Colony, under Sir William Berkeley, and exercised a marked influence upon the course which it pursued in the great Revolution which made Cromwell master of England. Lee was a thorough roy- alist, and, together with the Governor, held the colony firm in its allegiance to " Charlie over the water." He was prominent in negotiating the treaty between Virginia and the Common- wealth of England, which was so honorable to the colony, and which recognized it as an independent State, and on the death of Cromwell, he induced Governor Berkeley to have Charles H proclaimed " King of England, Scotland, France, Ireland, and Virginia," two years before the Restoration. In consequence of this step, the ancient motto of Virginia was, " E/i dat Virginia quinfam," changed after the union of England and Scotland to " Ea dtit Virginia qiuirtam."' Richard Lee died, and was buried in Virginia. He left two sons, John njid Richard. John was educated at Oxford, and was so accomplished that he was offered a fine opening in the Church, with the prospect of an advancement ; but the offer was declined, as it was his Other's wish that he should settle in Virginia. He died before hi« father. THE LEE FAMILY. 11 Richard Lee, the son, was a man of great learning. He passed his life in study, writing his notes habitually in Greek, Hebrew, or Latin. Some of these are now presei-ved in Vii-- ginia. He was a member of the Council, and held other posts of honor and emolument. He married a Miss Corbin, of England, and died about the year 1690, leaving five sons, Richard, Philip, Francis, Thomas, Henry, and one daughter, who married William Fitzhugh, of Eagle's Nest, King George County, Virginia. Of the sons, Richard, the eldest, went to England, as a Virginia merchant, and became the partner of his maternal uncle, Thomas Corbin. He married in England, and had three children, one son and two daughters, who came back to Vir- ginia. Philip Lee, the second son, settled in Maryland, and left a numerous progeny. Francis, the third son, died a bach- elor ; Thomas, the fourth son, married Miss Hannah Ludwell, a lady of fine family. The fifth son, Henry Lee, I will notice further on. Thomas Lee, the fourth son of Richard Lee, was, in many respects, a remarkable man. By his marriage he allied him- self with the Lud wells and the Grymes, two wealthy and influential families. He was a man of much learning, the greater part of which he taught himself, and eventually, though a younger son, became possessed of a large fortune. He soon acquired a leading position in the colony, and was made Pres- ident of the Council, which post he held many years, until his death. He became impressed at an early day with the idea that the western part of the colony would be settled at some future time by a thriving community, and employed an engineer of note to explore the lands in that section, especially those bordering the Ohio River. While President of the Council, he declared to a friend that the colonies would, of necessity, eventually be independent of Great Britain, and predicted thrt 12 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. ' ' the seat of Government would be located near the Little Falls of the Potomac River," where he soon after acquired laro-e tracts of land, which were, within the present century, the property of his descendants. He resided at Stratford, but his mantiion was destroyed by fire. He at once set about rebuilding it, and so greatly was he esteemed in the colony and in England, tliat the Government and merchants alike, and, it is said, even Queen Caroline, contributed to defray the cost of the structure. Of this edifice Mr. Lossing says, ' ' There is no structure in our country to compare with it. The walls of the first story are two and a half feet thick, and the second story two feet, composed of brick imported from England. It originally contained about one hundred rooms. Besides the main building, there are four offices, one at each corner, containing fifteen rooms. The stables are capable of accommodating one hundred horses. Its cost was about $80,000."* Thomas Lee died in 1750, and left six sons and two daugh- ters. The eldest son, Philip Ludwell Lee, married a Miss Steptoe, and by her had two daughters, of whom Matilda, the elder, married her second cousin. Colonel Henry Lee, (the father of General R. E. Lee.) The second son of Thomas Lee was Thomas Ludwell Lee. The third son was Richard Henry Lee, the great champion of American Independence. He was born on the 21st of January, 1732, and died June 19, 1794. He it was who on the 7th of June, 1776, offered, in the Continental Congress, the famous resolution, " that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States ; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and tliat all political connec- tion between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." The fourth son of Thomas Lee was * Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution. Part II, p. 217. THE LEE FAMILY. 13 Francis Liglitfoot Lee, born October 14, 1734, died in April, 1797. He was, like his brother, Richard Henry, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The fifth son was AVilliam Lee, who settled in London. The sixth son was Arthur Lee, who, says Bishop Meade, " as a scholar, a writer, a philosopher, a politician, and a diplomatist, was surpassed by none, and equalled by few, of his contemporaries. The ser- vices rendered by him to his country, as her minister, at foreign courts, were most valuable." I must now return to Henry Lee, the fifth son of Richard Lee, the ancestor of the subject of this memoir. lie married a Miss Bland, and had several children. His third son, Henry, married a Miss Grymes, and by her had five sons and three daughters, viz., Henry, the famous soldier of the Revolution, Charles, Richard Bland, Theodoric and Edmund, and Mary, Lucy, and Anne. Henry Lee, the eldest son, was born January 29, 1756. He was educated at first by a private tutor at home, and then sent to Princeton College, then under the charge of Doctor Wither- spoon, where he graduated in 1774. In 1776 Patrick Henry nominated him to the command of a cavalry company raised in Virginia, for service in the Continental army, under the general command of Colonel Bland. In 1777 Lee's corps was placed under Washington's immediate control, and under the energetic leadership of its young captain, acquired a high reputation for discipline and efficiency. Lee was made a Major, and his legion performed many daring exploits. In July 1779, he captured a British fort at Paulus Hook, (Jersey City,) for which he received froija Congress, the thanks of that body, and a gold medal. In November 1780, he was made Lieutenant- Colonel, and early in 1781 joined General Greene in the Car- olinas, where he increased his already brilliant renown. About the beginning of 1782, after the battle of Eutaw * 14 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Springs, Colonel Lee returned to Virginia, and married his second cousin, Matilda, daughter of Philip Ludwell Lee, Esq., of Stratford, where he resided with his father-in-law. In 1786 he was elected to a seat in Congress. In 1791 he was chosen Governor of Virginia. In 1794 he was appointed by Wash- ino-ton, his warm friend and admirer, to command the troops sent to quell the Whiskey Insurrection in Pennsylvania. In 1799 he was a member of Congress, and was chosen by that body to pronounce a funeral oration on the death of Washing- ton, in the House of Representatives. He prepared the ora- tion, but being imperatively called away, it was delivered by his friend. Judge Marshall. In 1801 General Henry Lee retired to private life, being much straitened in his pecuniary resources. His first wife having died, he married again — this time, Anne, daughter of Charles Carter of Shirley (on James River, opposite City Point) . In 1809 he wrote his Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department, which is justly regarded as a model work of its kind. In 1814 he was seri- ously wounded while endeavoring to put down a riot in Balti- more, and from the injury thus received, he never recovered. In 1817 he went to the West Indies for his health, but failing to find relief there, returned home. On his way to Virginia, he stopped on the coast of Georgia, to visit Mrs. Shaw, a daughter of his friend, GeneralGreene, and there died on the 25th of March 1818, at the age of G2 years. General Henry Lee had four sons and three daughters. His first wife bore him Henry Lee, noted for his literary abilities, and a daughter, Lucy ; and his second wife bore him Charles Carter, Robert Edward, and Sidney Smith, (Conunodore Lee, of the C. S. Navy, and father of General Fitz Lee,) and two daughters, Anne and Mildred. LIFE PKEVIOUS TO THE WAR. 15 n. LIFE PREVIOUS TO THE WAR. Robert Edward Lee was born at Stratford, Wesfaorela.-d County, Virginia, on January 19, 18u7, in the saitie room where Richard Henry and Francis Lightfoot Lee were born. His early lite was passed in the Northern Neck, and a part of it amid the stirrino; events of the second war with Enjrland. The British land and naval forces were for a considerable period within a few miles of his home. A British fleet, under Admiral Cockburn, rav.aged the shores of the Chesapeake, and on the 29th of August 1814, the city of Alexandria, then in the Dis- trict of Columbia, was captured by the enemy's vessels, and soon after, a part of jNIaryland, and Washington City were occupied. These events occurring so near the home of young Lee, could not fail to exercise a marked influence upon him. When he was twelve years old his father died. In 1825, Robert Lee entered the Military Academy at West Point. There he remained four years, graduating in 1829. From the first he rose to the head of his class, and retained this " stand " until he left the Academy. During his whole course he never received a demerit, and was never reprimanded. This will be better appreciated by those who understand the tlcmerit systeu) than by the general reader, for the former will readily compre- hend how much it is in the power of the Cadet and Academic officers to give demerits to those who least deserve them. The freedom of young Lee from those marks, is a striking proof of die high esteem in which he was held by his comrades. He was noted for his studious habits, and exemplary conduct ; Re 16 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. never drank intoxicating liquors, used tobacco, or indulged iu any of the petty vices so popular with young men. On the 4th of July 1829, Robert E. Lee was graduated first in his class, and received the appointment of Brevet-Second Lieutenant in the corps of Topographical Engineers, to which branch of the service the most distinguished graduates of the West Point Academy are assigned. After a brief furlough, Lieutenant Lee entered upon the duties of his profession, being employed for several years upon the coast defences of the United States. In 1835 he was appointed assistant astronomer for the demarcation of the boundary line between the States of Ohio and Michigan. In 1832, Lieutenant Lee married Mary, daughter of George Washington Parke Custis, and grand-daughter of the wife of Washington. By this marriage the young officer became at a subsequent period the proprietor of Arlington House, in Alex- andria County, Virginia, opposite Washington City, and of the White House on the Pamunkey River, the scene of the marriage of Washington with " the widow Custis," which was wantonly burned by the Federal army in 1862. Three sons and four daughters were the fruits of this marriage, namely: George A\'asiiington Custis, William Henry Fitzhugh, and Robert Edward, and iNIary, Anne, Agnes and Mildred. The first and second sons were Major-Generals in the Confederate army, and the youngest entered the service as a private, and was promoted to a staff appointment. One of the daughters, Anne, died during the war. On the 21st of September 1836, Robert Lee was made First Lieutenant, and in July 1838, Captain of Engineers. In 1844 he was a member of the Board of Visitors to the West Point Academy, and in 1845 a member of the Board of Enirineers. The Mexican War now broke out, and Captain Lee was assigned to the Central army in Mexico, as Chief-Engineer LIFE PREVIOUS TO THE WAR. 17 under General Wool, which position he held throughout the whole campaign under General Scott. Early in the year 1847, General Scott commenced to collect forces on the island of Lobos for an expedition against the city and castle of Vera Cruz. On the 9th of March 1847, the American army landed near Vera Cruz, and the next day began the investment of the city. The work was commenced by General Worth, and Avas carried on successfully. Batteries, were erected by the engineers at points commanding the city, and armed with siege and naval guns. The bombardment began on the 22d of March, and in a few days the town and castle surrendered. Captain Lee rendered important service during the siege. General Scott, quick to appreciate his military genius, at an early day selected him to be one of his personal staff, and always sought his opinion in the Council, attaching great weight to it, and we have, in the recently published autobiography of the veteran soldier, his own testimony regarding tlie valuable aid which he received from Lee. Referrino: to his first councd at Vera Cruz, he says : "In my little Cabinet, however, consisting of Colonel Tottcn, Chief Eno-ineer ; Lieutenant-Colonel Hitchcock, Actinjx In- spector General; Captain R. E. Lee, Engineer; and First Lieutenant Henry L. Scott, Acting Adjutant General, I entered fully into the question of storming parties and regular siege approaclies. A death-bed discussion could hardly have been more solemn." Concerning the service rendered by Captain Lee, during the siege, he says : "I am compelled to make special mention of Captain R. E. Lee, Engineer. This officer greatly distinguished himself at the siege of Vera Cruz." After the surrender of Vera Cruz, the American army ad- vanced towards the City of Mexico. The enemy made a siand at Cerro Gordo, and on the 18th of April, after a hard fought 3 X8 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. battle, Scott was again victorious. Concerning the part borne by Captain Lee in this engagement, the Old Soldier writes : " Hearinn- that Twiggs, supported by Patterson, found him- self confronted at Plan del Rio, some fifty miles in the interior, by a strong body of the enemy, and that both divisions were desirous of my presence, I left Vera Cruz on the 12th of April, with a small escort of Cavalry, under Captain Philip Kearney, (who fell in 1862, a distinguished Major General), and has- tened to the front. Major-Gcneral Patterson, though quite sick, had assumed the command on joining Twiggs, in order to prohibit any aggressive movement before my arrival, according to the universal wish of the troops. No commander was ever received with heartier cheers, — the certain presage of the victories that followed. " The two advanced divisions lay in tht \ dley of the Plan del Rio, and the body of the enemy about ttiree miles off, on the heio-hts of Cerro Gordo. Reconnoissances were pushed in search of some pra"-ticable route, other tlian the winding, zigzag road among the spurs of mountains, with heavy batteries at every town. The reconnoissances were conducted with vigor under Captain Lee, at the head of a body of pioneers ; and, at the end of the third day, a passable way for light batteries was accomplished, — without alarming the enemy, — giving the pos- sibility of turning the extreme left of his line of defence, and capturing his whole army, except the reserve, that lay a mile or two higher up the road. Santa Amia said that he had not believed a goat could have approached him in that direction. Hence the surprise and the results were the greater. " The reconnoissance begun by Lieutenant Beauregard was continued by Captain Lee, Engineer, and a road made along •difficult slopes, and over chasms, out of the enemy's view, though reached by his fire when discovered — until arriving at the Mexican lines, further reconnoissances became impossible LIFE PREVIOUS TO THE WAR. 19 without action. The desired point of the deboucluire, the Jiilapa road, was not, therefore, reached, though believed to be within easy distance ; and to gain that point it now became necessary to carry the heights of Cerro Gordo. ****** Twiggs' division, rcenforced by Shield's brigade of volunteers, was thrown into position on the 17th, and was of necessity, drawn into action in taking up ground for its bivouac, and the opposing heights for a heavy battery. It will be seen that many of- our officers and men were killed or wounded in this sharp combat — handsomely commenced by a company of the Seventh Infantry, under brevet First Lieutenant Gardner, who was highly praised by all his commanders for signal services. Colonel Harney, coming up with his brigade, brushed away the enemy, and occupied the heights, on which, in the night, was placed a battery of one 24-pounder and two 24-pound howitz- ers, under the superintendence of Captain Lee, Engineers and Lieutenant Ilagner, Ordnance. These guns opened next morn- ing and were served with effect by Captain Steptoe, and Lieutenant Brown, Third Artillery; Lieutenant Ilagner, Ord- nance ; and Lieutenant Seymour, First Artillery. " * * I am compelled to make special mention of Captain R. E. Lee, Engineer. This officer * * was again indefati- gable during these operations in reconnoissances, as daring aa laborious, and of the utmost value. Nor was he less conspic- uous in planning batteries, and in conducting columns to their stations, under the heavy fire of the enemy." * From Cerro Gordo the army pushed on towards the Capital. •During one of these reconnoissances Captain Lee ventured so far from his supi)<)riiiig column, (Loring's Rifles,) that he found liimself riglit in among tlie i-m my. lie hastily concealed himself under a fallen tree, near a spring •wliere the Mexicans obtained tiieir supply of water. Wiiile he lay tliere, Mexican soldiers passed and repassed over the tree, and even sat down on it, utterly unconscious of his presence. He remained until darkness tnable'd him to withdraw in safety. 20 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. The flirect road to the city had been well fortified, but these defences were skilfully turned by the Americans, and the battles of Contreras, Cherubusco, Molinos del Eey, and Chapultepec placed the city of Mexico in the hands of the victors. I have only room to notice the distinguished part played in these engagements by Captain Lee, and for this I shall again employ the narrative of General Scott. He writes : — "The same day (August 18, 1847,) a reconnoissance was commenced to the left of San Augustine, first over difficult grounds, and further on over the same field of volcanic matter which extends to the mountain, some five miles from San An- tonio, towards Magdalena. The reconnoissance was continued to-day by Captain Lee, assisted by Lieutenants Beauregard and Tower, all of the Engineers, who were joined in the afternoon by jSIajor Smith, of the same corps. Other divisions coming up. Pillow was advanced to make a practicable road for heavy artillery, and Twiggs thrown farther in front to cover the opera- tions ; for, by the partial reconnoissance of yesterday. Captain Lee discovered a large corps of observation in that direction, with a detachment of which, his supports of cavalry and foot, under Captain Kearney and Lieutenant-Colonel Gi'aham, respectively, had a successful skirmish. * * * These corps, over the extreme difficulties of the ground, — partly covered with a low forest, — before described, reached Contreras, and found Cadwallader's brigade in position, observing the formid- able movement from the Capital, and much needing the timely reenforcement. * * * Qf ([^q seven officers dispatched about sundown from my position, opposite the enemy's centre, and on this side of the volcanic field, to communicate instruc- tions to the hamlet, not one has succeeded in getting through these difficulties, increased by darkness ; they have all re- turned. But the gallant and indefatigable Captain Lee, of the Engineers, who has been constantly with the operating forces, LIFE PREVIOUS TO THE WAR. 21 is (11 o'clock p. M.) just in from Shields, Smith, Ciidvvalla- der, etc., to report as above, and to ask that a powerful diver- sion be made towards the centre of the intrenched camp towards morning. "Brigadier-General Twiggs, cut off, as above, from the part of his division beyond the impracticable ground, and (Jap- tain Lee, are gone, under my orders, to collect the forces remaining on this side, with which to make that diversion, at about five o'clock in the morning." The diversion was converted into a real attack, " under the command of Colonel Kansom, of the Ninth, having with him that regiment, and some companies of three others, guided by Captain Lee. * * * * At 3 A. m. the great movement had commenced on the rear of the enemy's camp. The march was rendered tedious by darkness, rain, and wind ; but about sunrise, Riley had reached an elevation behind the enemy, whence he precipitated his columns, stormed the intrenchments, planted his several colors upon them, and carried the works, all in seventeen minutes. Cadwalladcr had also brought up two of his regiments, and, at the appointed time, Colonel Ransom, with his temporary brigade, conducted by Captain Lee, not only made the movement in front to divert and to distract the enemy, but, after crossing the deep ravine, advanced and poured into the work and upon the fugitives, many volleys from hia destructive musketry." After the victory at Contreras, General Scott, after giving the necessary orders for the movements of the army, and the disposition of the prisoners and spoils, went forward with Gen- eral Pillow's column. Upon reaching Coyoacan, two miles, by a cross road, from the river of San Antonio, General Scott sent Captain Lee with Kearney's dragoons and Loring's Rifles to reconnoitre that strong point, and upon receiving Lee's report, sent Generjifl 22 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Pillow with Cadvvallader's brigade, to attack it in concert with Gonoral \Vorth, who was to operate on the opposite side. At the 8aiue time a reconnoissance, under Lieutenant Stevens, suppoited by Lieutenant G. W. Smith's company of sappers and uiiners, was sent towards the fortified camp of the enemy at Cherubusco, one mile off. Twiggs, with one brigade nnd a batlerv, was ordered to follow and attack, and the other brigade of his division was ordered to support him. In about ten miimtcs Pierce's brigade was sent to Twiggs' assistance. Pierce was dii-ected to attack the Mexican right and rear, in order to aid the assault in front, and cut off the retreat of the enemy to tlie capital. At hxst. Shields, with the New York and South Carolina Volunteers, was sent to support Pierce, and take com- mand of the left wing. Pierce was conducted to his [)Osition by Captain Lee, who, after the battle had fairly begun, returned to General Scott, who had stationed himself close in rear of Twiggs' line, and reported that Shields in the rear of Clieru- busco, was hard pressed, and in danger of being outiianked if not overwhelmed by superior numbers. Sumner's and Sibley's dragoons and Loring's Rifles, were at once dispatched to SliieUrs assistance, guided by Captain Lee. '•The victory of the 8th September," writes General Scott, " at tho Molinos del Rey, was followed by daring reconnois- sances on the part of our distinguished Engineers, — Ca[)tain Lee, Lieutenant Beauregard, etc. Their operations were directed principally to the South — towards the gates of the Piedid," and the heights of Chapultepec. At Chapultepec, Captaiii Lee was wounded, and, though anxious to keep on with the army, was compelled by loss of blood to retire from the field, and seek surgical assistance. Ilis skill and bravery had contril)uted greatly to the great achievements which closed the cami)aign. As General Scott well says — " In the glorious conquest all had contributed — early and powerfully — the LIFE PREVIOUS TO THE WAPw. 23 killed, the wounded, and the fit for duty, as much as those who fouirht at the jrates of Belena and San Cosme." In his official report, General Scott pays a high compliment to Captain Lee, who was, he declares, " as distinguished for felicitous-execution as for science and daring-. Captain Lee," he goes on to say, *' so constantly distinguished, also bore important orders from me (September 13th), until he fainted from a wound and the loss of two nights' sleep at the batteries." General Scott conceived a warm personal friendship for the young engineer, and a high admiration for his military skill. Lee became an especial favorite with him, and the Commander- in-chief sent hardly a single dispatch to ^^^ashington City, in which his name was not honorably mentioned. Indeed so greatly did the veteran soldier esteem him, that he declared, years afterwards, " Lee is the greatest military genius in America." Captain Lee was twice promoted for his services in Mexico. In 1847 he was brevetted Mnjor " for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Cerro Gordo," and later was made Lieutenant-Colonel b}^ brevet, for his conduct at Contreras and Cherubusco. For his services, at Chapultepec, he was, on the 1st of Se[)teraber 1852, made Superintendent of the ^Vest Point Academy. The interval between the close of the war and his appointment to this post, was spent by him as a member of the Board of Engineers. Colonel Lee at once entered upon the discharge of his duties at West Point, where he remained nearly three years. During his administration, and in August 1854, the course of study was, by the direction of the Secretary of War, extended so as to cover a period of five years. When the new cavalry regiments were organized in 1855, in pursuance of the Act of Congress for that purpose, Colonel Lee was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel (the full rank) in the ^4 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Second Cavalry. This appointment made it necessary to resign his position at West Point, which he did on the 1st of April 1855, being succeeded by Major J. G. Barnard. The Second Cavalry Regiment was commanded by Colonel Albert Sydney Johnston, an officer of great skill, who wa? afterwards a General in the Confederate army, and who fell at Shiloh in April 1862. This regiment contained among its officers many who, in tl\e war just closed, rose to high rank in the two armies, and is now fumcjus as having furnished more generals than any organization in the old army. In 1855 it was sent to Texas, where, for several years, it was employed in constant warfare with the Indian tribes. This warfare awakened considerable interest throughout the country at the time, and Colonel Lee bore an active part in it, greatly distinguishing himself in one of the most desperate battles with the Indians. In 1859, Colonel Lee returned to Washington, and while there was called upon to take part in the John Brown war, which was, in fact, but a prelude to the great struggle which followed so soon afterwards. On the night of the IGth of October, a band of conspirators, led by a man named John Brown, who had become notorious in the territories as an offender against the laws of the United States, took possession of the town of Harper's Ferry, and of an important United States armory there, containing about .fifty thousand small arms. After seizing the town and armory, which were guarded by only two watchmen. Brown dispatched certain of his fellow conspirators to specified fiirms in the vicin- ity, to secure the persons of several prominent gentlemen, and collect the slaves. Several citizens were kidnapped by these men, but the slaves refused to take part in the insurrection. At daylight on the 17th of October, the alarm was given, and during the morning, the militia of the surrounding counties were ordered to assemble for the purpose of " putting down the rebellion." LIFE PREVIOUS TO THE WAR. 25 The news of the outbreak was at once telegraphed to Wash- ington, and the matter very greatly exaggerated. General Scott was absent from the city at the time, and the President and Secretary of War, summoned Colonel Lee, as the most trusted officer of the army, to consult with them as to tlie best course to be adopted. The interview resulted in dispatching a battalion of marines to Harper's Ferry, and directing Colonel Lee to follow and take command of them. Accompanied by his aid, Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart, Colonel Lee at once started for Harper's Ferry, which he reached on the night of the 17th, having sent orders by telegraph to suspend all opera- tions until his arrival. The insurgents had, upon the appearance of the militia, which occurred early in the daj^, retreated to the fire enfi-ine- house, in the armory yard, where they had barricaded them- selves, and kept up a desultory fire on the town during the afternoon. They had taken Colonel Wasliington, Mr. Danger- field, and the other citizens kidnapped by them, into the engine- house with them, where they held them, hoping that the pres- ence of these gentlemen would prevent the troops from firing on them. As soon as Colonel Lee arrived, he proceeded to surround the engine-house with the marines to prevent the escape of Brown and his men, deferring his attack until morning, lest in the darkness some of the captive citizens might be injured. At daylight on the 18th, wishing to accomplish the object in view without bloodshed, if possible, Colonel Lee sent Lieutenant Stuart to demand the surrender of the insurgents, promisin'^- to protect them from violence at the hands of the citizens, until the wishes of the Government of the United States were known. Brown refused the terms offered, and demanded to be permitted to march out with his men and prisoners, with the arms of the former, to be allowed to proceed, without being followed, to 4 26 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. tl)e second toll-gate, where he would free the prisoners. He \va8 tlien willing to be pursued by the troops, and to fight if he could not escape. This proposition was inadmissible, but as a last resort, Colonel Lee directed Lieutenant Stuart to remon- strate with the insurgents upon the folly of their course. This duty Stuart performed, remaining before the engine-house until his personal danger compelled him to withdrav\\ Finding that nothing but force would avail. Colonel Lee gave the order to attack, and the marines, by a gallant assault, captured the building and its inmates, several of whom were hilled and wounded, Brown himself being among the latter. The marines lost one man killed and one wounded, but for- tunately none of the citizens captured by Brown were injured. Colonel Lee took good care to protect his prisoners, and there is little doubt that but for his precautions, the surviving conspirators would have been shot down by the excited civil- ians. He at once telegraphed to Washington for instructions, and was directed to deliver tiie prisoners to Mr. Ould, District Attorney for the District of Columbia, who was sent by the Government to conduct the legal proceedings, and take meas- ures to brinij the insurirents to trial. As soon as Mr. Ould arrived, Colonel Lee turned over the prisoners to him, and, being satisfied that the danger was over, went back to Wash- ington. At the expiration of his leave of absence. Colonel Lee re- joined his regiment, which, in the early part of 1861, was at San Antonio, Texas. COL. LEE LEAVES THE FEDERAL ARMY. 27 n. THE FIRST DAYS OF WAR. April, 1861 — May, 1862. I. COLONEL LEE LEAVES THE FEDERAL ARMY. The political excitement throughout the country, succeeding the election of Mr. Lincoln to the Presidency of the United States, culminated, as had been foreseen, in the withdrawal of the States of the South, and the formation of a new Confederacy composed exclusively of slaveholding states, under the title of the Confederate States of America. Of the causes which produced this action on the part of the South, I do not design to speak here. They were many, and some of them were closely interwoven with the structure of the Union Itself, not the least of which was the weakness im[)arted to the General Government by the principle of " State rights," a principle, which though plain and indisputable In this case, and sanctioned by those who framed the Constitution of the LTnited States, Is nevertheless fatal to all good government. Its natural antagonism to the ends of a firm and useful system was clearly demonstrated during the brief existence of the Con- federacy, which was compelled to trample upon the principle as early as the year 1862. Still, the framers of the Federal Con-" 23 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Btltution, and the States wliich ratified it, had left open the way for just such a state of affairs as afterwards occurred, and under that Constitution neither the States of the North nor the Federal Government had the slightest right to interfere with any member of the Union to coerce it .nto obedience to the will of either. Whatever may be the changes that the war has worked in our system of Government, — and they are many and radical, there can be no doubt that the States of the South in seceding from the Union were exercising an undoubted right. The Commonwealth of Virginia h;id for sometime clung to the Union, unwilling to abandon it while there remained a hope of continuing in it upon terms consistent with her honor. But the course pursued by the Federal Government, which led to the capture of Fort Sumter, and the subsequent Proclama- tion of President Lincoln, calling for troops to coerce the se- ceded States into obedience, left Virginia no alternative but to withdraw from among her enemies, and unite her destiny with that of her Southern sisters. She had exhausted every means at her command for the preservation of peace, and she now pre- pared to repel the attack with which she was threatened. Colonel Lee had been an interested spectator of these great events; the early part of the year 18G1 found him with his regiment at San Antonio, Texas, but a few months later he returned to Washington. lie watched the course of Virginia anxiously, hoping that she would find it consistent with her honor to remain in the Union, and that peace would be pre- served. His hope was vain, and when Virginia withdrew from the United States, she called on her children to assemble for her protection. Colonel Lee's course was now plain. He believed that the state of Virginia had the right to pursue the course she had adopted, though his own judgment assured him It would bring great suffering and disaster upon her. He believed, also, thit his State had the first claim upon his services, and that it COL. LEE LEAVES THE FEDERAL ARMY. 29 was his duty to obey the command of Virginia withouf (Ques- tioning it. This left him no choice, but to follow the State. He was influenced by no feeling of ambition, or sectional hatred. Ilis course was the result of a conscientious conviction of duty, formed after a mental struggle such as few men are called upon to make. Had he believed it his duty to remain in the service of the United States he would have done so at any sacrifice of his personal feelings ; for he has never yet been false to his sense of duty. It cost Colonel Lee a great and painful struggle to leave the service with which he had been so long connected. For nioro than twenty-five years he had served with credit and distinction in the Federal army, and now held in the opinion of both the army and the country the second position in it in point of merit, being regarded as the most fitting successor to the veteran Lieutenant General, to whom he was bound by the strongest ties of love and esteem. If he remained in the Federal service, honor and high military distinction awaited him. The President of the United States, through one of the Cabinet, offered him the immediate command of the army,* and General Scott im- plored him to remain. Every influence that could be thought of was brought to bear upon the great soldier to induce him to remain in the Federal service. Colonel Lee himself knew that if he complied with these urgent requests, his military ambition would be fulfilled in everything. He knew also that if he linked his fate with that of Virginia, suffering and sorrow were in store for him ; that from wealth he would descend to poverty ; and that he would be proclaimed to the world as a traitor by the Government he had loved so well. It was a terrible trial, and had he been influenced by convictions less pure, or a sense of duty less high, ambition would have triumphed. His feelinn-s ♦ Statement of Hon. Montgomery Blair, in " the National Intelligencer,", Vugust 9, 186G. 30 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. may be gathered from the following extract from a letter writ- ten by Mrs. Lee, in December 1861, to a Unionist friend, " My husband," slie said " has wept tears of blood over this terrible war, but he must, as a man of honor and a Virginian, share the destiny of his State." Those who do not own Virginia as their mother, can never know the feeling which her children bear her ; the love, the devotion, the readiness to lay down everything, even life itself, at her bidding. So deep, so entire is this devotion, that no one, worthy to be called her son, could think for one instant of questioning her right to command, still less of raising his arm to strike his mother. The action of Virginia put an end to the struggle of Colonel Lee and left him no alternative. To Mr. Blair, who was au- thorized to offer him the command of the Federal army, he said, "Mr. Blair, I look upon secession as anarchy. If. I owned four millions of slaves in the South, I would sacrifice them all to the Union ; but how can I draw my sword upon Virginia, my native State?" To General Scott, who begged him, "For God's sake don't resign, Lee," he said, "I am compelled to. I cannot consult my own feelings in this mat- ter." True to his sense of duty, Colonel Lee resigned his commis- sion as an officer of the United States Army, on the 20th ot April 1861, and at the same time sent the following letter to General Scott : — "Arlington, Va., April 20, 1861. " General : — " Since my interview with you on the 18th instant, I have felt that I ought not longer to retain my commission in the army. I therefore tender my resignation, which I request you will recommend for acceptance. It would have been presented COL. LEE LEAVES THE FEDERAL ARMT. 31 at (ince but for the struggle it has cost rae to separate myself from a service to which I have devoted all the best years of my life, and all the ability I possessed. '* During the whole of that time, — more than a quarter of a century, — 1 have experienced nothing but kindness from my superiors, and the most cordial friendship from my comrades. To no one. General, have I been as much indebted as to your- self, for uniform kindness and consideration, and it has always been my ardent desire to merit your approbation. I shall carry to the grave the most grateful recollections of your kind con- sideration, and your name and fame will always be dear to me. " Save in defence of my native State, I never desire again to draw my sword. Be pleased to accept my most earnest wishes for the continuance of your happiness and prosperity, and beheve rae, most truly yours, «'R. E. Lee. " LlETJTENANT-GEXERAL WiNFIELD ScOTT, " Commanding United States Army." * * To his sister, the wife of a Union officer, he wrote as follows j " Arlington, Va., April 93, WSL " Mt dear Sister : — "I AM grieved at my inability to see you. ***** I have been waiting for * a more convenient season,' which has brought to many before me deep and lasting regret. We are now in a state of war which will yield to nothing. The whole South is in a state of revolution, into which, Virginia, after a long struggle, has been drawn; and though I recognize no necessity for this state of things, and would have forborne and pleaded to the end, for redress of grievances, real or supposed, yet in my own person I had to meet the ques- tion, whether I should take part against my native State. With all my devo- tion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, 1 have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my rela- tives, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the army, and save in defence of my native State, witli the sincere hope that my poor services may naver be needed, I hope I may never be called upon* to draw my sword. 32 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Colonel Lee's resignation was accepted on the 20th of April, and he at once repaired to Richmond, leaving behind him the home where he Iiad passed so many happy hours,* and which was to be his no longer. II. GENERAL LEE COMMANDS THE ARMY IN VIRGINIA. Early in 1801, in view of the probable withdrawal of the State, the Legislature of Virginia authorized the Governor of the Commonwealth to raise and organize a military force of from ten to twenty thousand men, under an officer of expe- rience, with the title of Major General. When Colonel Lee resigned his commission in the Federal army. Governor Letcher at once conferred upon him the rank authorized by the Legislature, and the command of all the forces in Virginia. This appointment was not solicited by Colonel Lee, but he did not feel at liberty to decline it. It wa? confirmed by the Convention, and the decision of that body was communicated to him on the 23d of April, by the Presi- dent of the Convention, John Janney, Esq. General Lee was presented to the Convention by the Chair- man of the Military Committee, Mr. Johnson, of Richmond. The President then addressed the new Commander-in-Chief aa follows : — " I know you will blame me, but you must think as kindly of me as you can, and believe that I have endeavored to do what 1 tliouglit right. To show you the feeling and struggle it has cost me, I send a copy of my letter to General Scott, which accompanied my letter of resignation. I have lidl time for more. * * ♦ ♦ May God guard and protect you and yours, and ehower upon you every blessing, is the prayer of your devoted brother, R. E. Leb." • Arlington. GEN. LEE COMMANDS THE ARMY IN VIRGINIA. 33 " jNIajor-General Lee, in the name of the people of your na- tive State here represented, I bid you a cordial and heartfelt welcome to this hall, in wliich we may almost yet hear the echo of the voices of the statesmen, the soldiers, and sages of by- gone days, who have borne your name, and whose blood now flows in your veins. '• We met in the month of February last, charged with the solemn diaty of protecting the rights, the honor, and the inter- ests of the people of this Commonwealth. We differed for a time as to the best means for accomplishing that object ; but there never was, at any moment, a shade of difference* among us as to the great object itself. And now, Virginia having taken her position, as far as the power of this Convention ex- tends, we stand animated by one impulse, governed by one de- sire and one determination, and that is, that she shall be de- fended, and that no spot of her soil shall be polluted by the foot of an invader. "When the necessity became apparent of having a leader for our forces, all hearts and eyes, by the impulse of an instinct which is a surer guide than reason itself, turned to the old county of Westmoreland. A\'e knew how prolific she had been in other days, of heroes and statesmen. We knew she had given birth to the Father of his Country, to Richard Henry Lee, to Monroe, and last, though not lejist, to your own gal- lant father ; and we knew well by your deeds, that her produc- tive power was not yet exhausted. " Sir, we watched with the most profound and intense inter- est the triumphal march of the army led by General Scott, to which you were attached, from Vera Cruz to the Ca[)ital of Mexico. We read of the sanguinary conflicts, and the blood- stained fields, in all of which victory perched upon our own banners. We knew of the unfading lustre that was shed upon the American arms by that campaign, and we knew, also, what 6 34 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. your modesty has always disclaimed, that no small share of the glory of those achievements was due to your valor and your military genius. «' Sir, one of the proudest recollections of ray life will be the honor that I yesterday had of submitting to this body, confir- mation of the nomination made by the Governor of this State, of you as Commander-in-Chief of the military and naval forces of tills Commonwealth. I rose to put the question, and when I asked if this body should advise and consent to that appoint- ment, there rushed from the hearts to the tongues of all the members, an affirmative response, told with an empliasis that could leave no doubt of the feeling whence it emanated. I put the negative of the question for form's sake, but there was an unbroken silence. " Sir, we have by this unanimous vote, expressed our con- victions that you are at this day among the living citizens of Virginia, ' first in war.' We pray to God most fervently that you may so conduct the operations committed to your charge, that It will soon be said of you, that you are ' first in peace ; ' and wlien that time comes, you will have earned the still prouder distinction of being ' first in the hearts of your country- men.' I will close with one more remark. " When the Father of his Country made his last will and testament, he gave swords to his favorite nephews, with an In- junction that they should never be drawn from their scabbards except in self defence, or in defence of the rights and liberties of their country ; and tliat, if drawn for the latter purpose, they .should full with them in their hands, rather than relinquish them. '* Yesterday your mother, Virginia, placed her sword in your hand, upon the implied condition, that we know you will keep to the letter and in spirit, that you will draw it only in defence, and that you will fall with it in your hand, rather than the ob- ■"f»t for which it was placed there shall fall." GEN. LEE COMMANDS THE ARMY IN VIRGINIA. 35 To this address General Lee replied : — ."•jSIr. President and o-entlcmen of the Convention: — Pro- foundlj impressed with the solemnity of the occasion, for which I must say I was not prepared, I accept the position assigned me by your partiality. I would have much preferred your choice had fallen upon an abler man. Trusting in Almighty God, an approving conscience, and the aid of my fellow citi- zens, I devote myself to the service of my native State, in whose behalf alone, will I ever again draw my sword." General Lee at once addressed himself to the task of organ- izing the State forces, and putting the country in a condition of defence. It was an undertaking requiring the exercise of the highest energy, skill, and perseverance. In response to the call of the Governor for troops, volunteers were coming in every day in large numbers ; but these were without organiza- tion, discipline, or arms. To sup[)ly these wants, or, in other words, to make an army out of these peaceful citizens, was the first duty of the new commander. This duty was successfully performed, and in an almost incredibly short time. The troops were organized and equipped, important strategic points through- out the State occupied and fortified, and a spirit of life and ac- tivity given to the whole military organization. Besides this, three steamers were converted into vessels of war. So well was the work done, that during the first few weeks of the war, a Northern journal said, in referring to matters in Virginia, *♦ Should the United States' troops succeed in entering the State of Virginia, they will be compelled to encounter, at va- rious points on the route, large bodies of troops, strongly post- ed in positions capable of being maintained many days against an invading army. By the way of Alexandria a general of su- perior ability will be required, as he will probably be compelled to encounter, at some point on the route to Richmond, Gen- eral Lee himself, or Magruder." 36 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. On the Gth of May the State of Virginia became a member of the Confederate States, and transferred its forces to the new Governnicnt. On the 10th of May, General Lee was ordered by President Davis to retain his command of tlie army in Vir- ninia, until the military organization of the Confederacy was placed on a firm basis. After the assembling of the Provisional Congress at Richmond, in July 18G1, he was made a General in the Regular Army of the Confederacy, ranking next to Sydney Johnston, — the list being as follows : — Cooper, Syd- ney Johnston, Lee. With characteristic modesty, General Lee refrained from seehing notoriety, being content to execute any task, however humble, confided to him. At a late period of the war, he gave utterance to the feeling which always influenced him, when he said, " I will take any position the country assigns to me, and do the best I can." Before going further, I desire to glance briefly at the first events of the war in Virginia. The State seceded on the 17th of April, 18G1. As soon as the passage of the Ordinance of Secession became known to the United States Government, the small Federal garrison at Harper's Ferry evacuated the [)lace, after attempting to destroy the Arsenal there. This building, however, was saved by the timely arrival of the Virginia forces, and a large number of valuable arms, and the greater portion of the machinery pre- served to the country. This was on the 19th of the month. On the 20th, Fortress Monroe, which commands the entrance to the James River, was reenforced, and the Gosport Navy Yard, near Norfolk, with the vessels lying there, set on fire and abandoned. The flames in this instance, also, were suppressed by the Virginians, and large quantities of valuable and impor- tant stores, and many pieces of artillery were thus rescued. The force at Fortress Monroe was daily increased, and on the GEX. LEE COMMANDS THE ARMY IN VIRGINIA. 37 24111 of }>lciy the city of Alexandria was occupied by the Federal army. Shortly afterwards a strong column, under General McClellan, advanced into Western Virginia. To meet the danger which threatened them, detatchments of Southern troops were stationed at various points, and recnforced as rapidly as possible. The command at Harper's Ferry was given to Colonel T.J.Jackson, and he was soon succeeded by his sn[ieri()r officer, General Joseph E. Johnston. General Beauregard was sent to Manassas Junction, Colonel ^lagruder was ordered to Yorktown with instructions to place the Penin- sula in a state of defence, and General Ilugcr was sent to Nor- folk. Sewcll's and Pig's Points in the neighborhood of Nor- folk were fortified, as were also Craney Island in Elizabeth River, and Gloucester Point opposite Yorktown. The Con- federate Government was removed to Richmond, which city be- came t!ie great dci)ot of su[)[)lies, as well as the capital of the new Republic. Volunteering went on briskly, and si)on a large force, which was augmented by troops from other States, was collected in Virginia. In Western Virginia a small de- tachment under General R. S. Garnott, who had done good service as General Lee's Adjutant General, was sent to occupy the country, and serve as a nucleus for more volunteers. The Northern press affected to consider the course of the South as a mere petty hisurrection which could be quickly sup- pressed. One of these journals expressed itself as follows ; "The nations of Europe may rest assured that Jeff Davis and Co. will be swinging from the battlements of AVashington, at least by the Fourth of July. We spit upon a later and longer deferred justice." Another said ; '♦ Let us make quick work. The 'rebellion' as some iieo- ple de.-ignate it, is an unborn tadpole. Let us not fdl into the delusion noticed by Ilallam, of mistaking a ' local commotion* 38 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. for a rovoliifion. A strong, active, ' pull together' will do our work cfrcctually iu thirty days. We have only to send a col- umn of 25,000 men across the Potomac to Richmond, and bum out the rats there; another column of 25,000 to Cairo, seizing the cotton ports of the Mississippi, and retaining the remaining 25,000 included in Mr. Lincoln's call for 75,000 iiien, at Washington, not because there is any need for ihem there, hut because we do not require their services elsewhere." Another went so far as to "declare that, "Illinois can whip the South by her^^elf." The Federal Government did not share in tliese extravagances. It clearly recognized the gravity of the struggle upon which it had entered. General Scott, who directed its military affairs, was too old a soldier to commit the folly of underrating his adver- snry, e-^pecially when the Southern armies in Virginia were con- trolled by the man whose genius he had always valued so highly. On the 3rd of May President Lincoln called for 40,000 addi- tional volunteers, ten more regiments for the regular army, and 18,000 seamen. This, with the force already on hand, would place the Federal strength at at least 150,000 men. The calls were promptly responded to, and it was evident there would be no lack of troops in tlic North. It is said that the plan of the Fedeial Government, which was drawn up by General Scott, was to send a strong column into the jNlississippi Valley and occupy it ; a second was to take possession of Kentucky and check any Southern movements there ; while the third column was to capture Richmond. These triumplis, together with a strict blockade of the Southern coast, would, it was believed, effectually " crush the rebellion." Virginia was to be attacked fi'om four directions — from Fortress Monroe, by way of the Peninsula between the James and York Rivers : from Alexan- dria and ]\Ianassas ; from the Valley of the Shenandoah and from the Northwest by way of Staunton. The movements of GEN. LEE COMMANDS THE ARMY IN VIRGINIA. 39 these four columns were to be simultaneous ; they were to unite at Richmond ; and after the capture of that city were to cooper- ate with the forces in Kentucky and the Mississippi Valley, in restoring the entire South to the Federal sway. This was the magnificent programme which was to be thwarted by the able lieutenants of the Southern Commander-in-chief. By a singular coincidence, the conflict in Virginia opened at Gloucester Point opposite Yorktown, where the war of the Kevolution practically ended. This was simply a slight skirmish between an armed tug and a Southern field battery, resulting in the withdrawal of the Federal steamer. It was followed by other skirmishes between shore batteries and Federal steamers, at Sewell's and Pig's Points and at Aquia Creek, to the disad- vantage of the latter, and outposts and picket fights at numer- ous points throughout the State, with vaiied success. On the 3rd of June, Colonel Porterfield, who had been sent to AVest- ern Virginia by General Lee for the [)urpose of recruiting, was attacked and defeated at Philippi by General Kelley. The first engagement of importance was at Great Bethel, between Yorktown and Hampton, in which, on the 10th of June, a force of 1800 infantry and six pieces of artillery, iin[)er- fectly intrenched, defeated a column of about 5000 men with artillery, advancing up the Peninsula from Fortress Monroe. Considered in itself, the battle of Bethel was comparatively an insignificant aflTair ; but when it is remembered that it was the first decided trial of strength between the combatants, and that it produced a feeling of confidence in the Southern army and raised the enthusiasm of the people to a still greater degree, we can ensily understand why the South should class it among the principal battles of the war. Besides this, a defeat of Colf>nel Magruder would have placed the little army of the Peninsula at the mercy of the Federals, and have opened the way to Richmond. 40 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Bethel was followed by the hrief campaign of Generals Johnston and Patterson in the Vullej^ of Virginia, and the dis- astrous defeat of Colonel Pegrani at Ptieh Mountain, and the death of General Garnett, during his retreat from Laurel Ridge. On the 16th of July, the Federal army, numbering 55,000 infantry, nine regiments of cavalry, and 40 pieces of artillery, advanced from Alexandria towards Bull Run, behind which the Confederate army, under General Beauregard was posted. General Johnston, hearing of this, eluded Patterson, and has- tened to Bull Run, where he arrived with a part of his force on the 20th of July. The entire Southern army, on the morning ofJidy21st, amounted to 31,431 infantry, 500 cavalry, and 55 guns. After an ineffectual attempt to force a passage of Bull Run, at Blackburn's Ford, on the 18th of July, the Fed- eral army attacked the forces of Beauregard and Johnston on the morning of the 2 1st, and was routed and driven back to Washington, after a hard-fought battle. Af"ter this engagement neither army made any advance, until General Johnston occupied Mason's and Munson's Hills in sight of Washington City. HI. THE CAMPAIGN IN WESTERN VIRGINIA. When General Lee took command of the Virginia forces, he sent Colonel G. A. Porterfield, who had been an officer in the Army of the United States, to Western Virginia, to raise volunteers for the defence of the State. Porterfield proceed- ed at once to his destination, and, establishing his head- quarters at Philippi, a village in Barbour County, issued his proclamation for troops for service in the State army. The THE CAMPAIGN IN" WESTERN VIRGINIA. 41 people of Western Virginia refused (o respond to the call, and at the same time enlisted rapidly in the Federal army, Porterfield fouad it impossible to procure recruits, and ascer- tained that the enemy were collecting troops so rapidly along the Ohio River, that unless a Southern army could be sent into Western Virginia, that portion of the State would be speedily overrun by the Federals. He promptly informed General Lee of this, and finding; his little command of less than seven hun- dred men threatened by a Federal column at Grafton, deter- mined to withdraw to Beverley, in Randolph County. Before this resolution could be put into effect, his camp at Philippi was surprised and captured by five thousand Federal soldiers, and his men put to flight, with the loss of several killed and wounded, and a few prisoners. General Lee, as soon as he received Colonel Porterfield's dispatch, prepared to send troops to Western Virginia. About five thousand infantry, some cavalry, and several batteries of artillery were assembled at Beverley, late in May, and the com- mand bestowed upon Brigadier-General R. S. Garnett, a gallant officer, who had served as General Lee's Adjutant- General during the first few weeks of the war. General Garnett, after reaching Beverley, proceeded to oc- cupy a strong position near that town. A^'ith a force of three thousand infantry, six pieces of artillery, and three companies of cavalry, he intrenched himself on the slopes of Laurel Hill, holding the main turnpike from Staunton to AVheeling. This road, which here runs nearly southward, was his direct line of retreat, being the great highway across the mountains in this region. If cut off from it, his only chance of retreat was by difficult roads over the mountains to the eastward. Five miles below Garnett's position, at Laurel llill, a road from the west passes through this spur, at a defile known as Rich Mountain, and strikes the main road. To guard this approach against a^y 6 42 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. effort of tlie enemy to seize liis line of retreat, Garnett j.osted Colonel John Pei,n-ani, his second in commantl, with sixteen hundred infantry and four pieces of artillery, at Rich Mountain. From the position thus secured, the Confederates sent their cavalry throughout the mountain counties, and harassed the Federal forces in tliat region very greatly. The command of the Department of the Ohio, consisting of the States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, had been entrusted by the Federal Government, early in May, to General George B. McClellan, who had served with distinction in the Engineer Corps of the Regular Army. As soon as he learned the pres- ence of Porterfield and Garnett in Western Virginia, McClel- lan determined to cross the Ohio, which properly bounded his department, drive the Southern troo[)s east of the mountains, and occupy the mountain region with his own forces. It has been seen that the movement against Porterfield was successful. General MeClellan now resolved to attack Garnett, and in order to defeat him, directed his march so as to strike the main line of retreat of the Confederate force below the position held by Colonel Pegram, and at the same time to send another col- umn to seize the only other route by which Garnett could retreat, and thus capture the whole force. Accordingly, on the 11th of July, Brigadier-General Rose- cranz, with about three thousand men, was dispatched to attack Pegram's left and rear, while iMcClellan, with five thousand infantry and some artillery, attacked in front. After a difficult march over the mountain by an unusual road, Rosecranz succeeded in turning Pegram's left, and gaining his rear, and after a short but stubborn fight, Pegram was defeated. Six companies of infantry escaped, but the rest of the Southern force fell into the hands of the enemy. As soon as General Garnett heard of the result of the fight at Rich Mountain, he determined to abandon Laurel Plili and THE CAMPAIGN IN WESTERN VIRGINIA. 43 fall back to Iluttonsville. Owing to a misconstruction of his orders, the road was left open in the direction of the enemy, and blocked some distance from Beverley on his own line of march. This forced him to leave the mahi turnpike, and I'etreat by a mountain road into Hardy County. McClellan pursued vigorously, and the Confederates were put to great straits to effect their esca[)e. About five hundred prisoners were taken, and General Garnett himself was killed at one of the fords of Cheat River. The Confederate loss in the campaign was very sli"-ht in killed and wounded, being less than one hundred, but they lost over one thousand prisoners, nearly all their artillery, and the greater part of their baggage. The disastrous result of the campaign spread a feeling of gloom for a time throughout the South. It was the first defeat the Southern arms had sustained, and the people were totally unused to war. The remnants of Garnett's command retreated to Monterey in Highland County, where they were soon joined byreenforcements from Richmond; but though temporary suc- cesses were frequently gained by the South, McClellan's promptness and boldness, gave the Federals a hold upon West- ern Virginia, which they never relaxed throughout the war. AVhile Garnett was at Rich Mountain, Brigadier-General Henry A. Wise was sent to Western Virginia to raise troops in the Kanawha Valley. He established his headquarters at Charleston, and succeeded in organizing and arming twenty-five hundred infantry, seven hundred cavalry, and three batteries of artillery, which force was soon after increased to four thou- sand men. The Federal army under McCIeilan had by this time crossed the Ohio River. A Federal force was at Parkers- burg, and the enemy were using every effort to bring into the Kanawha Valley an army sufficient to dr.ve Wise out of it. Soon the command of General Cox moved from the Ohio Rivoy 44 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. to attack bim. The Southern Cavalry had several brilliant encounters at Scary Creek and elsewhere, with the advanced forces of the enemy, and Wise prepared to give battle to Cox; when he learned that his right and rear were exposed to McClellan's main column by the defeat t.f Garuett at Laurel Ilill, and that he was in danger of being hemmed in between Cox and McClellan. General Wise at once fell back to Lewis- burg, reaching that place about the 1st of August, after a retreat v.-hich was rendered somewhat difficult by an insuffi- ciency of transportation. A few weeks later, Brigadier General John B. Floyd was sent west of the mountains, with his brigade, which numbered about eighteen hundred infantry, a battalion of cavalry, and a battery of artillery, to operate in the Valley of the Kanawha. He repaired at once to the White Sulj)hur Springs, in Green- brier County, about nine miles from General Wise's position. Lie consulted with General Wise, and the two commanders agreed upon an advance towards Gauley Tiiver. Unfortu- nately their columns moved separately, and failed to act in concert at any subsequent period. The Gauley River w^as reached, and crossed by Floyd's forces, but Wise halted on the bank of the stream. Flovd attacked a superior Federal force under Colonel Tyler, at the Cross Lanes in Fayette County, and defeated it with some loss on the 2()th of August. On the 10th of September, he was himself attacked at Carnifex Ferry, on the Gauley, by General Rosecranz, who had succeeded jSIcClellan in command of the Federal army in West Virginia. Rosecranz's force numbered nine tiiousand men and several batteries of artillery. Floyd had seventeen hundred and fifty men. The Confederates succeeded in maintaining their position against heavy odds until night, when Floyd recrossed the river. Rosecranz moved forward in pursuit, and forced Floyd and Wise back to Sewell's ISIountain. Fresh disagreements oc- THE CAMPAIGN IX WESTEKN VIKGINIA. 45 curreJ between the Confederate leaders, and Floyd fell back to Meadow Bluff, eighteen miles west of Lewlsburg, and ^^'ise Imltcd on the eastern slope of Sewell's Mountain, where he intrenched his position, which he named Camp Deliance. Thus, through the failure of the two Generals to cuojicrate with each other, the campaign resulted in nothing of vahie to the Confederates. jMeanwhile, upon the death of General Garnett, General Lee was ordered to Western Virginia to take command of the army in that region. lie at once set out from Richmond for i\Ion- tcrey, taking with him reenforceraents, which, added to the remnant of Garnett's troops, brought the army to about sixteen tliousand men. The roads were in a horrible condition, bcina: almost knee deep in mud, and it was with great difficulty that the army could move forward, but advancing steadily westward. General Lee, by tlie lOth of August, reached tiie neighborhood of Cheat Mountain, and found it strongly fortified. The posi- tion was very formidable, but General Lee determined to endeavor, by strategic movements, to dislodge tlie enemy from it, when, by pushing forward rapidly with iiis whole army, he hoped to drive the Federals to the Ohio. General Reynolds, second in command to Rosecranz, had taken position to cover the approaches to Beverley, with a force of about twelve thousand men. The bulk of this army was strongly intrenched at a point at the junction of Tygart's Valley River, and Elk Run, which post was called by the Fed- erals "Elk Water." The rest held the pass at the second summit of Cheat Mountain, on the main road from Staunton to Parkersburg. The mountain had what may be called three distinct summits. The second was the most available for mili- tary purposes, and the enemy had strengthened it with a powerful fort or block house in the bend of the road, flanked by intrenchments of earth and logs, protected by dense abattis 4G LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. on every side. On two sides it was impossible to approach this stronghold, for the mountain rose almost perpendicular from the river to the fort. General Lee felt his way cautiously along the road from Iluntersville to Huttonsville, and halted near the Federal posi- tion at Cheat Mountain. Careful reconnoissances developed its immense strength, but Colonel Rust, of the Third Arkansas Herriment, who had made what proved to be a very imperfect reconnoissance of the Federal position, reported that it was perfectly practicable to turn it and carry it by assault. General Lee at once gave orders for a combined attack on the enemy both at Elk Water and Cheat Mountain. The weather was very cold, and the difficulties to be overcome by the troops in occupying the positions assigned them were very great, but, in spite of these obstacles. General Lee succeeded in reaching a point below the enemy at Elk Water, placing other portions of his force on the spurs of the mountain to the east and west of the block house, and moving another part of his army down the river close to the enemy. These dispositions completed, General Lee was ready to attack the Federals at Elk Water, as soon as Colonel Rust's guns should be heard on Cheat Mountain. Colonel Rust, with fifteen hundred men, was ordered to gain the rear of the fort, v^here he had reported an assault practi- cable, and carry the work by storm. After considerable exer- tion Rust (gained the rear of the fort, but saw at a jrlance tliat he had been deceived in his former reconnoissance. Indeed the Federal abattis extended so far, and was so utterly impene- trable that it was impossible to reach the fort. Seeing this, Colonel Rust decided not to make the assault, and at once withdrew his troops. His failure rendered it useless for Gen- eral Lee to attack the works at Elk AA'ater, as a victory there would have been useless with the enemy at Cheat IMountain. THE CAJMPAIGN IN WESTERN VIIIGINIA. 47 The Confederate troops were withdrawn, and the effort aban- doned. Considerable criticism has been drawn out on both sides by the faihire of General Lee to take the enemy's works at Elk Water, which his troops had surrounded. No doubt such a victory was within his grasp, but General Lee wisely considered that as it would accomplish practically nothing while the enemy remained in the impregnable stronghold on the mountain, it was not worth the sacrifice of life that would be necessary to accom- plish it. Soon after he had drawn off his troops, General Lee was in- formed by couriers of the exposed situation of Floyd and Wise, aofainst whom the combined forces of Rosecranz and Cox were advancing. He at once decided to transfer his army to the vicinity of Lewisburg, and endeavor to defeat Rosecranz before the fall rains should render the roads impassable. He reached Floyd's position on the 20th of September, and, after confer- ring with him and inspecting the locality, set out for Camp Defiance, where he arrived on the 22d. A close inspection satisfied him that the line held by General Wise on the Sewell Mountain was more advantageous than that of General Floyd at Meadow Bluff, and he at once ordered all his troops forward, and proceeded to strengthen his position. He had left a part of his army to hold the Federal force at Cheat Mountain in check, but, including the commands of Floyd and Wise, he had with him about fifteen thousand men, which was the strength of Rosecranz's army. Rosecranz, who had been pressing on after Wise and Floyd, now reached the Sewell jNlountain, and took position on the top and western slope of it. The armies were now in sight of each other, and out-post fights and skirmishes went on con- Btantly. Expecting to be attacked. General Lee made no advance, and the a/'.jersaries confronted each other for nearly 48 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. tv.-o weeks. At last Rosccranz, discovering tlic true nature of the force ojiposed to liini, on tlic night of tiie Gth of October, hroke uj) his camp and retreated westwarpiing a general conscription law. They hesitated long when their good sense must have shown them the danger of delay ; and it was not until the Federal forces were menacing the Ciipital itself that they passed the " Conscription liill," which went into operation in May, 1^(52. The haste with which tliis Bill was adopted necessarily made it very defective; but the treqnent revisions which it received at the hnnds of the Congie;^s failed to make it either acceptable to the people, or as iieneficial to the army as it m^ght have been. Certainly it was necessary that the people should be forced into the military service if the war was to be carrietl on, but it was very unfortunate that some other plan than that chosen Was not used. That sweeping msasure at once created the MATTERS AT CEXTREVILLE. 55 greatest dissatisfaction in tlie South ; and very reasonably, too, for it was conscription in ifs most odious form. Then, too, to execute tlie law required the withdrawal of at least an army corps in numbers from the field. Ic would have been far better to have taken the plan afterwards purvVhen Mr. Davis was made President of the Confederacy, he bethought him of his old friend, and offered him the im[)ortant post of Commissary-General. This measure occasioned great surprise throughout the country, and Colonel Northrop's unfit- ness for his post was represented to the President more than once, but without effect. Mr. Davis would not desert his friend, and sustained him against the whole country. Indeed the fiercer the o[)|)v)siiion to the Colonel, the more tenaciously did the President ding to him. General Lee frequently charged him with incompetency, and urged the President to remove him. In a letter written January 22d, 18G4, he particularly urged this.* The conduct of Colonel Northrop was in itself enough to ruin the Southern cause. He was entirely ignorant of the duties of his office, and utterly incapable of learning them. lie would brot»k no interference from any one, and, seciue in the favttr of the President, treated his superior officers witli con- tem|it, and rc[)lied to their appeals for food for their inx^ps with coarse insults. He publicly declared that no general hud ♦ A Rebel War Clerk's Diary. Vol. ii. p. 147 MATTERS AT CENTKEVILLE. 59 a right to issue orders to him, and refused to obey any rorn- mands except those of Mr. Davis.* His mismanagement and bniiality starved the army in tlie midst of plenty, rol)I)e(l the peoj)le, and in the end caused all classes to distrust and f the North was well managed and necessary to its success. The Constitution was not suited to the task before ^Nlr. Lincoln, and he was wise enough to know this. Ills measures were consistent and directed toward.-* THE FEDERAL PLAN OF THE CAMPAIGN. 63 one steadfast end, and were not, like those of the other side, weak, wavering, and odious to his people. It had been understood from the first that the principal struggle of the war would be in Virginia, and after the defeat of JNIcDowell, the Federal Government proceeded to collect another army at Washington. The command of this force was given to Major-General George B. McClellan, whose exploits in Western Virginia I liave already noticed. The new commander was one of whom it is difficult to form a just estimate. lie entered upon his duties with a flattering reputation, and it was confidently expected by his country n)en that he would, with the force at his command, destroy the army of General Johnston and capture Richmond. As we shall see, he failed in both of these objects, but he iiad, at the same time, much to contend against in the opposition of certain of his countrymen and the interference of his Government, after the campaign had actually begun. In the old service General McClellan had been regarded as one of its most pronusing officers, and had been a member of the Commission sent to Euro[)e by President Pierce, to report upon the military organ- izations of the Old World, with a view to remedying the defects in his own. Ilis success in Western Virginia made him the most distinguished commander in the North, and indicated him as the proper person to take charge of the new army in Virginia. He was undoubtedly the ablest commander that army ever had, but, after a careful review of the events in which he bore a part, I cannot call him a great general. lie was better in the council than in the field, and could plan better than he could execute. There were about all his operations a hesitation and a lack of vigor which are unknown to a great soldier, and when one considers the advantages his army pos- sessed over that of his adversary, it is surprising that he did not accomplish more. There can be no doubt, however, that' 64 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. he gradually improved as time wore on, and, from the promise which the closing days of his career gave, his admirers certainly have good grounds for believing that his campaign in the fall of 1862 would have been marked by more ability than he ever displayed. Besides this, he had the quality of attaching his troops to him and arousing their warmest enthusiasm for him, a quality which only a good soldier can possess. The task before General McClellan was similar to that which had occupied General Johnston during the fall of 18G1. The Federal army was in a disorganized condition, and it was necessary, first of all, to breathe new life into it. Unlike Gen- eral Johnston, however. General McClellan could rely upon his Government to sustain him to the utmost in the task before him. The Northern President wisely left the work of reorgan- ization to the man he had chosen for it, and responded liberally and promptly to every demand made upon him. The result was what would have happened to the Southern army had Mr. Davis been less vain and intolerant. General McClellan assumed the command of the army on the 27th of July, 1861. It numbered then a little over fifty- one thousand men, including less than one thousand cavalry, and was provided with nine field batteries of thirty pieces. It had lost almost the semblance of military organization, and was being rapidly thinned by desertion. He set to work vigorously, and soon checked the desertions. He procured the passage of a law by Congress, authorizing the President to relieve from command incompetent officers, and during the fall got rid of several hundred of this class. The new recruits were at once put to work to learn their profession, and the regiments, brig- ades, and divisions were systematically organized. Fortunately for the United States, there remained in the regular service a number of educated artillery officers, and these were put to work, not, as in the Southern army, to learn other branches of THE FEDERAL PLAN OF THE CAMPAIGN. 65 the service, but to organizing and drilling the artillery^ where they were most useful. With equal energy the engineer ser- vice was created and improved. The staff also was organized upon a more useful plan than the Southern Executive saw fit to adopt. When the Army of the Potomac took the field in 1802, it numbered (including all its branches) two hundred and twenty-one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-seven men, of all arms (counting twenty-five regiments of cavalry), and was provided with ninety-two batteries of five himdred and twenty guns, and with an engineer corps, and trains, and bridge equipage adequate for a first-class army. Its Commissariat and Quartermaster's departments were also well organized, and ably administered. In accomplishing this task. General McClellan exhibited not only great administrative ability, but also great genius. To him the Army of the Potomac was indebted throughout the war for the organization and discipline which sustained it amid its heaviest reverses, and this, if nothing else, should entitle him to its gratitude. It is true that he enjoyed a great advantage over General Johnston, in having a Government willing and anxious to sustain him in his labors, and that he had many more resources to draw upon than the Confederates possessed, but still he is entitled to unstinted praise for the masterly abil- ity with which he performed the work. In October the Army of the Potomac was ready for active serA ice, and its condition and discipline were such as to induce the North to expect success for it. During the process of cre- ating it, the people and Government of the North had refrained from urging a premature commencement of hostilities, but as 6oon as it was known that it was ready for the field, there was manifested a very decided desire for something decisive before the winter should render active operations impossible. The Army of Northern Virginia, during this time, lay in the " 9 t)6 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. neighborhood of Ccntreville, with its outposts pushed forward as far as Mason's, jNIunson's, and Upton's Hills, from which points its colors could be seen, and its drums heard at "Wash- ington. This si)ccies of bravado was as galling to the North as it was gratifying to the South, and the press and Govern- ment strongly urged General McClellan to put a stop to it. A little later, tiie blockade of the Potomac created no slight indig- nation in the North, and the people became still more urgent for a forward movement upon General McClellan's part. Influenced by this state of affairs, General jNIcClellan, about the middle of October, seriously entertained the plan of ad- vancing upon jNIanassas. Even if he had left half of his force in garrison at Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis, and alono" the line of the Potomac, he would have had a column for active operations of about seventy-five thousand men, — thirty- thousand more than the Confederates could muster. The weather was unusually favorable for his advance, and the roads were in better condition than they had been at that season for several years. There was much to be gained by such a course. With the army at his command, he could have reasonably counted on fighting with a fair prospect of success, and had General Johns- ton retired from Centreville to the line of the Rapidan, which he assuredly would have done, in consequence of the condition in which his Government had placed him,* the moral effect at the North would have been powerful. General McClellan seems to have appreciated this, for in his report he thus speaks of the results that might follow such a movement : — "Assuming the success of this operation, and the defeat of the enemy as certain, the question at once arises as to the im- portance of the results gained. I think these results would be confined to the possession of the field of battle, the evacuation • Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 73. THE FEDERAL PLAN OF THE CAMPAIGN. 67 of the line of the Uj per Potomac by the enemy, and the moral effect of the victory ; important results, it is true, but not (lecivxive of the war, nor securing the destruction of the enemyV main army, for he could fall back upon other positions, and fight us again and again, siiould the condition of his troopa permit."* Certainly if General McClellan considered these advantages within his grasp, and that he did is proved by his own words, he was most culpable in not trying to secure them. Had Gen- eral Johnston regarded it as possible to gain such advantages over jMcClellan, the effijrt would have been made. More than this, the Federal commander would have silenced and satisfied his Government and people by such a success, and could have entered upon the spring campaign with the prestige which he lost by his backwardness. The [)lan was suffered to lie over, however, and the fall and winter were spent in idleness. This, as it happened, was no gain to the South, as the Confederate Government would not take advantage of the delay thus granted it. Meantime Gen- eral JMcClellan had turned his attention to another plan of operations, namely, a movement of his army to the Lower Chesapeake, and an advance upon Richmond from that diiec- tion. His imagination pictured to him a brilliant plan of operations in this quarter, which he stated as follows. In a letter to the Secretary of W^ar : — " A movement in force on that line, obliges the enemy to abandon his intrenched line at Manassas, in order to hasten to cover Richmond and Norfolk. He must do this ; for, should he permit us to occupy Richmond, his destruction can be avert- ed only by entirely defeating us in a battle in which he must be the assailant. This movement, if successful, gives us the Cap- ital, the communications, the supplies of the Rebels. Norfolk • McClellan's Oflacial Report. (Sheldon & Co.'s Edition.) p. 108. H8 LIFE Oh' GENERAL LKK, woulil fall ; all the waters of tlie Cliesupeiike would be ours ; all Virginia would be in our power, and the enemy forced to abandon Tenne:?see and Xorth Carolina. * * Sh iuld we be beaten in a battle, we have a perfectly secure retreat down the Pcnin.^ula up(jn Fort Monroe, with our flank peifectly covered by the fleet. During our whole movement our left flank Is covered by the water ; our right is secure, for the reason that the enemy is too dislant to reach us in time ; he can only op- pose us in front ; we bring our fleet into full J)lay. Alter a successful battle, our position would be, Burnside forming our left, Norfolk held securely, our centre connecting Burnside with Buell, both by Kahigh and Lynchburg. Buell in Eastern Tennessee and Northern Alabama, Ilalleck at Nashville and Memphis. The next movement would be to connect with Sher- man on the left, by reducing Wilmington and Charleston ; to advance our centre into South Candina and Georgia ; to push Buell either towards Montgomery, or to unite with the main army in Georgia ; to throw Ilalleck southward to meet the na- val expedition from New Orleans. AVe should then be in a condition to reduce, at our leisure, all the Southern seaports ; to occupy all the avenues of communication ; to use the great outlets of the Mississippi ; to reestablish our government and arms in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas ; to force the slaves to labor for our subsistence, Instead of that of the rebels ; to bid defiance to all foreign interference." Such was the magnificent future which " The Young Napo- leon" saw before hlin. He proposed to accomplish all this by landing his army on the Rappahannock, at or near Urbana, marching to West Point at the head of the York, and from there to Richmond. He was willing, however, if circumstancee it would save time, and at that period prompt action was uigeiitly demanded by tiie peo{)le. Both the President's plan and tliiit of General ^IcClellan were meritorious, but the former promised more in its effect upon the country, a consideration at that time of the hiuhest importance. Mr. Lincoln requested the General to state wherein the move to the Peninsula was to be preferred to a march upon Manassas. This request was complied with in the letter from which I have already quoted. Tlie President then set aside the plan, and ordered a direct movement upon ^Manassas on or before the 22d of February. General McCiel- lan continued to urge his j)lan, and Mr. Lincoln rescinded his order, and directed that a sufficient number of transjjorts should be procured to convey the army to the Lower Chesaj)eake. Still he was not satisfied, and, although he had sanctioned the proposed change of base, on the 8th of March he issued an order prescribing the conditions upon which it should take place, which were that the movement should begin as early as tlie 18th of the month ; that no change should be made without leav- ing for the protection of Washington such a force as would, in the opinion of the General-in-Chief and the commanders of army corps, render the city entirely secure ; and that no more than fifty thousand men should be moved en route for a new base of operations until the Potomac should be cleared of the Southern batteries and all other obstructions, or until the President should thereafter give express permission.* ♦ McClellan's Report, p. 117. 70 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. This was sheer trifling on the part of tlie Government, and was hi<>hlv enibarrassing to General McClellan. Mr. Lincoln should either have required of that officer unqualified obedience to his order, or his resignation, if he did not intend to support hiui cordially in the Cliesapeake movement. This, however, he did not do, but caused still mure embarrassment by dividing the Army of the Poton)ac intt) fmr corps d'armee, and appoint- insr «is their commanders officers whom General McClellan would not have chosen, and whom he did not think qualified for such important positions. iNIatters had assumed this condition when all parties were startled by the news from Manassas. III. GENERAL JOHNSTON FALLS BACK. I have already mentioned that the maladministration of the Commissary-General prevented General Johnston from attempt- ing offensive operations. He was fully aware that it was a great error to leave McClellan in [)eace to complete the organ- ization of his forces. The true policy of the Confederates lay in compelling the Federal commander to fight before he was ready, and in hindering and crip[)ling the organization of his army as much as p(jssible. So fully did General Johnston ap- preciate this, that, in concert with General Beauregard and Major-General G. W. Smith, he drew up a plan for an oflTen- sive movement, which was submitted to Mr. Davis during one ot his visits to headquarters. This plan proposed the immediate concentration, in the neigh- borhood of Manassas, of the greater portion of the forces scat- tered along the seacoast, and through Lower Virginia, which. GENERAL JOHNSTON FALLS BACK. 71 added to the force already on the Potomac, would constitute a large and efficient army. With this army it was proposed to inauLjurate a campaign north of the Potomac before General ^IcCIellan shoukl have his army ready for the fiehl. It was believed that the positions thus weakened would not be endan- gered, as it was ahnost absolutely certain that the enemy would call in their detached force:? as rapidly as possible to meet the movement ; but even if some points on the coast should be lost, the disaster would be more than counterbalanced by the gain north of the Potomac. The plan was a good one, and in perfect accord with the soundest principles of military science. No belter 0[)p()rtunity for an invasion of the enemy's country could be desired ; indeed as good an opportunity never occurred again. Had the plan been carried out, there can be no doubt that the Confed- erate army would have wintered on the Su-^quehanna, and that the spring campaign would have o|)ened in Pennsylvania instead of Virginia. Then some of the disasters of iy(>2, if not all of them, would have been unknown.* The President, however, could not be induced to give his consent to the scheme. He was too thoroughly wedded to the policy of dispersion to be willing to risk the loss of some petty, insignificant coast town, even though Baltimore or Philadelphia might be gained by it. General Jordan declares that he gravely proposed, as a substitute, the following: The Maryland shore, opposite the Confederate batteries at Evans[)ort, was held by a single weak division under General Sickles. The Potomac is at this point about two miles wide, and above and below the batteries lay the Federal war steam- ers, and many sailing craft. The only way in which the Con- ♦ This plan is substantially that which was proposed to the Confederate Government hy Stonewall Jackson, only, however, to be treated with silenl disdain. Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, pp. 86, 87, 88. ' 72 LIFE OF GENEKAL LEE. federales' could pass the river was by means of row-boats, and of these lAit a very limited number could be had. Mr. Davis proi)(»sed to make a descent upon Sickles' command, capture it, and brin"- off the prisoners. This remarkable phui, which would have resulted in the capture or destrucrion of tlie entire attackinir force, was, of course, at once condemned by the able soldiers to whom it was proposed. It was dropped, and the President went back to Richmond, having destroyed the best chance the South ever had for a successful campaign in the enemy's country. The autumn and winter wore away, the army still remaining on the defensive. McClellan's evident disinclination to attack him convinced General Johnston that the next attempt of the Federals would be made nearer Richmond, and his quick eye at once designated the Rappahannock as the locality from which the blow would be struck. Early in 1862, therefore, he resolved to abandon his position at INIanassas, and occupy the line of the Rappahannock. This would not only ruin his adversary's plan of campaign, but would bring his own army within easier com- munication with its base, and render it less ex[)oscd to having its supi)lies intercepted by hostile raiding parties. Accordingfy, in February, he commenced to remove the heavy guns from his works on Bull Run and the Potomac, and to send them, together with such public property as was worth carrying off, behind the Rappahannock. The works were sup- plied, in lieu of artillery, with wooden logs and (jieces of stove- pipe, which harmless weapons are known as " quaker guns," and held thus until everything was in readiness. The army was now about fifty thousand strong. Of this number General Jackson had six thousand with him in the Valley of Virginia, leaving forty-four thousand under General Johnston's immediate command. The forces at Leesburg and Evansport were called in, and on the 8th of March 1802, the GENERAL JOHNSTON FALLS BACK. 7^ army withdrew from INIannssas, and moved towards the Rappa- hannock, destroying all the bridges after It. General Scott once (declared that Joe Johnston's retreats were equal to viclories. So well was this affair managed, that the enemy did not suspect it until tiie next dny, when it was revealed to them by the smoke of the huts which the Confed- erates had fired upon their abandonment of them. General ^IcClellan, upon being informed that Johnston had retreated, attempted no pursuit, doubtless feeling sure that his wary ad- versary was too far away to be reached successfully ; but, in order to give his troops some ex[)erience in marching and biv- ouacking, advanced his whole army to Manassas on the 10th, having occupied the place on the 9th with two regiments of cavalry, under Colonel Averill. A few days later a reconnois- sance, under General Stoneman, was made in the direction of Johnston's new position, but the wretched state of the road* prevented Stoneman froui proceeding beyond Cedar Uun. Leav- ing Sumner to hold Manassas with his corps, McClcllan with- drew the main body of his army on the 11th, and returned to Alexandria. Suumer was soon relieved, but before this was done a strong body of infantry, under General Howard, ad- vanced to the Rappahannock on a reconnoissance. In the meantime General Johnston had caused carefid sur- veys of the country to be made, and now, finding that the line of the Rapidan afforded a better defensive position than that of the Rappahannock, withdrew his army behind the former stream. The "capture" of Manassas, as it was termed, was repre- sented to the Northern people by their press as a decided gain. In its results it undoubtedly was, for it brought with it the abandonment of the blockade of the Potomac. The reader, however, will remember that all this was voluntarily relin- quished by the Confederates, who were more than compensated 10 74 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. for it by the grenter aclvantaiies of their new position, and the destruction of General iNlcClellan's favorite phin of operations. Clearly the real advantage lay with General Johnston. IV. THE MOVE TO THE PENINSULA. The evacuation of IManassas, and the occupalion of the line of the Rn[)[)ahannock, and afterwards that of the Rnpidan, by General Johnston, showed General McClellan (hat his designs were understood and foiled. The new Southern line covered the approaches to Riclnnond in that quarter, and Urbana and Mob Jack Bay were no Ittnger available. In tlie opinion of the Federal commander there now remained nothing but the move to the Peninsula, which he had declared ought to be adopted only in case the worst, came to the worst, and which promised results less brilliant and decisive than the other plans,* and tiiis he now decided to attempt. lie submitted tlie matter to a Council of his Corps Com- manders at Fairfax Court House, on the 13th of March. They apj>roved it, provided the Merrimac ( Virginia ) which had just ap[)eared in IIain[)ton Ro.(ds, could be neutralized ; that means could be at once procured for the transfer of the army from Alexandria down the Potomac to the new base ; that a naval force strong enough to silence the batteries on York River could be had ; and that Washington could be ren- dered s:ife by leaving a strong column for its protection. The jjroceedings of the Council were laid before the President, and sanctioned by him, he adding to the conditions enumerated, another — that Manassas Junction should be occupied by a ♦ McClellan's Report, p. 128. THE MOVE TO THE PENINSULA. 75 force sufficient to prevent its capture by the Confederates. General McClcUan at once began liis preparations for his change of base. The Federal plan of campaign was as follows. The main army, one hundred and twenty thousand strong, under General McCiellan, was to embark at ^Va^hington and Alexandiia, and occu[>y the Peninsula, u^-ing Yovt Moin-oe as a base in its ad- v.nice against Richmond. McDoweirs corps, forty thousand strong, was to foliovv McCiellan as soon as [)ossible, and this force he designed for a bold flank movement against the Con- federates, should they attempt to hold the Peninsula. Banks was to occupy Manassas and cover \\'^ashington with his corps, forty thousand strt)ng. Fremont, who commanded in Western Virginia, and had under him a force of about thirty thousajid men, was to descend tVom the mountains, and march upon the Soul hern Capital from the North. Such a combination, it waj believed, would be irresistible, and Richmond would fall in the course of a few months. General McCiellan was about this time deprived of the Juef conunand of all the armies of the Union, which he had held since the retirement of General Scott, and directed to gi\ e his attention exclusively to the Ariny of the Potomac. A few days before he left the Potomac, Blenkcr's division (ten ihou- sand men) was detached from his army, and ordered to join Fremont. The energy displayed by the Federal government, in provi- ding transportation for its army, was prodigious. Between the 27th of February and the Kith of March " no fewer than four hundred steamers and sailing craft "were collected at Wash- ington and Alexandria, and upon them were transported to Fortress INlonroe "an army of one hundred and twenty-one thousand, five hundred men, fourteen thousand, five hundred and ninety-two animals, forty-four batteries, and the wagons ' /6 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. and ambulances, pontoon-trains, telegraph materials, and enor- mous equipage required for an army of such magnitude." * Ihe embarkation commenced on the I7th of March, and in the course of a few weeks the army was safely transported, with the loss of bi't eight mules and nine barges. Such an under- takin"- had never before been accomplished with as much speed and success, and it reHccts the highest credit u[>on General McClellan and Assistant Secretary of War, Tucker, who directed it. In goiu"" to the Peninsula, after declaring that such a course ehould be jjursucd only in case the worst came to the worst, General McClellan committed a grave fault. Napoleon has well said that, " A General is culpable who undertakes the execution of a plan which he considers faulty." Having pro- nounced such a decision u[)on the move to the Peninsula, I re- peat, . General McClellan should not have made it. For my own part I do not consider the plan finally adopted by him *' faulty." It contained much that was commendable, and had it been executed with boldness and decision, it would have been spared much of the failure which befell it. The hesitation and weakness of the Federal conunandcr during the campaign, and not his plan of operations, were the causes of many of hia reverses. Still, as he himself regarded the plan as defective, it was not good generalship to attempt to execute it. On the 1st of A[)ril, General McClellan embarked with the headquarters, on the steamer Commodore, and reached Fortress Monroe on the afternoon of the next day. In the meantime, General Johnston, who had been watching the movements of the Federal commander, had been gradually drawing his army nearer to Richmond, feeling assured that it would be nf^eded there. Finally, the Confederate Govermnent having resolved to make a stand on the Peninsula, General * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 100. A GOOD FIGHT. 77 Johnston put his army in motion for the lines of Yorktown. It commenced to pass through Richmond on the 5th of April, and by the 7th the vanguard had reached Magruder's position. V. A GOOD FIGHT. Lying to the southeast of Richmond, and between that citj and the Chesapeake Bay, is a narrow neck of land enclosed between the James and York rivers, and known as the Penin- sula. Properly speaking, it terminates at West Point, the head of York Iviver, but since 18G2 the term has been ap[)lied to all the region between Richmond and tiie Bay, lying between the Pamunkey and the York, and the James rivers. There is a railroad from Richmond to West Point, the York beinij navi- gable to its head for large vessels ; and several good roads diverge from the city to the various points on the Peninsula, terminating finally at Fortress Monroe. It was believed by the Confederate authorities from the outset, that the enemy would attempt to reach the Capital from this direction, and a small force was sent to Yorktown in May 1801, by the State of Virginia, for the protection of this region, and the command was given to Colonel Jolm B. Magruder, who by the new year had been advanced to the grade of Major General. With his little band, Magruder fortified the Penin- sula at' various points, and during the period intervening between the battle of Bethel, and INIcClellan's arrival at Fortress Mi)nroe, succeeded in keeping the Federals confined to thei>* mtrenched camps at Newport News, and Hampton. His force was at first onl^ three thousand strong, and never amounted to 78 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. more than fifteen thousand. The enemy could generally muster a larger army, and the strategy to which INIagruder was obliged' to resort was original as well as successful. Just in sight of the Federal pickets at Newport News was a clump uf woods. The road left it abruptly, and, passing iu full view of the enemy's works, reentered it at a point lower down. At frequent intervals Magruder would issue a stirring battle-order, and start in the direction of the enemy. Arriving at the point where the road left the woods, he would keep his men marching for hours along its exposed portion, all the while moving them in a circle. In this way he constantly deceived the enemy as to his strength, which they estimated at twice what it really was, and as they did not feel strong enough to meet him, they remained within their own lines. General Magruder's policy was to avoid a general engagement, and in this, as 1 have said, he was successful. His constant change of position also did much to preserve the health of his troops, which was one of his principal objects, as he was operating in the most unhealthy section of Virginia. General Magruder prepared as his real line of defence, posi- tions in advance at Ilarwood's and Young's Mills. Both flanks of this line were defended by bogs and streams which were almost impassable, and also by the fortifications at Ship Point on the left, and those at the mouth of the Warwick River and at Mulberry Island Point, on the right. It was believed by General Magruder that with twenty-five thousand troops, this line, with its flank defences, could be held against any force the enemy could muster.* As his command was too small to attempt this, he caused a second line to be constructed on War- wick River. The Warwick River rises in a succession of salt marshes about a mile and a half to the right of Yorktown. Here, and » General Magruder's Report of the Peninsula Campaign. A GOOD FIGHT. 79 for some distan(,e farther to the left, it is merely a sluu^ish, bo^ o;y stream, and runs through a country densely wooded and containinLT manv difficult swamns. Alon^r this river were two dams, one at AVynne's Mill, and the other at Lee's JNIill. Three more were constructed by General Magruder. These dajns raised the headwaters of the stream so high that it was for threc-fourtlis of its course impracticable for either infantry or artillery. Along this river General Alagruder constructed his second line. The left rested on the York River at Yorktown, which was strongly fortified. Heavy redoubts, " united by long cur- tains, and flanked by rifle i)its " extended from Yorktown to the headwaters of the Warwick, and from the latter point to AVynne's and Lee's ]\Iills and the artificial dams, each of these points being protected by extensive earthworks well supplied with artillery. The right was at Mulberry Island, on the James, and was united to Lee's Mill by a series of works similar to those already described. From a short distance below Lee's Mill to the mouth of the stream, tlie Warwick was guarded by the Southern gunboats. The Lower James was pro- tected by the Confederate iron-clad steamer Virginia, and the left of the line was still further defended by the fortifications at Gloucester Point on the north side of the York. This line was thirteen and a half miles in lengtli, but, owing to the withdrawal from General Magruder of a thousand negroes who had been at work on it, it was incomplete when McClellan reached Old Point. In March, 1862, the Army of the Peninsula numbered fif- teen thousand men. Only a few days before the campaign opened, thirty-five hundred were detached by the Government, and sent to General Randolph, at Suffolk, Virginia. This left General Magruder but eleven thousand five hundred men, of all arms. Of these he was compelled to place in garrison at so LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Gloucester Point, Yorlctown, and Mulberry Island, six thou- sand men, which during the ensuing campaign could not be withdrawn from those places. For the defence of the remain- der of his line, — thirteen miles in length, — General Mugrudcr could collect only five thousand five hundred men. Slight detachments of this little band, for purposes of observation, held the first line, with orders to fall back to the second if the enemy appeared in force. This was the condition of affairs on the Peninsula on the 2d of April, 18G2. A\'hen General McClellan reached Fortress IMonroe, fifty- eight thousand infantry and one hundred pieces of artillery had arrived there. A\'ith this force he left Old Point on the 4th of April, for the purpose of attacking Magruder. Ilis design was to move in two columns up the Peninsula. The first, consist- ing of three divisions (Porter's, Hamilton's, and Sedgwick's), and one regiment of cavalry, under General Ileintzelman, was to move direct upon Yorktown, by the road leading from Hamp- ton to that place. With this column it was hoped to take Magruder by surprise, and drive him from his intrenchments. The second colunm, consisting of two divisions (Smith's and Couch's), and the Fifth Regular Cavalry, under General Keyes, was to move by the James Kiver road, cross the Warwick at Lee's Mill, and occupy the Halfway House on the road between Yorktown and Williamsburg, in the rear of INIagruder's posi- tion. In consequence of the imperfect nature of the maps witli which he was furnished. General McClellan was ignorant of the existence of the works to the right of Wynne's Mill, and sui)posed that Magruder had left the road to his rear open by failing to protect the crossing at Lee's Mill. He hoped, by occupying the Halfway House, and making a vigorous attack on Yorktown, to force Magruder either to capitulate or take the chances of being cut to pieces. Thus he expected by rapid A GOOD FIGHT. 81 movements to drive the Confederates before him, or capture them, open the James River, and press on to Richmond before the city could be reenforced from other quarters. It was a good plan, but it seems strange that General McClellan should have taken it for granted that so old a soldier as Magruder would leave the road to his rear so completely at the mercy of his enemies. It was not until the afternoon of the 4th of April that General Keyes learned that Lee's JVIill was held by the Confederates, and even then McClellan supposed it would be an easy matter to put them to flight. The Southern detachments at Ship Point, Harwood's and Younof's Mills, fell back before the advancinir Federal columns, and rejoined their main body at Yorktown. General Magruder hoped the enemy would halt at his first line, and thus give him more time, but as they continued to advance, he boldly prepared to resist them. It was, at this time, of the highest importance that his line should be held, and though he could bring but so small a force to the task, he characteristically resolved to main- tain his position, or sell it as dearly as possible. By placing in the redoubts only enough men to manage the artillery, and " stringing" his infantry along the rifle-pits, he barely contrived to make his five thousand men cover his line. It was a bold step, but it was necessary. The odds were fearful, and had McClellan possessed the determination which won Marlborough the lines of Mehaigne and Bouchain, nothing could have saved the heroic army of the Peninsula from destruction or capture. Early in the afternoon of the 5th, the column of General Heintzelman was brought to a halt before Yorktown, while that of Keyes was, almost simultaneously, unexpectedly checked by the works at Lee's Mill. Findinij the Southern line stronorer than he had anticipated, INIcClellan threw forward his whole force in a vigorous effort to discover the real strength and posi- tion of Magruder. This was continued with unabated vigor on 11 82 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the 6tli and 7tli, and during these days the gunboats in York River kept up a sharp fire on the works at Yorktovvn. The result was that General McCIellan was convinced " that it was best to prepare for an assault, by the preliminary employment of heavy guns, and some siege operations. Instant assault would have been simple folly."* He was not alone in this opinion. General Keyes declared Magruder's line to be " one of the strongest ever opposed to an invading force in any coun- try," and believed that the troops then under McCIellan could not carry it.f These were trying days to the Army of the Peninsula and its brave commander. The line was so long and the army so weak that it required more than ordinary energy and resolution in both to hold their ground. In spite of the odds against them, they did so, and they have their highest encomium in the language of the Federal commander which I have quoted. VI. THE SIEGE OF YORKTOWN. The first attempts of the Federal army to feel the Southern position were thus repulsed, but General Magruder was by no means sure that the immediate danger was over. He could not be aware of the result of the good fight his men had made, and energetically prepared to receive another attack. The troops elept in the trenches and under arms. Still no attack was made. Several days passed away, and yet McCIellan made no advance. Magruder was perplexed, but his mind was soon relieved. '* In every direction in front of the Southern lines, * McClellan's Report (Sheldon & Co/« Edition.) p. 162. t McClellan's Report (Sheldon and Co.'s Edition,; pp. 165, 166, 167, 168. THE SIEGE OF YORKTOWN. 83 through the intervening woods, and along the open fields, earth- works began to appear.'' General McClellan had laid siege to Yorktown. It was almost incredible, but it was nevertheless true. An army of fifty-eight thousand men and one hundred guns had been repulsed by five thousand men, and forced to resort to the tedious delay of a siege. Had General IMcClellan massed his troops and made a bold and determined dash at any [)art of the Southern line on the 5th, Gth, or 7th of April, he could have broken through it. Surely, if lines of equal strength could be carried when held by superior force, as in the days of Marl- borough and the " Old Masters" of the Art of War, it was possible foi such an army as McClellan's to overwhelm the devoted few who opposed them on these memorable days. Meanwhile General Johnston had been sending his troops tc Magruder as rapidly as the limited transportation at liis com^ mand would permit. The advance guard arrived on the 7th, and by the 17th, on which day General Johnston himself reached Yorktown, his whole army had joined Magruder. Troops were also sent to the Peninsula from Norfolk, and by the 20th of April the force under General Johnston was about fifty-three thousand strong, exclusive of some four or five thou- sand cavalry. McClellan's troops continued to arrive. By the 30th of April the Army of the Potomac had one hundred and fifteen thousand three hundred and fifty men present for duty,* together with about two hundred and fifty pieces of artillery. When General McClellan left the Potomac, he had been promised that McDowell's corps should be sent to him entire. With this, he intended, after reaching the Peninsula, to attempt to Hank the Confederate position if he found it too strong to be carried by a direct assault. His intention was to land this* * McClellan's Report, p. 63. 84 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. corps in the rear of Gloucester Point ; and, by turning that position and occupying West Point with it, compel the Con- federates to fall back from Yorktown. After he left the Poto- mac, however, the sudden dash of Stonewall Jackson upon Banks at Kernstown, rendered the Federal Government so un- easy for the safety of Washington, that it was decided to retain Banks in the Valley, and keep McDowell's corps on the Rappa- hannock for the protection of the Capital. This was a great disappointment to General McClelian, but it need not have been so severe a blow to him as he made it. lie had over one hun- dred thousand men with iiim, and he might have easily executed the manoiuvre he had intended for McDowell with twenty-five thousand or thirty thousand of this force, and have had left a column of seventy-five thousand or seventy thousand men for a vigorous pursuit if Johnston evacuated Yorktown, as he as- suredly would have done. Therefore, it was simply the lack of a great soldier's daring that prevented the Federal com- mander from executing this manoeuvre, which General John- ston confidently expected to the last. Frequent reconnolssances satisfied McClelian that Dam No. 1, the centre of the Southern line, was the weakest point in it. It was so situated that but one gun could be brought to bear on the enemy. On the IGth of April he crossed a strong force at this point. A brisk engagement ensued, in which the Confed- erates were, at first, worsted ; but at length, having been reen- forced, they drove the Federals back across the river, inflicting a considerable loss upon them. General McClelian was urged to make another eflfort to force the line here, but declined to do so, and thus lost another opportunity of severely damaging his adversary. The month of April wore on, the Federals working away at their approaches, and the Confederates strengthening their po- sition. Constant skirmishlno: occurred along the lines, but nothing of a decisive nature took place. THE SIEGE OF YOEKTOWN. S5 The spring was very wet and disagreeable, and the Penin- sula, naturally marshy, was rendered nearly one general bog. The troops were almost entirely without shelter, and in many instances, their camps were located, unavoidably, in places where a dry spot could not be found. This caused great suffering and much sickness. The hardest service was performed by those who held the trenches. The proximity of the Federal army made it necessary that the whole line should be manned as fully as possible. The enemy's sharpshooters were in many in- stances so near that it was certain death for any one to show his head above the works. This rendered it impossible for the men in these places to stand erect, and, when not actually en- gaged in repelling an attack, they were forced to sit down in the trenches. During all this time they were literally, not figuratively, in mud and water up to their knees. They had scarcely any food, and what was furnished them had to be passed along the trenches from man to man, under a constant and heavy fire of shells and musketry. They had no stimu- lants, not even the execrable sassafras tea with which their comrades, farther in the rear, regaled themselves, in the ab- sence of other beverages. For twenty-nine days they endured these horrible sufferings, — sufferings which those who did not witness them can hardly appreciate, — and yet they never mur- mured. I, myself, saw them, covered with mud and almost famished, crawl away from the front when relieved, many of them so stiff from the effects of the cold and wet, and their cramped posture in the trenches, as to be unable to walk erect. Surely, no greater proof of tiieir powers of endurance, or their heroic devotion to their cause was ever given by any army than by this. At an early day General Johnston had requested the Ci>n- federate Government to withdraw Magruder's command from Yorktown to a less exposed point nearer the Capital, and when* (J6 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. General Lee was assigned to duty at Richmond he urged the same course. In the opinion of these officers any line beyond the head of the York was unsafe, as it was always in the power of t!ic cncnjy to penetrate to its rear, cut it off from Richmond, and capture the troops. This might be done by marching across from the Bay to West Puint, and seizing the roads lead- in" to the Ca[)ital, or by throwing a column up the York to AVcst Puint, or up the James to the rear of Williamsburg, which the naval superiority of the Federals made a possible un- dcrtakin"". The Virginia was by no means so formidable as the enemy had come to believe, and it was not at all certain that she would be successful in a second encounter with her rival, the Monitor. Besides this, she was so unseaworthy as to be useless in moderately rough weather. The Government, however, declined to take the step urged upon it until the ar- rival of McClellan on the Peninsula opened its eyes to the dan- ger which threatened it. Then it was too late to act promptly. The evacuation of Yorktown involved also the abandonment of Norfolk, and it was necessary to hold the former until the latter could be dismantled. This is why It was required of Magrudcr to expose his little army to almost certain destruction or capture, and they owed their deliverance to their own valor and General McClellan's weakness, and not to the wisdom or foresight of President Davis. Had the advice of General Johnston been heeded at first, the losses and sacrifices which occurred between Yorktown and the Chickahomlny would have been avoided. A personal inspection of the position satit^fied General Johnston of the correctness of his views, and con6rmcd him in his determination to retire towards Richmond as soon as such a step could be taken. Magruder's line was very strong, but not impregnable, and it was within the povver of McClellan at any moment to cut him off from Richmond. The roads up the THE SIEGE OF YORKTOWN. 87 Peninsula were in a bad condition, and the Confederate transpor- tation l)y both land and water was very limited, rendering it difficult to supply the army. Another advantage to be gained by falling back to Richmond, was that McClellan would be drawn some distance inland, away from the support of his fleet, thus placing it in the power of the Confederates to assume the offensive should they see fit, which was utterly impossible anywhere below \\'est Point. Thus it happened that while McClellan was busily employed in pushing forward his preparations for an assault. General Johnston was rapidly getting ready to leave the Peninsula. lie sent off everything that could be carried away. It was not possible to remove the heavy guns from the works at Yorktown without rousing the suspicions of the enemy, but the field artil- lery was sent to Williamsburg on the night of the 1st of May, and its })lace sup}>lied, as at Manassas and Centreville, with quaker guns. The retreat was to have been begun on the night of the 2nd, and the army broke up its camp at sunset on that day, but the movement was deferred until the next night. In order to lull INIcClellan's suspicions, a furious cannonade was opened upon his lines from every heavy gun on the works at Yorktown. At dusk, under the cover of this fire, the troops silently left the works they had held so successfully, and filed oflT swiftly along the two roads leading, the one from Yorktown and the other from Lee's Mill, to Fort Magruder, in front of Williamsburg, which was reached by three o'clock the next morning, the sky, red with the lurid flashes of the guns at Yorktown, telling them that the first stage of their withdrawal had been successfully accomplished. 88 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE, VII. THE RETREAT UP TEE PENINSULA. General McClellan had determined to open his batteries on the Confederate line on the morning of the 6th of May. He had prepared them with skill, and he was sure that the terrible fire which he would hurl upon the earthworks in liis front would be more than human nature could endure. The Con- federates would be compelled to abandon their works, and flee up the Peninsula, pursued by his victorious legions. Then Richmond would crown his labors. These pleasant anticipations were cut short on Sunday morn- ing May 4th, by the announcement that the Confederates had abamloned their position during the night. All his skilful and mostly pre[)arations were now useless. The prize had eluded his grasp just as he believed himself about to clutch it. The Federal army immediately occupied the abandoned works of the Confederates, and McClellan threw forward the cavalry and four batteries of horse artillery in pursuit of General Johnston. Hooker's and Smith's divisions were also advanced towards Williamsburg, and were soon followed by Kearney's, Couch's and Casey's. Franklin's division was embarked on transports and pushed up the York River to West Point, with the hope of intercepting the Confederates. The direction of the pursuit towards Williamsburg was entrusted to General Sumner, while General McClellan remained at Yorktown to hasten the embarkation of Franklin's troops, as the movement of this latter body was of the first importance. General McClellan announced to his Government the retreat of the Confederates, in the following dispatch. THE RETREAT UP THE PENINSULA. 89 " Headquartebs of the Army of the Potomac, May i, 9 a. m. " To Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War : " We have the ramparts. Have guns, ammunition, camp equipage, &c. "VVe hold the entire line of his works, which tlie engineers report as being very strong. I have thrown all my cavalry and horse artillery in pursuit, supported by in- fantry. I move Franklin's division, and as much more as I can transport by water, up to West Point to-day. No time shall be lost. The gunboats have gone up York River. I omitted to state that Gloucester is also in our possession. I shall push the enemy to the wall. G. B. McClellan, Major-Gcneral.* The ' ' capture " of Yorktown was made the most of by the Federals. They had, however, very little to boast of, as they had been held in check for two weeks by five thousand men, and forced to lay siege to the place. Then the evacuation had been conducted at General Johnston's leisure, and he had left them only his deserted works, and such things as it was impos- sible to remove. True they secured a large number of heavy guns, but that was all of importance, and but for the folly of the Southern Government in refusing to heed the advice of Johnston and Lee when first offered, these too might have been saved. They were, however, but a poor offset to the immense labor and expense to which McClellan had been put in conducting the siege. Clearly the Union commander had nothing to be proud of. Ui)on reaching Williamsburg, General Johnston halted, in order to allow his (rains to push on towards Richmond. The roads were in bad condition, and their progress was necessarily ♦For some reason best known to himself, General McClellan has failed to reproduce this bulletin in his report. 12 90 LIFE OP GENERAL LEE. slow. After a brief halt, the main body of the army continued the retreat. The rear guard, consisting of Longstreet's divi- sion, held tiie works in front of Williamsburg during Sunday the 4th of May. About three o'clock in the afternoon, the column under Gen- eral Stoncman appeared in front of Fort Magruder, the centre of Longstreet's line. A sharp artillery fire was opened on it, and an indecisive skirmish occurred between the cavalry and artillery of the enemy and a part of Longstreet's force, lasting during the afternoon, and resulting in the former withdrawing into the woods. Duruig the afternoon it became evident to General Johnston that a large body of infantry was being massed in his front, and Longstreet's division was disposed so as to cover all the ap- proaches to Williamsburg. The force which was collected before Williamsburg, was the command of General Sumner. By dayligiit on the morning of the 5th, the divisions of Smith and Hooker had joined the cavalry. Couch and Casey were delayed until one o'clock in the afternoon, by the roads. Hooker opened the battle at half past seven in the morning, by a sharp attack on Fort Magru- der. He was met with spirit, and driven back, by 9 a. m., with the loss of five guns. Kearney's division now coming up checked the progress of the Confederates, and saved Hooker from a still greater punishment. During the day the enemy were repulsed at all points save on the extreme left. On that flank were a cou[)le of redoubts which commanded the Southern left and centre. Owing to some unpardonable carelessness, General Johnston had not been informed of the existence of these works, and consequently they were unoccupied when Hancock approached them. He instantly took possession of them, and seeing his advantage, sent urgent requests for reen- forcements to enable him to take the Southern line in reverse, THE RETREAT UP THE PENINSULA. 91 and cut the communication of the troops engaged with Hooker and Kearney. Had he been supported as he should have been, the battle would have resulted in a Federal victory. The first intimation General Johnston had of the existence of these Important works, was tiie information that the Federals held them, and were threatening his rear. He at once de- spatched a force to drive the enemy out, but Hancock repulsed the attacks made upon him, and only relinquished his advantage when ordered by General Sunmer to fall back to his original position. The battle ended at sunset. The enemy suffered a loss of four hundi'ed and fifty-six killed, fourteen hundred wounded, and three hundred and seventy-two missing. Total, two thou- sand two hundred and twenty-eight ; and nine pieces of artil- lery. The Confederate total loss was eighteen hundred. Sev- eral guns and caissons, which could not be carried off for want of horses, were rendered worthless, and abandoned. General Johnston fought at Williamsburg simply to hold Mc- Clellan in check until his trains could reach a place of safety. This he accomplished, as has been seen, with the rear guard only. There was now no further necessity for remaining at Fort Maiiruder, and durins; the niy,ht of the 5th the army fell back from Williamsburg, and took the route to the Chickahom- iny. The bad roads and the lack of transportation rendered it impossible to remove the wounded, and they were left in the town, where they fell into the hands of the Federals the next day. Franklin's division ascended the York to West Point, and effected a landing under the cover of their gunboats at El- tham's Landing. General Johnston, however, was not to be caught thus. He had provided against this movement on the part of McClellan by sending Whiting's division towards the mouth of the Pamunkey. On the 7th of May, Whiting en- 92 LIFE OI GENEKAL LEE. countered Franklin near where he had landed, and after a stubborn fight drove him back to the river, and forced him to take refuge under the fire of hi.s gunboats. Whiting's loss was about three hundred killed and wounded. He took one hun- dred and twenty-six prisoners. The eneiuj's loss in killed and wounded is unknown to me. Tiic enemy claimed the victory in both fights — "Williams- burg and Eltham's Landing ; but in each McClcllan was un- succesj^ful. At Williamsburg his pursuit was brought to a summary end, and at Eltham's Landing his effort to get be- tween Johnston and Richmond was vigorously foiled. The result was, that, instead of " pushing the enemy to the wall," he was content to allow General Johnston to retire at his leis- ure, making no further effort to interfere with him.* The retreat up the Peninsula was conducted witli great skill, under many discouraging circumstances. The roads were in a horrible state, so bad, indeed, that it was almost impossible to force the wagons and artillery over them. The troo[)s marched through mud almost to their knees, and were compelled to subsist on parched corn for the last few days of the movement. By the 10th the Chickahominy was reached. General Johnston withdrew his forces to the south bank of the stream, leaving only a small detachment at Mechanicsville, on the north side, four miles from Richmond. Another detach- ment was stationed at Hanover Court House. The evacuation of the Peninsula was followed by the aban donment of Norfolk, which took place on the ninth of May. On the next day the Federal forces from Fortress Monroe, * General McClellan states that Franklin repulsed all of Wliiting's attackb, and tliat the latter retired from the field at 3 o'clock, p. m. The reader will remember that Franklin's movement was an aggressive one, and of the first importance to McClellan. Thus we have a confession that he was forced to assume the defensive and prevented from accomplishing his object. DARK DAYS. 93 under INIajor General Wool, occupied It. General Iluger'a command was, towards the close of the month, united with General Johnston's main column. VIII. DARK DAYS. The loss of Norfolk left the iron-clad steamer Virginia in a helpless condition. She was too large to be carried up the James River within sup[)orting distance of the Confederate forces, and her commander. Commodore Tatnall, believing it impossible to save the vessel, abandoned and blew her up. Thus the James River was left unguarded to a point within a few miles of Richmond. Appreciating the necessity of prompt movements, Commander Rogers, of the Federal navy, ascended the stream with the Galena, the Monitor, the Aroos- took, the Port Royal, and the Kaugatuck, the first two being iron-clads, for the purpose of ascertaining the positions of the Confederates along the river, and inflicting such damage upon them as lay in the power of the fleet. Nine miles below Richmond, on the south side of the James, is a bold bluff, afterwards famous as Drewry's Bluff. In May 1862 it was crowned with an unfinished earthwork, mounting four guns. Below this work the river was partially obstructed by a row of sunken schooners, and spiles driven into the bed of the stream. The post was in this condition when the ad- vance of the Federal fleet became known in Richmond. In- stantly every exertion was made to put the works at Drewry's Bluff in a better condition for defence, and to render the closing of the river more effectual, both of which objects were accom- plished, though but imperfectly. .94 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. The news of the approach of the Federal gunboats produced the greatest consternation at Richmond. The Confederate Congress adjourned and departed in the midst of the excite- ment. The Government rapidly prepared to abandon the city, and did little or nothing to encourage the people. The most distressing and exaggerated rumors were freely circulated, and the phice was gloomy enough. The halls of the " War De- purtment" were piled up with large boxes marked " War Dep't., Columbia, S. C," and through its open windows, the Adjutant-General's office could be seen stripped of its usual contents. Similar sights were to be witnessed at all the public offices. The citizens hurried away by every conveyance, and to a mere observer it seemed that there was no hope of saving the Capital. In the iiiidst of all this dismay the Legislature of Virginia remained in session, unterrified by the bugbear that had driven the Congress away. On the 14th of May the following resolu- tions were adopted by both Houses of the Legislature : — " IlesolocJ, By the General Assembly of Virginia, that the General Assembly hereby ex[)ress its desire that the Capital of the State be defended to the last extremity, if such defence is in accordance with the views of the President of the Confed- erate States, and that the President be assured that whatever destruction and loss of property of the State or individuals shall thereby result, will be cheerfully submitted to. " Resolved, That a Committee of two on the part of the Senate and three on the part of the House, be appointed to communicate the adoption of the foregoing resolution to the President." The resolutions were immediately communicated to President Davis, who assured the Committee of his intention to hold the city, though there can be no doubt that he had formed this res- olution at the last moment. A meetinar of the citizens wn- DARK DAYS. 95 held, which endorsed the course of the Legislature. Confi- dence was restored, and the issue of the contest awaited with calmness, though not without anxiety. On the morning of the 15th of May, the gunboats opened fire on the batteries at Drewr3''s Bluff*, which they had discovered the evening before. The Galena was in the advance. When the vessels had approached within four hundred yards of the obstructions, the batteries opened upon them. They did not reply until the Galena .had placed herself directly athwart the channel, when they returned a brisk fire. The engagement continued with spirit until five minutes past eleven, when tho steamers withdrew out of range, and dropped down the stream. The Confederate sharpshooters along the shore did good service, by picking off" every man who exposed himself to them. The fire of the Southern guns was directed principally at the Galena, the flag-ship. She was badly cut up, being struck repeatedly. Commander Rogers, in his dispatch of May 16th, reports a loss of thirteen killed and eleven wounded. A large one hundred-pound Parrott gun, on the Naugatuck, burst during the action, disabling the vessel. Lieutenant D. C. Constable, commanding the gunboat Ste- vens, speaks as follows of this engagement, in a letter addressed to his mother : — " The iron-clad Galena was hit forty-six times, twenty-eight shot and shell having completely penetrated her armor, killing fourteen and wounding about twenty of her crew. * * * * Strange to say, four out of five of the commanders of the ves- sels engaged were more or less injured." The Southern loss was seven killed and eight wounded. General Lee and President Davis were present during the action. The result of the encounter with the gunboats was encourag- 9() LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. ing. Previous to this they had been believed to be invincible. Their repulse on this occasion did much towards destroying this feeling, and inspiring the country with confidence. The few days immediately following the arrival of the South- ern army within the lines of Richmond were intensely dark. The Governn)ent was more than half inclined to abandon the city, and there were even rumors that the army was to be with- drawn behind the James. The people were disheartened, and were leaving the city daily. The army was very weak, and still suffering from the effects of its severe service on the Penin- sula and the retreat. The Federal forces were within a few miles of the Capital, and it was possible that they might over- whelm General Johnston's command, now only forty-seven thousand strong. These fears were not relieved by the occur- rences which inmiediately followed McClellan's arrival on the Chickahominy. On the 20th of May the advance of the Federal army reached ihe Chickahominy River, at Bottom's Bridge. This, as well as the railroad bridge, had been destroyed by the Confederates. The left wing, consisting of Casey's division and Heintzelman's corps, was at once thrown across the stream, and ordered to intrench itself on the high ground beyond the swamp, and the bridge was rebuilt. At the same time, the right and centre were advanced to the river. On the 24th of May the Confed- erates were driven out of Mechanicsville, and forced across the swamp. The Federal right wing was then established there, the centre resting on the river at New Bridge, near the York River Railroad crossing. Having thus secui-ed his position on the Chickahominy, McClellan proceeded to extend his right towards the Ujiper Pamunkey, for the purpose of uniting with McDowell's corps, which, as we shall see farther on, had been promised him. Hanover Court House was the point at which he desired to SEVEN PINES. 97 effect this junction. It was but two marches frora FreJericks- burfj from which McDowell was to bes^in his advance, and but one march from the Federal position on the Chickahominy. It was held by a brigade of Southern troops, too weak to make a successful stand against a decided attack. On the 27th of May, Porter's corps attacked the Confederates, and, after a sharp fight, drove them back towards Richmond. The Federal line now extended across the Virginia Central Railroad, which v»^as partially destroyed, and after the fight at Hanover Court House, the Fredericksburg road was also cut. IX. SEVEN PINES. Meanwhile the work of bridging the Chickahominy was car- ried on with energy by the Federals. Heavy rain-storms, however, swelled the stream to such an extent that some of the bridges were swept away, while others were rendered insecure. General McClellan now determined to advance his left winsr •nearer to Richmond. Accordingly, on the 25th of May, Gen- eral Keyes, who had been placed in command of the left, was ordered to " advance on the Williamsburg road, and take up and fortify the nearest strong position to a fork of roads called the Seven Pines." The order was obeyed promptly, and Gen- eral Keyes occupied the country between the Seven Pines and Fair Oaks Station on the York River Railroad, in force, ex- tending his pickets to the Chickahominy. This was the Federal position on the 31st of May. Before the 30th of May, General Johnston was informed of the pres- ence of Keyes' column on the south side of the swamp, and on that day General D. H. Hill reported the enemy in strong 13 yjj LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. force immediately m his front. General Johnston at once determined to attack them the next morning, hoping to defeat Keyes before he could receive reenforcements. Generals D. H. Hill, Huo-er, and G. W. Smith were ordered to bring tlieir forces into position at once, and General Longstreet, being near headquarters, received verbal instructions, and was assigned the direction of operations on the right. General Hill, supported by Longstreet's division, was to ad- vance by the "Williamsburg road, and attack the enemy in front. General Huger, with his division, was to move by the Charles City road, and fall upon the flank of any troops which might be engaged with Longstreet and Hill, unless he found in his front a force sufficient to prevent him from doing so. General Smith was to march to the junction of the Nine Mile and the New Bridge Roads, to be in readiness either to fall on Keyes' right flank, or to cover Longstreet's left. These columns were to move at daybreak, and it was expected to begin the action about eight o'clock on the morning of the 31st of May. The Chickahominy river, which separated the two wings of the Federal army, is ordinarily a narrow stream, which may be easily bridged, and at the last of May two bridges were in use, by which communication was maintained between the Federal force north of the Chickahominy, and that south of the stream. During the night of the 30th, a heavy rain storm swelled the river to such proportions that it was believed that General McClellan would not be able to send any troops across to the assistance of General Keyes. The rains also rendered the soft, boggy soil almost unfit for military operations, thus adding greatly to the personal discomfort of both armies, during the night, and to the difficulty of manoeuvring the next day. Generals Longstreet, Hill, and Smith were in position on the morning of May 31st, in time to commence operations by eight o'clock. General Huger passed through Richmond on SEVEN PINES. 99 Friday afternoon, and was expected to reach his position m time to cooperate with the other columns. Hour after hour p sscd n\Any, however, but he did not make his appearance. Unwilling to make a partial attack instead of the combined movement that had been agreed upon, General Longstreet waited impatiently for General Huger, though conscious that he was losing time, which was of the first importance. He waited lor him until two o'clock in the afternoon; then, find- ing it useless to delay longer, threw forward his column and opened the battle with his artillery and skirmishers. The first hostile force encountered by General Longstreet, was the division of jSIajor-General Casey, which was strongly entrenched on the Seven Pines' farm on the Williamsburg road D. H. Hill's division was in the advance, and drove the enemy rapidly before it. Brigadier-General I. B. Richardson, commanding a Federal division engaged, thus speaks of this first attack : — '* The enemy commenced a furious assault upon the most salient point of our whole line, namely, the redoubt and in- trenched camp of Casey's division. It was, perhaps, the most perfect surprise which ever happened on the continent, and the column moving forward without warning, brushed away the di- vision of Casey like chaif, without waiting even to throw out skirmishers in front and on the flanks of the column. I don't care to know anything of this most disgraceful route. Suffice it to say that they not only ran then, but have not since been heard from ; but have abandoned their whole camp, wagons, teams, and seven pieces of artillery."* Longstreet now had possession of Casey's camp and first line of defence. Without pausing, he pushed on steadily. The enemy, after their first surprise, brought up fresh troops, and * This extract is from a letter written by General Richardson on the 4th of Juue, 1862. See Rebellion Record, Vol. 5., p. 87. 100 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. not only endeavored to prevent the advance of the Soutlierners, but attempted, v^^Ith energy, to retake tlie position they had lost. *' At each new position," says General Johnston, " the Confederates encountered fresh troops belonging to it, and re- enforcements brought on from the rear. * * But their advance was never successfully resisted." The battle was hotlv contested, the Federals disputing the ground inch by inch. A member of a New York battery thus describes the nature of the fighting : — " Our shot tore their ranks wide open, and shattered them asunder in a manner that was frightful to witness ; but they closed up at once, and came on as steadily as English veterans. When they got within four hundred yards, we closed our case shot and opened on them with canister, and such destruction I never elsewhere witnessed. At each discharge great gaps were made in their ranks ; indeed whole companies went down be- fore that murderous fire ; but they closed up with an "order and disci[)line that* was awe-inspiring. * * * Jt was awful to see their ranks, torn and shattered by every discharge of canister that we poured right into their faces ; and while their dead and dying lay in [)iles, closed up, and still kept advancing right in the face of the fire. At one time three lines, one behind the other, were steadily advancing, and three of their flags were brought in range of one of our guns shotted with canister, ' Fire!' shouted the ijunner, and down went those three flaois, and a gap was opened through those three lines as if a thunder- bolt had torn through them, and their dead lay in swaths. But they at once closed up and came steadily on, never halting or wavering, right through the woods, over the fence, through the fields, right up to our guns, and sweeping everything before them, captured every piece. * * * Qur whole division was cut to pieces, with what loss I do not know." Night alone checked the victorious advance of Lon^street and SEVEN PINES. 101 Hill. By nightfall they had driven the enemy back to the " Seven Pines," a distance of more than two miles, " throu'>h their own camps, and from a series of intrcnchments, and re- pelled every attempt to recapture them with great slaughter."* The troops slept in the captured encampments, and made their sup[)er on the provisions taken from the enemy, who remained, durinrj the night within musket ramie. In the meantime, General Johnston, who had stationed him- self with General Smitli's division, had waited impatiently for the sound of Longstreet's cannon on the right. Owin"" to some peculiar condition of the atmosphere, he did not hear the firing, and at last sent an aid to learn the condition of affairs in that direction. At four o'clock the officer returned, and reported that Longstreet and Hill were pressing on with vigor. Gen- eral Smith was at once ordered forward. Wliiting's three brigades were in the advance, while Hood's brigade, by order of General Johnston, moved towards the right to cooperate with Longstreet. Smith made a spirited attack on the Federal position in his front, and succeeding in forcing their lino back to Fair Oaks Station on the York River Railroad. Here he encountered a new obstacle. As soon as the news of the attack on Casey's division reached him. General Sumner put his corps in readiness to cross the Chickahominy to the assistance of General Keyes. Appreci- ating the value of promptness, he, with an energy which was characteristic of him, set his column in motion, and only halted when his command reached the bridges. By this movement he saved an hour or two, and was able to cross his corps, upon the receipt of General INJcClellan's order, in time to resist the attack of General Smith upon Fair Oaks Station. Finding the resistance at this point more formidable than he had expected. General Johnston hurried to General Smith all * General Johnston's Report. 102 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the reenforcements at hand, consisting of two brigades. The attack was made with great vigor, and met with a stulborn resolution. When the firing ceased shortly after dark, the Federals still held their position on the railroad. Their left win"- had been defeated with great slaughter, but their right was still unbroken. Towards sunset General Johnston was severely wounded, and the command of the army passed to Major-General G. W. Smith. Smith's troops bivouacked for the night within musket shot of the Federal lines. General McClellan hurried fresh regi- ments over the river, so that by daybreak the next morning his army south of the stream was strong enough to be no longer exposed to the danger which had threatened it. Sunday morning, June 1st, found the two armies still in front of each other. At daylight General Smith saw that the enemy's position in his immediate front was defended by formi- dable earth-works which he had not noticed on the previous evening. He deemed it best, in consideration of this fact, not to renew the attack, but to hold his ground, and await the movements of the enemy. The Federal forces which General Longstreet had driven back were also reenforced durinoj the ni^ht of the 31st. Long- street was reenforced late on Saturday evening by General Huger's division. At early dawn on the morning of June 1st the enemy made a heavy attack upon a portion of Longstreet's line held by General Pickett's bi'igade, which was supported by Pryor's brigade. These commands gallantly held their ground until half-past ten o'clock, when the firing ceased. During the remainder of the day the enemy shelled the Confederate posi- tion, their batteries north of the river keeping up a steady fire upon the Southern left at Garnett's and Mrs. Price's farms. The Confederates passed the day in securing and bearing oflf SEVEN PINES. 103 the captured artillery, small arms, and other propeity, and at sunset quietly resumed the positions they had occupied previous to the battle. The Confederates lost four thousand two hundred and thirty- six men, killed, wounded and missing. They captured ten pieces of artillery, six thousand muskets, one garrison flag, four regimental colors, and a quantity of tents and camp equi[)age. General AlcClellan reported his total loss in killed, wounded, and missing, at five thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine. The battle of Seven Pines is claimed as a victory by both sides. A careful review of the struggle, must, we think, con- vince the unprejudiced reader that the advantage remained with the Confederates. Had General Johnston's plan been carried out as he had reason to expect, it would have resulted in the total destruction or capture of Keyes' command before aid could have been received by that general. But the unpardonable delay of General Iluger, who couU have crossed Stony Eun, in spite of its overflow, had he been possessed of a little more energy, was the greatest disadvantage under which the South- ern commander labored. Still, though the attack was made nearly seven hours la^er than was expecte:!^ it resulted in the conqjlete defeat of the Federal left wing, and Smith's attack on Fair Oaks was so spirited as to induce the Federal commander it that point to remain quiet during Sunday, when, having been rcenforced, he might have inflicted considerable damage upon tiie Confederates. Besides this, General Juhnston sti'uck the blow with the intention of checking McClellan's advance on the south side of the swamp. Although he failed to destroy Keyes' corps, he crippled McClellan so greatly, and impressed him so deeply with a sense of his power and determination, that the plans of " the Young Napoleon " were brought to a complete *' stand-still," for that oflScer at once abandoned his idea of 104 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. capturing Richmond by a conp de mum, and commenced to lay siege to tlie Southern position in front of the city. In view of all this, it must be admitted that', althougli the firnmess of the Federal right to a great degree counterbalanced their defeat on the left, and rendered the engagement in a tactical sense a drawn battle, the real advantages lay with the Confederates. It is not true, as has been claimed by many Federal officers and writers, that had General McClellan advanced his whole force on Sunday morning he would have followed a retreating enemy into Richmond. So far from retreating, all the troops in the defences of the city were advanced to the Chickahominy early on Sunday morning. There was, however, an advantage which he might have obtained had he been bold enough to attempt it. Had he moved a column of twenty-five tliousand men upon Garnett's and Mrs. Price's forms at daylight on Sunday morning, he could have captured them, as they were held by a mere handful of men without intrenchments. The heights upon which these farms are situated command the New Bridge, which was made passable for troops and artillery by a little after eight o'clock in the morning. This bridge would have enabled him to reenforce his left wing to any extent with great rapidity, and would have brought him directly upon the Southern left flank and rear, thus compelling the Confederates to fall back nearer to Rich- mond. Then by throwing forward his whole army with vigor, he mioht either have entered Richmond with the Southerners, or have secured a position from which his guns could have com- manded the city. It was a tempting opportunity, and the fall of General Johnston had somewhat confused affiiirs in the Con- federate army. The old Napoleon would have clutched the occasion and profited by it. "The Young Napoleon" hesitated, and lost everything. In the succeeding pages the reader will .neven pines. , i05 see how he was forced to change his offensive campaign into an unsuccessful defensive.* ♦General Johnston furnished the following note to the authors of "Har- per's I'ictorial History of tlie Great Rebellion." " January, 3, 1866. •'In September ISGl the cireotive strengtii of the army under my command in Noithern Virginia was about thirty-seven thousand. It occupied Centre- ville, Manassas, and the Lower Occoquan. " On the 31st of December it luid been increased, by improved health and tlie addition of Loring's and Holmes' troops, to fifty-four thousand, including Jackson's command. Jackson's eigiit thousand were near Romney and Win- cliester. There were twenty-six hundred at Leesburg, thirty-one thousand, eight hundred at Centreville and Manassas ; seven thousand on the Lower Occoqxian and near Dumfries ; and five thousand about Fredericksburg. This army was much reduced during the winter by the elfect of what we called the ' Bounty and Furlough Law,' but received some recruits from the South in the early spring. Wlien, in April, it moved to Williamsburg, its strength (effective) was about fifty thousand; of which six thousand were left with Jackson in the Valley, and six thousand with Ewell on the Rappahannock. " The remaining tliirty-eight tliousand were sent to the Peninsula in two bodies. I accompanied the second, which arrived on the 17th of April- Magruder's own force was about fifteen thousand, making our array at York- town nearly fifty-three thousand, exclusive of cavalry.* Sickness and the fight at Williamsburg reduced this number by six thousand. Our loss at Williamsburg was about eighteen hundred. " According to the above numbers, the strength of this army when it reached the neighborhood of Richmond was about forty-seven tliousand. To this were added, near the end of May, Anderson's and Branch's troops, about thirteen thousand, and three brigades of Huger's division, not quite seven thousand. If the effect of sickness is not considered, this would make the army amount to sixty-seven thousand at the time of the fights at Fair Oaks and Seven Pines. On that occasion four brigades of G. W. Smith's division were engaged at Fair Oaks; and at Seven Pines, D. H. Hill's four, and two of Longstreet's were engaged on the 31st of May. On the morning of June 1st, there were nine Confederate brigades at Fair Oaks, five of wliich were fresli, and thirteen at Seven Pines, seven of which were fresli, that is to say, which had not been engaged the day before." * General Johnston no doubt bases his estimate of Magruder's force upon returns made early in March. As I have previously stated, three thousand five hundred men were taken from Magruder and sent to General Randolph' 14 106 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. X. A CnANGE OF COMMANDERS As I have stated, the command of the army passed to INfajor- General G. W. Smitli when General Johnston was wounded. General Smith's rank, however, did not entitle him to so laro-e a command, and, in view of the critical condition of affiiirs, President Da\'is resolved to place General Lee at the head of the Army of Nortiiern Virginia, and accordingly, though he retained liis position as Conunanding General, he was ordered to enter upon his new duties at once, which he did on the 3d of tJune 1862. His first care was to put the army in a condition for an effective campaign. While on duty at Richmond, he had €xerted himself to bring to General Johnston's aid all the troops at his disposal, lie continued these exertions in his new com- mand, and the conscription having now begun to yield its fruits, he was able to bring the strength of the Army of North- ern Virginia, by the 20th of June, to over seventy thousand men. During 1862, the city of Richmond had for its military commander, Brigadier-General John H. Winder, a man noto- riously unfit for his position, and whose outrages upon the citizens soon made him odious to the community. General Winder organized a Provost Marshal's department in the city, and supplied it with a strong detective police force. Tliis nar- at Suffolk, only a few weeks before McClellan advanced upon Yorktown. This left Magruder the force (eleven thousand five hundred) which he men tions in his report, and placed the strength of the Confederate army on the Peninsula under General Johnston, at forty-nine thousand five hundred exclusive of cavalry, and of the reenforcements from Norfolk. A CHANGE OF CO.MMANDEllS. J 07 rative has to deal with only one part of their operations. I am glad to be spared the revolting task of relating all their deeds. A passport system was established in the city, under the sii{)er- vision of the Provost ?^larshal and his police. It was designed that this system should prevent the departure of improper per- sons from Richmond, but, owing to the shameful corruption of those in charge of it, it proved a failure. Passports could always be bought, and the spies and secret agents of the enemy- were at all times thus enabled to pass at will between Richmond and the Federal lines. So thoroughly was this the case that about the middle of ^Nlay, General Johnston informed the President that the enemy seemed to know not only what was going on in his lines, but absolutely what he intended doing in the future, as if the most secret counsels of the Cabinet were divulged. "With the hope of checking the evil. General Lee called the attention of the Provost Marshal to the dangerous results of the too free issue of passports. This, however, had no effect, and, after assuming the command of tlie army, Gen- eral Lee ordered that no one with Winder's permits should be allowed to pass the [)ickets of his forces. All permits for such a purpose were to be issued at his headquarters. This checked the evil as far as the army was concerned, but the Government was never free from it. The appointment of General Lee to his new position was by no means a popular measure. The failure of the AVestern Vir- ginia campaign had placed him under a cloud with the people, and the troops, who were devotedly attached to General John- ston, were not willing that they should be permanently deprived of their old commander. All classes were ignorant of the character of the man in whose hands the fate of the Confed- eracy was placed. That it was a wise choice on the part of the Government, the reader will soon perceive. Looking back now, however, it is hard to realize that any one should (iver 108 LIFE OF GENERAIi LEE. have objected to General Lee. It was not long before the feelin^i" of suflv3rance with which the army received him, gave place to the most unbounded admiration for him. After the month of June, the troops would have mutinied, had he been taken from them.* It was General Johnston's intention not to allow McCIellaa to lay siege to Richmond. When he fell back from Yorktown, he determined to attack the Federal army at the earliest favor- able opportunity. In pursuance of this resolution, he struck at Keyes' column at Seven Pines, and had he not been disabled, there would have pursued a course similar to that adopted by his successor. General Lee was also fully impressed with the danger of allowing McClellan to approach tlie city at his leisure, under the cover of the strong works by which he was protecting his advance. Therefore, the first days succeeding General Lee's presence on the Chickahominy were spent in examining the position of the two armies, and arranging a def- inite plan of campaign. Meanwhile, General McClellan was steadily preparing for the grand movement which was to place the " stars and stripes" above the Southern Capital. When he found that ]McDovvell would not be sent to him at Yorktown, he waited until he had secured his position on the Chickahominy, and then renewed his appeals for fresh troops. Finally his Government consented to grant his request ; but, in order to. cover ^^^ashington at the same time, decided that McDowell should march overland from Fredericksburg, which he then held, and unite his left wing with McClellan's right, at some point on the Ujjper Pamunkey. On the 18th of May, General iNIcCiellan was informed that McDowell would march at once, with between thirty-five and forty thousand men. Immediately the right wing of the Army * Tliese views are derived from my conversations with tlie troops at the time. A CHANGE OF COMMANDERS. 109 of tlie Potomac was extended up the Pamunkey to lIano^•er Court House, which, as I have stated, was captured oil the 27th of May. By dispersing the Southern force at this point, McClelhm opened the way for a successful junction between ^IcDowell and himself. The danger wliich now threatened Richmond was great indeed. The Federal force on the Ciiick- ahoininy was over one hundred and twenty thousand strong, and the arrival of a fresh column of forty thousand men on the north of the city, would have rendered McClellan's chances of success almost certain. The Federal commander, appreciating this, waited impatiently for the sound of McDowell's cannon. The advance guard of this column had already begun the march, and in all probability the junction would be effected by the 20tli of May. The movement was never completed. All this while Gen- eral Jackson, who, as the reader will remember, had been left in the Valley of Virginia, when General Johnston retired behind the Rapidan, had been moving upon Banks' army. The part assigned to Jackson was one which required the exercise of the greatest skill and determination. He was to neutralize the forces of Fremont, Banks, and ^McDowell, and prevent them from rendering any assistance to McClellan. This task was faithfully performed. Jackson's army fell back from Winches- ter on the 11th of March, and retired as far as Mount Jackson, and then rapidly retracing its steps, fought the battle of Kerns- town. Although repulsed in this engagement, General Jack- son succeeded in retaining in the Valley, Banks' Corps, which had been designed for the occupation of Manassas. This led the Federal Government to decide upon retaining McDowell at Manassas, in order to protect Washington against any sudden dash of the Confederates. Thus McClellan was deprived of the assistance of the 1st Corps of his army on the Peninsula. After Jackson's withdrawal up the Valley, a season of com- 110 LIFE OF GEXKEAL LKE. pnrative quietude ensued in that region, and it wa^ even believed that his troops had been sent to Eichmond. This supposition, and the behei" that Fremont, who was slowly advancing tow- ards Staunton, would be able to manage any Southern force left in the Valley, induced the Federal authorities to allow Mc- Dowell to move from iSlanassas to the assistance of McClellan. They were, after all, not very secure in their own minds, and showed their sense of this by requiring General McDowell to conduct his movement so as not to " uncover Washington" at any time before or after his jimctiun with McClellan — a ridiculous order, which was utterly inconsistent with the move- ment. All this while, however, they continued to watch the Valley with anxiety, and with reason as the sequel proved. General Jackson had not abandoned the Valley. On the contrary he had been reenforced by Ewell's division, and was resting in the neighborhood of Swift Run Gap. On the 7th of May he crossed the mountains, and on the 8th fell upon Fre- mont's advance at the village of McDowell, and drove it back into Western Virginia. Then, bearing eastward, he suddenly returned to the Valley, attacked Banks, routed and drove him across the Potomac, dealing his first blow at Front Royal on the 23rd of May, the very day previous to the time McDowell had promised McClellan to begin his march from the Rap[)ahan- nock. The Federal authorities, findinof their fears concerning Jack- son thus realized, became seriously alarmed. They believed the great flanker's object to be nothing less than the capture of Washington City, and it was resolved to abandon McDowell's movement upon Richmond in order to secure the safety of the Capital. On the 24th of May, President Lincoln wrote as fol- lows to General McDowell : " General Fremont has been ordered by telegraph to move from Franklin on Harrisonburgh, to relieve General Banks^ A CHANGE OF COMMANDEUS. HI and capture or destroy Jackson's or Ewell's forces. You are Instructed, laying aside for the present the movement on Rich- mond, to put twenty thousand men in motion at once for the Shenandoah, moving on the. line or in advance of the Manassas Gap Kaih-oad." On the same day General McDowell wrote to the Secretary of War : " The President's order has been received, — is in process of execution. 77//*^ is a crushing hloiv to vs." So successful had been the movements of Jackson that Mc- Clellan was thunderstruck when informed, on the same day on which the above letters were written, that his plan had failed, and that McDowell would not join him. There now remained for him nothing but to push forward with his own army. The position of the Federal army was as follows : The left was established south of the Chickahominy, between White Oak Swamp and New Bridge, and was defended by a series of pow- erful works, the approaches to which were obstructed by fcllino^ the heavy woods in front, and commanded by numerous bat teries. The centre was on the river near the New Bridge, while the right extended to Meadow Bridge, beyond Mechanicsville, (the force at Hanover Court House having been called in) and was strongly intrenched in a country admirably adapted to de- fensive operations. This line was fifteen miles in length, and almost a crescent in form. By means of the York River Rail- road, which ran directly from the White House, on the Pa- munkey River, to the centre of their camp, easy communication could be maintained with all parts of the North, the Pamunkey beinfj navigable for the largest steamers. Thus the Federal army was supplied with everything necessary to its success, with but little labor. The Chickahominy intersected the position at right angles. It is a "narrow, sluggish stream, which, rising northwest of il2 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Richmond, runs In a southeastern direction, and, holding its course down the Peninsida, heads to the south and empties into James lliver, some distance above Williamsburg. Its banks are swam[)y and overgrown with forest trees and heavy under- wood, rendering the ground almost impassable. Through these tano"led swamps, narrow and winding roads of oozy turf, or dark and miry clay, afford a difficult and uncertain means of transit from point to point. These mysterious depths are still tenanted by the fallow deer, and from the shadowy recesses, dim with trailing vines, comes the sorrowful and plaintive cry of the whip-poor-will. * * * Taking Richmond as a central point, the course of the Chlckaliominy described something like the arc of a circle around it to the north and east. At Meadow Bridge, where the outposts of the enemy's right wing were es- tablished, the stream is but six miles distant from the Capital; at New Bridge, on the Nine Mile road, which led to General ]SIcClellan's centre, the distance is nine miles. The avenues of approach from the Chickahominy, the arc, to Richmond, the centre, of the circle, were — commencing on tlie North, and travellinsr down the stream — the Fredericksburo; Railroad, the Brook turnpike, the Meadow Bridge road, the Central Railroad, crossing at ISIeadow Bridge, the jSIechanlcsville turn- pike, the Nine Mile or New Bridge road, the York River Rail- road, the Williamsburg road, the Charles City road, and the Darbytown road."* The Confederate army was in front of Richmond, extending from the neighborhood of James River on the right, near Cha- fin's Bluff, to the Chickahominy beyond the Meadow Bridge, on the left. Huger's division held the right, Magruder was in the centre, and A. P. Hill held the left. Longstreet and D. H. Hill supported the right and centre. The army was in ex- cellent condition, and numbered ninety thousand men, includ- * Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson. THE RIDE AROUND MC'CLELLAN. 113 mg the cavalry and Jackson's coraraand. The Federal army, at this time, was one hundred and fifteen thousand one hundred and two, strong. General Lee was not slow in forming his plan of operations, but in order to learn more accurately the position and probable strength of his opponent, ordered General Stuart to make a re- connoissance of the Federal lines. XI. THE RIDE AROUND McCLELLAN. In compliance with General Lee's order. General Stuart col- lected a force of one thousand two hundred cavalry, consisting of the 1st, 4th, and 9th Virginia regiments, under Colonel Fitz Lee, and Colonel W. H. Fitzhugh Lee, two squadrons of the Jeff Davis Legion, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W. T. Martin, and two guns from the Stuart horse artillery, under Lieutenant Breathed. These troops left Richmond on the 12th of June, and rendezvoused at Kilby's Station on the Fredericks- burg Railroad. Several miles from the city a number of ne- groes were encountered, making their way to the Federal lines. These were promptly arrested and sent back to Richmond, and the column, keeping close to the railroad, pushed on northward, and encamped for the night near ILanover Court House, and not far from the South Anna bridge. General Stuart had pur- posely directed his first day's march toward Louisa county, in order that if the enemy heard of it, they might think he was marching to reenforce Jackson. This brought him twenty-two miles from Richmond, and placed him in a position from which he could move directly upon the Federal rear. During the night signal rockets were thrown up to apprise the army of his 15 114 LIFE OF GENERAIi LEE. progress, and were answered from Elchmond. Scouts were kept out on all sides, and avery precaution taken to guard against a surprise. By daylight on Friday morning, the 13th of June, the camp was astir, and silently and rapidly the men dispatched their hasty meal, and were in the saddle. The march was resumed, the men still being in profound ignorance of their destination. General Stuart, now that he was fairly within the enemy's lines, informed his officers of the objects of the expedition, that they might the more intelligently cooperate with him in the execution of his orders. The scouts came in as the march began, and reported the road clear to the Old Church. This point is al- most equidistant from the New Bridge and Pamunkey River, on the road leading direct to McClellan's centre, and upon it the column now moved rapidly. Arriving at Hanover Court House the place was found to be in possession of one hundred and fifty men of the 5th Regular cavalry. General Stuart at once ordered Colonel Fitz Lee to take a squadron and gain their rear, but the enemy, taking alarm, retired towards Mechanicsville before Colonel Lee could come up with them. Their commander gallantly endeavored to induce them to make a stand, and sealed his devotion to his cause with his life, while his men fled at a hard gallop. No attempt was made to pursue them, as Stuart's route was by a different road. From the Court House the cavalry pushed on by Taliaferro's Mill, Eden Church, and Hawes' shop. At the last named place the pickets were surprised, and several videttes captured. A company of cavalry was discovered drawn up across the road, evidently awaiting an attack. Lieut. Rodins dashed at it with a squadron of the 9th Virginia regiment, and put it to flight, inflicting a loss of several men upon it. Beyond Hawes' shop a regiment of cavalry was seen. This THE RIDE AROUND MC'CLELLAN. 115 was the 5th, (formerly the 2nd) General Lee's old regiment. It did not attempt any resistance, but fell back rapidly, closely followed by Stuart's men. The chase continued for a mile or two, the enemy keeping well in advance, until Tottapotamoi Creek was crossed, and the vicinity of Old Church reached. Here the enemy, having been reenforced, halted and prepared to dispute the further progress of the Confederates. There was but one method of attacking them — in column of fours alono; the road — and General Stuart at once threw for- ward his men. He preferred to make the attack with one squadron at a time, as this would always leave him the means of throwing in fresh troops at the critical moment. A squadron under Captain Latane charged the enemy's col- umn with spirit. A sharp hand-to-hand fight ensued, resulting in the Federals being put to flight, with a loss of several killed and wounded. Several officers and privates were taken prison- ers, and a number of horses, arms, equipments, and five guid ons captured. Captain Latane singled out the Federal com- mander, and dashing at him cut off his hat close to his face with a blow of his sabre. The latter dodged the blow, which had else been fatal, and turning quickly fired two revolver loads at Latane, killing him instantly. A few minutes later and the Federal officer was cut down by the sabre of a Southern private. The 1st Virginia cavahy, under Colonel Fitz Lee, followed fast in the rear of the flying troopers and captured their camp, driving out five companies of cavalry, and securing several offi- cers and privates, a number of horses and arms, and a quantity of stores. The horses and prisoners were brought off, but the tents, stores, and wagons were burned. General Stuart had now to decide whether to return by the way he had come, or to cross the Chickahominy at a point lower down. If he chose the former, which was the route tlie 116 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. enemy would be most likely to expect him to take, he would have to incur the risk of being cut off by a superior force, and hemmed in between the South Anna and the Pamunkey. On the other hand his guides informed him that the Chickahominy was fordable at the Forge Bridge. Should he select the latter route, he would pass entirely around the Federal army, though his original instructions did not contemplate such a movement on his part. He believed that if he could pass the York River Eailroad in safety, he would be able to reach the Ciiicknhominy without molestation. At all events, he could distance any in- fantry brought against him, and he believed his command capa- ble of taking care of the cavalry. Tims the latter route prom- ised to put him in possession of more complete information con- cerning the Federal position and strength, besides being, in spite of its risk, the safer of the two, all things considered. In view of this. General Stuart decided to adopt it, and the head of the column was turned toward Tunstall's Station, in New Kent County. In order to deceive the enemy, if possible, Stuart took care to inquire of the inhabitants concerning the road to Hanover Court House. The men knew not wliither they were moving, save that they were going right in among the enemy, but their confidence in their leader was unshaken, and they followed with alacrity. The danger of pursuit rendered the rear an object of as much .concern as the front, and one of the guns was sent to Lieu- tenant-Colonel Martin for his greater security. No attack was made upon it, however. On the contrary a party of the enemy, twenty-five in number, came up to it with a flag of truce, and actually surrendered, thinking that Stuart but heralded the approach of Lee's whole army. Once in the Federal lines, the route of the column was marked by burning camps and wagons. The inhabitants gazed in silent wonder at the welcome sight of the gray jackets. THE RIDE AROUND MC'CLELLAN. 117 Okl men and women would rush out from the houses along the route, and greet them with a tearful " God bless you, boys !" "Our cavalry here!" they would exclaim. "What can it mean?" But no time was to be had for explanations, and the troops pushed on, followed by the warning cries of "Take care, men ! Take care ! Heaven bless you ; but take care, the enemy are everywhere." Just on the borders of New Kent, the squadron in the advance came upon an extensive sutler's establishment, pro- vided with all the luxuries as well as the necessaries of camp lifie. Here the hungry troopers halted, and called for such things as they wanted. The proprietor furnished thcni with alacrity, but upon demanding his pay, was told to his- dismay that he and several Federal soldiers lounging around, were prisoners of war. The remainder of the column emptied the establishment of its contents, and then pressing on, halted at Garlick's where a couple of transports, lying in the Pamunkey, w^ere destroyed. Then the column turned towards the railroad. A few picked men were sent in advance to secure the depot at Tunstall's and cut the telegraph wires. Hurrying forward, they surprised and captured, without firing a gun, the guard of fifteen or twenty men at the depot, and proceeded to obstruct the track. While this was going on the column came in sight of a long wagon train, guarded by five companies of cavalry. The guard fled at the sight of the Stuart's horsemen, and the train fell an easy prey into the hands of the latter. The party at the depot at Tunstall's was reenforced, and just as this was done a train of cars came thundering down from the army, en route for the White House. The men were hastily thrown out along the road, but, as the speed of tlie train was 80 great, it flew by, knocking the obstructions from the track. The troops at once- opened fire on it, and as some of the cars 118 LIFE OF GENEKAL LEE. were "flats," and loaded with Federal soldiei's, a number were killed and wounded. Many leaped from the train in terror. Some were captured, but others escaped to the woods. It was now dark, and time was of the utmost importance. Still it was necessary to halt for awhile. The railroad bridge over Black Creek was fired, the horses and mules were taken from the train, and the wagons burned. Then, with the red glare of the burning train illumining the heavens, the march was resumed. The roads were in a horrible condition, and it was with great difficulty that the artillery could be dragged through the mud. This also caused the troops to straggle slightly, so that upon reaching Talleysville, General Stuart found if necessary to halt three and a half houi's A-r the column to close up. Here he captured a lai-ge hospital with one hun- dred and fifty patients, but declined to molest it, tlfiis allowing the surgeon in charge and the attendants to continue their humane work undisturbed. At twelve o'clock the men set off again, and marching all night reached Forge Bridge, on the Chickahominy, eight miles beyond, just at daylight on the morning of the 14th. Here General Stuart expected to be able to ford the stream. As soon as it" was reached, Colonel Fitzhugh Lee tried the ford, but, to his disappointment, found the river very deep, and the current very strong. The situation of the gallant troopers was now extremely perilous. They were within hearing of the Federal pickets, and strong bodies of Federal cavalry were scouring the coun- try, endeavoring to cut them off, their audacious exploits liaving roused all the energies of the Federal commander. The river in their front was impassable, and it seemed that they were doomed to capture at last. Man after man plunged into the stream at different points, hoping to find a ford, but in vain. The rivor must be bridged, or the command nuist fall into the li^nda of the enemy. Yet even this seemed a vain tnssV THE EIDE AROUND MC'CLELLAN. 119 Quietly making his arrangements to guai'd against a surprise, General Stuarl set the men to work to felling trees, and while engaged in this work, he was informed that the debris of the original bridge was still complete enough to require but little mending. Quickly moving his command to the spot, the old bridge was repaired, the materials being taken from an adjacent warehouse. By one o'clock in the afternoon the stream was passed in safety. Another branch of the Chickahominy was forded with difficulty, and the troops entered the Southern lines. The reconnoissance was ended. Besides o'aininsr definite and reliable information concernino- the position and strength of the Federal army, General Stuart captured one*hundred and sixty-five prisoners, two hundred and sixty mules and horses, with more or less harness, and a number of small arms, besides inflicting upon the enemy a loss of several millions of dollars in property destroyed. All this was accom- plished with the loss of only one man, — the gallant Captain Latane. The troops behaved nobly. Except the brief halt on Thursday night, they were in the saddle from Thursday morn- ing until Saturday afternoon, never pausing for rest or food, but dashing on through numerous dangers, and successfully achieving what will always be regarded as one of the most brilliant feats ever performed by any cavalry. Upon the return of the expedition, the following compli- mentary order was issued from the headquarters of the army. " Headquarteks Depaetment op NoRTHEnx Virginia, June 23, 1862. " GENERAL ORDERS, No. 74. " The General Commanding announces, with great satisfac- tion, to the army, the brilliant exploit of Brigadier-General J. E. B. Stuart, with a part of the troops under his command. This gallant officer, with portions of the First, Fourth, and 120 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Ninth Virginia cavalry, a part of the JefF. Davis Legion, with whom were the Boy kin Rangers, and a section of the Stuart horse artillery, on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of June, made a reconnoissance between the Pamunkey and the Chickahominy rivers, and succeeded in passing around the rear of the whole Federal army, routing the enemy in a series of skirmishes, takinij a number of prisoners, and destroying and capturing stores to a large amount. Having most successfully accom- plished the object of the expedition, he recrossed the Chick- ahominy almost in the presence of the enemy, with the same coolness and address that marked every step of his progress, and with the loss of but one man, the lamented Captain Latane, of the 9th Virginia calvary, who fell bravely lead- ino- a successful charge against a superior force of the enemy. In announcing this signal success to the army, the General Commanding takes great pleasure in expressing his admiration of the courage and skill so conspicuously exhibited throughout by the General, and the officers and men under his command. " In addition . to the officers honorably mentioned in the report of the expedition, tlie conduct of the following privates has received the special commendation of their commanders : — Private Thomas D. Clapp, Company D, 1st Virginia Cavalry, and J. S. Mosby,* serving with the same regiment; Privates Ashton, Brent, R. Herring, F. Herring, and F. Coleman, Company E, 9th Virginia Cavalry. By command of General Lee. R. H. Chilton, A. A. General. * Afterwards Colonel John S. Mosby, the famous partisan leader. GEN. lee's plan OF OPERATIONS. 121 XII. GENERAL LEE'S PLAN OF OPERATIONS. The reconnoissance of General Stuart brought to light the important fact that the Tottapotomoi, a small stream running across the Federal right flank, and naturally a very strong position, was totally undefended. General Stuart also ascer- tained that it was entirely practicable to gain the enemy's rear in that direction, and he was of the opinion that an attack made from the direction of Cold Harbor would result in Mc- Clellan's ruin if accompanied by a vigorous assault in front. The information thus gained was favorable to the plan Gen- eral Lee had at first proposed, and he resolved to carry it out at once. With a view to this he had, immediately upon assuming the command of the army, ordered the construction of strong defensive works along his line, which might enable a part of the army to hold tlie Federals in check before the city, and leave the rest free to operate against them. The time was favorable. Jackson had prevented the June tion of McClellan and McDowell, and had not only escaped from the forces of Shields and Fi-emont, which had been sent to cut off his retreat from the Potomac, but had defeated them, and rendered them useless for the rest of the campaign. His army was now resting near Staunton, where its communications with Richmond were uninterrupted, and it was now resolved to bring him to the Chickahominy, to unite in the great struggle for the Southern Capital. In order to induce the Federal authorities to believe that Jackson was being reenforced for a new campaign, and thus cause them to retain in Northern Vir- 16 122 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. ginia the troops originally intended for McClellan, as well as to blind them to Lee's real intentions, Whiting's division was sent to join Jackson. Ix was embarked on the cars of the Danville Railroad, and the train was halted opposite Belle Isle, which was occupied by a large number of Federal prisoners just about to be exchanged. It was designed that they should see the movement and report it to General McClellan upon their arrival at Fortress Monroe. On the 20th, the division reached General Jackson. As soon as the information gained by General Stuart decided General Lee to adopt the plan he had at first proposed, he ordered General Jackson to move towards Richmond at once, which order Jackson proceeded promptly to execute, taking care to preserve the utmost secrecy concerning his movements.* On the morning of the 25th of June, his corps was at Ashland on the Fredericksburg Railroad, sixteen miks from Richmond, and not far from Hanover Court House. Riding on in ad- vance, General Jackson visited General Lee's headquarters, where he was made fully acquainted with the plan of the Com- manding General, after which he returned to liis corps. General Lee had determined to strike the blow at JNIcClel- lan's right flank and rear. By pressing him vigorously in that quarter, and threatening his communications, it was believed that he would be compelled to ^-etreat or give battle out of his intrenchments. The plan is stated in full in the following order : — * As an instance of the way in which such important military secrets were kept during the war, I will state that I was told a few days before the battles began, that all the cars on the Central Railroad had been ordered towards Staunton, to bring Jackson's troops to Richmond, to aid in an attack on McClellan. My informant gave as his authority, Colonel Harman, Jackson's Quartermaster. I have no reason to believe that I was the only person so favored. GEN. lee's plan OF OPERATIONS. 123 f) "Headquartees Army Northern Virginia. June 24th, 1862. "GENERAL ORDERS, No. 75. " I. General Jackson's command will proceed to-morrow from Ashland towards the Slash Church, and encamp at some convenient point west of the Central Railroad. Branch's brig- ade of A. P. Hill's division, will also, to-morrcw evening, take position on the Chickahominy, near Half Sink. At three o'clock Thursday morning, twenty-sixth instant, General Jack- son will advance on the road leading to Pole Green Church, communicating his march to General Branch, who will imme- diately cross the Chickahominy, and take the road leading to Mechanicsville. . As soon as the movements of tliese columns are discovered, General A. P. Hill, with the rest of his divi- sion, will cross the Chickahominy near Meadow Bridge, and move direct upon Mechtmicsville. To aid his advance, the heavy batteries on the Chickahominy will, at the proper time, open upon the batteries at Mechanicsville. The enemy be- ing driven from jSIechanicsville, and the passage across the bridge opened, General Longstreet, with his division, and that of General D. H. Hill, will cross the Chickahominy, at or near that point, — General D. H. Hill moving to the support of General Jackson, and General Longstreet support- ing General A. P. Hill, — the four divisions keeping in com- munication with each other, and moving in echelon on separate roads, if practicable ; the left divisiofi in advance with skir- misherf and sharpshooters extending in their fi'ont, will sweep down the Chickahominy, and endeavor to drive the enemy from his position above New Bridge ; General Jackson, bearing well to his left, turning Beaver Dam Creek, and taking the direction toward Cold Harbor. They will press forward toward York River Railroad, closing upon the enemy's rear, and forcing him 124 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. down the Chickaliominy. Any advance of the enemy toward Richmond will be prevented by vis^orously following his rear, and cri|)|)lini5 and arresting his progress. "II. The divisions of General Huger and Magruder will hold their positions in front of the enen.y against attack, and make such demonstrations, Thursday, as to discover his opera- tions. Should the opportunity offer, the feint will be converted into a real attack ; and should an abandonment of his intrench- ments by the enemy be discovered, he will be closely pursued. " III. The 3d Virginia cavalry will observe the Charles City road. The 5th Virginia, the 1st North Carolina, and the Hampton Legion cavahy will observe the Darbytown, Varina, and 0--borne roads. Should a movement of the enemy down the Chickahominy be discovered, they will close upon his flank and endeavor to arrest his march. *' IV. General Stuart, with the 1st, 4th, and 9th Virginia cavalry, the cavalry of Cobb's Legion, and the Jeff Davis Le- gion will cross the Chickahominy to-morrow, and take position to the left of General Jackson's line of march. The main body will be held in reserve, with scouts well extended to the front and left. General Stuart will keep General Jackson informed of the movements of the enemy on his left, and will cooperate with him In his advance. The 16th Virginia cavalry, Colonel Davis, will remain on the Nine Mile road. "V. General Ransom's brigade, of General Holmes' com- mand, will be placed In reserve on the Williamsburg road, by General Huger, to who^i he will report for orders. "VI. Commanders of divisions will cause their commands to be provided with three days' cooked rations. The necessary ambulances and ordnance trains will be ready to accompany the divisions, and receive orders from their respective commanders. Officers in charge of all trains, will invariably remain with them. Batteries and wagons will keep on the I'Ight of the road. MECHANICSVILLE. 125 The Chief Engineer, Major Stevens, will assign engineer offi- cers to each division, whose duty it will be to make provision for overcoming all difficulties to the progress of the troops. The Staff department will «:ive the necessary instructions to fa- cilitate the movements herein directed. *' By command of General Lee. " R. II. Chilton, A. A. General." " Official. T. M. R. Talcott, Major and Aide-de-Camp." Owing to unavoidable delays, all of General Jackson's com- mand did not reach Ashland soon enough to begin the march at the time designated on the 25th, and consequently the march of his command on the 26th was much longer than had been expected. XIII. MECnANICSVILLE. While the preparations of the Southern forces were going ou, General McClellan was anxiously watching for something which miffht inform him of their intentions. After the battle of Seven Pines he proceeded to fortify his position with great care. His aijorressive movements received a severe check in that bat- tie, and from that time he turned his attention to securing him- self against an attack from Lee. Instead of " driving the ene- my to the wall," he quietly resigned to them the role he had intended to play in the great drama, and during the rest of the campaign his army presented the strange spectacle of an invad- ing force superior in numbers and resources to its enemy, anxiously awaiting attack, instead of making the assault. 126 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. At last, however, it was decided to advance the picket line, and on tlie 25th of June, Kearney's and Hooker's divisions made a spirited attack on the Confederate position on the Williamsburg road, held by Genei'al Huger. The effort was successftdly resisted, and the Southern line fully maintained.* General McClellan had committed a grave error in the dis- position of his army. He had placed its two wings on different banks of the Chickahominy, which stream intersected his line, about the centre, at right angles. Communication between the two wings, was maintained by a series of bridges, which were approached by roads almost always difficult, owing to the marshy nature of the ground. The sudden rise of the river at the period of the battle of Seven Pines had furnished the Fed- eral commander with a proof of its fickleness. His bridges were liable to be swept away, or the approaches to them flood- ed at any moment, in which event his two Avings would be entirely cut off from each other. This situation exposed the wings to the danger of being attacked in detail, and, as was afterwards proved by the expedition of General Stuart, his communications with the White House his principal depot of supplies were almost at the mercy of the Confederates. The true policy of General McClellan, after the battle of Williamsburg, was to abandon the line of the Peninsula, and, * Brigadier General Wright, whose brigade was chiefly engaged in this affair writes as follows, in his official report : " The object of the enemy was to drive us back from our picket lines, occupy it himself, and thereby enable lum to advance his works several hundred yards nearer our lines. In this he completely failed ; and altliough General McClellan at night telegraphed, over his own signature, to the War Office in Washiny:ton, that he had accom- plished his object, had driven me back for more than a mile, had silenced my batteries and occupied our camps, there is not a word of truth in the whole statement. When the fight ceased at dark, I occupied the very line my pickets had been driven from in tlie morning, and which I continued to hold until the total rout of the Federal army, on the twenty-ninth ultimo." Rebel- lion Record. Part lvii., p. 442. MECHANICSVILLE. 127 after crossing the Chickahominy at some point near to its mouth, move direct to the James River, and advance upon Richmond from that direction. In doing this, the iron-chid Virginia having been destroyed and Norfolk evacuated, he could have secured, by means of his fleet, a safe passage of the Chickahominy. After reaching the James, his left flank would have rested on that stream, under the protection of his shipping, and he would have been free to use his right with a fair pros- pect of success. Even had he been unsuccessful in his ag- gressive movements it would have been impossible for the Confederates to dislodge him from his position, and his cam- paign might have been successful in the end. It certainly would not have been such a decided failure as it proved. These considerations were outweighed, in the mind of General Mc- Clellan, by the hope of having McDowell's corps sent to him, and his heart seems to have been set upon striking a tremendous blow with it from the North of Richmond. For this reason alone, he chose the line of the Chickahominy in preference to the line of the James. Having made this choice, and estab- lished his base of operations at the White House, it became absolutely necessary to retain a large part of his army north of the swamp for the protection of his communications with his base. He seems to have been aware of the dangers of his position, and to have contemplated a " change of base " to the James, but at the same time he feared the Confederates would anticipate him, and that his army would be obliged " to fight its way through to the James." * Upon this intent'ion to move. General McClellan founds his assertion that his subsequent retreat was a voluntary " change of base." This is somewhat like an intruder who has entered a strong man's dwelling, wifh the intention of leaving it at an indefinite period, declaring, • McClellan's Report, pp. 242, 243. 128 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. after the strong man has driven him out, that his exit is volun- tary. In a certain sense all retreats are voluntary. The knowledge of the insecurity of his position on the Chick- ahominy caused General McClellan to be constantly apprehen- sive of an attack from the Southern army. His fears were confirmed. While hesitating between an advance upon Rich- mond and a change of base, he was informed that General Lee had decided his course for him, and that General Jackson was moving upon his exposed right flank. This information was first imparted by a deserter from Jackson's command on the 24th of June. The intelligence was speedily confirmed by subsequent events, so that there was no doubt in the mind of the " Young Napoleon" as to the course his adversaries would pursue. On the night of the 25th ,of June he wrote to the Secretary of War, " I incline to think Jackson will attack my right and rear," and, judging from the general tone of his let- ter, he was almost as well convinced of what the result would be.* On the morning of the 26th of June, General Jackson's com- mand, which, as has been stated, had not been able to com- mence its march on the previous day, moved from Ashland for Cold Harbor, with Whiting's division in the advance, and crossed the Central Railroad (which was to have been passed on the 25th) at ten o'clock, A. M. In the meantime General A. P. Hill had concentrated the Light Division near the Meadow Bridge, sending the' brigade of General Branch to the point where the Brook road crosses the swamp. The division numbered in all about fourteen thousand men, and was supplied with seven batteries of artillery, one of which (Johnston's) accompanied General Branch. The reader will remember that General Jackson was to notify • McClellan's Report, p. 238. MECHANICSVILLE. 129 General Branch of his advance. Branch was to cross immedi- ately upon receiving this message, and, as soon as he had un- covered the Meadow Bridge, A. P. Hill was to pass over. General Branch did not receive General Jackson's message until ten o'clock on the morning of the 2(lth, owing to the delay in the latter's advance from Ashland. He immediately passed the swamp with his brigade, and moved in the direction of Meadow Bridge. He met with more opposition than he had expected, and his advance was very slow. General A. P. Hill had expected to commence his move- ment early in the morning, but these unavoidable delays de- tained him also. He waited impatiently until three o'clock in the afternoon of the 26th of June, but no tidings came from Jack- son or Branch. He knew they were engaged with tiie enemy, but as yet the latter had failed to open the way for him. Every moment was precious now that the movement had begun, and further delay might hazard the success of the whole plan. In view of this he determined to advance at once. Field's brigade, which had been held in readiness, was promptly moved upon the bridge, which it captured at once. The outposts of the enemy being driven in, the whole division was enabled to cross the swamp in safety. Following the road for a few hundred yards, the command wheeled abruptly to the right, and, moving through the fields, marched direct upon Mechanicsville. The enemy greeted the advance with a heavy fire of artillery, but General Field, throwing his brigade into line of battle, with Pegram's battery in the centre, swept for- ward steadily, and, after a sharp conflict, drove the Federals from Mechanicsville. Up to this time the Confederates had encountered only the advanced forces of the enemy. The real position selected by the Federals was one of great strength. It was about a mile back of Mechanicsville, and was located immediately on the left 17 130 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. bank of Beaver Dam Creek. This stream curves around Me- chanicsville, the banks on the left or North side being higher than and commanding the country opposite. The left of the Federal line rested on the Chickahominy, and the right in the thick woods beyond the upper road from Mechaniesville to Cold Harbor. Another road crossed the creek at Ellison's Mill. These were the only roads by which the Federal line could be ap- proached with artillery, and they were completely commanded by it. Immediately south of the creek was a valley, less than an eighth of a mile in width, which was almost too marshy to be passable for Infantry. This was made still more difficult by masses of timber which had been felled along Its entire course. The Fed- eral position, naturally so strong, had been selected with great care, and was defended by several lines of infantry and artillery, (the former posted in rifle pits,) extending from the base of the hill to the top. This line was held by the corps of Major-Gen- eral Fit? John Porter, General McClellan's ablest lieutenant, and It was to this stronghold tliat the advanced force retreated, after being driven out of Mechaniesville. As Hill's troops pressed on , they came under the fire of the Federal guns on Beaver Dam Creek, which commanded the village and surrounding country. A brief inspection of their position satisfied General Hill that it was too strong to be car- ried by a direct assault, and as he momentarily expected to hear the sound of Jackson's guns on the left, he refrained from mak- ing a direct attack. A part of his force was, however, sent by the upper Cold Harbor road to force a passage there, and com- municate with Jackson. A regiment succeeded In crossing to the right of the Federal works, and remained on the left bank of the Creek until dark, when it was withdrawn. At the same time Pender's brigade was thrown forward, to the right of Field's, In an attempt to force a passage of the Creek at Ellison's Mill. He made a gallant attack, charging MECHANICSVILLE. 131 several times with great vigor, but only to be driven back by the withering fire of the Federals. A part of D. H. Hiirs command having now arrived, Ripley's brigade was advanced to Pender's support, and another effort was made to turn the Federal left, with the same result. The battle ended at nine o'clock, the enemy having been driven from Mechanicsville to their works on Beaver Dam Creek, which they held successfully against all efforts to dis- lodge them. The Confederates passed the night on the ground they had won. Their loss was heavy, — between three and four thousand men.* The Federal loss was much smaller. By six o'clock in the afternoon, the movements of General A. P. Hill having uncovered the Mechanicsville Bridge, the divisions of Generals D. H*. Hill and Longstreet were put in motion. At nine o'clock, the greater portion of these troops were over the stream. D. H. Hill was ordered to move by the Upper Cold Harbor road, and cooperate with Jackson, while Longstreet was advanced to the support of A. P. Hill. Thus far the plan of General Lee was successful. The four divisions were safely across the swamp, and though the Fed- erals still held their line on Beaver Dam Creek, there was no doubt that the approach of General Jackson would force them to abandon it in order to escape from being cut off from their left wing. The result proved the correctness of this view. Soon after the close of the action. General McClellan was informed of the approach of Jackson, and, seeing his danger, he at once ordered General Porter to fall back from Beaver Dam Creek towards the New Bridofe. During: the night of the 26th, the greater part of the heavy guns and wagons were removed from Beaver Dam and sent to the south bank of the * See foot-note on page 145 of Swinton's " Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac." 132 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Chickahominy, and shortly before daylight the troops began to reth-e, burnhig such things as they could not carry off. As I have stated, General Jackson's command crossed the Central Railroad at ten o'clock on the morning of the 26th. Whiting's division was in front, and the ^eft flank was guarded by General Stuart, who, with his cavalry, moved a short dis- tance in advance. As the column approached Tottapotamoi Creek, a swampy stream, with high, bold banks, covered with thick woods, the wooden bridge was discovered to be in flames, and the enemy were heard in the forest beyond, felling trees to obstruct the road. Hood's Texans were thrown forward as skirmishers, and Reilly's battery shelled the woods. The enemy were quickly driven off, the bridge was repaired, and the command crossed the creek. "The march was continued, the Federal rear- guard being driven rapidly before the column, and at night General Jackson bivouacked at Hundley's Corner. During the day he had borne steadily away from the Chick- ahominy, and had gained ground towards the Pamunkey, thus securing a position from which he could descend the next day on the Federal rear at Cold Harbor. At daylight on the morn- ing of the 27th, the march was resumed in the direction of Cold Harbor. General D. H. Hill, in accordance with General Lee's order, moved at daylight on the 27th, to join General Jackson. He found the crossing of Beaver Dam Creek held by the enemy, and at once made his arrangements to turn their position. Be- fore the attack could be commenced, however, the Federals withdrew, in obedience to General McClellan's instructions to General Porter. Hill then pushed on, and soon came up Avith Jackson near Bethesda Church. As he was moving upon the shorter road, he necessarily entered the main road before Whit- ing's division, and during the remainder of the movement, held the advance of Jackson's column. COLD HARBOR. 133 XIV. COLD HARBOR. The morning of Friday, June 27th, found the Federals still m possession of their works. A sharp fire of artillery and musketry ushered in the day, and, as General Lee still expected tlie evacuation of the Federal line, no direct attack was made npon it. Until seven o'clock the engagement was maintained principally with artillery. Porter's troops now withdrew from their works, and fell back rapidly, setting fire to a large amount of property in their abandoned camp, and leaving much besides uninjured. Their retreat was at once discovered, and their line immediately occu- pied by the Confederates. About an hour was spent in repair- ing the bridges, and then the [)ursuit began. General Long- street was directed to move by the river road in the direction of the New Bridge, and A. P. Ilill was sent towards Gaines' Mill, about a mile from Cold Harbor. Thus, by ten o'clock in the morning, the situation of affiairs was as follows : IMcClellan was withdrawins: his risfht winix for a last struggle north of the Chickahominy, while the commands of Jackson, D, H. Hill, A. P. Hill, and Longstreet were moving steadily upon him. So far, everything had gone well for the Confederates. The passage of the Chickahominy and the attack upon his right wing by the Confederates, convinced General IMcClellan that his plan of campaign had failed. It now remained for him to adopt some other plan. His position was for him most unfortunate, and he was compelled to choose between alterna- tives, each of which involved great ritks. It was useless to 134 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. think of concentrating the whole army on the north bank of the swamp, and fighting for his communications with the Whit< House, for Jackson was already in a position to seize them and assuredly would do so befogs his army could be concen trated. Besides this, in case of defeat his line of retreat to thi James River would be lost. He had therefore but two alterna tives — either to abandon his present position and retreat, oi to mass his army suddenly south of the swamp, and march upon Richmond. The latter movement was one which required great boldness, but it was also one which promised the most brilliant results. In commencing his attack. General Lee had left on the south side only the divisions of Magruder and Huger, about twenty- five thousand men. The Federal force on that side was alretidy about eighty thousand strong,* and the bridges connecting the two wings were in good order. By massing his army suddenly and hurling it upon the Southern line, there can be but little doubt that McClellan would have broken through it. Having gained this advantage, he could have held the bridges and fords above the New Bridge, and have prevented the passage of the swamp by General Lee in time to save Richmond. f * All Federal accounts agree in placing tlio Federal force at Cold Harbor at about tbirty-five tbousand. The army was one hundred and fifteen thou- sand strong. This would place tiie strength of the left wing at about eighty thousand. t General Lee, in his remarks on Magruder's report, says, " The troops on the two sides of the river were only separated until we succeeded in occupy- ing the position near wliat is known as New Bridge, which occurred before 12 o'clock M. on Friday, June 27th, and before the attack on the enemy at Gaines' Mill. From the time we reached the position referred to I regarded commu- nication between the two wings of our army as reestablished. * * The New Bridge was suflSciently rebuilt to be passed by artillery on Friday night, and the one above it was used for the passage of wagons, ambulances, and tri,ops, early on Saturday morning. Besides this, all other bridges above New Bridga, and all the fords above that point were open to us." Ip spite of this, I sev nv COLD HARBOR. 135 Failing to adopt this bold plan, there remained nothing but to retreat, for it was morally certain that nothing could save the right wing from disaster, and its defeat involved the loss of the White House and York Eiver Kail road. Two lines of retreat pi*esented themselves. The first was the same route that had been traversed by the Confederates in their retreat from Yorktown. This, however, was full of danger. It was the longer of the two, and would expose him at every step to the fierce attacks of the victorious Confederates, and might result in the ruin of his army. The other route was through White Oak Swamp to the James River. The distance was only about twenty-five miles, and the character of the country was such as would enable him not only to conceal many of his movements, but also to impede the progress of his pursuers at critical junctures. Besides this, it was the move- ment he had been washing yet hesitating to make for so loni; a time, and if he could reach the James in safety with his army, he hoped to undertake a new campaign from that quarter against Richmond. There was, however, this difference be- tween the movement he had wished to make and that to which he was now forced, — that the former might have been under- taken without the fearful losses of life and property which at- tended the latter. It would also have been an aggressive movement, and not a compulsory flight from a victorious enemy. Having decided to retreat to the James, General McClellan proceeded to make his arrangements accordingly. It was im- possible to commence the movement at once, as the presence of Jackson's command in the neigliborhood of Cold Harbor endan- gered the safety of the whole Federal army ; for should Porter reason to change my opinion tliat had General McClellan promptly advanced his whole army on Friday morning, Richmond would have fallen. The mere momentum of his enormous column would have been irresistible. 136 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. be withdrawn across the stream, and the movement revealed to the Confederates, General Lee would at once throw Jackson's corpa across the river at a point lower down, and occupy Mal- vern Hill, or some other locality, and would thus block the road to the James. It was necessary, therefore, in consequence of the bad character of the Federal position, that Porter should at least attempt to hold his ground, during the 27th — in other words that his command should be sacrificed in order to secure the safety of the rest of the army. Accordingly General Por- ter was ordered to evacuate his lines on Beaver Dam Creek, and fall back to the strong works at Cold Harbor. The position selected by the Federal commander was one of great natural strength, and had been carefully fortified during the time it had been held by his troops. By a singular fatality it was destined to be the scene of two of the fiercest struggles of the whole war, each of which was to result in a Southern victory. The enemy's line was located on a range of hills extending from tlie Chickahominy to Cold Harbor, and was immediately behind Powhiie Creek, a small, marshy stream, running through a densely wooded country. The right rested in the rear of Cold Harbor, and was posted in the woods and clearings, and the left near Doctor Gaines' house, on a wooded bluflf which rose abruptly from a deep ravine leading down to the Chickaliominy. " The ravine was filled with sharpshooters, to whom its banks gave protection. A second line of infantry was stationed on the side of the hill, behind a breastwork of trees, above the first. A third occupied the crest, strength- ened with rifle trenches and crowned with artillery. The ap- proach to this position was over an open plain, about a quarter of a mile wide, commanded by this triple line of fire, and swept by the heavy batteries south of the Chickahominy. In front of his centre and right, the ground was generally open, bound- ed on the side of our approach by a wood, with dense and COLD HARBOR. 137 tangled undergrowth, and traversed by a sluggish stream, which converted the ground into a deep morass. The woods on the f^xrther side of the swamp were occupied by sharp- shooters, and trees had been felled to increase the difficulty of its passage, and detain our advancing columns, under the fire of infantry, massed on the sh>pe8 of the oj)posite hills, and of their batteries on their crests."* This line of battle formed the arc of a circle, and covered the approaches to the bridg^s connecting the two wings of the Federal army. Moving on rapidly from Beaver Dam Creek, General Long- street's division came in front of the new Federal line, about one o'clock in the afternoon. His troops were at once thrown forward to feel the enemy, taking position before the famous timber breastwork, the key-point of the whole line. At the same time A. P. Hill reached Gaines' Mill. Driving off the Federal force at that point, by a charge of Gregg's brigade, he crossed the creek, and, moving forward, formed his line of battle in the vicinity of New Cold Harbor, nearly parallel to the road leading from that place toward McGehee's house. The divi- sion had commenced the eniiajjements wiih fourteen thousand men,f and had lost heavily at Mechanicsville, so that it was now barely eleven thousand strong. Yet with this force Hill was to attack thirty thousand troops strongly posted. About half [)ast two o'clock he opened the battle with the brigades of Gregg, Branch, and Anderson. These made an impetuous attack and were met by the Federals with great determination. Pender's brigade was sent to Branch's assist- ance shortly after the battle began, and Field and Archer were also thrown forward, the last two with orders to turn tlie Fed- eral left. Moving forward across an open field, they were subjected to a terrible fire. The whole line being advanced, the Federal position was assailed in repeated charges The * General Ia'c's Report. t Gt-neral A. P. Hill's Keporti. 18 138 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. l()th and 22ud North Carolina Infantry at one time carried tb* cre^t of the hill, and broke the Federal line, but were beaten back in a desperate struggle. Field and Archer moved steadily upon the enemy's left, but were met with such a fire that their men were forced to lie down. Thus far every attempt to storm the Federal lines had been repulsed, and now, the enemy, encouraged by this, swept for- \Yixrd fiercely upon Hill's command. Many of Hill's men had never been in action before, and they shrank from a fire which v.as so hot that even his veterans recoiled before it. The enemy gained ground steadily, despite the desperate resistance of the Confederates, and it seemed almost certain that night would descend upon a Federal victory. In this juncture General Lee directed General Longstreet to make a diversion on the rijiht in favor of Hill. Mo vinii' forward promptly, Longstreet saw the immense strength of the enemy's position in his front, and knew at a glance that if he wished to render any assistance to Hill, he must convert the feint into a real attack. This, with a promptness and energy characteristic of him, he at once prepared to do. The three brigades under General Wilcox, supported by those of Pickett and R. H, Anderson, were placed in line, and directed to assault the enemy's position. Moving on, these gallant troops made a fierce attack, but were greeted with such a fire that they recoiled. It did indeed seem that victory was to crown the efforts of tlie enemy. The afternoon was rapidly drawing to a close, and all the attacks of the Confederates had been unsuccessful. Sud- denly the firing on the left increased in volume, rollings along the line in long, heavy peals. A great shout went up from the army, and the men cried in their joy, " It is Jackson ! It is J ackson ! " It was Jackson. He had been marching rapidly all day, COLD HAllBOR. . 139 assured by the firing in the (hrection of the Chickahorainy that he would not reach the fiekl a moment too soon. After over- coming the obstacles in his way, which were greater than he had anticipated, he reached Cold Harbor just as Longstreet made his attack on the enemy's left — about half past five o'clock. He at once brouglit his troops into action with D. H. Hill on the left, and to the right of him Ewell's, Jackson's, and Whiting's divisions, in the order named. Whiting was hurried forward to reenforce Longstreet, and formed on his left, uniting his own left with A. P. Hill's right. The attack was renewed, tlie whole line advancing at once, the movements which I shall now describe being simultaneous. D. H. Hill's troops were the first to encounter the enemy. They moved aci'oss the swamp, the creek, the undergrowth, and obstructions in front, in the face of a heavy fire, and gallantly assailing the Federals, drove them from their first position, to a field some four hundred yards in the rear. Gen- eral Hill determined to press on, but, before doing so, ordered two of his regiments to take a battery on his left which would enfilade his line in its advance. This was gallantly accom- plished, and the battery was held until the division had passed over the dangerous ground, when it was retaken by tlie enemy. Hill continued to press tlie Federals back slowly until dark, when, throwing his line forward in a determined charge, in which the "Stonewall brigade " of Jackson's division joined, he drove them from the field. General Ewell's attack was made in the neighborhood of ^McGehee's house. The enemy held their ground bravely, and for four hours resisted the efforts of Ewell, who, about dusk, having exhausted his ammunition, withdrew his troops a short distance to await a fresh supply. Before it came the battle was over.* * The four brigades of Jackson's division did not act together, but were distributed among the other commands which needed reenforcements. 140 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Genera! Whiting was sent to the assistance of General Lonf^- street, and his arrival has been already mentioned. Ilia division came into position just as Longstreet's men met their first check. The task of assauhing the Federal stronghold was committed to the Texas brigade of.Gcreral Hood. An eye- witness thus describes the charge which decided the battle. " While Hood's brigade was formed in line of battle, the 4th Texas was hekl in partial reserve, and soon became sei)arated from tiie other regiments of the brigade. After remaining in the rear, lying down, for perhaps half an hour. General Hood came for us, and, moving by the riglit flank about half a mile, halted us in an open space to the right of some timber, and in rear of an apple orchard. The sight which ^ve here beheld beo-n;ars description. The ground was strewn with the dead and dying, while our ranks were broken every instant with flyinf and panic-stricken soldiers. In front of us was the ' Old 3rd brigade,' who, but a few moments before, had started with cheers to storm the fatal palisade. But the storm of iron and lead was too severe, they ' wavered ' for a moment, and fell upon the ground. At this instant. General Hood, who had, in person, taken command of our regiment, commanded in his clear ringing voice, ' Forward, quick, march/ and onward moved the little band of five hundred with the coolness of vet- erans. Here Colonel jSIarshall fell dead from his horse, pierced by a Minnie ball. Volleys of musketry, and showers of graj)e, canister, and shell ploughed through us, but were only answered by the stern ' Close up — close up to the colors,' and onward they rushed over the dead and dying, without a pause, until within about one hundred yards of the breastworks. We had reached the apex of the hill, and some of the men, seeing the enemy just before them, commenced to discharge their pieces. It was at this point that preceding brigades had halted, and beyond which none had gone, in consequence of tlie terribl<5 COLD HARBOR. 141 concentrated fire of the concealed enemy. At this critical juncture the voice of General Hood was heard above the din ol' battle, ' Forward, forward, ch:irge right down on them, and drive them out with the bayonet.' Fixing bayonets as tlioy moved, they made one grand rush for the fort; down the hill, across the creek and fallen timber, and the next minute saw our battle-flag planted upon the captured breastwork. The enemy, frightened at the rapid approach of pointed steel, rose up from behind their defences, and started up the hill at speed. One volley was poured into their backs, and it seemed that every ball found a victim, so great was the slaughter. Their works were ours, and, as our flag moved from the first to the second tier of defences, a shout arose from the shattered remnant of that regiment, and which will long be remembered by those who heard it ; a shout which announced that the wall of death was broken, and victory, which had hovered doubtfully for hours over that bloody field, had at length perched upon the battle-flag of the 4th Texas. Right and left it was taken up, and rang along the lines for miles ; long after many of those who had started it were in eternity." * In this charge the gallant 4th was supported by the 1st and 5th Texas, and the 18th Georgia. . Arriving at the crest of the hill no pause was made, but the line, pressing forward, drove back the enemy from their guns, and put to flight a squadron of cavalry which attempted to charge. The position was won, and other troops were hurried up to Hood's assistance. The charge cost the Confederates one thousand men, but they cap- tured fourteen pieces of cannon and nearly a regiment of pris- oners. The key-point to the enemy's line being now in his possession. * The Campaign from Texas to Maryland, by Rev. N A. Davis, Chaplain 4th Texas Regiment, pp. 54, 55. 142 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. General Lee threw forward his whole force, and the Federals were driven back with irresistible fury to the Chickahominy. It was now dark, and as the battle had greatly disarranged the Southern line, and the country being too unfavorable for a pursuit at night, the troops were halted on the ground they had won. The Federals retreated in confusion to the bridges. A cor- respondent of the New York Tribune thus described the scene at its commencement, in a letter written at the time : " A motley mob started pell-mell for the bridges. They were overtaken by many just from the woods, and it seemed as if Bull K.un were to be repeated. Meanwhile the panic extended. Scores of gallant officers endeavored to rally and re-form the stragglers, but in vain; while many officers forgot the pride of their shoulder-straps and the honor of their manhood, and herded with the sneaks and cowards, O, that I had known the names of those officers I saw, the brave and the cowardly, that here, now, I might reward and punish, by directing upon each individual the respect or the contempt of a whole people ! That scene was not one to be forgotten. Scores of riderless, terri- fied horses, dashing in every direction; thick-fljang bullets singing by, admonishing of danger ; every minute a man struck down ; wagons, and ambulances, and cannon blocking the way ; wounded men limping, and groaning, and bleeding amid the throng ; officers and civilians denouncing, and reasoning, and entreating, and being insensibly borne along with the mass ; the sublime cannonading, the douds of battle-smoke, and the sun just disappearing, large, and blood red, — I cannot picture it, but I. see it and always shall." This confusion and disorder was checked at the bridges. Meagher's and French's brigades crossed the swamp, and, ad- vancing at the double quick, with fixed bayonets, brought the fugitives to a hah, when the officers immediately set to work to COLD HARBOR. 143 restore order. They were successful, and the troops were with- drawn to the south side of the river durin2f the niiiht. The rear guard of Regulars crossed at six o'clock the next morning, destroying the bridge after them. Thus closed one of the most stubbornly contested battles of the war. The Confederates enjoyed the advantage of superior numbers, but their principle attacks were made with small bodies and upon positions of immense strength. The result was not only a victory for the Confederates, but was decisive of the campaign. The losses on both sides were heavy. I have not been able to find any exact statement of them in the re- ports of either army. They are believed, however, to have amounted to at least seven or eight thousand in the Southern army, and six or seven thousand on the other side.* General Lee sent the following dispatch to Richmond on Friday night : " Headquarteks June 27, 1862. " His Excellency President Davis. "Mr. President: Profoundly grateful to Almighty God for the signal victory granted to us, it is my pleasing task to announce to you the success achieved by this army to-day. The enemy was this morning driven from his strong position behind Beaver Dam Creek, and pursued to that behind Powhite Creek, and finally, after a severe contest of five hours, entirely repulsed from the field. " Night put an end to the contest. I grieve to state that our loss in officers and men is great. *' We sleep on the field, and shall renew the contest in the mornmg. " I have the honor to be, very respectfully, (Signed,) R. E. Lee, General." * The loss in Jackson's corps is reported hy liim at three thousand two hun dred and eiglity-four. A. P. Hill and Longstreet, also, lost heavily. 144 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE, XV. SAVAGE STATION. Saturday morning found the Federal army concentrated on the south bank of the Chickahominy. General McClellan had determhied upon his course of action, and was now using every effort to prepare for his retreat. Amid the dangers which sur- rounded him, he seemed to have more of decision and vigor than he had shown at any previous time. It requires a good general to conduct a retreat in safety, especially when his army is threatened by the dangers which surrounded the Army of the Potomac at this time. McClellan proved himself equal to the task before him, and it should not detract from the credit due to him, that he enjoyed advantages of great importance over his adversary. One of these advantages was the ignorance in which General Lee naturally remained concerning the Federal commander's real intentions. He might yet give battle for the preservation of his communications ; he might attempt to retreat down the Penin- t?ula ; or, he might retreat to the James. It was necessary to await his movements. It was unfortunate that this was the case, but there was no help for it. In order that no time might be lost, however, Ewell's divis- ion was sent to seize the York River Railroad, and Stuart was directed to cooperate with him with the cavalry. Stuart moved in advance of Ewell, and soon reached Dispatch Station. The Federal forces at this point retreated across the river in haste, burning the bridge in their rear, and Ewell coming up, de- stroyed *a portion of the railroad. Here General Ewell halted to await further orders. SAVAGE STATION. 145 During the forenoon the clouds of dust which rose from the Federal lines south of the Chickiihominy told plainly that their army was in motion. It was evident, from the absence of any Federal force on the north side of the Chickahominy, and the burning of the railroad bridge at Dispatch ^tation, that Mc- Clellan had abandoned the line of the York River Railroad. Still he had open to him the lower bridges of the Chickahom- iny, as well as the route to the James, and as the southern forces south of the river had not been able to detect any sign of a movement to the James, it was thought that he might attempt to escape down the Peninsula after all. Accordingly, General Ewell was directed to move from Dispatch Station to Bottom's Bridge, on the main road from Richmond to Williams- burg, to ascertain the movements of McClellan, and cut him off if he attempted to cross the Chickahominy at that point. He discovered no signs of such a movement, and the next day rejoined General Jackson. Meanwhile, General Stuart, after the arrival of General Ewell at Dispatch Station, determined to push boldly down the road to the White House, in order to discover what force the enemy had there, and, if possible, to rout it. McClellan's arrangements had been already made, however. The line of the railroad had been abandoned, and the commander of the force at the White House had been ordered to send such of his stores as he could remove, and the water transportation to the James River, and destroy the remainder. A train of forage wagons, with a cavalry escort and a few sutler's establishments, were captured by the cavalry soon after leaving Dispatch Station. At all the prominent points along the road, cavalry pickets were driven off or captured, until Black Creek was reached. Here the enemy burned the bridge, and attempted to impede the progress of the cavalry, but they were speedily put to Hight and the bridge repaired. It was 19 146 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. now too dark to continue to advance, and General Stuart halted for the night, the men feeding their horses on corn captured at Tunstall's Station. Durinsj the afternoon, a large fire was discovered at the Wliite House, and all night long this continued to burn stead- ily, and the flames and explosions of shell and ammunition told plainly that the enemy were destroying the stores at that point. As soon as it was day. General Stuart resumed his advance. Arriving within a quarter of a mile of the White House, he discovered a Federal gunboat at the landing. Colonel W. H. F. Lee, the proprietor of the estate, accompanied the expedi- tion, and was ordered by General Stuart to take a party of seventy-five sharpshooters, and drive off the gunboat. This was accomplished with the aid of one piece of artillery, and the steamer set off down the Pamunkey, followed by the how- itzer along the shore, which exploded its shells with great accuracy just over her decks. General Stuart captured a large amount of provisions (del- icacies as well as necessities) and forage. These were distrib- uted among the men and horses, who were in great need of food. Besides these, "nine barges, loaded with stores, were on fire as the cavalry approached ; immense numbers of tents, wagons, and cars, in long trains, loaded, and five locomotives ; a number of forges ; quantities of every species of quartermas- ter's stores and property, making a total of many millions of dollars, — all more or less destroyed." From the White House, the cavalry moved, in compliance with an order from General Lee, to watch the lower bridges of the Chickahominy. The force which had been left by General Lee to hold the works in front of Richmond, consisted, as has been stated, of the divisions of Generals Magruder and Huger. General Holmes' command, about six thousand strong, was stationed SAVAGE STATION. 147 in the vicinity of New Mai'ket, near the James River, to watch the enemy in that direction, and prevent them from reaching the river. These commands were charged to be extremely vigilant, and to report instantly any movements on the part of the enemy. During the 26th and 27th, the Federal lines were close! observed, but nothing unusual was noticed. On the 28th General Toombs, without asking or receiving instructions to that effect, attacked the Federal works on Golding's farm, and was repulsed with heavy loss. Fortunately, the enemy did not follow up this ridiculous movement of General Toombs by an advance of their line. Had they done so, they might have captured Garnett's farm, and inflicted considerable injury upon the Confederates. The day was spent in watching the enemy, whose powerful works effectually concealed their movements. At dark they were in possession of the Federal troops, and to all appearance fully manned. It was impossible to bring the Southern array across by the bridges in the Federal rear, as these were all destroyed, and their reconstruction impracticable in the presence of McClellan's whole army and powerful batteries. It was certain, however, that this suspense must be ended in some way in a few hours more, and on Saturday night General Lee di- rected the troops of Magruder and Huger to sleep on their arms, in order to move forward the instant the enemy's with- drawal should be discovered. General Lee was convinced from the indications in his front, that a general movement was going on in the Federal lines, and as there were no signs of McClellan attempting to move down the Peninsula, there could be no doubt that he was retreating to the James River. General Lee was right. On Saturday morning Keyes* corps, which held the extreme left of the Federal line, broke up its camp, and entered White Oak Swamp. By noon it had 148 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. safely traversed this gloomy morass, and had occupied strong positions on the opposite side to protect tiie passage of the army. This was followed by the withdrawal of the wagons, %e thousand in number, and a drove of twenty-five hundred •jeef cattle, all of which had to i)a8s the swamp by one single .i-oad. Daring the night Porter's corps withdrew, also. The )orps of Sumner and Heintzelman, and Smith's division of Franklin's corps were instructed to remain on the Eichmond side of White Oak Swamp during the whole of the 29th, until dark, in order that the trains might get fairly out of danger. So well did McClellan mask these movements, that, although General Lee suspected them, tiie truth was not known until Sunday morning at sunrise, when the Federal works were found to be deserted. Early on the morning of the 29th Longstreet and A. P. Hill were ordered to recross the Chickahominy at the New Bridge, and follow the enemy along the Darbytown road to the Long Bridge ; Iluger was ordered to pursue by the Charles City road, so as to take the Federal army in flank; Magruder was ordered to move by the Williamsburg road, and attack the enemy in tlie rear ; and Jackson was directed to repair Grape- vine Bridge, cross there, move down the Chickahominy by way of Savage Station, and cooperate with ISIagruder. These dis- positions would, it was believed, effectually prevent the escape , of the enemy, and result in the capture or destruction of the greater portion of their army. All the columns but that of General Jackson moved early on Sunday morning. Jackson was detained all day repairing Grapevine Bridge, and did not cross the Chickahominy until the night of the 29th. General Lee's dispositions were excellent, but McClellan had gained twenty-four hours, and this, together with the nature of the country through which he was moving, gave him advantages frazier's farm. 149 of which no pursuit, however vigorous or well planned, could deprive him. iM;iidnn. On the morning of the 8th, the Federal cavalry on the north bank were driven over the river by the brigade of General Eob-ertson, and were forced back in the direction of Cu][)epper Court House. As they subsequently threatened the train of Jackoon's division, Lawton's brigade, of Ewell's divi- sion, was detached to guard it, and consequently took no part in the battle which ensue'd. The infantry and artillery followed the cavalry across the Rapidan, and took the road to Culpepper. The next day, the 9th, the array reached the vicinity of Cedar Run, about eight miles from Culpepper Court Plouse, where the enemy was found in strong force. When first seen, their cavalry were drawn up on a ridge to the right of the road. Terry's battery was thrown forward to drive them back, which was successfully accomplished, the enemy replying with their artillery. Soon afterwards the cavalry re-occupied their first position. The Federal force consisted of Banks' corps, which had been thrown forward by General Pope to meet Jackson's advance. He held a strong position, and had with him about twenty- eight thousand men. Jackson at once commenced to form his line. Ewell's divi- sion, which was the only part of his command that had come up, was thrown forward to secure a position on the slope of Slaugh- ter's Mountain, which would enable his artillery to command the Federal line. The division moved forward, with Early's brigade in the advance. Early formed his line on the right of the road, and moving across the open field, drove back the enemy's cavalry to the crest of a hill which overlooked the entire space in his front. As he commenced to mount this hill, 196 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the Federal artillery opened a heavy fire upon him, and large bodies of Federal cavalry ap[)earcd in the fields on his left. Sheltering his troops under the hill, Early advanced three guns of Dement's battery to the crest, and replied with spirit to the fire of the enemy's artillery. Jackson's division had now arrived, and was moved forward to Eiirly's assistance, a part being held in reserve. As it came into line, its gallant commander, Brigadier-General Charles S. AVinder, was mortally wounded by the explosion of a shell. The command of the division then passed to Brig. -Gen. Wm. B. Taliaferro. Durin"e, across open fields, and along roads seldom used, he moved in the most direct line for Thoroughfare Gap, where the Manassas Gap Railroad passes through the Bull Run JNIoun- tains. This pass must be reached before the enemy could hear of his movements and occupy it. The day was intensely hot, but the men were not allowed to halt for food or rest. Moving through Orleans, in Fauquier County, the corps reached Salem at midnight, after a forced march of thirty-five miles. Jackson beems to have infused his own indomitable energy into his men, for at the end of their fatiguing tramp, though hungry and footsore, they were still anxious to press on, and the march had been made without stragglers. The troops bivouacked at Salem for the night. All along the route the people had gazed at them with wonder and joy. They had not seen the gray-jackets in that region for many weary months, and eager questions were put to the men as to where they had come from and where they were going. To all a short refusal to reply wa.3 given as the corps hurried on. During the day General Stuart had been moving on Jack son's right, disposing his cavalry so as to prevent the enemy ^ from gaining any information of the flank march of the Second Corps. He continued to perform this duty until the object of the march was attained. At daybreak on the 2Gth of August, the troops were again under arms. Wheeling to the right, Jackson moved direct to Thoroughfare Gap, which, to his joy, he found unoccupied by the enemy. Passing through Gainesville, he reached Bristoe Jackson's flank march. 209 Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, at sunset. At Gainesville General Stuart joined the column, and took position on the right flank. As the corps reached the railroad, the sound of cars, coming from the direction of Warrenton Junction, was heard, and General Evvell at once divided his force to take simultaneous possession of two points of the railroad. A train heavily loaded dashed by at full speed. It was fired into by the 2nd Virginia Cavalry, but succeeded in reaching iNIanassas in safetv. Other trains were now heard approaching, and Ewell proceeded to obstruct the track with logs. This resulted in the capture of two trains, one of which was thrown from the track. Others were still heard coming, but the alarm had been given, and they hesitated. " The trains in the direction of Warren- ton uttered shrill screams, which experts declared to signify, 'Is all right?' One of these railroad experts, named Fore- man, jumped on the prostrate engine, turned a portion of the machinery, and signalled back, ' All right, come on,' — General Fitz Lee drawing up his cavalry to fire upon them as they drew ' near. But the alarm had been given ; the trains would not run : the perilous gauntlet."* 1 The first part of General Lee's plan had been successfully 5 accomplished. Jackson was now fairly in Pope's rear, and in possession of his line of supply. I "When he reached Bristoe Station, General Jackson learned L that the enemy had established their principal depot of supplies ^ and had collected an immense quantity of stores at iNIanassaa > Junction, eight miles distant. The capture of this point was therefore a necessity, and upon making known his desire to I' Hecure it, he was met by an oflTer from Brigadier-General Trim- ble to undertake the task. The offer was accepted, and, not- i withstanding the march of thirty miles which had been made * Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackfson, p. 279. 27 210 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. since dawn, and the darkness of the niglit, Trimble was at once dispatched to Manassas. In order to increase the prospect of success, General Stuart was soon afterwards ordered to follow Trimble with a part of the cavalry, and, as the ranking officer, to take command of the expedition.* Stuart pushed ahead of the inftintry with his cavalry, until fired on with canister from the works at Manassas, when, find- ing- it impossible to use his troopers in the darkness, he sent for the infantry, and after a short struggle captured the place with its small garrison. f The amount of proj)erty captured at INIanassas was very lar^Te. The articles were as follows: — eight pieces of arlil- lery ; seventy-two horses and equipments ; three hundred pris- oners ; two hundred negroes ; two hundred new tents ; one hundred and seventy-fi ve extra horses ; ten locomotives ; two railroad trains loaded with stores worth several millions of dol- lars ; fifty thousand pounds of bacon ; one thousand barrels of beef; twenty thousand barrels of pork ; several thou.~and bar- rels of flour, and a large supply of forage. In addition to all this were a bakery capal)le of preparing fifteen thousand loaves of bread daily, and a number of sutler's establishments well supplied. These captures were a rich harvest to Jackson's hungry men when they arrived the next day. The troops were marched up and told to help themselves, which they did with a will. An eye-witness writes, " 'Twas a curious sight to see our ragged and famished men helping themselves to every imaginable arti- cle of luxury or necessity, whether of clothing, food, or what not. For my part I got a tooth brush, a box of candles, a quantity of lobster salad, a barrel of coflTee, and other things which I forget. The scene utterly beggared description. Oui ♦ General Jackson's Report. t General Stuart's Report. WHAT POPE FOUND IN HIS REAR. 2H uien had been living on roasted corn since crossing the Rappa* hannock, and we had brought no wagons, so tliat we could carry little away of the riclies before us. But the men could eat one meal at least. So they were marched up, and as much of everything eatable served out as they could carrv. To see a starving man eating lobster salad and drinking Rhine wine, barefooted and in tatters, was curious : the whole thinij was indescribable." * On the morning of the 27th General Jackson moved with all his troops, save Ewell's division, to Manassas. Ewell was left at Bristoe Station with orders to endeavor to hinder the march of the enemy should they commence to retire from the Rappa- hannock, but, if hard pressed, himself, to fall back and rejoiD the main army at Manassas. When the Federal authorities at AVashington heard of the capture of Manassas, they supposed it had been effected by a mere raiding party of the Confederates, and on the morning of the 27th a New Jersey brigade, under General Taylor, was sent to recover the place. General Taylor made his attack about midday, with great gallantry, but was routed with slaughter, being himself mortally wounded. V. WHAT POPE FOUND IN HIS REAR. The march of General Jackson had been rapid and secret, 'i but it had not escaped the observation of the Federal com- mander. An officer of General Banks' staff (Col. J. S. Clark,) chanced to be near Jackson's line of march during the first day. He held his position at great personal risk until the corps • Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 280. 212 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. passed by, counting tlie regiments and batteries, and noticing the movements of the cavalry.* He immediately communi- cated this information to General Pope. The Federal com- mander, however, failed to make any use of this knowledge, which reached iiim in time to afford him an opportunity to occupy Thoroughl'are Gap in force, and batfle Jackson's whole movement. The mysterious march of the great flanker seems to have completely bewihlered General Po[)e, vvlu) at one time was under the impression that the Confederates were retreating to the mountains. He struck out blindly in a series of ridicu- lous manoeuvres on the Rappahannock, the necessity for, or meaning of which, it is difficult to understand. He was recalled to his senses, however, on the night of the 2()th, when he learned that Jackson had seized the railroad at jSIanassas, planted himself in his rear, and threatened to cut him off from Washington. Pope's army was now very strong. He had been reen- forced by Reynold's division, and Porter's, and Heintzleman's corps of the Armv of the Potomac, and the remainder of that force (the cor[)S of Sumner and Franklin) was moving from Alexandria to join him. His army was therefore not less than one hundred and twenty thousand strong, exclusive of the two corps yet on their way to him, and it was in his power to hurl this command upon the single corps of Jackson. He saw the opportunity thus offered, and made his dispositions to seize it with more skill and vigor than he ever exhibited at any previous or subsequent j)eriod of the campaign, Jackson and Longstreet being yet separated, Pope's true policy was to move to his left, and seize the road leading from Thoroughfare Gap to the position held by Jackson. This would compel Longstreet to fight for his junction with Jackson, and while he was thus held at bay. Pope could fall on the great • Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 178. WHAT POPE FOUND IN IIIS REAK. 213 flanker, with tlie rest of his array, and destroy him. General pope was quick to appreciate this, and at once threw forward McDoweH's corps, follovved by that of Sigel and RcynoUls' division, towards Gainesville. Should he succeed in occupyinfr Gainesville, and there was then nothing to prevent it, he would place forty thousand of his best troops between Longstreet and j\fanassas. Reno's corps and Kearney's division of lleintzel- nian's corps, were directed to move upon Greenwich, to support McDowell, while, with Hooker's division. Pope marched direct upon jNlanassas, along the railroad. Porter's cor[)s was at Warrenton Junction. This was to be relieved by Banks' corps, which was to remain at the Junction to cover the trains, and repair the railroad. Porter, as soon as relieved, was to hasten to Gainesville. No better plan could have been selected, and this one promised the most brilliant success. McDoweH's column occupied Gainesville on the night of the 27th, and at the same time Reno and Kearney reached Green- wich. On the afternoon of the same day Hooker attacked General Ewell at Bristoe Station. His first attack was re- pulsed, but he brought up fresh troops, and pressed Ewell BO heavily that the latter, in obedience to the orders he had received from General Jackson, fell back in good order, across Broad Run, checking every attempt at pursuit, and burning the railroad bridge over the stream. That night he rejoined Gen- eral Jackson at Manassas. His stout resistance in the after- ; noon induced General Pope to believe that the battle would be renewed the next morning, and Porter's corps was diverted from , its march to Gainesville, and ordered to join Hooker at Briatoe ' Station tliat night. Jackson's situation was critical. The main body of Pope's ,j army, at least seventy thousand strong, was at Gainesville antl ii Greenwich between himself and Longstreet, and with tlie remainder Pope was advancing directly upon him. The cav 214 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. airy had been employed all day in ascertaining the movements of the enemy, and every report brought in to General Jackson informed him of an Increase of his danger. On the night of the 27th, his resolution was taken. It was necessary to retire from Manassas — but in wiiat direction ? Two courses were open to him. One was to march rapidly by way of Aldie, and, passing around Bull Run Mountain, unite his column with that of Longsti-ect. This could have been accomplislied in safety, but it would have destroyed Lee's whole [)lan of operations, for It would have relinquished Pope's commlinlcations and put an end to all hope of forcing him to a general engagement upon the ground chosen by General Lee, who wished to compel Pope to fight while deprived of his sup- plies and cut off from his reenforcements. The otiicr course was full of danger, but it promised to the great soldier who adopted it, the complete success of the whole plan ol the campaign. It was to withdraw towards Bidl Run, and occupy a position nearer to Thoroughfare Gap. It was certain that he would have to fight hard to maintain this posi- tion, but It would bring him within supporting distance of Gen- eral Longstreet, and, if the worst came to tiie worst, he could still retreat behind the mountains by ^ay of Aldie. That night the immense masses of stores taken at Manassaa, were committed to the flames, and by the lurid glare of the fire, the troops took up the march toward Bull Run. It was a great sacrifice for the hungry men to refrain from trying to carry off the food which had fallen Into their hands. But to attempt to remove more than one meal would have been to encumber themselves too heavily, and this would have re- tarded their subsequent movements, as was so terribly shown at a later period of the vrar. Therefore they applied the tor".h to the food they needed so much, and, still gay and cheerful, moved off in the darkness to meet new privations. Their patri- WHAT POPE FOUND IN HIS REAR. 215 otism was riclily rewarded. The destruction of the stt>res at Manassas was a crusliing blow to General Pope. Tiiat officer, in his re[)ort of the campaign, says : " Our men, mucli worn down by hard service and continuous Gghting for many previous days, and very short of provisions, rested on their guns. Our liorses had had no forage fir two days. 1 had telegra[)hed and written urgently for forage and rations to bo sent us ; but, on Saturday morning, before the action was resumed, I received a letter from General Franklin, written the day before, at Alexandria, stating that he had been directed by General McClellan to inform me that rations and forage for my command would be loaded into the cars and avail- able wagons as soon as I could send a cavalry escort to xVlexan- dria to bring them up. All hope of being able to maintain my position, whether victorious or not, vanished with this letter. My cavalry was utterly broken down by long and constant ser- vice in the face of the enemy, and, bad as they were, could not be spared from the front. * * I at once understood that we must, if possible, finish what we had to do that day, as night must see us beiiind Bull Run if we wished to save men and animals from starvation."* After destroying the stores, Jackson set off for his new posi- tion. In order to deceive the enemy, A. P. Hill's division, with a part of the cavalry, was sent towards Centreville. llill crossed Bull Run at Blackburn's Ford, but upon reaching Cen- treville, wheeled to the left, and, following the Warrenton road, • General Pope's Report. — I have quoted tliis to show that the loss of bis stores was a severe blow to Pope. The api)b>gy for liis defeat made in this extract is not valid. The Confederates suffered more than the Federals from loss of food, but they conquered in spite of this. Moreover, the letter of General Franklin was received the day of the great battle of the SOth, when it was impossible for supplies to reacii Pope. Fitz Lee's cavalry had been se disposed as to cut off sucii a train. Even had the train succeeded in gettin3 through, it could not have reached Pope before his defeat. 21 G LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. moved back towards Bull Run, which he recrossed at the Stone Bridge, and rejoined General Jackson, who, with the rest of the corps, had taken position on the old battle-field of July 21, 18G1, with his right at a point a little above the village of Groveton, and his left resting near Sudley Ford. His line was formed on the north side of the turnpike, and was partially protected by an excavation which had been made for a projected raili-oad. Thus Jackson had neutralized the excellent disposi- tions of General Pope, and had placed himself directly in comuitmication with General Lee, in spite of the force at Gainesville. lie had also secured a strong position, with a clear and open line of retreat, in case of disaster. This line was formed on the afternoon of the 28th of August. In the meantime, General Pope had been completely deceived by EwelFs resistance at Bristoe Station, and, as has been seen, had ordered Porter to join him tiiere. He was under the impression that Jackson intended making a stand at Manassas, and that Ewell would renew the battle at Bristoe the next morning, — the twenty-eighth. This was exactly what Gen- eral Pope wanted, and what General Jackson, who was too much of a soldier to be caught in such a trap, did not intend to permit. Pope, confident of crushing Jackson, ordered Mc- Dowell's and Reno's columns on the night of the 27th, to move from Gainesville and Greenwich on Manassas, exultantly informing General McDowell, " If you will march promptly and rajjidly at the earliest dawn, upon Manassas Junction, we shall bag the whole crowd." Early on the morning of the 28th, General Pope moved forward with the divisions of Hooker, Kearney, and Reno, and to his surprise found that Evvell had withdrawn during the liiglit. With these divisions, followed closely by Porter's (Uirps, he pushed on towards Manassas Junction, still thinking i!;:.t Jackson awaited him there. Manassas was reached at WHAT POPE FOUiND IN HIS REAU. 217 noon, and, to liis dismay, he found that Jackson had dii^ap- peared. General Pope now saw that he had coinniltled an error by withdrawing McDowell from Gainesville, by which he had left the road open for the arrival of Lee with Longstreet's 3orps, without inflicting any injury upon the Confederates. lie endeavored to regain the advant:ige he ha(J lost by this blunder, by recalling McDowell from his movement on Man- assas, and directing him to gain the Warrenton turnpike, and march ui)on Centreville, while he, with the rest of the array, hurried on towards Centreville in pursuit of A. P. Hill, whose division he supposed to be Jackson's main body. By these movements he hoped still to be able to crush Jackson before the arrival of Lee. He had lost too much time to accom[)lish much, and it was late in the afternoon bcfjre McDowell suc- ceeded in regaining the turnpike with but one division (King's) of his whole corps. The truth is Jackson had so completely mystified and de« ceived General Pope, that the latter did not know where the Confederates were.* This is conclusively proved by the man- ner in which the engagement which followed was brought on. Late in the afternoon McDowell, with King's division, ar- rived in the neighborhood of Groveton, in utter ignorance of the presence of Jackson. The approach of this force was re ported to General Jackson by General Stuart, and a part of the cavalry, under Colonel Bradley Johnson, was thrown for- ward to annoy the Federals in their advance. .Supposing that the enemy would try to break through by the turnpike, General Jackson made his dispositions to receive them, and moved hU command through the woods, leaving Grovetown on the left until he reached a commanding position near Brawner's House. • On the 29th, (the next clay) General Fitz John Porter telegraphed to Gen- eral Rurnside, " I expect they (the Confederates) know what they are doing. whitA) ig rnore than any one here, or anywhere, knows." 28 218 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. JNIcDowell, still ignorant of Jackson's pi-esence, continued his march, and unconsciously exposed his flank to the latter, who, seeing his advantage, fell upon it with Jackson's division, under General Taliaferro and Evvell's division. The Federals stood their ground well, and the engagement was severe. Towards dark the enemy were heavily roe n forced, but made no effort to advance. They held their position with "obstinate determination" until nine o'clock at night, when they slowly yielded the field to the Confederates, and, during the night, witlidrew to the neighborhood of Manassas Junction. The losses on both sides were heavy. Among the Confederate wounded were Generals Taliaferro and Ewell, the latter of whom lost a leg.* Ewell was the ablest subordinate in the whole corps, and his loss to it at this time, was a heavy bl jw. General Pope had found Jackson at last, and was also about to find the " disaster and shame" which lurked in his rear. He had commenced his movements with a display of good gen- eralship, but Jackson had baffled all his plans, and now stood confronting him in the position Pope had tried to prevent h-.m from reaching. VI. THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. Meanwhile Longstreet had been moving rapidly to join Gen- eral Jackson. On the afternoon of the 2Gth he crossed the Eapj)ahannock at Hinson's Ford, and encamped for the right near Orleans. The next night he reached \Vhite Plains his march having been retarded by certain demonstrations of the enemy's cavalry, from the direction of Warrenton, which • Jackson's Report. THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 219 seemed to menace his right. As he had no cavalry with which to ascertain the meaning of these movements, General Long- street was obliged to advance with caution. On the morning of the 28th the march was resumed towards Thoroughfare Gap, which was reached in the afternoon. This pass is a position of great natural strength, and, at tlie time of General Longstreet's arrival, was held by the division of General Rieketts, which had been lei't to guard it after tho witluhawal of JMcDowcU's column from Gainesville. D. 11, Jones' division was advanced to drive in the enemy's skirmish- ers, and force the passage of the n)ountain. The skirmishers were driven back, and the enemy were discovered holding the eastern side in heavy force. As Jones approached they opened with their artillery, sweeping the only road through the gorge and the sides of the mountain. It was impossible to use artil- lery ui)on the ground held by Jones, and General Longstieet determined to turn the enemy's position. Hood, with two hriffades, and Wilcox with three, were ordered to turn the Fed- eral light; the former, by a narrow footpath leading over the mountains to the left of the pass, and the latter, by Hopewell Gap, about three miles to the north. Before these manccuvrcs could be executed, the enemy ad- vanced and attacked Jones' left, under Brigadier-General G. T. Anderson. They were driven back with spirit, when they retired to the east side of the pass, and, just before night, re- treated, leaving the road open. Rieketts fell back to Manas- sas, and Longstreet's command bivouacked for the night, east of the mountain.* Early on the morning of the 29th the march was resumed, and the advanced division reached General Jackson's position * Reports of Generals Lee and Longstreet. 220 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. about ten o'clock, almost the entire corps being in line by lour o'clock.* On the morning of the 29th of August, General Jackson prepared once more to receive the attack of the enemy. ITis troops were formed along the cut of an unfinished railroad, his right being on the Warrenton turnpike and his left resting near Sudley Ford. His old division, under General Starke, was on the right, Ewell's division, under General Lawton, in the cen- * General Pope states that Longstreet diil not join Jackson until sunset, declaring that at five o'clock in the afternoon, General Porter, wlio was ordered to prevent the junction of Jackson and Longstreet, " had in his front no considerable body of the enemy." lie adds, in trying to siiift the odium of his defeat from himself to General Porter. " I believed then, as I am very sure now, that it was easily practicable for lii:n to have turned the right flank of Jackson, and to have fallen upon .lis rear; that if he haddjneso we should have gained a decisive victory over the army jnder Jackson before he could have been joined by any of the forces of Longstreet." This assertion is sim- ply untrue, as I shall proceed to siiow. General Longstreet states that his column resumed its march /ro?w Tlioroughfare Gap '' early on the 2dth." He adds, " The noise of battle was heard before we reached Gainesville. The iparch was quickened to the extent of our capacity. The excitement of battle seemed to give new life and strength to our jaded men, and the head of my colunm soon leached a position in rear of the enerny's left flank." D. II. Jones, who held the extreme right of Longstreet's line rtfter his junction with Jackson, says, " Early on tiie morning of the 29th, I took up the line of marcii in the direction of the old battle-ground of Manassas, whence heavy fir- ing was heard; ar-riving on the ground ahovt noon, my command was stationed on the extreme right of our wliole line." General Hood says, " Early in the day we came up witli the main body of the enemy on tlie plains of Manassas." He stJites that he was in position when the entmy made their attack upon Jackson "about four o'clock in the afternoon." These statements were made before the writers had seen General Pope's report, and without reference to it. The distance from Thoroughfare Gap to Groveton is not very great, and as the troops began the marcli early in the morning, and were pushed forward at tlicir utmost speed, it would iiave been very strange if they had not reached Jackson's ])osition before Porter arrived from Manassas Junction. I have thus established the time of Longstreet's arrival. Farther on I shall shov that it was impossible for Porter to turn Jackson's ^ight flank at any time after noon on the 29th. THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 221 tre, and A. P. Hill on the left. The men were weary and worn out with their constant marching and fighting, and with hunger. Still they were cheerful and firm. General Jackson h'inself was no longer anxious for his safety. Towards morn- iiv he had received a message from General Lee, announcing t'^c passage of Thoroughfare G;ip, and the approach of the rest of the army. The danger was over. The skill of Jackson and the heroism of his men had crowned the brilliant concep- tion of General Lee with success. Pope's next blow would have to be struck at the whole army of Northern Virginia. The engagement of the previous evening had acquainted General Pope with Jackson's position. lie seems to have been under the impression that Jackson was trying to retreat, for on the morning of the 20th he ordered General Sigel, who, with his corps and Reynolds' division was near Groveton, to attack the Confederate line, for the purpose of '^bringing JacJcwn to n stand, if it were yoHsihlc to do so." At the same time Reno'd corps and the divisions of Hooker and Kearney under Heintzel- man were ordered back from Centreville, wliither they had gone in their fruitless pursuit on tlie 28th, while Porter, with his corps, and King's division of McDowell's corps, was direc- led to march upon Gainesville. About ten o'clock in the morning General Sigel opened hia attack with his artillery — about the same time that General Longstreet's troops commenced to arrive. Jackson's batteries replied with spirit. This cannonade continued for some time after twelve o'clock, when Sigel was joined by General Pope with Reno's and Heintzelman's corps. By this time General Longstreet had arrived. He at once formed his line with Hood's division on his left. Hood was deployed on the right and left of the Warrenton turnpike, at right angles with it, and General D.- R. Jones was posted on the extreme right of the line, his division being drawn up on 222 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the Manassas Gap Railroad, and in echelon with regard to the thn^e ]a>t briixtidcs.* This was the position of the Southern army when General Po[)e reached the field. He was, however, but poorly in- formed of Jackson's position, and was in total ignorance of Longstrcet's presence, supposing that he was still on the march. The Federal line was formed as follows. Ileintzelman's corps, consisting of the divisions of Hooker and Kearney, was on the right, in front and west of the Sudley Springs road; Reno acd Sigel were in the centre, extcndiug lu ci point a short distance south of the Warrenton road ; and Reynolds' division was on the left. General Poj)e was in total ignorance of the whereabouts of Porter and McDowell and was still under the impression that he had only Jackson's corps to deal wlth.f At three o'clock Pope ordered General Hooker to attack Jackson's left. Hooker, who had a better conception of the task before him than his commander possessed, remonstrated, but General Pope repeated the command, and Hooker made his attack with his usual vigor. The Federals advanced jral- lantly in the face of a heavy fire from Hill's division, and suc- ceeded in breaking his line, and getting possession of a portion of the railroad cut, and for a short time Gregg's brigade, on the extreme left, was completely isolated from the main body of the command. The 14th South Carolina and the 49th Georgia, under General McGowan, were at once thrown for- ward to recover the lost ground. The enemy resisted stub- bornly, but were at last driven back to their main body, the opposing forces frequently delivering their fire at ten paces. Kearney's division was advanced to Hooker's support, but this was also repulsed. The enemy made assault after assault, but were driven back each time with heavy slaughter by Hill's troops. ♦ General Longstreet's Report. + Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 184. THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 225 By this time General Pope had learned tlie location of Porter's command, which was between Manassas and Gaines- ville. About half past four o'clock he ordered Porter to turn the Confederate right, and attack their rear, still thinking that Jackson's right was that of the entire Confederate line. Por- ter did not receive this order until about dusk. lie had endeavored in the morning to execute Pope's order to re-occupy Gainesville, but had found his progress barred by Longstreet'.s corps. The same obstacle now prevented him from turning Jackson's right, so that in spite of General Pope's assertion that his defeat was due to Porter's failure to perform this move- ment, the reader will see that Porter never had an opportunity of attacking Jackson before Longstreet's arrival. Conse qucntly, as Longstreet covered Porter's entire front, the latter was compelled to make his attack on Longstreet's front instead of on Jackson's flank. The result was that he was met with determination, and quickly driven back with the loss of one piece of artillery. About six o'clock, when he thought Porter was coming into action, Pope made a furious assault on Jackson's left, with the corps of Ileintzelman and Reno. The attack was made just as the troojjs on the left had fired almost all their ammunition. The movement was successful. The left of Hill was driven back on his centre, and the enemy pressed on with loud shouts. Hill's men did not give way without a severe struggle, how- ever, and when their ammunition was exhausted they fought with rocks from the railroad cut — " and it is well established that many of the enemy were kdled by having their skulls broken with fra2:ments of rock." * Early's brigade and the 8th Louisiana regiment, followed by the 13th Georgia, regained the lost ground, and drove the enemy across the railroad and back on their main line. Early's * Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 293. 224 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. pursuit was so determined that General Jackson recalled hiui lest he should bring on a general engagement, which it was desired to postpone until the next day. General Hood was now ordered by General Longstreet to advance, and attack the enemy's left, for the pur[)osc of reliev- mg the pressure upon Jackson. Before he could comply with the order, Hood was himself attacked by Porter. Hood was reenforced, and the enemy driven back with heavy loss. The Federals retreated at all points, pressed by the Confed- erates, until nine o'clock, when the foimer occupied a strong position which tliey held with a large force, and the Confeder- ates drew back to their original line. The losses on both sides were severe. Generals Field and Trimble, and Colonel Forno, commanding Hays' brigade, were severely wounded. The enemy acknowledged a loss of eight thousand men. During the night the Army of Northern Virginia bivouacked on the ground it had held during the day. Its withdrawal to this position, immediately after the close of the fight, caused General Po{)e to think that his adversary was retreating, and he telegraphed to Washington that Lee was flying to the moun- tains. He was soon undeceived, however. Had General Pope followed the dictates of prudence, he would have retreated within the lines of Washinirton at once. o He had already suffered a loss of seventeen thousand men, and the firmness of his troops was considerably shaken by their reverses, as well as by the arduous service to which they had been subjected, and hunger — though as regarded fatigue and hunger the two armies were about on an equality. In spite of this, he resolved to risk one more battle. Saturday, the 30th of August, was a clear, sunny day, and with the first ray of sunlight the two armies were in readiness. General Lee held the same position he had occupied on the previous day — his left near Sudley Ford, liis centre at Grove- THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 225 ton, and his right on the INIanassas Gap Railroad. Tlie centre was held by thirty-two pieces of artillery, under Colonel Stephen D. Lee, posted on a commanding elevation. Long- snreet's line stretched away obliquely from Jackson's, forming with it an angle of nearly forty-tive degrees, and causing the Southern line to assume almost the form of the letter V. The artillery was disposed so as to resist the sissaults of the enemy, and supj)ort the advance of the Confederates. The cavalry was posted on both flanks. The whole army was present, with the exception of 11. II. Anderson's division, which arrived during the forenoon and was held in reserve. Tlie Federal line conformed to that of General Lee — it took the shaj)e of a V reversed, or with the angle or centre thrown forward, and the wings drawn back. Keynolds' divi- sion held the left, Ileintzehnan's corps the right, and Porter, Sigel and Reno the centre. Skirmishing began early in the morning. Pope, thinking that Lee was retreating, being deceived by the withdrawal of Jackson's corps on the night of the 30th to the position it held during the 31st,. ordered McDowell to move with three corps on the Warrenton road, and " press the enemy vigorously during the whole day."* Instead of retreating, however, General Lee was calmly awaiting Pope's attack in the position he had chosen. About four o'clock the head of ^McDowell's column de- bouched from the woods in Jackson's fi-ont, near his right, and moved rapidly uj)on him. A second and a third line followed, each within sup[)orting distance of the other. As the first line emerged from the woods, it was shattered by the simultaneous discharge of the thirty-two guns in the Confederate centre, and immediately the other batteries along Jackson's line opened. ^ Under this murderous fire, the Federal lines wavered, and Campaig^is of the Army of the Potomac, p. 189. 29 226 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. finally broke. Fresh troops were thrown forward to support them, and the battle extended from Jackson's rii;ht along his centre and left. Pope brought up his forces rapidly, and u\) to this time Jackson had borne the weigiit of all their assaults. They pressed so heavily upon him, that, towards five o'clock, he sent to General Lee for rcenforcements, and General Long- street was ordered to .advance his troops to Jackson's assistance. Fortunately, at this time, a part of the Federal line came immediately within reach of General Longstreel's artillery. lie threw forwnnl two batteries, and opened a heavy fire on the Federals xVs this was being done, he received General Lee's message to go to Jackson's a>sistance, but as he was sure that the. best wny to aid Jackson was to drive back the enemy then in front of him, Longstreet made no movement with his in- fantry, but continued the fire of his batteries. In a short time this portion of the enemy was put to {light.* It was now after five o'clock, and the Federals had been so fearfully cut up in their unavailing eflTorts to force the Southern position, that, they fell back in some confusion. Seeing this, Jackson advanced his line in pursuit, and Longstreet, anticipat- ing- General Lee's order to that effect, dashed forward with his troops against the Federal centre and left. The whole Confederate army was now advancing, pressing the enemy back at every point, and threatening the Federal line of retreat over Bull Run. Abandoning nil hope of victory. General Po[)e now turned his attention to bringing off his army. At nightfall his danger was increased by the capture of the heights held by Reynolds' and Ricketts' divisions, which were carried by a resistless charge of Longstreet's corps. The last position left to the Federnls was now assailed, — the plateay on which the famous Henry House stood, the scene of the severest part of the battle of July 21, 1861. If the Confederates could ♦General Longstreet's Report. ox HILL. 227 have curried this when they fir!?t assailed it, Pope's ariny would have been destroyed, as his retreat would have heen cut off. The Federal commander promptly occupied tlie plateau with a. hciivy foice, and hurried his defeated and disheartened troops- to the rear. Towards ten o'clock at night he yielded this [)osi- tion, also, and retreated across Bull Run. The Confederate pursuit ceased at this stream. The night was intensely dark, and the fords of Bull Run were uncertain. General Lee, therefore, deemed it most prudent to suspend op- erations until the next morning. VII. OX niLL. On the mornhig of the 3 1st of August it was found that the Federal army was in position on the heights of Centreville. There Pope was joined by the corps of Franklin and Sumner, and there he remained during the day. General Lee determined to strike one more blow at him, and on Sunday morning directed General Longstreet to remain on the battle field of the previous day, to engage the attention of the enemy, while Jackson made an attempt to turn Pope's right and intercept his retreat to Washington. Jackson crossed Bull Run at Sudley Ford, and moved along Little River turnpike. A heavy rain fell during the day, and this, together with the exhaustion of the men, retarded his prog- ress. At night he bivouacked near Chantilly. The next morning he continued his march in the direction of Fairfax Court House. As soon as he was informed of this movement of Jackson. Pope fell back from Centreville towards Fairfax Court House. 2lVS LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. On tlie 1 st of Sf^^ptember he took position to resist the Confed- erate advance, his right being at Ox Hill, near Germantown, and his left at Fairfax Court House. About five o'clock in the afternoon, in the midst of a drench- m willing to undergo. During the first days, recruiting offices were opened in Frederick, but recruits came in with marvellous slowness. It was amidst these discouraging circumstances that General Lee issued the following address to the peo[)le of the State : " Headquarters Arjit of Northern Virginia, Near Fredejiicktown, Sept. 8tli, 1862. " To THE People of Maryland : "It is right that you should know the pur[)ose that has brougiit the army under my command within the limits of your State, so far as that purpose concerns yourselves. " The people of the Confederate States have long watched, with the deepest sympathy, the wrongs and outrages that have been inflicted upon the citizens of a commonwealth allied to the States of the South by the strongest social, political, and com- mercial ties. "They have seen, with profound indignation, their sister State deprived of every right, and reduced to the condition of a I conquered province. "Under the pretence of supporting the Constitution, but in violation of its most valuable provisions, your citizens have ; been arrested and imprisoned upon no charge, and contrary to all forms of law. The faithful and manly protest against this outrage, made by the venerable and illustrious Marylander, to • whom, in better days, no citizen appealed for right in vain, was treated with scorn and contempt. The government of your I chief city has been usurped by armed strangers; your Legisla- ture has been dissolved by the unlawful arrest of its members ; ; freedom of the press and of speech have been suppressek, about a mile below, on the river, commanding the town and i uttlng off the esca[)e of the garrison.* Gei.eral Jackson had expected tlmt ail the troops would reach their p Tuitions in time to enable him to storm the enemy's works on the loth, which would have enabled him to rejoin General Lee on the 14th. The divisions not being in place until it was too late to make the attack, he deferred it until the next day. The Federals held a strong position, strciigtheneil by well constructed works on Bi)livar Heights, e;itending from near the Shenandoah to the Potomac. \Vhile they held these works very little could be done by McLaws' and ^Valker, as their guns but imi)erfectly commanded this line. To remedy this, General .lackson determined to force the Federals from Uolivar Heights back into the town of Harper's Ferry. Accordingly General Hill, who held the right, was ordered to move down the left bank of the Shenandoah, turn the enemy's * General McLaws' Report. 246 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. left H:ink, and <2:ain tlie town. Ewell's division was to move alonLj t!ie tiiri)j)iko, to support IIIU, and Jackson's division was to umke a deojonstration on the Federal riglit at the same time, while the cavahy, under Major Mas^ie, were to operate between J;ickson's left and the Potomac and prevent tiie garrison from esca])inT; up the river. Daring the afternoon of the 14th, the " Stonewall brigade" attacked tiie enemy's riglit, driving in their cavalry and secur- ing an eminence to the left of D;)livar Heights, and near the Potomac, which was immediately occupied by the batteries of Poague and Carpenter. At the same time, A. P. Hiirs divi- sion moved down the Shenandoah to turn the enemy's left. "Observing an eminence crowning the extreme left" of the Federal line, " occupied by infantry, but without artillery and protected only by an abatis of fallen timber, Pender, Archer, and Drockenborough were ordered to gain the crest of that hill, while Branch and Gregg were directed to march along the river, and, during the night, to take advantage of the ravines, cutting the precipitous banks of the,river, and establish themselves on the plain to the left and rear of the enemy's works." * Ewell's division moved along the turnpike in three columns, one on the road and one on each side of it, until it reached Ilalltovvn, where it was formed in line of battle, by its connnander. Gen- eral Lawton. Continuing to advance, the division reached and occupied School House Hill, immediately in front of the Fed- eral woi'ks, where it bivouacked for the night. During the night, Colonel Crutchfield, Jackson's Chief of Artillery, crossed ten guns of Ewell's division to the opposite side of the Shen- andoah, and establi.shed them in a position from which they could enfilade the enemy's line. The remainder of the artillery belonging to this division was {)0sted on School House Hill. The investment of Harper's Ferry was now complete, and • Gen. Jackson's Report. THE CAPTURE OF HARPEIl'S FERRY. 247 *hat night Jackson signalled to Generals McLavvs and "Walker his faMJOUS message — "I have occupied and now hold the enemy's first line of intrenchinents, and, with the blessing of God, will capture the whole force early in the morning." Ay^' the day dawned, on tlie morning of the loth of Seijtcmher, Jackson's artillery opened upon the Federals. The batteiiea on School House Hill attacked the enemy in front, Poaguc's and Carpenter's guns opened froui the right, followed by the guns sent over tlie Shenandoah, in the rear of the enemy, by- Colonel Crutchfield, and finally by the batteries on Loudon and Maryland Heights. The cannonade was terrific, the most of the guns being scarcely a thousand yards from the Federal works. In about an hour the Federal guns seemed to be silenced. Immediately the batteries of Hill's division ceased firing, and the infantry moved forward to storm the works. Pender's brigade had scarcely conunenced to advance when the Federal artillery again opened, and the batteries of Pegram and Cren- shaw dashed f )rvvard and |)onred a lieavy fire i;ito the enemy. A white fla was also brought up from Fredericksburg, and united with * McClcllan's forces. f * General Lee's Report. t Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 197. 82 250 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. • On tlio /it.i nf September, as soon as it was known that Gen- eral Lee had cro.sctl uito Maryland, General McCleilan moved forward from WashiuL^ton towards Frederick City to meet him. His advance was made by five parallel roads, the Army of the Potomac being disposed so as to cover both Washington and Uahimore. The left flank rested on the Potomac, and the right on the Baltimore and Ohio Kailroad. The connnand of the light wing was given to General Burnside, General Sumner held the centre, and General Franklin the left wing. The ef- fective strength of this army was eighty-seven thousand one hundred and sixty-four men of all arms.* The emergency was so great that the work of reorganization had to be done while the troops were on the march. It was well done, and reflects the highest credit upon General McClei- lan, to wliom alone it was due. lie di8[)layed more energy than he had ever shown, and it was no slight achievement to take command of a mutinous and demoralized army, just after a cruching defeat, and in ten days be in front of the enemy with a solid and reorganized command. General McCleilan, being in utter ignorance of Lee's inten- tions, moved very slowly and with great caution. lie was cer- tain of one thing only — that General Lee would attempt to capture the garrison of Harper's Ferry, and he repeatedly urged his Govcrninent either to order its withdrawal, or place it under his command, in order that he might remove it from the danger which tln-eatened it. His requests were unheeded at first, l)ut finally the garrison was [)laced under his command. It was then too late, however, to save it, as the sequel proved. Moving on cautiously he reached Frederick on the 12th of Septcml)er, driving out the cavalry that had Ijcen left there by Gener.il Stuart to watch him. On the 13th, by a piece of ex- traordinary good fortune. General McCleilan gained possession * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 198. SOUTH MOUNTAIN. 251 of General Lee's confidential order to General D. IT. IJill, giv ing the plan of the campaign. This order had been lost near Frederick, and found by some person in tlie Fedt'jal advanced forces, when the vicinity of Frederick was occupied by them.* • The order was as follows : '* HEADQDABTBBS ARMT of NOBTHRH ViROIltIA, September », 1862. "SPECIAL ORDERS, NO. nil. "The army will resume its march to-morrow, takin? the Tlafierstown road. Genera! Jackson's command will form tlie advance, and after passing Middle- ton, with such portion as he may select, will take the route towards Sliarps- burg, cross the Potomac at the most convenient point and by Friday night take possession of the Baltimore and Ohio IJailroad, cajjlure such of the en- emy as may be at Martinsburg, and intercept such as may attempt to escape from Harper's Ferry. "General Longstreet's command will pursue the same road as far as Boons- boro. where it will halt with tlie reserve, siipp'y and baggage trains of the army. "General McLaws, with his own division and tliat of General 11. 11. Ander- son, will fiillow General Longstreet. l)n reaching Miildietart of the State — the main, or Ilagerstown road, which pa.^ses the South Mountain at Turner's Gap, near the village of Boonsboro, and another which passes the mountain at Crauipton's Gap about five or six miles farther to the south. I'licse passes are very strung, and are im[)regnable against direct attacks if properly defended. They may be turned, however, by mountain roads leading to positions commanding them, high u[)on the sides of the mountain. AVhen General McClelian learned the object of Lee's move- ments and the disposition of his forces, he determined to throw his centre and right against the pass leading to Buonsboro ; while Franklin's corps should fovcc the passage of Cramptoii's Gap, attack McLaws in the rear, drive him off, and rescue the garrison of llaiper's Ferry. General Lee was informed of the presence of the enem^ at South Mountain on the afternoon of the 13ih of September. The suddenness of the njovement surprised him, for it showed a clear conception by General McClellan of Lee's designs, and the latter was as yet ignt)rant of the fate of his order to General D. IL Hill. Seeing the danger which threatened hiu). General Lee ordered General D. II. Hill to occupy Turner's Gap, and prevent the enemy from passing througli. Up to this time nothing had been heard from Harper's Ferry, and it was still be- lieved by General Lee tliat the place would fall that day — the thirteenth. He had counted on reuniting his army after the fall of that place before MeClellan could arrive, and but for the dis- covery made by the latter at Frederick, he would have done so. It was a part of his original plan to draw the enemy from their base of supplies, and as a means of doing this, he had intended to permit MeClellan to pass South Mountain unmolested. His troops were disposed with this intention on the 13th. Now, however, it was necessary to hold the mountain passes imtll Har- per's Ferry should fall, and to keep MeClellan east of the moun- tains until the army was prepared to reunite before him. 254 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. Accordingly General D. H. Hill was informed of the danger wliicli threatened the army, and instructed to hold his ground as Ion"" as possible. General Hill at first sent back the brigades of Garland and Colquitt, but subsequently learning that (he enemy were in heavy force, moved liis whole division to the Gap. General Lee ordered General Longstreet to march at once to Hill's support. General Hill hail been informed by General Stuart that only two brigades of the enemy were threatening the pass, and that one brigade would be sutHcient to hohl it.* A personal inspec- tion, however, satisfied him that if he wished to hold it he must use his whole division, which he at once ordered up. Had the Federals, who cauje in front of the pass in heavy force on the afternoon of the 13th, attacked the [)osition at once, it must have fallen, as it was wholly at their mercy, being de- fended by less than two thousand men. The bold front assumed by Hill induced them to await the arrival of their main body. Hill's division was only five thousand strong, and much too weak to hold the position properly. It could occupy the pass itself, but could afford very little protection to the two mountain roads, — the one on the right and the other on the left of the pass, — by which it might be turned. The road on the riglit led to a sharp, jagged [)eak which commanded the whole j)0si- tion. Should the enemy seize this point, it would be impossible to hold the mountain.! About seven o'clock in tlie morning, the enemy (Reno's corps) opened a sharp artillery fire on the Southern right, having yet failed to see the impoitance of the peak on their left. Soon after the cannonade began, General Reno pushed forward a stroncr colunm throui^h the heavy woods, and endcav- ored to seize the road leading to the right of the pass, "i'he • General D. II. Hill's Report. t General D. 11. Hill's Report SOUTH MOUNTAIN. 255 nttark was met by Garland's brigade, wliich at first checked the Federal advance, but General Garland being killed, his brigade became demoralized, and waa forced back, and Reno's men, pressing on, occupied the first ridge on the side of the mounfiiin. Had they continued to press on, they couKl h;i\'e gained the road. They were, however, too much injured to pur-ue their advantage, having suifercd severely fi-oin the lire of G:u'land's men, losing their connnander. General Ileno, au abl". officer. i rcneral Ilill promptly moved up Anderson's brigade to take the place of Garland's troops. Anderson was ordered to hold the road for which the enemy were contending, and Colonel Ro?ser, with his regiment of cavalry, dismounted as sharp- shooters, and a battery of artillery, was directed to hold a moun- tain-path still farther to the right. At the same time General Ilill ordered Colquitt's brigade and two batteries to su{)port An- derson, and moved several guns to a point commanding the approaches to the peak on his left, and the right of the pass. The enemy now began to ap[)reciate the importance of the peak, and made several attempts to seize the road leatHng to it, all of which were repulsed by Hill. Kodes' brigade was or- dered by General Hill to occupy the peak. Heavy skirmishing continued between the op[)osing forces, and about three o'clock in the afternoon the advanced bi'igades of Longstreet's com- mand, under General Drayton and Colonel G. T. Anderson, arrived. They brought about one thousand nine hundred men with them. Hill's single division had held the enemy in check nearly eight hours, and he was anxious to defeat them before tliey could commence their principal attack. In the meantime the Federals collected rapidly in front of Hill's position. By two o'clock in the afternoon the entire conunand of General ]5urnside, consisting of Reno's and Hook- er's corps, fully thirty thousand strong, had arrived. The 256 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. importance of the peak on the Southern left had by this time become fully appreciated, and General Burnside now directed his eiForls against it. Hooker's corps led the assault, which was made about four o'cluck. General Hill, wishing to prevent this movement, had col- lected on his riglit the bi-igades of Ripley, Anderson, and Drayton, and thrown them upon Reno's corps. Drayton's brigade was repulsed and driven in disorder, but Anderson and Rij)icy maintained their ground, chccliing tiie efforts of the enemy to advance their line. While this was g^iug on, Hooker made a sharp attack on the Confederate left heUl by the brigade of General Rodes. The ground was very difficult, and of such a character that the enemy in advancing were almost entirely sheltered from the fire of Rodes' artillery. The infantry of this gallant brigade inflicted severe loss upon the Federals, and gallantly contested the ground inch by inch. For several hours this single brigade of twelve hundred men repulsed the inijietuous assaults of Hooker's corps, but, towards dark. Hooker, whose superior strength enabled him to extend his flanks so as almost to envel- ope Rodes' command, succeeded in forcing back the little band, and gaining the crest of the peak, the key point to Hill's whole position. Darkness now put an end to the battle. Longstreet's main colunm reached the pass about four o'clock m the afternoon, and his troops were posted on the right and left of the turnpike, about the centre of Hill's line. They soon became actively engaged, although much exhausted by their long and severe march, and succeeded in repulsing the assaults of the enemy on the centre. When the battle ended, the enemy had been repulsed in their assaults on Hill's centre, and driven back some distance on the right, but on the left they had cari-ied the peak held by Rodes' brigade, and this placed the entire Southern line at their SOUTH MOUNTAIN. 257 mercy. The position could no longer be maintained success- fully, and it was necessary for the Southern army to retire from it before the attack could be renewed by the enemy in the morning. Besides this, the necessity for holding the mountain was now at an end. General Lee had been informed by Gen- eral Jackson that Harper's Ferry would undoubtedly be cap- tured the next day. He therefore resolved to retire from South Mountain, and take position at Sharpsburg, where he would be on the flank of any force moving througli Pleasant Valley upon McLaws on Mai-yland Heights, and be able to reunite hia divided columns successfully. His position tliere would also command the fords of the Potomac, and keep open his line of retreat into Virginia in case of disaster. Accordingly the troops were withdrawn during the night towards Antietaro Creek. While the battle was going on at Turner's Gap, events of no less importance were transpiring at Crampton's Gap, about six miles to the southward. Franklin reached this position about nine or ten o'clock on the morning of the 14th, and at once made his dispositions for attack, tlirowing forward both of his divisions, Slocum's on the right and Smith's on the left. The position was held by a weak portion of McLaws' divi- sion, under General Howell Cobb. General McLaws was under the impression that the pass was threatened by a very small force of the enemy. He was confirmed in this opinion by General Stuart's assertion that he did not believe the enemy's force amounted to more than a brigade.* Stuart had been watchinof the Federal advance, and being deceived himself, had misin- formed both D. H. Hill and McLaws as to the character of the Federal movements. General Cobb's three brigades had been posted at the Gap only a few hours, when Franklin made hia •General McLaws' Report. 85 258 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. attack. He was instructed by General McLaws to hold his position " if he lost his last man in doing it." Franklin made a sharp attack, and met with a gallant resist- ance. It Avas vain for three small brigades to attempt to hold such a force in check. Yet it took three hours for Franklin to dislodge Cobb and carry the pass, which was attended with a loss of four hundred prisoners, seven hundred stand of arms and one piece of artillery on the part of the Confederates. The news that the Federals had forced Crampton's Gap, took General McLaws by surprise, and placed him in a difficult posi- tion. His retreat up Pleasant Valley was cut off, and Harper's Ferry still held out. Should he retire along the river shore at the base of Maryland Heights, Franklin would fall upon his rear, and the garrison at Harper's Ferry would almost destroy his command as it moved under their fire. To attempt to retreat eastward would be to fall into the hands of the enemy. There was nothing to do but to defend his position as well as he was able. He at once moved all his force, except one regiment whicli he left to hold Maryland Heights oj)posite Harper's Ferry, and took position in Pleasant Valley, about a mile and a half from Crampton's Gap, from which Franklin's troops were debouching into the Valley. By the time the Confederate line was formed the darkness checked the advance of the enemy. The next morning McLaws awaited Franklin's attack, but the latter, deceived by the bold front of the Confederates, pro- ceeded cautiously to select positions from which his artillery could command the Southern line. Durinij the morninii; General McLaws was informed that Harper's Ferry had surrendered, and was instructed by General Jackson to withdraw to the south side of the Potomac, and hasien to General Lee's assistance. McLaws performed the delicate task of retiring down the Valley with great skill. He cropsed over to Harper's Ferry at two o'clock that afternoon, SHARPSBURQ. 259 and at eight the next morning encamped at Halltown to rest hia men. Resuming his march on the IGth, he reached the army at Sharpsburg about sunrise on the morning of the 17th. The Confederate loss at South INlountaia was severe, being about three thousand men, half of whom were prisoners. The enemy's loss was about eighteen hundred, including General Keno. IV. SHARPSBURG. Thus, although McClellan had greatly interfered with the Southern commander's plan of campaign, the resistance offered at South Mountain had enabled General Jackson to effect the capture of Harper's Ferry. The first part of General ^NlcClel- lan's designs had been baffled, and it now remained but to try the issue of a general engagement. He moved his army through the passes abandoned by the Confederates on the night of the 14th, reaching the west side of the mountain about eiirht o'clock on the morning of the loth. During the day he fol- lowed slowly the route taken by General Lee, skirmishing with the Confederate rear-guard along the greater part of tiie way. Towards the afternoon, his command was brought to a sudden halt by the discovery that the Confederate army was in position on the west bank of Antietam Creek, a small tributary of the Potomac lying immediately in front of Sharpsburg. I have shown how, by a series of adverse circumstances, General Lee was compelled to depart from his original plan of the campaign. First the retention of Harper's Ferry by the Federals, forced him to turn aside from the couise he had marked out, and to lose much valuable time in the reduction 260 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. of the place ; then the discovery of his programme by General McClellan jjave the Union commander such an advantanje that he ouglit to have destroyed tlie Confederate army. The bold resistance made by Hill and Longstreet at South Mountain, partly atoned for all this, but when the army reached the banks of the Antietam it was absolutely necessary to make a stand, in order to collect its scattered members. With the Federal army presshig on so closely, it was absolutely impossible to avoid a battle, whether General Lee wished to recross the river into Virginia or move against Pennsylvania. In any case the first necessity was to check the advance of the Federal army. The chances of such a battle were decidedly against General Lee. Ilis command was greatly reduced in strength, and some- what disheartened by the unfavorable events of the campaign. When he reached Sharpsburg his entire army numbered less than forty thousand men — about thirty-three thousand in all. Of this force the commands of Jackson, McLaws, and Walker were absent. The Federal army was more than eighty thou- sand strong, and plentifully supplied with every necessity and most of the luxuries of a soldier, and had suffered less in every respect than that of the Confederates. The Southern army occupied the ground lying between the Potomac and Antietam — which come together, a short distance south of Sharpsburg, at an angle of about forty-five degrees — and coverini; the fords of the Potomac in the neighborhood of Shepherdstown. The troops were disposed immediately in front of Sliarpsburg, along the west bank of the Antietam. Long- street's corps held the riglit, and was posted on the right of the Boonsboro turnpike, extending soutli of the town. D. IL Hill held the centre, and was posted on the left of the Boonsboro road, immediately in front of Sharpsburg. General Jackson, who arrived during the IGth, was posted on the left, the interval between his command and that of General D. H. Hill being SHARPSBURG. 261 occupied by General Hood's division. Jackson's troops were at first held in reserve, and the country ^between the left and the Potomac was occupied by the cavalry, under General Stuart. Tiiere are three bridi^es over the Antietam in the neighbor- hood of Sharpsburg. The lowest of tlicscwasin front of Gen- eral Longstreet's position, the other almost exactly op[)osite the Confederate centre, and the third several miles higher up the stream. The Confederate force was too weak to cover this bridge, also, and General Lee concluded that McClellan would take advantage of this, and attempt to turn his left flank by crossing at this unguarded bridge. The Federal army arrived on the left bank of the Antietam early in the afternoon of the fifteenth. General Lee had dis- posed his weak command to such advantage, that General Mc- Clellan decided to wait until his army was all on the ground before trying to force a passage of the creek. During the rest of the day and night his troops arrived. He formed his line with Burnside on his left, Porter in his centre, and Hooker, and Sumner on his right — Sumner having charge of his own corps and that of General Mansfield. A reconnoisance of the Confederate position revealed to the Federal commander the unguarded bridge, and, as General Lee had foreseen, he de- termined to throw his right wing over the creek at tliis point, and turn tlie Southern left. This duty he assigned to Hooker's corps, which was to be followed and supported by Sumner's two corps. The sixteenth was spent in occupying positions along tlie creek, it being his intention to force a direct pas- sage as soon as the attack of Hooker should succeed on his right. The artillery was posted at favorable points to silence the fire of the Southern guns, and assist the movements of the infantry. These arrangements consumed the morniui^ of the : 16th. In order to divert attention from Hooker's movement, Mc- 262 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Clcllan o[)enccl his artillery along his left and centre. This was ret^pondcd to by the batteries of D. II. Hill's divisions. The Federal batteries were superior in every respect to those of the Conlcderates, and the latter were soon silenced. Hooker commenced his march about four o'clock in the af- ternoon, and crossed the Antietam at the bridge I have men- tioned, out of range of the Southern artillery. In order to guard against this movement, General Lee had placed the two brigades under General Ilood on his left. Hood's line extended across this tiank, and formed almost an acute angle with the po- sition held bv the rest of the army. Hooker attacked him about dusk, and Hood held his ground in a brisk skirmish which en- sued. Both commands [)assed the night on this part of the field, within musket shot of each other. During the night General 2\lcClellan threw Mansfield's corps across the Creek to Hooker's assistance, and ordered Sunmer to follow with his own cori)S early in the morning. Hooker's attack revealed the design of the Federal com- mander, and General Lee ordered Jackson's corps, which had been held in reserve, to take position on Hood's left. This was pron^ptly done. Jackwon's right rested on the Hagerstown road, and his left extended toward the Potomac, protected by General Stuart with the cavalry and horse artillery.* At the same time Walker's two brigades were moved up on Long- sti-eet's right, and towards ten o'clock Hood's troops were re- lieved by Lawton's and Trimble's brigades of Ewell's division. The morning of the 17th of September was ushered in by a heavy cannonade from the Federal batteries on both sides of the Antietam. The position of those on the left bank enabled them to enfilade Jackson's line, and his troops suffered greatly from it. Under the cover of this fire, Hooker advanced his corps, ♦General Lee's Report. SHARPSBURG. 263 eio"hteen thousand strong, and made a vigorous effort to get possession of the Ilagerstown road, and the woods to the west of it. To meet this attack Jackson had but two divisions, hia own, under General J. R. Jones, and Ewcll's, under Lawton ; and his total strength Avas four thousand men, so greatly had the command been reduced by losses and straggling. Tlie Federal onset was well made, and a murderous fire of shell, canister, and musketry poured into Jackson's weak line. General J. R. Jones was disabled, and borne from the field, and the command of Jackson's division passed to the gallant General Starke. In the face of this fire, Jackson advanced his lines, driving the enemy back on tlicir left and centre, assisted by three brigades on D. II. Hill's extreme left, while Hooker's right division was repulsed by the splendid fire of Stuart's horse artillery, posted between Jackson's left and the Potomac. Yet so well sustained was the enemy's attack, that at length Jack- son's lines began to waver, and his troops commenced to give ground. The corps had suffered horribly. Jackson's division had lost two commanders, (General Jones wounded, and Gen- eral Starke killed,) and General Lawton, commanding Ewell'is division, had been borne from the field desperately wounded, " Colonel Douglass, commanding Lawton's brigade had been killed, and the brigade had sustained a loss of three hundred and fifty-four killed and wounded, out of one thousand one hundred and fifty, losing five regimental commanders out of six. Hayes' brigade had sustained a loss of three hundred and twenty-three out of five hundred and fifty, including every reg- imental commander and all of his staff; and Colonel A\'a!ker and one of his staff had been disabled, and the brigade he was commanding had sustained a loss of two hundred and twenty- eight out of less than seven hundred present, including three out of four refjimental commanders."* ♦ General Jackson's Report. 2G4 LIFE OF GENE UAL LEE. Yet, in spite of these losses, the heroic men made one more desperate effort, and drove Hooker's command with such fury tliat it bcirfin to show sisrns of demoralization. Hood's two brigades had been advanced to tlie relief of Lavvton and Trim- ble, and bore their part nobly in this charge. The Confeder- ates bought this success at a dear price, for they suffered se- verely in tlieir advance. Yet so vigorous was their assault that Hooker's men com- menced to break to the rear. General Hooker himself was wounded and carried from the field, his absence contributing]: greatly to the disorder of his men. Mansfield's corps had come up about seven o'clock, and Iiad shared the fate of Hook- er's corps in this advance, and General Mansfield had been mortally wounded. It was nine o'clock, and victory seemed about to declare in favor of the Confederates. Hooker's and jNIansfield's corps had been driven back by Jackson's divisions and Hood's two brig- ades, — a force of not less than thirty thousand repulsed by less than six thousand, — and both of tiie Federal commanders had been carried from the field. The effort to turn Lee's left had signally failed, and the Federal right seemed on the point of becoming demoralized.. At this moment General Sumner ar- rived with his corps, and restored order in the Federal lanks. He at once formed ])is line and renewed the effort to turn the Confederate left, extending his attack also, to the Southern centre under D. H. Hill. Jackson's command had been so greatly shattered by the hard fighting of the morning, that it was in no condition to oppose the advance of Sumner, and it was swe[)t back with ease by the Federals. Its ammunition was exhausted, and it fell back rapidly, and in some disorder. Now it seemed that it was the Confederates who were about to be defeated, for should Sumner succeed in his attack, Lee's left flank would be turned, RHARPSBURG. 265 aud lie would be cut off from the Potomac. The gallant staml made by Jackson's corps before it began to retreat allowed General Lee time for an important movement. Being apprised of General Jackson's critical condition, he detached Walker's two brigades from Longstreet's right, and sent them to Jackson. At the same time the division of Gen- eral ]\lcLaws, which was just coming upon the battle-field from Harper's Ferry, was directed to hasten to the left. These troops arrived just as Jackson's men had been driven beyond their original position, and when it seemed that Sumner was about to double up the Confederate left on its centre. Hastily reforming his line, and bringing his reeenforcements into action, General Jackson fell upon Sumner with fury, and penetrating an interval between his right and centre, broke his line and drove him through the woods, across the Hagerstown road, and back to a point half a mile from where the charge began, regaining possession of his original position. Jackson's corps had suffered too much, and his rcenforcements were too limited to permit him to follow up his advantage by an effort to force Sumner back over the Antietam, and he contented him- self with holdini; the ground he had resfaincd. It was now noon. The attempt to turn Lee's left had foiled. Jackson with less than twelve thousand men (including his re- enforcements) had met and driven back the forty thousand splendid infantry of Hooker, Sumner and Mansfield. In the last attack General Sumner had been so severely punished that he made no further effort during the day to resume the offen- sive. As the fighting ceaaed on the Southern left, it was taken up in the centre against which the divisions of French and liich- ardson had been ordered by General Sumner, who hoped thus to lighten the pressure with which Jackson was bearing down a upon him. The first attack of these troops was made upon the 34 266 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. brigades of Colquitt, Hlpley and McRea, of D. H. Hill's divi- sion, which had been advanced to Jackson's assistance. The enemy at first were driven back, but as they brought up fresh troops and continued to pour a heavy fire into Hill's line, some one raised the cry " They are flanking us." This cry ran along the Confederate ranks with lightning rapidity, the troops were panic stricken, and they fell back in disorder.* An eflfort was made to rally them at an old sunken road, running nearly at rifht angles to the ILin-erstown turnpike, which had been their position previous to the advance. Here a stand was made, and these brigades were united with the rest of Hill's division. The enemy attempted to dislodge them from this, position also, but the Confederates met this assault with such a stubborn resistance that the Federals retired behind the crest of a hill from which they maintained an irregular fire.f (ieneral II. H. Anderson's division, between three and four thousand strong, now arrived and reported to General Hill. General Hill directed him to form in the rear of his line, but while this order was being executed an unexpected disaster befell this part of General Lee's army. An officer of General Rodes* brigade, during the temporary absence of General Rodes in another part of the field, mistook one of General Hill's orders as a command to fall back, and informed the commander of the 5th Alabama regiment that the order was intended for the whole brigade, and the other regimental commanders were immediately told this. J The brigade fell back, leaving a wide interval through which the enemy, who had been quick to per- ceive it, poured in heavy masses. G. B. Anderson's brigade, and then Wright's brigade, was broken, and driven back in disorder, General Anderson himself being wounded. Major- General R. H. Anderson and General Wright were also se- verely wounded. ♦ General D. H. Hill's Report. f General Lee's Report. X General D. H. Hill's Report. SHARPSBURO. 267 The blow was so sudden and unexpected that it found Gen- eral mil trying to assist one of his wounded aides to a place of safety, secure in the belief that his line was in no danger. Prompt to act, however, he brought up a battery of four guns, and rallying a few hundred infantry, led them in person to the charge. This little force drove back the enemy and secured a position for the artillery, but the Federals still continued tc make determined efforts to pierce Lee's centre. For half an hour the f]i>ht raged with great violence. The fire of the artil- lery was admirable, and caused great suffering in the Federal ranks.* " Time and again," says a writer who was present, " did the Federals perseveringly press close up to our ranks, so near indeed that their supporting batteries were obliged to cease firing lest they should kill their own men; but just as often were they driven back by the combined elements of destruction which we brought to bear upon them. It was an hour when every man was wanted. The sharpshooters of the enemy were picking off our principal officers continually, and espec- ially those who made themselves conspicuous in the batteries. " In this manner the company of Captain Miller, of the Washington Artillery, was nearly disabled, only two out of [ his four guns being fully manned. As it occupied a position . directly under the eye of General Longstreet, and he saw the - valuable part it was performing in defending the centre, that J oflScer dismounted himself from his horse, and assisted by his , Adjutant-General Major Sorrel, Major Fairfax, and General ^ Drayton, worked one of the guns until the crisis was passed. f To see a general oflficer wielding the destinies of a great figiit, I; with its care and responsibilities upon his* shoulders, perform- j ing the duty of a common soldier, in the thickest of the con- flict, is a picture worthy of the pencil of an artist. "f * Reports of Generals Lee and D. II. Hill, t Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 335. 268 LITE or GENERAL LEE. The enemy again moved forward. General Hill had been able to collect but a few hundred men belonging to his scat- tered brigades, and with these under his immediate command, — the 27th North Carolina holding its ground bravely without a siiiTle cartridge * — he re[)ulsed the Federal attack, and, aided by the artillery I have referred to, checked the progress of the enemy, and assumed so bold a front that the Federals with- drew. Had they pressed on there can be little doubt that the centre of the Confederate line would have been carried. They ventured upon another attack a little later, farther to the right, but this was quickly repulsed by Miller's battery, supported by a part of 11. II. Anderson's division. While the fight in the centre was going on, General Lee or- dered General Jackson to endeavor to turn the enemy's right, and force it back across the Antictam. General Jackson at once moved off, but upon approaching the position held by Sumner, found that his line extended almost to the Potomac, and was powerfully defended by artillery, leaving no room be- tween the river, which, in that direction makes a remarkable bend, and the left of the Federal line for a turning movement, 6o that any attack would of necessity have to be made in front. General Jackson, in consideration of this and of the weakness of his force, concluded to refrain from any hostile demonstra- tion. It was well that he did not attack, for Sumner had been recnforced by Franklin's cor[)s. General Franklin was anxious to advance, but was kept inactive by General Sumner who did not desire to encounter Jackson again that day. The attack upon the centre ceased about two o'clock, and from this time there was a lull in the operations, broken only by " artillery duels'' of the armies. General McClellan had massed a column of fifteen thousand men, under General Burnside, on his left, in front of the lower * General Lee's Report SHARPSBURG. 269 6tone bridge, and opposite the position of General Longstreet. "With this corps (the 9th) ]\IcClellan designed forcing the pas- sage of the Stone Bridge, and assaidting the Confederate right as soon as the attack on Lee's left sliould be successfully devel- oped. After carrying the bridge. General Burnside was to drive the Confederates from the heights in the vicinity of Siiarpsburg, and take posset^sion of the turnpike. This would cut Lee off from Shepherdstown, and wouhl put him to great loss, if it did not ruin him. It was designed that General Burnside should make his attack early in the morning. When it was found that the Confederate resistance on his left waa more stubborn than had been anticipated. General Burnside was ordered, by General IMcClelhm, to attack and carry the bridge, and move upon Sharpsburg at once, as the surest means of as- sisting Hooker. During the day General Burnside made sev- eral attempts to pass the bridge, but was each time foiled by the Confederates. The necessities of the left wing had forced General Lee, early in the day, to send to General Jackson the commands of Ilood, Walker, and McLaws, leaving to General Longstreet the single division of General D. R. Jones. This command numbered barely twenty-five hundred men, and was the only force that could be spared to defend the right against the powerful corps of General Burnside. The force immediately in front of the bridge, and charged with its defence, was the brigade of G'in- eral Toombs, four hundred strong.* Yet this handful was suf- ficient to hold General Burnside in check during the greater portion of the day. About four o'clock, however, Burnside, who had been con- stantly receiving orders from McClellan to move forward, made a rush for the bridge and drove back Toombs' brigade, almost running over it. Pressing on, he reached the crest held by • Report of General D. R. Jones. 270 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. General Jones' main column. A brief but stubborn resistance was maJe by Jones' troops, but they were beaten back, and Burnside seemed about to seize the victory even at this late hour. Just at this time A. P. Hill arrived from Harper's Ferry witli his division, having been on the march since half past seven in the morning, lleporting to General Lee in person, he was ordered to move to General Jones' assistance. His di- vit^ion was only two thousand strong.* As he reached the riiiht wins Jones was retirinir, havinfj been forced to leave a battery of four guns in the hands of the enemy. Hill promptly united the retreating division with his own, — in all less than five thousand men, — and then, hurling them with resistless energy upon the victorious enemy, drove Burnside's corps rap- idly before him, recapturing the battery and the ground that had been lost, and forcing the enemy to take refuge under the ridge bordering the Antietam, where they were protected by their batteries on the other side of the creek. Thus ended this great battle, and at sunset the Confederates remained upon the ground they had occupied in the morning, having repulsed every effort made to dislodge them. They suf- fered a loss in killed and wounded of about eight thousand seven hundred and ninet)' men, including Generals Starke and Branch killed. General G. B. Anderson, mortally wounded, and Generals R. H. Anderson, Ripley, Lawton, Wright, and Armistead wounded. The Federal loss was twelve thousand four hundred and sixty-nine, including General Mansfield mor- tally wounded, and Generals Hooker, Hartsuff, Duryee, Rich- ardson, Scdgewick, French, Sumner, Dana, Meagher, Rick- etts, Weber, and Rodman wounded. It was almost dark when Burnside was repulsed. The ene- my expecting that Lee would try to follow up his success by • General A. P. Hill's Report. THE RETREAT ACROSS THE POTOMAC. 271 crossing the creek, massed their artillery on the heights com- manding the bridges. General Lee had no intention of push- ing on so far. He had foiled them in all their efforts, and this was a great triumph with so small an army as he had. During the night, some slight reenforcements were received by the Confederate army, consisting chiefly of soldiers, who had been sick or wounded earlier in the year, and were now rejoin- ing their regiments, and of stragglers who were constantly com- ing in, but these fell far short of making up the losses in battle. On the morning of the 18th, General McClellan had before him the alternatives of renewing the attack at once or deferring it until the next day, when he expected reenforcements, then on their way from Washington, lie decided to adopt the latter, although there was considerable probability that General Lee would retire into Virginia before the morning of the 19th. During the 18th the Confederate army occupied the position held on the previous day, except in the centre, where the line was drawn in about two hundred yards. Although not strong enough to assume the offensive. General Lee regarded his abil- ity to repel another attack as certain, and held his lines during the day without apprehension.* V. THE RETREAT ACROSS THE POTOMAC. 'i The battle of Sharpsburg was not a victory for General Mc- Clellan. He had attacked an army scarcely more than one- 1 third as strong as his own, and had been repulsed with a loss ^ne-third greater than that experienced by his antagonist. So * General Lee's Report. 272 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. severely liiid his army suffered from the handling it had received, that it is certain it would have been driven back east ot* the mountains had the thirty thousand stragglers of Lee's army been present on the 17th of September. It is true that the invasion of Maryland came to a close with this engagement, but not, as has been asserted, in consequence of it. The delay caused by the retention of Harper's Ferry by the enemy, and above all the terrible losses sustained by the Southern army through the straggling of tlie men, had so com{)letely disar- ranged General Lee's programme as to make a successful cam- paign in Maryland no longer [)ossible. The campaign was in reality decided before the battle was fought, and the action was awaited by General Lee sim[)Iy to put an end to McClellan's pursuit and secure the reunion of the army. On the night of the 18th it was decided by General Lee to retire into Virginia at once. He had nothing to gain by wait- ing in his present position, and he was only increasing his dan- ger by continuing in Maryland. It was known to him that General McCiellan was receiving reeenforcements. He could not hope for any addition to his army, and his communications with the south bank of the Potomac were maintained by a sin- gle road, which was in such a condition that it was almost im- possible to supply the troops with food and ammunition. By retiring into Virginia he could recruit his forces by collecting the stragglers from his army. The sick and wounded of the Peninsular campaign were now beginning to return to their reg- iments fresh and ready for active service, and the Government was collecting reenforcements for the army, all of whom could join it more readily in Virginia than in Maryland. The wants of the men in clothing, shoes and provisions could be better supplied south of the Potomac than north of it. On the night of the 18th, General Longstreet, whose posi- tion was only a few miles north of the Potomac, withdrew qui- THE RETREAT ACROSS THE POTOMAC. 273 etlv, and recrossed the river near Sheplierdstown. He was fol- lowed by the rest of the army, the cavalry bringing up the rear, and by eleven o'clock on the morning of the 19th the army was in position on the Virginia shore, ready to receive the enemy should they attempt to pursue. Everything of value was brought off. The New York Tribune well expressed the feel- ing of disappointment which pervaded the North when the mas- terly withdrawal of the Southern commander became known. " He leaves us," it said, " the debris of his late camps, two disabled pieces of artillery, a few hundred of his stragglers, perhaps two thousand of his wounded, and as many more of hia unburicd dead. Not a sound field-piece, caisson, ambulance, or wagon : not a tent, box of stores, or a pound of ammuni-- tion. He takes with him the supplies gathered in Maryland, and the rich spoils of Harper's Ferry." When he discovered the withdrawal of General Lee, on the morning of the 19th, General McClellan pushed forward Por- ter's corps, which had been held in reserve during the battle of the 17th, and moved towards the Potomac in pursuit of General Lee. Porter reached the north bank just after the Confed- erates had crossed the river. General Pendleton was left to guard the ford with the reserve artillery and about six hundred infantry. During the night Porter crossed a strong column, and, driving off the infantry, captured four of Pendleton's guns. General Porter then estab- lished a considerable force on the soutl^ bank, under the fire of his artillery on the Maryland shore. The army had withdrawn from the river before this occurred, but as soon as he was informed of Pendleton's misfortune. Gen- eral Lee ordered General A. P. Hill to return with his division, and drive Porter over the river. On the morning of the 20th Hill moved back, and approaching the enemy's position, under a heavy fire from their batteries in Maryland, drove them into 35 274 LITE OF GENERAL LEE. tlie Potomac,* where an appalling scene of destruction of Luman life followed. Two hundred prisoners were taken. " The broad surface of tlie Potomac was blue with the floating bodies if the Federals. But few escaped to tell the t.ile. By their own account, they lost three thousand men, killed and drowned, from one brigade alone." f Hill's loss was two hun- dred and sixty-one. General McClellan attempted no further pursuit. lie was as much in need of rest for his army as was Lee, and he was glad to remain north of the Potomac, while the Confederate army withdrew to the vicinity of Winchester. Tiie army greatly needed rest. Since the 25th of June it •had marched over three hundred miles on half rations, in rags and barefooted. It had met and defeated three powerful armies in twelve battles and numerous skirmishes, inflicting upon the enemy a K)ss of nearly seventy-six thousand men, of which number nearly thirty thousand were [)risoners, capturing one hundred and tifty-flve pieces of artillery, nearly seventy thou- sand stand of small arms, and capturing and destroying storea of various kinds to the amount of millions of dollars. AVhile the troops were lying around Winchester, General Lee issued the following order, reviewing the events of the campaign : — "Headquarters Armt Northern Virginia, October 2, I8(i2. "GENERAL ORDER, No. UG. *'In reviewing the achievements of the army during the jn'csent campaign, the Commanding General cannot withhold the expression of his admiration of the indomitable courage it has displayed in battle, and its cheerful endurance of privation and hardship on the march. ♦ General Jackson's Report. f General A. P. Hill's Report. THE RETREAT ACROSS THE POTOMAC. 275 "Sin'c your great victories around Riclunond, you have dcft'iitod the enemy at Cedar Mountain, expelled him from the Kaiipahannock, and, after a conflict of three days, utterly repulsed him on the Plains of Manassas, and forced him to take shelter wuthin the fortifications around iiis Capital. ■"Without halting for repose, you crossed the Potoin;u, stormed the heights of IIarj)er's Ferry, made prisoners of mure than eleven thousand men, and ca{)tured upwards of seventy pieces of artillerj', all their small arms, and other nmnltions of war. " While one corps of the army was thus engaged, the other insured its success by arresting, at Boonsboro, the combined armies of the enemy, advancing under their favorite General to the relief of their beleaguered comrades. "On the field of Sharpsburg, with less than one third his nimi!)ers, you resisted, from daylight until dark, the whole army of the enemy, and repulsed every attack along his entire front, of more tiian four miles in extent. " The whole of the following day you stood prepared to resume the conflict on the same ground, and retired next morn- ing, without molestation, across the Potomac. " Two attempts, subserpiently made by the enemy, to fillow you Mcross the riverl have resulted in ids' complete discomfiture, each being driven back with loss. " Achievements such as these demanded nujch valor and patriotism. History records few exam[)les of greater fortitude and eridiu-ance than this army has exhibited ; ami I am com- missioned by the President to thank you in the name of the Ciiufederate States for the undvlnij: fame you have won for their arms. " Much as you have done, much more remains to be accom- ph>licd. The enemy again threatens us with invasion, and to your tried valor and patriotism the country looks with confi- 27 G LIFE or GENERAL LEE. dence for deliverance and safety. Your past exploits give assurance that this confidence is not misplaced. R. E. Lee, General Commanding." VI. A SEASON OF REST. After reaching the vicinity of Winchester, General Lee's first care was to urge upon the Government the necessity of supply- ing his troops with shoes and clothing. These wants were sup- plied only in part. The Quartermaster-General's Department seemed to be very indignant that the troops should want either shoes or clothing. It could not bring itself to act with the energy the case demanded, and the citizens of Richmond and Petersburg, indignant at the delay of the Government, sent a large quantity of shoes to the army, while the Quartermaster- General was considering whether the army regulations allowed a soldier to wear new shoes. The stragglers were collected and brought back to the army. They were scattered all through the country between Shepherds- town and Manassas, and having had the d,d vantage of a long rest, were in good condition when they reached Winchester. The work of preparing the command for a new campaign went on rapidly, and in the course of a fortnight the army was in- creased by the arrival of about thirty thousand fresh troops. The country was admirably adapted for restoring the worn-out men to vigor and health again. "The bracing mountain breeze, the beautiful skies, the liberty to engage in every species of fun and frolic, within the limits of military discipline, seemed to pour new life-blood into the frames of the men, ex- hausted and worn down by the immense marches they had A SEASON OF REST. 277 made, and the toils, privations, hardships, and excitements which tliey had undergone." The holiday life, as it were, of the men is well described in the following letter written by one of Jackson's corps at the time : " The campaign having apparently ended, there are no « moving accidents by flood or field ' of interest, and therefore nothing left to record but the daily routine of camp life ; this shall be true to history, however, to let the old folks at home know how we live ' sure enough ' while here. * * * Qm. camps not being regulated by military rule, for want of material in tents, etc. , are left to illustrate the variegated, architectural, and domestic tastes of the thousand different individuals con- cerned. Hence, although a wall tent or Sibley, graces an occasional locality, the most of the men ensconce themselves in bush-built shelters of various shapes, in fence corners, under gum blankets, eked out by cedar boughs, or burrow semi- eubterraneously like Esquimaux. If, as is said, the several styles of architecture took their origin from natural circum- stances, and climate, etc., as the curving Oriental roofs from the long reeds originally in use — the slanting Egyptians from the necessity of baking their unburnt bricks in the hot sun — the Corinthian from its own flowery clime, etc., etc., — an architectural genius might find enough oriii-inal desiirns in this camp to supply a century to come. " The only ' useful occupation' of this brigade for some time past has been to destroy all the railroads in reach ; apparently, too, for no better reason than the fellow had for killing the splendid anaconda in the Museum, because it was his ' rule to kill snakes wherever found.' « * * "It is when idle in camp that the soldier is a great institu- tion, yet one that must be seen to be appreciated. Pen cannot fully paint the air of cheerful content, care-hilarity, irrespon- 278 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. silile lniin;:in'j)S, and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, ap- point officers to the command thereof." The act was ])ut into operation immediately throughout tlie South. The Army of Nortiiern Virginia was divided into two corpus, and the com- mand of the first assigned to Maj )r-Gencral Longstreet and that of tlie second to iMajor-General .Jackson. Longst''eet's corps consisted of the divisions of McLaws, Hood, Pickett, and Walker; Jackson's of the divisions of A. P. Hill, Evv:lJ, and Jackson's old division, under General Taliaferro. The com- mand of the reserve was assigned to General D. II. IIill. the cavalry continued under (jeneral Stuart, and tlie artillery under f General Pendleton. This army numbered about fifty-five or h sixty thousand men towards the last of October. ■ The armies of the South now began to suffer from one of the conserpiences of their lack of discipline. Desertions became f. friohtfully common. The losses of the Army of Northern Vir- , gliiia necessarily occasioned the absence of many sick and I wounded. The majority of these were sent to RichuKMid, ' Petersburg and Lynchl)urg, and the hospital facilities of the *! South were so limited that it became necessary to allow ni.my of the patients to go to their homes during their convalescence. 280 . LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. and the most of those who remained in the hospitals until well enough to move about were allowed brief furloughs at the end of that time, in order that they might recuperate more speedily than was possible in the hospitals. Many, alas, too many, of these men fiiiled to return to the service at the expi- ration of their leaves of absence, and others, with a strange idea that they were serving the country, refused to return to their proper commands, but enlisted in other regiments. Meas- ures were set on foot to check the evil, but, through the weak- ness of the Government, failed to accomplish anything. Congress also passed a law for the removal of incompetent officers from the army, wliich was approved by the President October 13, 1862. Had this measure been faithfully executed, it would have resulted in the greatest benefit to the Confed- eracy, but Mr. Davis, from the first, in effect, set himself a""ainst it. No officer, however incompetent, who chanced to be a friend of the President, was in any danger of suffering by this law, for Mr. Davis, throughout the whole struggle, con- stituted himself the especial protector of incompetent and unpopular officers and commanders.* The army was not only called upon to bear privations and hardships, but it was for months together kept from receiving the miserable pittance of Confederate money allowed it. The law of Congress required that tlie troops should be paid in such a manner that the arrears should at no time exceed two months. The organization of the Confederate army gave a paymaster to each regiment by requiring the duties of that position to be dis- charged by the regimental quartermasters. These officers con- fined their depredations and speculations to the stores and property belonging to their department, and satisfied their con- sciences by a rigid discharge of their duties as paymasters, so * Witness his course with reference to Pemberton, Northrop,Hindman, Sed- doc, and others. A SEASON OF EEST. 281 that they were not responsible for the failure of the troops to receive the money clue them. The fault was with the Treasury Department, which, to the great injury of the South, was in charge of Secretary Memminger. He failed to provide the funds, although the army was suffering for them. He had been assigned a task far beyond his capacity, and the army and people had to pay the penalty of his blunders. Even when the payments were made, the money w^as so worthless that a month's pay would not buy a pair of shoes. The Government was frequently urged to make the treasury notes a legal tender, and among those who advocated the measure was General Lee, who, in a letter written about the 20th of October, 1862, called the attention of the President to its propriety and neces- sity, and quoted the example of Washington during the Revo- lution in support of his views.* The facilities for caring for the sick and wounded of the army were very limited, but the incompetency of many mem- bers of the medical department, and the inexcusable careless- ness of too many of the persons connected with it, occasioned great suffering to the patients. This was especially the case while the army was at AVinchester. The injured men had to be conveyed from that place to Staunton, a distance of ninety miles, in ambulances, — always a pahiful way of travelling, — and along the whole route no accommodations were made for their comfort, though it was a two days' journey for them. Upon reaching Staunton they were crowded into box cars, for fear they would injure the passenger coaches, and, as a general rule, with nothing to support them against the jolting and shaking of the cars but the hard, plank floor. The surgeons and i\ attendants were generally assigned a separate car, — a comfort- f able coach with softly-cushioned seats, — and they rarely saw I ♦ Diary of a Rebel "War Clerk. Vol. I. See entry under the date of Oe- tobsr 22, 18C2. 282 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. their |»:ilicnts duriiirr the journey. The writer of these pages witnessed much of this during the war, and knew of many well- nut hcnticiited instances of terrible suffering endured by the wounded during their journeys in the box-cars. Sonietiincs these jniu'nevs woidd occupy ten or twelve hours, during which time tlie men were not given any food, or one drop of water to quencli their burning tliirst. Their sufferings were intense, and couunonly aggravated l)y the heat of the close cars. Still the ]\ledical Department of the Government could not find the means to remedy this evil, and the Government itself could not, amidst all its violations of the Constitution and the rights of the people, find it m its heart to require the railroad coiujtanies to allow the wounded to use the passenger coaches, which would have spared the poor fellows many hours of untold agony.* The Confederate Government, alarmed by the movements of the Federals, and the energetic preparations being made by them Cor the fall campaign, urged General Lee to fall back from the Valley. This, however, was not in accordance with the views of the Confederate couunander. In a letter to the Gov- ernment, he stated that he was strong enough to resist McClel- lan's advance, should he move down the Valley, and that in his present position he was subsisting his army on what would sujiply the enemy shoidd he retreat, as his own means of trans- portation were too limited to permit him to carry away nmch of it, and instead of thinkins; of retreatins:, he uri>:ed that the Confederate cavalry in the neighborhood of Manassas and Cul]>cpper should be more active and daring. As a ujeans of increasing his own army, and working upon the fears of the Federal Government, so as to induce them, to draw off troops from jMcClellau's army, or delay his advance * Tlie reader will find statenripnts of these abuses in the Richmond Exam- iner Uit October 18, 18U2, and the Richmond Dispatch for October 17 aud 20, 1862. A SEASON OF REST. 283 into Virginia, General Lee ordered General Loring, who was operating in. Western Virginia, with ahout eight thou-^and men, to march towards the Ohio, menace ^V heeling, and then ji>in the Army of Northern Virginia on the Upper Potomac by way of" the Monongehela. General Loring, who, throughout the war seemed to have a supreme disregard for the orders of his 1 6upcri(>rs, refused to obey General Lee's instructions, and tlie plan fell to the ground. General Loring was removed from • his command, but the Government dociiiied to aUow General I Lee to reenforce his aru)y with the troops from Western Vir- ginia. So deeply wedded to its policy of dispersion was the Southern I Administration, that, when, towards the las^t of October, tlie en- emy made their ap[)earance on the south side of the J;imcs, the ; Government, instead of withdrawing trooj)S from unimportant 1^ points to meet this demonstration, absolutely requesteil General |: Lee to detach a part of his army for service south of the James. )! This, too, when McClellan was threatening an immediate ad- ■ vance into Virginia. General Lee very properly declined to I; comply with the request, stating that if any of his troops were j taken from him he would not have enough left to meet Mc- [. Clellan. The period of rest was rapidly drawing tj a close, and the array was again about to be called upon to meet its old an- i; tagonist. 284 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. YI. THE FUEDERICKSBDRG CAMPAIGllf. October — December, 1862. McCLELLAN ADVANCES. "When the Army of Northern Virginia retired to the vicinity of \yinchester, General tlackson's corps was assigned the task of destroying the Bahimore and Ohio Railroad. This impor- tant road was the principal line of communication between the east and west, and had been used to great advantage by the enemy. General Lee now determined to damage it to such an extent that it would require a long time for the Federals to re- pair it. During the month of October that portion of the rail- road extending from Sir John's Run to within a few miles of Harper's Ferry, a distance of forty miles, was completely de- stroyed, — the rails and sleepers removed, twisted, and burned, and the bridges and culverts blown np. After the withdrawal of Lee's army. General McClellan oc- cupied the north bank of the Potomac, from a point opposite Sheplierdstown to Harper's Ferry. Two corps, under General Sumner, occupied Harper's Ferry and the surrounding heights, and ponton-bridges were thrown across the Potomac and Slien- andoah at their confluence. General McClellan passed the MCCLELLAN ADVAJfCES. 28o time occupied by Lee in reorganizing and refitting his army, in a similar manner, and with ten times more advantages in the way of supplies of all kinds. He applied all his energies to the task of preparing his command for another grand campaign against the Southern Capital. During this time very little of importance occurred. On the 1st of October a strong column of cavalry, under General Pleasanton, crossed the Potomac at Shepherd.t.own, for the purpose of reconnoitering General Lee's position. The small Confederate force at Martinsburg was driven off, and the enemy pressed on through the town, when their Jldvance was checked by General Stuart, who arrived on the ground and took command in person. Though the horses were nearly ex- hausted, Stuart made a gallant attack, and at nightfall forced General Pleasanton to recross the Potomac* •The Federals reported this affair as a victory. General Lee's dispatch shows the true state of the case. It is as follows : — " Ueaikiuartebs Armt op Northern Virginia, Camp on Washington's Hun, Oct. 2, 1862 "OereeaL 8. Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-Otneral, O. S. A., BicTimond, Va. "General: — The enemy's cavalry, under General Pleasanton, with six pieces of artillery, drove back our pickets yesterday, in front of Shepherds- j' town. The 9th Virginia cavalry, which was on picket, repulsed the enemy |t several times, by vigorous charges, disputing the ground step by step, back to the main body. By the time his artillery reached him. Colonel W. H. F. f Lee, who was in command of the brigade, was obliged to place it on the west I bank of the Opequon, on the flank of the enemy as he approached Martins- burg. 1 "General Hampton's brigade retired through Martinsburg, on the Tusca- r rora road, when General Stuart arrived and made dispositions to attack. s Lee'a brigade was advanced immediately, and Hampton's ordered forward. The enemy retired at the approach of Lee along the Sheplierdstown road, and .1 was driven across the Potomac by the cavalry, with a severe loss, and dark- ness alone prevented it from being a signal victory. His rear was overtaken , and put to flight, our cavalry charging in gallant style under a severe fire of p artillery, routing squadron after squadron, killing a number, wounding more. 286 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. In order to learn something of the movements, position, and strength of the Federal army, General Lee decided to send General Stuart on an expedition to Pennsylvania, and on the 8th of October ordered him to set out at once.* and capturinpf several. He was driven tIirou<;h Sliepherdstown, and crossed the river after dark, in no case stnmliii!^ a li ind-lo-liand condict, but relying upon liis artillery and carbines at long ranjje for protection. '• [ regret to add lliat we lost one lieutenant antl several privates. " 1 am, most res|iectftilly your obedient servant, li. E. Lee, General Commanding.^ ♦The purpose of this expedition is stated fully in the following letter of in- structions : HEADUt'ARTERS ARMT NoRTHKRif VlROiyiA, Camp nbak VV^^■c^liSTtK, Va., Oci. », l!j62. "MaJOR-GenkraL J. E. B. StcarT, Cnmmatiding Canalry, it. "General: An expedition into Maryland with a detachment of cavalry, if it can be successfully executt-d, is at this time desiraltle. You will, there- fore, form a detachment of from twelve to fifteen hundred well mountt-d men, suitable for such an expedition, and should the information from your seouts lead you to suppose that your movement can be concealed from tlie bodies of the enemy that would be able to ri'sist it, you are desired to cross the I'otoriiac above Williamsport, leave Ilagcrsiown and Greencastle on your right, and proceed to the rear of Chanbersburg, and endeavor to destroy the railroad bridge over the branch of the Oonoclieague. " Any other damage you can indict ujtoii the enemy or his means of trans- portation you w'll also execute. Vou are desired to gain all information r)f the position, force, and probable intention of the enemy which you can; and in your progress into Pennsylvania, you will take measures to inform your- self of the various routes that you may take on vour return to Virginia. "To keep your movement secret, it will he necessary for you to arrest all citizens that may give information to the enemy and tilu)uld you meet with cit- izens of Tennsylvania holding State or Government ofBce.s, it will be desir- able, if convenient, to bring them with you that they may be used as hostages, or the means of exchanges for our own citizens that have been carried otf by the enemy. Such persons will, of course, be treated with all the respect and consideration that circumstances will admit. " Should it be in your power to supply yourself with horses, or other nec- essary articles on the list of legal cafiiurea, you are authorized to do set. " Having accomplished your erraud, you will rejoin this arniy as «>0(>n b» MCCLELLAN ADV^VNCES. 287 On the 9th of October General Stuart organized a force of eighteen hundred men anil four pieces of artillery, under the coniniand of General Hampton, and Colonels W . II. F. Lee and flones. His men were ordered to conduct themselves with great prudence and propriety during the march, and to confuie themselves strictly to the objects of the ex[)edition.* At noon practicable. Reliance is placed upon your skill and judgment in the success- ful execution of this plan, and it is not intended or desired that yon should jeopardize the safety of your command, or go farther than your good judg- ment anil prudence may dictate. "Colonel Iinbodcn has been desired to attract the attention of the enemy towards Cumberland ; so that the river between that point »nd vvliere yon may re-cross, may be less guarded. You will, of course, keep out your scouts to give you information, and take every other i)recautiun to secure the success and safety of the expediti(m. " Should you be led so far east, as to make it bt tter, in your opinion, to f continue around to the Potomac, you will have to cross the river in the vicin- i. ity of Leesburg. ^ "1 am, with great respect, your obedient servant, |l (Signed,; E. E. Lee, General. *; Official: , [' R. II. Chiltos, a, a. General." ♦ The following is General Stuart's order. "Hkadqcabters Cavairt Pivisioir, October y, imxi. II "OBNERAL ORDER, L Ko. 13. L "During the expedition into the enemy's country, in which this command 1 1 is about to engage, brigade commanders will make arr.ingements for seizing [. horses, the property of citizens of the Uniti-d States, and all oilier property I- Bubjei't to legal capture, provided that in no case will any species of property ji be taken except by authority given in person or in writing of the commander ji' of brigade, regiment, or captain of a company in the absence of his superior ;r oflBcors. In all cases, a simple receipt will be given to the etfect that the arti- !( cle is seized for the use of the Confederate States, giving place, date and name of owners, in order to enabl i the individual to have recourse upon his J Government for damage. " Individual plunder for private use is positively forbidden, and every in- |r!i Stance must be punished in the severest manner, for an army of plunderers 288 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. on the 9tli, the command rendezvoused at Darkesvllle, and marched thence to Iledgesville, where it bivouacked for the ni^ht. At daylight on the 10th the march viras resumed, and *ho Potomac was crossed at McCoy's, between Hancock and Wilhamsport. The enemy had a picket at this point which was driven off with the loss of several horses. Upon gaining the Nation:d road, the cavalry surprised and captured a party of eight or ten men in charge of a, signal sta- tion, together with their flags and apparatus. From these Stuart learned that a large force of the enemy had passed by but an hour before, towards Cumberland. consummates its own destruction. The capture of anything will not give the captor any individual claim, and all horses and equipments will be kept to be apportioned, upon the return of the expedition, through the entire division. Brigade commanders will arrange to have one-third of their respective com- mands engaged in leading horses, provided enough can be procured, each man linking so as to lead three horses, the led horses being habitually in the centre of the brigade, and the remaining two-thirds, will keep, at all times, prepared for action. " The attack, when made, jnust be vigorous and overwhelming, giving the enemy no time to reconnoitre or consider anything, except his best means of flight. All persons found in transit must be detained, subject to the orders of Division Provost Marshal, to prevent information reaching the enemy. As a measure of justice to our many good citizens, who, without crime, have been taken from their homes and kept by the enemy in prison, all public functionaries, such as magistrates, postmasters, sheriffs, &c., will be seized as prisoners. They will be kindly treated, and kept as hostages for our own. No straggling from the route of march or bivouac for the purpose of obtaining provisions, &c., will be permitted in any case, the commissaries and quarter- masters being required to obtain and furnish all such supplies in bulk as may be necessary. " So much of this order as authorizes seizures of persons and property, will not take effect until the command crosses the Pennsylvania line. " The utmost activity is enjoined upon the detachments procuring horses, and unceasing vigilance upon the entire command. " Major J. P. W. Hairston is hereby appointed Division Provost Marnhal. By command of Major-General J. E. B, STUART R. Channino Price, Is^ Lieut, and A. D. C." MCCLELLAN ADVANCES. 289 General Stuart was exceedingly anxious to capture Hagers- town, where the Federals had collected a large quantity of val- uable stores, but he was satisfied, from Information which reached him, that the enemy had become aware of his presence in their lines, so that, by striking at Hagerstown, he might ruin his expedition. Time was now all Important, and the column was pushed forward as rapidly as possible. At dark the cavalry arrived at Chambersburg, having met with no resistance along their route. It was not known to General Stuart what force the enemy had In the place, but he did not think it prudent to defer its capture until daylight. At the same time he was unwilling to dash into a town full of women, and children, without giving them a chance to secure their safety. Accordingly, he dispatched a summons to the authorities of Chambersburg, demanding the surrender of the town, and informing t.hem that if any resistance was offered, *• the place would be shelled in three minutes." The officer who bore the summons could not find any officials, either civic or military, but delivered the message to several prominent cit- izens of the place. Hampton's command was in the advance, and this at once moved into the town and occupied it. The authorities had all fled, and " no one could be found willlnfj to acknowled2:e that he held office in the place."* The Inhabitants were assured that if they remained at their homes in peace they would be protected. This pledge was scrupulously observed. A Colonel McClure, in his account of Stuart's occupation of the town, where the Colonel himself resided, thus describes the conduct of the Confederates : "A subordinate officer had be2:2:ed of me a little bread for himself and a few more, and he was supplied in the kitchen. He was followed by others in turn, until nearly a hundred had ♦ General Stuart's Report. 37 2U0 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. been supplied with something to eat or drink. All, however, politely asked permission to enter tlic house. When told I was a decided llepul)!ican they thanked me for being candid. * * * " In a little while one entered the yard, and, after a profound bow, asked for a few coals to light a fire. * * * * J jxjinted them to the pump, and again received a profusion of thanks. Communication having been opened between us, squads fol- lowed eacli other closely for water, but each called and asked permission before getting it, and promptly left the yard. I was somcwha* surprised at this uniform courtesy. About one o'clock half a dozen officers came to the door and asked to have some coffee made for them, offering to pay liberally for it in Confederate scrip. After concluding a treaty with them on behalf of the colored servants, coffee was promised them, and they then asked for a little bread with it. Tiiey were wet and shivering, and seeing a bright, open wood fire in the library, they asked permission to enter and warm themselves until their coffee should be ready, assuring me that, under no circum- stances, should anything In the house be disturbed by their men. * * This contnvsts glaringly with the conduct of the Federals during their occup.ation of Williamstown, North Carolina. " On entering Williamstown," says an eye-witness, "the Yankees respected not a single house, it mattered not whether the owner was in or absent. Doors were broken open and houses entered by the soldiers, who took every- I thing they saw, and what they were unable to carry away they broke and destroyed. Furniture of every description was committed to the flames, and the citizens who dared to remonstrate witli them wore tlireatened, cursed, and buffeted about. * * * * The enemy stopped for tlie night at Mr. Ward's mill. Mr. Ward was completely stripped of everything, they not even leav- ing him enougii for breakfast. While on a sick bed, his wife was, in his presence, searched and robbed of five hundred dollars. The Yankees went about fifteen miles above Hamilton, when, for some cause, they suddenly turned and marched back, taking, with some slight deviation in quest of plunder, the same route they had come. The town of Hamilton was set od fire aud as many as fifteen houses laid in ashes. During the time the YaD MCCLELLAN ADVANCES. 2Sl About two Iiundred and seventy-five sick soldiers were cap- tured in a hospital in the place. They were paroled, and al- lowed to remain undisturbed. The next morning, the 11th, a large quantity of muskets, pistols, sabres, and ammunition, (about five thousand stand of arms in all) was destroyed, the , railroad and tclcgra[)h wires were cut, and the railroad depot, machine shops, and several trains of loaded cars were burnt. The enemy had now learned of Stuart's movements, and the news was telegra{)hcd throughout the North, producing no little excitement and mortification there. General McClellan determined that the bold troopers should not escape him this time, as they had done on the Chickahominy, and at once dis- |t posed his troops to [)revent them from recrossing the Potomac. L General Pleasariton, with his cavalry, was ordered to proceed I in pursuit of Stuart, lie was directed to march with the ut- ,1 most raj)idity, and "not to spare his men or horses "in the ' attempt to capture or destroy the Confederate horsemen. kees encamped at "Williamstown, everything which they left unharmed when last there, was demolislied. Every house in town was occupied and defaced. Several fine residences, among whicli was .Judge Briggs', were actually used as horse stables. Iron safes were broken open, and in the presence of their '■ owners rifled of their contents. Several citizens were seized and robbed of the money on their persons. » * * * ♦ On Sunday morning Williams '■ town was fired and no effort made to arrest the flames until several houses » were burnt. No attempt was made by the Yankee officers, from General 't Foster down, to prevent the destruction of property. On the contrary, they connived at it, and some of the privates did not hesitate to say that they were instructed to do as they had done. Two ladies at Williamstown went to Gen- ' eral Foster to beseech protection from his soldiers, and were rudely and [' arrogantly ordered from his presence. ♦ * * • Families who fled in '" dismay at the approach of the invader, returned and found, as well as the few ^ who remained at home, clothes, beds, bedding, spoons, and books, abstracted, costly furniture, crockery, doors, harness and vehicles demolished, locks, ' windows, and mirrors broken ; fences burned ; corn, potatoes, and peas gath- I' ered from the barns and fields consumed ; iron safes dug to pieces and thrown out of doors, and their contents stolen." — Richmond Examiner, Novembef 26, 1862. 292 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. General Averill, then at Green Spring, on the Upper Potomac, was also directed to move in pursuit. General Crook, who was at Hancock, en route for Western Virginia, was instructed to embark his division on the cars, and be in readiness to move to any point above Hancock, should Stuart attempt to cross in that direction. The commander at Harper's Ferry, was direc- ted to keep a vigilant watch over the fords in his vicinity ; Gen- .eral Burnside was to send two brigades on the cars to Monocacy Junction, to remain there without disembarking, with steam up, ready to move to any point on the railroad at which Stuart might be aiming. Colonel Rush, at Frederick, was to keep his lancers scouring the approaches from Chambersburg, in order to warn General Burnside of Stuart's arrival ; and Gen- eral Stoneman, whose headquarters were at Poolesville, guard- injr with his division the fords below the mouth of the Mono- cacy, was ordered to watch for Stuart, and prevent his crossing the river.* " After these orders were given for covering all the fords upon the river," says General McClellan, " I did not think it possible for Stuart to recross, and I believed that the capture or destruction of his entire force was perfectly certain." Indeed it seemed so ; but General Stuart was equal to the emergency. He was ignorant, of course, of the fact that all of the Fed- eral cavalry, and four or five divisions of infantry were trying to intercept him, but he was very certain that the division of General Crook, which he had missed so narrowly on his advance, would try to cut him off from the Upper Potomac, and, after mature deliberation, he determined to return by way of Lees- burg, which was the most direct route. Leaving Chambersburg on the morning of the 11th, General Stuart moved directly to Gettysburg, for the purpose of deceiv- ing the inhabitants of the country as to his real destination. * General McClellan's Report, pp. 408, 409. MCCLELLAN ADVANCES. 293 After passing the Blue Ridge he retraced his steps, turned back towards Hagerstown for six or eight miles, and then marched rapidly through Emmettsourg, where he was received with enthusiasm by the inhabitants. Just before his arrival at this place, a party of Rush's Lancers, which had been sent out from Frederick to watch for him, passed by. Without halting, Stuart pushed on towards Frederick, and on the way captured a messenger with a dispatch from Colonel Rush, which, while it satisfied General Stuai-t that his locality was unknown to the enemy, gave him an idea of the arrangements that had been made to intercept him. ]\Ieanwhile the Federal cavalry, under Averill and Pleas- ' anton, were pushing on at the utmost speed, straining every ' nerve to overtake the Confederates, but Stuart, now warned of his danger, quickened his march, aiming straight for the ' Potomac. The Monocacy was crossed a short distance above Frederick, and the march was continued through the night, by way of Liberty, New iSlarket, and Monrovia on the Baltimore '■ and Ohio Railroad. By daylight on the loth, the command r was at Hyattstown, " on McClellan's line of wagon communi- ^ cation with Washington." Only a few wagons were captured, " and the column pressed on to Barnesville, which had been I vacated by a squadron of Federal cavalry but a short while f before. On the march General Stuart had learned something of the : plan of General jMcClellan, besides what he gained from the I dispatch from Colonel Rush. Now, however, the whole plan . was revealed to him , and he was informed that a division of five thousand men was guardinof the fords in his front. Believing . that the boldest course was the safest, he determined to push P right on to the Potomac, and, if necessary, cut his way through r the enemy to the Virginia shore. He started at once for Pooles- ville, but arriving within two or three miles of it, turned 294 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. abruptly to tlie riglit, and, marching through the woods, gained the road leading from Poolesviile to the mouth of the Mon- ocacy. ]n a few minutes after entering the road, the advanced squadron encountered the iiead of the column of General Pleas- anton, which had just come up, moving towards Poolesviile. General Stuart at once charged with this squadron, and drove the enemy's cavalry back upon their infantry, which now ad- vanced to regain the ground lost by their cavalry. Instantly Lee's sharpshooters sprang i\-om their horses, and engaged the Federal skirmshers, holding them in check until the artillery (one gun) in advance, came up. Pelham promptly opened his gun. Under the cover of this fire, and partly screened by the ridge which Pelham occupied. General Stuart moved the cmn- mand to NVhite's Ford, driving off, with the rest of his artillery, ii force of about two hundred Federal infantry on the Virginia shore. Fortunately the canal was dry, and easily passed, and the column crossed over to the south side of the Potomac " with all the precision of passing a defile on drill." * Just as Stuart reached the Virginia shore, the cavalry and infantry of General Stoneman arrived in hot haste from Pooles- viile. They were met with a sharp fire from Pelham's guns, uow safely over the river, and prevented from crossing in pur- suit. General Stuart retired from the river during the day, and rejoined the army at Winchester on the 14th. f His expedition * General Stuart's Report. t General Lee sent the following dispatch to Richmond, announcing Stuart's return : — " Winchester Va., Oct. U, 1868. "UON. G. W. RANDOLrB: " Tlie cavalry e.xpedition to Pennsylvania has returned safe. They passed through Mercersburg, Chambersburg, Emmettsburg, Liberty, New Market, Ilyattstown, and Burnesville. The expidiiion crossed the Potomac above Wiliiamsport, and recrossed at White's Ford, making the entire circuit, cut* MCCLELLAN ADVANCES. 295 was brilliant, and accomplished with the loss of only two or three men wounded, and two missing, who lost their way on the march. A large number of horses were collected and brouglit off in safety, and valuable information acquired respect- . infif the disposition of McClellan's forces. Besides this, the cavalry of Generals PIcasanton and Averill were so completely broken down by the arduous pursuit that their horses were unfit for furtlier service, and the Federal army [I was comjielled to delay its advance until a remount could be (1 procured.* |. During the expedition. General Stuart's column marched over [ eighty miles in twenty-four hour^, and the pursuing force under , General PIcasanton marched seventy-eight miles in the same J time. The army under General McClellan fiow numbered one hun- j dred and ten thousand men present for duty.| The weather was admirably suited to offensive operations, and the Federal j; Government was anxious that so favorable a season for an ad- I vancc should not be spent in idleness. Two plans presented themselves to General ^McClellan. To p move up the valley of the Shenandoah directly against Lee, or [ to enter Virginia east of the Blue liidge, and endeavor to [dace tt his army between General Lee and llichmond. The latter plaa \, was preferred by President Lincoln, and he promised General [ McClellan, in ease he should adopt it, to rcenforce him with thirty thousand men, which would give him an army of one hundred and forty thousand effective men. General McClellaa preferred the line of the Shenandoah, as he feared that if h*j ting the enemy's communications, destroying arms, &c., and obtaining many recruits. R. E. Lee, General." ♦General McClellan's Report, p. 408. t General McClellan's Report, p. 422. 296 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. moved east of the mountains Lee would at once recross the Po- tomac into Maryland.* His advance, however, was delayed so long that this danger passed by. The fall rains generally de- stroy the fords of the Potomac, and they were so near at hand when the Federal army moved, that it was thought by General McClellan that Lee would not venture over the river so late in the season. f This fact, and the promise of heavy reenforce- ments, induced McClellan to decide upon entering Virginia east of the Blue Ridge. Ilis plan is thus stated in his report. "The plan of cam- paign I adopted during the advance, was to move the array well in hand parallel to the Blue Ridge, taking Warrenton as the point of direction for the main body ; seizing each pass in the Blue Ridge by detachments, as we approached it, and guarding them after we had passed, as long as they would enable the en- emy to trouble our communications with the Potomac. * * * We depended upon nar[)er's Ferry and Berlin for ciup[)lies until the Manassas Gap Railway was reached ; when that occurred, the passes in our rear were to be abandoned, and the army massed ready for action or movement in any direction. It was my intention, if, upon reaching Ashby'a or any other pass, I found that the enemy were in force between it and (he Potomac, in the Valley of the Shenandoah, to move into the Valley and endeavor to gain their rear. I hardly hoped to accomplish this, but did expect that by striking in between Cijlpepper Court House and Little Washington, I could either separate their army and beat them in detad, or else force them to concentrate as far back as Gordonsville, and thus place the army of the Potomac in position either to adopt the Fredericksburg line of advance upon Richmond, or to be removed to the Peninsula, if, ♦ General McClellan's Report, p. 428. + General McClellan's Report, p. 429. THE, MOVEMENT TO THE RAPPAHANNOCK. 297 as I apprehended, it were found impossible to supply it by the Oraniie and Alexandria Railroad beyond Culpepper."* Still, as the time passed on, and General McClellan did not move over the Potomac, President Lincoln sent liini, through General Halleck, on the Gth of October, a peremptory order to advance. From this there was no appeal, and on the 26th of October, the Army of the Potomac commenced crossing into Virginia at Berlin, five miles below Harper's Ferry. By the second of November, the entire army was over the river. II. THE MOVEMENT TO THE RAPPAHANNOCK. As soon as McClellan's advance was reported to^him, Gen- eral Lee put his army in motion. lie detected the true nature of his adversary's movement, in spite of the effort made by McClellan to mask it by seizing the passes of the Blue lildge, f and he at once sent one division of Longstreet's corps to the vicinity of Upperville to watch the movements of the Federal army. Until he was more positive as to McClellan's inten- j tions, he was not willing to move from the Valley. Jackson / was sent to take position on the road between Berryville and Chavlestown to check any advance of the enemy from Harper's ^ Ferry, and prevent them from entering the Valley through the passes of the Blue Ridge, and the cavalry were ordered to co- operate with him. Towards the last of October, the Federal army began to withdraw from the mountains and to move towards Warrenton. Longstreet's corps at once passed the Blue Ridge and took po- sition at (Culpepper Court House, which it reached about the 3(1 * General McClellan's Report, pp. 435, 436. 38 2dS LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. of November. In order to delny the Federal army by exciting the fears of General McClellan for the safety of his rear, Gen- eral Jackson was ordered to remain for some time near Mill- wood, lie advanced one of his divi.sions to the east side of the Blue Ridge, and remained west of it with his main body. As soon as Longstrcet moved to Culpepper, the cavalry were with- drawn from the Valle}', and sent after him. The danger to which this separation of the two portions of the Confederate army exposed General Lee, was very great, and would have been rashness on the part of that commander, had not it been required by the necessities of the case. It is said that both General Lee and Genera! Jackson were convinced of their abil- ity to foil the designs of General ]\lcClellan, in s[)ite of the risk attending a division of the army.* The Federals gradually concentrated in the neighborhood of Warrenton. Their cavalry were thrown out towards Culpep- per, and constant skirmishing occurred between them and the Southern cavalry, under General Stuart, with varied success. Stuart hung constantly around the enemy, watching vigilantly for some movement which would reveal their designs. The horses of Stuart's men were at this time in bad condition, the majority of them having the sore tongue and tender hoofs, f yet in spite of this, the service rendered by the gallant troopers was invaluable. Referring to this part of his army. General Lee says, in his rej)ort of the campaign, " Its vigilance, activity, and courage were conspicuous, and to its assistance is due, in a great measure, the success of some of the most important and delicate operations of the campaign." About this time, while General Lee was awaiting the devel' * Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 3G3. t About t!ie 12tl> of November General Lee stated to the War Department that three fourths of his cavalry horses had the sore tongue, and that their hoofs were falling off. THE MOVEMEMT TO THE RAPPAnANNOCK. 299 opment of his adversary's plan of operations, occurred an event which changed the entire progranune of the enemy. On the 7th of November General ^NlcClellan, witliout any warning, was suddenly removed from the connnand of the Army of the Potomac. Various reasons have been given for this measure on the part of the Federal Government. It was undoubtedly a political act. It was believed by the Radical wing of the Re- publican party that General McClellan would be the next Conservative candidate for the Presidency of the Union, and it was thought by them a wise measure to remove him from a position in which lie might add to his popularity with the army and people. Their plea was that he had not fulfilled the expec- tations of the Government. However much he may have left undone, there can be no doubt that General JNIcClellan had done too much for his Government and country to merit such deep ingratitude from them. The measure was very acceptable to the South, and it put an end to the military career of the ablest commander the Army of the Potomac ever had. The command of that army was assigned to Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside, its senior corps commander. General Burnside had seen considerable service since the commencement of the war, and his success on the Southern coast had given him a fair reputation in the North. lie was an earnest, hai-d- working officer, but, while a good corps commander, was mca[)able of exercising successfully so important a trust. As the most intimate friend of General McClellan, he desired the continuance of that officer's presence at the head of the army, and when the command was offi^red to him, modestly protested that he did not want it, having already declined it twice before, and that he did not believe himself competent to lead such a large army.* It being the desire of the Government, how- • Report on the Conduct of the War. General Burnside's Testimony. Vol. 1, p. 650. '600 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. ever, that he should at least make the trial, General Burnside acce{)ted the distinction tendered him. The manliness with which he sought to save General McClellan from his political enemies, and the modesty with which he met the tempting offer of his Government, were noble qiui'ities in the new com- mander-in-chief, and contrast strikingly with the conduct of General Pope under similar circumstances. The first measure of General Burnside was to reorganize his army. It consisted at that time of six corps iTarmee. These he consolidated into three grand divisions, — the Right Grand Division, consisting of Couch's (2d) and Wilcox's (9th) corps, was assigned to General Sumner ; the Centre Grand Division, consisting of Stoneman's (3d) and Butterfield's (5th) corps, was given to General Hooker ; and the Left Grand Division, consisting of Reynolds' (1st) and W. F. Smith's (Gth) corps, was given to General Franklin. This step was an error, inasmuch as it involved a halt of ten days at Warren- ton, when time was all important to the Federal army. It was in reality too late to hope to make a successful campaign against Richmond during the remainder of the fall, for the season of bad weather and worse roads was at hand, when it would be impossible to carry on operations to any considerable extent. There was time, however, to strike a blow at the Army of Northern Virginia. Its two corps were divided by two marches, Jackson being still in the Valley, and this situation was one which would have tempted almost any energetic com- mander. It was General McClellan's intention to endeavor to profit by it when he was removed. General Burnside, how- ever, decided not to strike a direct blow at Lee, but to march at once to Fredericksburg, and establish himself on the south bank of t'le Rappahannock before Lee could discover his design and interfere with it, and in this he committed another error. THK MOVEMENT TO THE RAPPAHANNOCK. 301 He seems to have had no idea of using Fredericksburg as a base for an immediate advance upon Richmond, for he was opposed to an overhind movomeiit — but to have lioped by s-eizing it to secure an excellent place for passing the winter witii his army, within easy reach of his supplies. He desired to postpone fur- ther operations until the spring, when he hoped to be permitted by his Government to embark his troops for a movement ^ against Richmond from the south side of the James River.* He did not as yet impart these views to his Government, but simply proposed to change the line ot operations to Fredericks- I burg. To this proposition Mr. Lincoln consented, and on the I 15th of November, General Burnside commenced to move his army from Warrenton. His forces were to move aloni regiments, of Field's brigade, commanded by Colonel Brocken- borough. Lane's brigade, thrown forward in advance of the general line, held the woods, which here projected into the open. 40 314 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. ground. Thomas' brigade was stationed behind the interval between Lane and Pender, and Gregg's in rear of that, between Lane and Archer. These two brigades, wifh the 47tt Virginia regiment, and 22nd Virginia battalion, of Field's brigade, con- stituted General Xlill's reserve. Early's and Taliaferro's divi- sions composed Jackson's second line — D. IL llill's division his reserve. His artillery was distributed along his line in the most eligible positions, so as to command the open ground in front. General Stuart, with two brigades of cavalry, and his horse artillery, occu[)Icd the plain on Jackson's right, extending to jNIassaponax Creek."* The range of hills on which this line was formed, encloses a semi-circular plain extending from its base to the river. On the Southern left the range touches the river, at a distance of less than a quarter of a mile from the city, and sweeping around towards the right, crosses the Richmond Railroad, at a distance of about two miles from the river, making the line held by the Confederates about five miles in length. The country between the hills and the river is to a jj^reat extent ruirired, and almost entirely open. Immediately above the town, on the Southern left, the hills are bold and without trees or undergrowth, but as the range extends to the eastward the elevation decreases, and the ridge becomes more thickly wooded. The plain below the hills is intersected by a small stream called Deep Run, whose precipitate banks afford an admirable shelter for an attacking force. The Southern position was, as I have said, one of great strength, and when the battle opened there were few who •doubted that the attempt to carry it would be repulsed. Having failed to surprise General Lee, General Burnside now resolved to storm his position and drive the Southern army from it. Ills plan was substantially, as follows : Franklin's Grand Division, which formed the Union left, strengthened by * General Lee's Report. FREDERICKSBURG. 315 one of Hooker's corps — about one half of the Federal army — was to assault Jackson's position at Hamilton's Crossing, which was correctly supposed to be the weakest part of the line, and when this should be successfully accomplished, Sumner, with the rest of the army, was to storm the heights on the Southern left. Franklin was directed to endeavor to seize the railroad and wagon road leading to llichmond. On the morning of the loth of December, the country im- mediately around Fredericksburg was shrouded in a dense fog. At an early hour the enemy's batteries on the Stafford Heights opened on Long-street's position, and under the cover of this fire Franklin and Sumner formed their columns of attack. About eight o'clock General Lee left his headquarters, and, 1 accompanied by Generals Jackson and Stuart passed over to Hamilton's Crossing to inspect that portion of his line. The correspondent of the Loudon Times, who was present during the action, thus speaks of the Confederate commander, as he appeared on this memoi'able day. " It would be presumptuous in me to say one word in commendation of the serenity or, if I may so express it, the unconscious dignity of General Lee's courage, when he is under fire. No one who sees and knows his demeanor in ordinary life would expect anything else from one so calm, so undemonstrative and unassuming. But the description applied, after the battle of the Alma, to Lord Kag- lan, by Marshal St. Arnaud, and in which, noticing Lord Raglan's unconsciousness under fire, he speaks of his ' antique ^ heroism,' seems to me so applicable to General Lee that I can- not forbear recalling it here. At a subsequent period of the day, General Lee assumed his station on the hill which takes its name from him, and thence, in company with General Long- street, calmly watched the repulse of the repeated Federal efforts against the heights on which he stood." Shortly after nine o'clock the fog lifted, and disclosed in the 310 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. pluin below tlie columns of General Franklin moving against Hamilton's Crossing. As they advanced, Major Pelliam of the Stuart Horse Artillery, who was stationed with one section of his battery on the Port Royal road, opened a severe enfilade fire upon their left, causing them to halt. Four Federal bat- teries at once opened on him, but he sustained his position bravely until withdrawn by General Stuart. As soon as I elham was withdrawn, Franklin extended his left down the Port Royal road, and opened a heavy fire upon Jackson's line from his bat- teries. No reply being returned, he threw forward his infantry towards the position occupied by Walker's guns. The Confed- erates awaited the approach of the enemy in silence, until the Federal line was within less than eight hundred yards. Then Walker irreeted them with the sudden fire of fourteen iruns, which did such execution that the enemy broke and fell back to their original position. This was merely the beginning of the engagement. About one o'clock Franklin made his main attack. Throwing forward three "compact lines of infivntry," he made a vigorous assault upon General A. P. Hill's position. His advance was moment- arily checked by the fire of Hill's artillery, but pressing on in spite of this, he was soon liotly engaged with the Southern infantry.. Between the brigades of Archer and Lane there was, unfortunately, a considerable interval, and before this could be closed, Meade's two divisions broke through it with great impet- uosity, and drove back Hill's men upon Jackson's second line. Jackson met the danger promptly by bringing up his second line, consisting of the divisions of Early, Trimble, and Talia- ferro. These troops assailed tiie enemy in front, and on both flanks, and drove them back across the railroad, and into the plain. Taliaferro's division advanced upon Early's left and driving the enemy from the woods in its front, compelled them to take refuge in the cut of the railroad, from which they were FKEDERICKSBUKG. 317 dislodged by the brigades of Hoke and Atkinson and forced to retreat across the phiin to the protection of their batteries. The division attacking Jackson's extreme left was driven back by the fire of liis artillery. Early, following up his success drove the enemy in confusion across the {)lain, and only ceased his pursuit when his line came under the fire of the batteries on tiie Stafford Heigijts. The efforts of Franklin had now been decisively repulsed, and daring the remainder of the day, he contented himself with shelling the Southern line, and skirmishing with Jackson's advanced forces. Meanwhile Sumner had endeavored to execute the task assigned to him. About eleven o'clock he commenced to move t ^ forwanl from the town, forming a strong column of assault, under the px-otection of the houses. Towards noon lie emerged from the cit}^, with French's and Hancock's divisions, and endeavored to seize jNIarye's and AMllis' hills. His attack was , made with great spirit and determination, and was received with r a, murderous fire of infantry and artillery, under which no troops I could stand. For awhile the Federals pressed on, but finally broke in confusion and fled into the town, sheltering themselves L behind the houses. In this charge the enemy lost nearly half 1 of the troops engaged. The Confederates were exposed to a I heavy fire from the batteries across the river, but, during the I. remainder of the battle, they paid no attention to this, but con- |, -centrated the fire of their artillery upon the Federal infantry advancing to the attack. Howard's, Sturgis', and Getty's divisions were advanced by 1« Sumner, to renew the attack, and when these were broken and [j driven back by Longstreet's fatal fire, General Burnside sent his last reserve, consistinof of three divisions, and ordered Gen- L. eral Hooker to carry the heights at all hazards. Those who t eaw the Federal commander during this part of the battle. 318 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. assert that the repeated failures of lils army seemed to make him despcnite. AVhcn the third assault on Long-street's posi- tion failed, he left his headquarters at the Phillips House, about a mile back from the river, and riding down to the bank of the Rappahannock, paced restlessly up and down, watching the battle with anxiety, and exclaiming vehemently, " That crest must be carried to-night."* Six times the Federal infantry assaulted the heights, and six times they were driven back with shattered ranks. They fought gallantly, winning the admiration of their opponents. Some of their dead were found within pistol-shot of the Southern line. Their last assault was made a little before dark. The part played by Longstreet's men was by no means so easy as some writers have declared. Their position was com- manded by the b^eries in Stafford, and during the day they were subjected to alieavy fire from these guns, as well as to the fire of the artillery and infantry of the attacking force in their front. In spite of this, however, they held their ground with great gallantry, repulsing every assault of the enemy with slaughter. The battle ended at dark. General Burnside had employed his whole army during the day, while General Lee had only about twenty-five thousand troops engaged, the greater part of his army being simply spectators. The Confederate loss in the battle was four thousand two hundred and one, killed and wounded. About one hundred prisoners were taken when the city was entered by the enemy. General Cobb was killad, General Gregg mortally wounded, and General Cooke severely wounded. The Federal loss was twelve thousand three hundred and twenty-one, killed, wounded, and missing. General Lee announced the result of the battle in the following dispatch to the War Department : — * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 251. FREDERICKSBURG. 319^ •' To '^ESERAL Cooper : — "At nine o'clock this morning tlie enemy attacked our TvAxt wing, and as tiie fog lifted, the battle ran ah)ng the whole line from right to left, until G p. m., tlie enemy being re[)i)lsed at all points. Thanks be to God. As usual, wc have to ; mourn the loss of many of our brave men. I expect the battle will be renewed at daylight to-morrow morning. R. E. Lee." During the night the Southern army erected earthworks at exposed points, and strengthened its position still more. The attack of the enemy had been so easily repulsed, and with such a small portion of the army that General Lee was confident the battle would be renewed the next day, and at dawn on the I 14th his troops were under arms, I'cady to resist the anticipated 1^ attack. As he expected to be again assailed, he did not wish 1 to lose the advantages of his position by advancing upon the t enemy.* lie was necessarily ignorant of the great damage [ inflicted upon the Federal army, and -was unwilling to expose his troops to the fire of the batteries in Stafford. These were ,j sound reasons for remaining quiet, but, viewing the mutter by [ the light of subsequent revelations, it is a pity that General Lee • did not take General Jackson's advice, and attack Burnside in Fredericksburg on the night of the 13th. Had he done so, he , could not have failed to destroy the Army of the Potomac. L The defeat sustained by the Federal army on the 13th was decisive, and when, that night, it crowded into Fredericksburg, 1 expecting every moment that General Lee would follow up his I advantage by a night attack, there were signs of demoralization ft among the men. Under these circumstances it became the ,• duty of General Burnside to retire at once across the Rappa- hannock, lie had no reason to believe that General Lee would * General Lee's Report. 320 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. not attack him. On the contrary, there was every reason to suppose that Lee would assume the offensive. The Federal army was in no condition to resist, and common sense should have induced Burnside to put an end to this danger as soon as possible. The course he adopted was the reverse of this. He does not seem to have known the condition of his army, and resolved to form his old corps (the 9tli) in column of attack by regiments, on the morning of the 14th, and lead it in person in a last effort to carry Marye's Hill. He at once issued orders for car- rvins: out his jjallant, but foolish resolution. In his evidence before the Congressional " Committee on the conduct of the war," he thus describes the result : "The order was given, and t'-e order of the attack was formed. On the next morning, just before the column was to have started. General Sumner came up to me and said : ' Gen- eral, I hope you will desist from this attack. I do not know of any general officer who approves of it, and I think it will prove disastrous to the army.- Advice of that kind from General Sumner, who has always been in favor of our advancing when- ever it was possible, caused me to hesitate. 1 kej)t the column of attack formed, and sent over for the cor{)s and division com- manders and consulted with them. They unanimously voted against the attack. I then went over to see the officers of the command on the other side, and found that the same opinion prevailed among them. I then sent for General Franklin, who Wcis on the left, and he was of exactly the same opinion. This caused me to decide that I ought not to make the attack I had contemplated ; and besides, inasmuch as the President of the United States had told me not to be in haste in making this attack — that he would give me all the support he could, but he did not want the Army of the Potomac destroyed, — I felt that I could not take the responsibility of ordering the attack, not- FREDERICKSBURG, 321 witliPtanding ray own belief at the time that the works could be carried. In the afternoon of that day I again saw the officers, and told them that I had decided to withdraw to this side of the river all our forces, except enough to hold the town and the bridge heads, but should keep the bridges there for future ope- rations in cajje we wanted to cross again." During the fourteenth, the Federal artillery, north of the river o|)ened at intervals on the Confederate line. The day passed away, without any further hostile demonstration, and during the fifteenth there was no change in the situation. On the night of the 15th a violent storm of wind and rain set in, and General Burnside took advantage of it to retire across the river. Yielding to the advice of General Hooker, he decided not to attempt to hold the town, and withdrew his entire force, taking up his bridges after him. His retreat was discovered by the Confederates on the morning of the 16th, but so well per- suaded was General Lee that the battle would yet be renewed, that he sent the following dispatch to Richmond : "Headquarters, Near Fredericksburg, December 16. '* As far as can be ascertained this stormy morning, the ene- my has disappeared in our immediate front, and has re-crossed the Kappahannock. " I presume he is meditating a passage at some other point. R. E. Lee." No further effort was made by the Federal commander, how- ever, and the campaign closed with the battle of Fredericksburg, the events of which were reported to the Southern Government by General Lee, in the following dispatch : 4i 322 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. " Hbadquahters Army Northern Virqihia, 14th December, 1«G2. " The Honorable Secretary of War, Richmond, Va. ; "Sir: On the night of the 10th instant, the enemy com- menced to throw three bridges over the R;i[)pahannock — two nt Fredericksburg, and the third about a mile and a quarter below, near the month of Deep Run. *' The plain on which Fredericksburg stands is so completely commanded by the hills of Stafford, in possession of the enemy, that no effectual opposition could be offered to the construction of the bridges or the passage of the river, without ex[)0sing our troops to the destructive fire of his numerous batteries. Posi- tion3 were, therefore, selected to o[)pose his r.dvance after cross- ing. The narrowness of the Rapahannock, its winding course, and deep bed, afforded opportunity for the construction of bridges at points beyond the reach of our artillery, and the banks had to be watched by skirmishers. The latter sheltering themselves behind the houses, drove back the working parties of the enemy at the bridges opposite the city ; but at the lowest point of crossing, where no shelter could, be had, our sharp- shooters were themselves driven off, and the completion of the bridoe was effected about noon on the 11th. " In the afternoon of that day the enemy's batteries opened upon the city, and by dark had so demolished the houses on the river bank as to deprive our skirmishers of shelter; and, under cover of his guns, he effected a lodgement In the town. " The troops, which had so gallantly held their position in the city, under the severe cannonade during the dayj resisting the advance of the enemy at every step, were withdrawn during the night, as were also those, who, with equal tenacity, had maintained their post at the lowest bridge. Under cover of darkness and of a dense fog, on the 12th, a large force passed I FREDERICKSBURG. 323 the river and took position on the right bank, protected by, their heavy guns on the left. " The morning of the 13th, his arrangements for attack be-- ino- completed, about nine o'clock — the movement veiled by a fog — he advanced boldly in large force against our right wing. General Jackson's corps occupied the right of our line, which rested on the railroad ; General Longstreet's the left, extend* ing along the heights to the Rappahannock, above Fredericks- burg. General Stuart, with two brigades of cavalry, was posted in the extensive plain on our extreme right. "As soon as the advance of the enemy was discovered through the fog. General Stuart, with his accustomed prompt- ness, moved up a section of his horse artillery, which opened with effect upon his flank, and drew upon the gallant Pelham a , heavy fire, which he sustained, unflinchingly, for about two hours. In the meantime the enemy was fiercely encountered t by General A. P. Hill's division, forming General Jackson's ,. right, and, after an obstinate combat, repulsed. During this : attack, which was protracted and hotly contested, two of Gen- ; eral Hill's brigades were driven back upon our second line. " General Early, with part of his division, being ordered to his support, drove the enemy back from the point of woods he I had seized, and pursued him into the plain, until arrested by i his artillery. The right of tiie enemy's column, extending be- ll yond Hill's front, encountered the right of General Hood, of Longstreet's corps. The enemy took possession of a small , copse in front of Hood, but were quickly dispossessed, and Li; repulsed with loss. p *' During the attack on our right, the enemy was crossing jli troops over his bridges at Fredericksburg, and mas. lery were planted on the north bank to prevent any resistance [< from the south side to the construction of the bridges, and L ponton trains were placed in readiness within a short distance ^,1 of the river. Thus far evervthing had ijone well ; but, durinjr the niijht of the 20th, a terrible rain storm set in, which completely anni- <; liilated all of the Federal commander's plans. Mr. Swinton, [ who was present with the Federal army, thus describes the manner in which the elements fouixht ajjainst Burnside. " It was a wild Walpurgis night, such as Goethe paints in •the Faust. Yet there was brave work done during its hours, for guns were hauled painfully up the heights and placed in their positions, and the pontons were drawn down nearer to the river. But it was already seen to be a hopeless task ; for the clayey toads and fields, under the influence of the rain, had become ^ bad beyond all former experience, and by daylight, when the a boats should all have been on the banks ready to slide down into I the water, but fifteen had been gotten up — not enough for one 332 LIFE OF 'general lee. bridge, and five were wanted. Moreover, the night operations had not escaped the notice of the wary enemy, and by morn- ino" Lee had massed his army to meet the menaced crossinir. ****** The night's rain had made deplorable havoc with the roads : but herculean efforts were made to brinii pontons enough into position to build a bridge or two withal. Double and triple teams of horses and mules were harnessed to ench boat; but it was in vain. Long stout ropes were then- attached to the teams, and a hundred and fifty men put to the task on each. The effort was but little more successful. Flounderini; throuirh the mire for a few feet, the ijnng of Lili- putians with their huge-ribbed Gulliver, were forced to give over, breathless. Night arrived, but the pontons could not be got up, and the enemy's pickets, discovering what was going on, jocularly shouted out their intention to ' come over to-morrow and help build the bridges.' " Morning dawned upon another day of rain and storm. The ground had gone from bad to worse, and now showed such a spectacle as might be presented by the elemental wrecks of another Deluge. An indescribable chaos of pontons, vehicles, and artillery encumbered all the roads — supply wagons upset by the road-side, guns stalled in the mud, amnmnition trains mired by the way, and hundreds of horses and mules buried in the liquid muck. The army, in fact, was embargoed ; it was no longer a question of how to go forward — it was a question of how to get back. The three days' rations brouL'ht on the persons of the men were exhausted, and the su{)ply trains could not be moved up. To aid the return all the available force was put to work to corduroj the rotten roads. Next morning the army floundered and staggered back to the old camps, and so ended a movement, that will always live in the recollection of the army as the ' Mud March,' and which remains a striking WINTER QUARTERS. 333 II exemplification of the enormous difficulties incident to winter I- campaigning in Virginia." * ,; The faikire of this movement brought General Burnside'a f career to a close. He was hopeful of success when it beofan. f \. Had he succeeded in crossing, he would have been undeceived I very speedily. Ilis design was quickly detected by General '■■' Lee, who at once made such dis[)othed him while in a subordinate position. His first care was to check the desertions which were rapidly I thinning the ranks of the Army of the Potomac, and to restore L to it the confidence which his predecessor had destroyed. His ';i personal popularity secured the latter end, and the vigorous I measures which he inaugurated put a stop to the desertions. L The system of Grand Divisions had nt>t been found to work well, and it was abolished and replaced by the corps organiza- L tion. The staff and administrative departments of the army '; were rendered more effective ; the various army corps were pro- vided with distinctive badges, and the contentment and good will of the troops secured by a wise and liberal system of fur- 48 iio8 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. loughs.* His demands upon his Government were liberally responded to, and he was furnished with everything necessary to bring his army to the highest state of efficiency. The wisest of all General Hooker's acts was the reorganiza- tion of his cavalry. Previous to his assumption of the com- mand of the Army of the Potomac, the Federal cavalry had been scattered, in brigades or divisions, among the Grand Divisions of the army, — a system which rendered it incapable of concerted action. General Hooker consolidated it into a compact and powerfid corps, under officers of tried ability, and provided it with horses and equipments of the most superior kind. From this time until the close of the war, the cavalry arm of the Army of the Potomac became of the highest useful- ness to it, and until the surrender at Appomattox Court House, was far more efficient from various causes than that of the Con- federates . f So successful were General Hooker's exertions that when the spring opened he had an army of one hundred and twenty thousand men (infantry and artillery), twelve thousand finely equipped cavalry, and four hundred pieces of artillery. This force was in such good condition and so well provided with every necessity, and so many luxuries, that its commander proudly called it " the finest army on the planet." It was divided into seven corps ; the 1st under General Rey- nolds, the 2d under General Couch, the 3d under General Sickles, the 5th under General Meade, the 6th under General Sedgwick, the lltri under General Howard, the 12th under General Slocum. Thus prepared, General Hooker felt confi- dent that the destruction of Lee's army was certain. The campaign was opened by a reconnoissance of six regi- ments of Federal cavalry and a battery of artillery, under * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 268. t See Note B at the end of the volume. HOOKER ADVANCES. 339 General Vverill.* The object of this expedition was to cut Lee's coiiimunications at Gordonsville, and ascertain his strength and position. On tlie morning of the 16th of March a telegram from Gen- eral Lee's headquarters informed General Stuart that a column of Federal cavalry was in motion, and advised him to look out for it along the Upper Rappahannock. A small force was sta- tioned at Kelley's Ford to protect the crossing, and General Fitz Lee's brigade was ordered to hold itself in readiness to meet the enemy. In consequence of the negligence of the pickets, General Averill forced a passage of the river at Kelley's Ford on the morning of the 17th, capturing the picket-guard, and, pusiiing on, soon encountered Fitz Lee's brigade, which was drawn up to receive him. A severe engagement ensued, during which the Federal cavalry displayed more efficiency than they had shown during the war. The battle lasted until late in the after-noon, when the enemy retreated, after suffering a heavy loss. The Confederates also lost heavily, and among their killed A^as jNIajor Pelham, Stuart's invaluable artillerist. After this action there was a season of quiet, until the middle of April, when the roads were pronounced dry and hard enough for the movements of armies. XL HOOKER ADVANCES. When General Lee announced to the War Department, on k the 30th of March, that his army might be in motion at any i day, he was not in a condition to undertake any offensive move- I ment. General Longstreet, with about twenty-four thousand * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 268. 340 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. men, bad been taken from bim, and sent soutb of tbe James River, leaving bim a little less tlian fifty tbousand men on tbe Rappaliannock. Tbe information wbicb readied bim from tbe Federal lines convinced bim tiiat General Hooker would attack bim as soon as tbe roads and vveatber would permit. In view of tins be urged tbe Government to send bim reeiiforcements, and on tbe 29tb of Ajjril, wben be bad beard of Hooker's advance, renewed bis appeal for more men, and urged tbat Longstreet's corps sbould bo witbdrawn from tbe soutb side and sent to bim at once.* His vvisbes were not beeded, and tbe danger burst upon bim in bis weak condition. During tbe montb of April, General Hooker was busy pre- paring for bis " on to Ricbmond," and watciiing General Lee. His cavalry made numerous attempts to penetrate Lee's line, unmask bis position and gain information as to bis strength. Almost every ford along tbe Rappabannock was attempted, but at each place Stuart's dis[)ositions and vigilant troopers pre- vented tbe { assage of tbe river. Tbe absence of General Longstreet, with bis corps, seems to have been comnmnicated to General Hooker at an early day, and he determined to attack Lee before reenforcements could arrive from Ricbmond. His plan was to move tbe principal part of bis army to Kelley's Ford, and crossing tbe Rap[)aban- nock at tbat point, march directly to Cbancellorsville. As Kelley's Ford w^as twenty-seven miles above Fredericksburg, he hoped to be able to p;iss tbe river and occupy Cbancellors- ville before General Lee could concentrate his forces to oppose * The Government did not see fit to order Longstreet to the Rappahannock until Hooker had made his designs too plain to be misunderstood. On the 6th of May, Mr. Davis desired General Longstreet to go to General Lee im- mediately. At that time, however, Richmond was in great danger of capture by the Federal cavalry, and General Longstreet very properly declined to withdraw his command until communication with General Lee was restored and the city in a condition of defence. HOOKER ADVANCES. 341 him. In order to mask his movement upon Cliancelloisville, he resolved to throw a cohimn cont^isting of the 1st, 3d, and 6th corps, all under General Sedgwick, across the Rappahan- nock at a point immediately below Fredericksburg. This col- umn was to make such demonstrations as would lead General Lee to suppose that the main attack was to be made against the Heights of Fredericksburg. At the same time a body of ten thousand cavalry was to be sent towards Richmond to cut Lee's railroad comumin'cations. On the morning of the 27th of April the Federal army began its march, and on the 28th reached Kelley's Ford. The river was crossed during that night and the next morning, with but slight opposition from a cavalry picket of the Confederates, and in the afternoon the army reached the Rapidan at Ely's and Germanna Fords. This stream was quite high at the time, but ' the men were ordered to strip, and fasten their clothes and cartridge-boxes to their bayonets. They were then marched into the river, the water coming up to the arm-pits, and in this \ way the passage was made during the afternoon and night, [• amidst the greatest merriment and enthusiasm. The artillery • and trains were crossed on ponton bridges. This force con- i' eisted of Meade's (5th), Howard's (Uth), and Slocum's (12th) corps, under the immediate direction of General Hooker. Couch's (2d) corps was left at United States Ford on the Rap- pahannock, to guard the river at that point, until Hooker, in moving down the stream, should uncover it, when General Couch was directed to cross, the river, and rejoin Hooker at Chancellorsville. The turning movement was executed with success. At the same time General Sedgwick commenced his move- ment. At dawn on the 29th he threw three bridges across the river, three miles below Fredericksburg. He at once crossed a strong column, and durinjz the 29th and 30th made demonstra- 342 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. tlons as though he intended to assault the Southern position in rear of the town. General Hooker's di.^positlons were able, and well executed, but they did not deceive General Lee. lie had expected from the firtt that the enemy would assail his left flank, his right being rendered safe by its position. He had stationed a part of An- derson's division, consisting of Mahone's and Posey's brigades and one battery in front of Ely's and Banks' Fords, in al) about eight thousand men, and had picketted the river with Stuart's cavalry from United States Ford to Hinson's, in the neighbor- hood of Warrenton Springs, and had charged General Stuart to watch with o-reat vi«iilance for a movement of the fnemv from this direction.* Stuart performed his duty ably, and Hooker's column had scarcely reached the Upper Rappahan- nock before this movement was made known to General Lee. The news of the passage of the Rappahannock reached h'm at noon on the 29th. On the morning of the 30th Hooker's troops advanced from the Rapidan. In the afternoon Chancellorsville was reached. Posey and Mahone's commands had been withdrawn by Gen- eral Anderson from the river on the approach of the enemy, and concentrated «t Chancellorsville, on the morning of the 30th, where they were reeenforced by General ^V right's brig- ade, which h.ad been sent forward by General Lee on the pre- vious afternoon. In the afternoon General Anderson fell back from Chancellorsville to Tabernacle Church, where he could be reeenforced by General Lee, who was calmly awaiting the de- velopment of Hooker's intentions. He was well satisfied in his mind as to the nature of Sedgwick's movements, but, before sending further assistance to Anderson, it was necessary to be positive. By nightfall on the 30th he was convinced, from the fact that Sedsfwick was sending troops to General Hook'*'', * Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 399 HOOKER ADVANCES. 343 that the main effort of tlie enemy would be directed against his left, and he at once ordered General Jackson to march to An- derson's support with his whole command, with the exception of Earlv's division which was to remain and hold Sedgwick in check should he attempt to advance. Jackson was directed to ♦' attack and repulse the enemy " as soon as he should reach Tabernacle Church. General Jackson received this order about eight o'clock on tHe night of the 30th, and set out, about midnight, taking with him A. P. Hill's, Rodes', (formerly D. H. Hill's) and Colston's (formerly Jackson's, but more recently Trimble's) divisions. He marched all night, and reached Tabernacle Church about nine o'clock the next morning, Friday, i\Iay 1st. AVhen General Hooker occupied Chancellorsville on the night of the 30th, he was in high spirits. In an order issued to his troops he declared that "the enemy must either ingloriously fly, or come out from behind his defences and give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction awaits him." So confi- dent was he that victory would crown his efforts that he said to one of his officers during the night, " the Kebel army is now the legitimate property of the Army of the Potomac. They may as well pack up their haversacks and make for Richmond. I shall be after them." * Chancellorsville, was not, as the name would indicate, a town, but merely a large brick residence, with a few out-houses lying near it. It was situated ten miles west and south of Fredericksburg, with which it was connected by a phmk road and a macadamized turnpike. Looking towards Fredericks- burg, the country, commencing a short distance from Chancel- lorsville, was tolerably open, but in every other direction it was covered with an almost impenetrable thicket of dwarf pines and stunted oak, and in many places the ground was soft and ♦ Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 275. 344 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. marshy. The road from Ely's and United States Fords, only a few miles distant, a])proached Chancellorsville through this gloomy region, which was commonly known as tlie Wilderness. A little over two miles to the right of Chancellorsville was a group of old buildings used for smelting iron, known as the Furnace. Just beyond Chancellorsville, in the direction of Fredericksburg, there was a ridge of a considerable elevntion, which commanded the former place together with the Wilder- ness, and from which the Federal army could debouch into the o})en country immediately in the rear of Fredericksburg. This ridge was connected with Banks' Ford by a good road, and its possession was of the highest importance to the enemy. General Lee did not sup[)Ose that Hooker would halt at Chancellorsville, but expected that he would press on and endeavor to gain this ridge, as such a course would bring the Federal army out of the \Vildernes8 where it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to manoeuvre, and place it in a strong position commanding the open country, and affording it an oppoi'tunity to communicate with General Sedgwick by a shorter and more direct road than that by which it bad passed the Rap[)ahannock. Believing that this would be Hooker's next movement after occupying Chancellorsville, Lee directed Gen- eral Jackson to " attack and repulse the enemy " as soon as he reached Anderson's position. General Hooker seems to have been anxious to secure the ridge, for on the morning of the 1st of jNlay, he resumed his march from Chancellorsville, pressing back Anderson's weak command, in spite of its gallant resistance. Jackson arrived just as the enemy had occupied the ridge, and were pressing Anderson back. He immediately dispatched the brigades of Ramseur, jMcGowan, Heth, and Lane to Anderson's assistance, and held the rest of his force in reserve. His arrival was most opportune. Hooker had occupied the position Lee wished to aOOKER ADVANCES. 345^ keep him from, and In doing so had gained an advantage which he should have retained at all hazards. No sooner, however, had the appearance of Jackson's command convinced him that General Lee, instead of " ingloriously flying," had determined to oppose his further advance, than he suddenly abandoned the { oflfensive, and ordered the withdrawal of his army to Ciuincel- lorsville. His officers protested against the movement, callin'T his attention to the advantages afforded by the possession of the heigljts, and begged him to recall his order. He was incapable of further aggressive movements. His plan now was to fall back to Chancellorsville, take up a strong defensive position there, and await Lee's attack.* llis army fell back, as ordered, and Jackson, perceiving the advantage thus offered him. ra[)idly advanced his line and press- ing the Federals heavily, threw a part of their force into some confusion. General Jackson at once occupied the heights, and advanced his troops until they came under fire from the enemy's works at Chancellorsville. Not being willing to risk an attack upon^ Hooker's sufjcrior force in such a strong position, General Jack- son withdrew for a short distance, and awaited the arrival of - General Lee, who came up at nightfall, with the remainder \^ of Anderson's division and AIcLaws' division. Diu*ing the afternoon. General Wright was ordered to re- ^ connoitre the enemy's right. Moving to the south of Chan- i, celiorsville, he was joined at the Furnace by General Stuart, j, with the cavalry, who had been skirmisiiing hotly witli the Fed- , eral army since its passage of the Kapidan. ^^' right, acting upon the information of General Stuart, promptly threw for- ward his brigade, and drove the enemy from a commandinsj , position, back upon their main line. Night put an end to the ^:ontest. ♦Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, pp. 279, 280. U 346 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. III. CHANCELLORSVILLE. Immediately upon falling back to Chancellorsville, General Hooker commenced to fortify his position. He disposed his line of battle along the Orange Court House plank road, running east and west. His centre was at Chancel'^^i'sville, just where the road from Fredericksburg to United States Ford crosses the plank road. Immediately around Chancellorsville is a clearing, some three hundred yards in extent, and to the right and left is the heavy undergrowth of the Wilderness. The left of the Federal line was drawn back somewhat towards the river, and was posted in the Wilderness, while the right, also in the Wil- derness, stretched away towards Orange County, about two miles and a half above Cliancellorsville. The left flank waa protected by the river, but the right was thrown out Into the air. To protect his position General Hooker caused the construction of strong earthworks, which were made sull stronger by felling trees along the entire front. The only weak point of his line was his left, his front being impregnable to any assault upon it. His army was dis[)Ofted as follows : — Meade's and a part of Couch's corps held the left, Slocum's and pai-t of Sickles' corps, the centre, and Howard's corps the right. The remainder of Couch's and Sickles' troops were held in reserve. This force was over eighty thousand strong with more than two hundred pieces of artillery. By the time of General Lee's arrival, the position of the Fed- eral army had been well ascertained by General Jackson. The situation of the Southern army was one which admitted of no CHANCELLORSVILLE. 347 hesitation. The force which General Lee had with hira at Chancellorsville was barely forty thousand strong, and the hei'rhts at Fredericksburg were held by about eight thousand under General Early. The array was thus placed between the column of General Hooker at Chancellorsville, and that of Gen- eral Sedgwick at Fredericksburg ; the former was over eighty thousand strong, and the latter numbered about twenty-eight or thirty thousand. If these two culumns shoukl seek to unite, ■ tliey would be too strong to be resisted. If Sedgewick should advance upon Fredericksburg and drive Early from his position, ^ he would have it in his power to fall u[)on General Lee's rear, ^ while Hooker could advance upon the latter from Chanceilors- 1 ville, and between such forces the Southern army would be 1. crushed. Therefore, General Lee determined to [)revent this by ^ acting immediately. The withdrawal of Hooker to Chancellors- ville, convinced him that the Federal commander expected to be [ attacked there, and he resolved that he should not be disa[)pointed. L The phin adopted by General Lee was proposed by General L Jackson. It was as follows : — General Lee, with the divisions of . McLawsand Anderson was to keep Hooker em[)loyed during the I next day, by threatening demonstrations against his front, while •, Jackson was to move with his corps around the Federal right I wing, and by a sudden attack in that quarter double it up upon Hooker's centre, take his line in reverse, and cut him off from United States Ford, his line of retreat. The [)lan was bold and brilliant, worthy alike of the great soldier whose last conception lit was, and of the greater general who accepted it. On the morning of Saturday, May 2d, General Lee com • menced his demonstrations on the Federal left, first assailing Couch's corps, then Slocum's in the centre, and gradually ex- tending his attack from left to right, and so completely conceal- ing his design that General Hooker was fully eatisfied that tht- iConfederate commander really intended to make the move h** .348 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE wished — namely, a direct attack upon the intrenched position of his powerful army. Meanwhile General Jackson, with his tried veterans, twenty- two thousand in all, commenced his march at an early hour. AboTit a mile and a half from Chancellorsville, the col- umn left the plank road, and marched by the Old Mine road in the direction of the Furnace. The front and flanks of the col- umn were guarded by the cavalry under General Stuart. Upon reaching the Furnace, tlie 23d Georgia, Colonel Best, was thrown out to guard the road leadnig toward Chancellorsville, and the column pushed on. It had been designed to keep the march secret from the en- emy, but at this point it was discovered by Geneial Sickles, whose position commanded a view of the road over a hill near the Furnace. This road, however, makes a sudden bend to the southward near this hill, so that when Sickles saw Jackson's column filmg oif in that direction, he supposed the Confederates were retreating towards liichmond. He immediately threw forw^ard two divisions to reconnoitre, and these, suddenly sur- rounding the 24th Georgia, after the column had gone by, cap- tured nearly the entire regiment. General Sickles telegra[)hed the result of his movement to General Hooker, and the latter was so firmly convinced that Lee was withdrawing, that he wrote to General Sedgwick, " We know the enemy is flying, trying to save his trains ; two of Sickles' divisions are among them."* These same divisions, strengthened by Pleasanton's cavalry, and two brigades of infantry, one of which was taken from the Federal right, about the same time made an attack on the trains of Jackson's corps, but were driven back to their main line at Chancellorsville by the fire of Brown's artillery. After this the column continued its march unmolested. The * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 284. CHANCELLORSVILLE. 349 progress was slow, for tlie troops had great difficulty in moving throu'di the wild country, and the narrow road was unsuited to the passage of artillery. Reaching the Brock road, General Jackson turned into it, and foHowed it until he arrived at the point where it intersects the Orange [)lank road, not fur from the Federal right flank. Here General FItz Lee pointed out a hill to him and told him that from it he could see the whole Fedend positit)n. A.^cending the hill, he quickly reconnoitered die enemy's line, and then, turning to one of his aids, di- rected him to order the column to cross the plank road, by which movement they would gain the turn[)ike, and come di- rectly in the rear of the Federal works.* The turnpike was reached about five o'clock in the afternoon, and the enemy's line was completely turned. General Jackson at once issued orders to prepare tlie troops for action. The line was quickly formed, llodes' division was deployed in line of battle, on the left of the turnj)ike, followed by A. P. Hill'a and Colston's, the last two, with the artillery, moving along the road in column. The skirmish line was thrown for- ward about four hundred yards in advance, and between this r line and Rodes' infantry were tn^o guns of the Stuart horse ar- tillery, under Captain Breathed. Jackson's intention was to advance by the turnpike, which [ led directly to the rear of the Federal works, extending his line |s rajtidly to the left, in the direction of the Rappahannock, by which he would drive the right wing of the enemy back upon ;t Chancellorsville, and get possession of the road to United IJ States Ford. In order to accomplish this his command would 1 have to penetrate the depths of the Wilderness, yet this was I tut a slight matter in his and their estimation. 1: The reader will remember that the Federal right wing con- • Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 413. t)50 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. sisted of Howard's (formerly Slgel's) corps. It was strongly posted across the turnpike, and defended by a series of well constructed earthworks. At a quarter past five o'clock, General Jackson ordered Gen- eral Rodes to advance and attack the enemy. The men rushed forward with cheers, aiming straight at the flank of the right wing. Breathed's two guns opened a rapid fire, gallop- ing in advance of the infantry, until the works were reached. Emerging from the woods, Jackson's men dashed upon the breastworks, driving before them the advanced forces of How- ard, who were quietly cooking their suppers when the attack was made. Reaching the intrenchments they stormed them, in spite of the feeble resistance of the astonished Federals. Cols- ton's division, following rapidly, caught up with Rodes' line, and entered the Federal works with it. Colonel Crutchfield, Jackson's Chief of Artillery, now hur- ried his batteries to the front, and opened a hot fire upon the enemy's works at Chancellorsville. The infantry moved fur- ward steadily, drivinsj back division after division, until the whole 11th corps was flying in utter rout. General Jackson led his troops in person. "Those who saw him declare that he seemed carried away by the excitement of the moment. He leaned forward on his horse, extending his arm far in front, as though he wished ' to push the men for- ward,' and his voice was heard exclaiming, ' Press forward ! press forward ! ' every few minutes during the entire attack. When not thus mastered by the ardor of battle, his right hand was raised aloft with that gesture now familiar to his men, as though he were praying to the God of battles for victory."* It was six o'clock when the first shot was fired, and for two hours Jackson's infantry drove th>' lltli (:of]).s steadily back upon the 12th, wliicli lu'lil tlu' centra. J>v eight o'rloi.-k the advance • Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 417. CHANCELLORSVILLE. 351 had been pressed to within half a mile of Hooker's headquar- ters, when, in the darkness, the Southern line became entaniiled in the heavy abatis of felled trees with which Hooker had fringed the works around Chancellorsville. Rodes' and Col- ston's men became mingled in the greatest confusion so that it was impossible for either officer to distinguish his command. To remedy this the troops were halted, .Rodes was directed to fall back and reform his men, and A. P. Hiil's division was placed in front in the room of the troops thus withdrawn. As the line halted the Federal batteries opened from the cleared ground around Chancellorsville, which about this time presented a scene of the wildest confusion. The panic stricken sblditrs of the 11th corps rushed back upon their centre as Jackson's infantry swept down upon them. As the terror spread, men, horses, cannon, wagons, and ambu- f lances became mingled in one frightful mass, which sped across- \i the clearing ai'ound Chancellorsville with the foi*ce of a whirl- 1^ wind — all aiming straight for the Rappahannock. Officers , " tried in vain, by threats, entreaties and blows, to stay the fugi- ives. They were deaf to everything. For a moment it seemed I that the career of Hooker's army was ended, but just at this jj .time the Southern advance was checked by the accident I have [ mentioned. But for this, Jackson would have slept that night at !» Chancellorsville, and his valuable life would have been spared to the country. Hooker was quick to take advantage of the pause. Opening with every gun he could collect at the moment, twenty-two in J all, upon the woods held by the Confederates, he endeavored to form his troops to resist the attack. Leading his old division forward in person, he became for the moment once more the impetuous soldier that had won such admiration even from hi» enemies. He posted this division at the edge of the clearing directly in Jackson's front, and awaited a renewal of the attack. 352 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Fresh artillery was brought up and fifty pieces were soon sweep- ing the woods with an iron hail. It was ten o'clock, and the moon had risen, lighting up the woods with a ghostly glimmer which paled before the fierce glare of the cannonade. Late as it was. General Jackson determined to renew the attack and get possession of the road to United States F()rd. As his troops were forming fjr the assault, he became so anxious to ascertain the exact state of affairs in his front, that he rode forward to reconnoitre, jrivinf^ orders to his men not to fire, unless cavah*y approached from the direction of the enemy. lie was accompanied by two of his staff, about half a dozen couriers , and two men of the signal cor[)S. Unfortunately, although the enemy were scarcely more than two hundred yards distant, no pickets had been established, and General Jackson found himself considerably beyond his lines, with nothing between him and the enemy. Had this important duty been performed, the sad results of this reconnois- san-^e would been avoided.* As he finished his inspection General Jackson directed one of his staff to go back and order General A. P. Hill to advance. As he rode back to his lines, without giving any warning to his men, who had been ordered to look out for Federal cavalry, he was fired upon by a brigade of his own troops, and severely wounded, twice in the left arm, and once in the right hand. His whole escort, with the exception of two persons, were killed, wounded, or dismounted.! The scene which ensued was agonizing beyond description. General .Jackson was assisted from his horse by the survivors of the fatal volley, almost too weak, from loss of blood, to 'Stand, and tenderly laid in the shelter of the trees by the road- * Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 419. t Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 420. CHANCELLORSVILLE. 353 eide. A messenger was despatched for a surgeon and an am- bulance, [.)ut before these arrived, General Hill, who had also been exposed to the fire, came up, having succeeded in checking it. He was made acquainted with the calamity that had be- fallen the army, and in.structed to assume the command of the corps. In a kw minutes General Hill repaired to his post, and shortly afterwards it was reported that the enemy were advancing, and were within only one hundred yards of the spot where the wounded General lay. An effort was now made to assist him back to his lines, and, supported by two of his offi- cers, one of whom had just come u[), he walked slowly back, under a fearful fire of artillery which was suddenly opened from the enemy's batteries. On the way he passed his troops who were in motion to check the advance of the enemy, and every I effort was made to prevent the men from learning who he was. ft His escort of officers, however, excited the curiosity of the r troops who repeatedly asked who was wounded. The answer p was invai'iably, " a Confederate officer," but one of his old vet- erans recognized him as he walked bareheaded in the moon- ■ light, and, with a cry of anguish, exclaimed, " Great God ; that ^ is General Jackson!"* Durini; this time Jackson had not been able to draoc himself f twenty steps. He was so exhausted that his officers procured ■ a litter for him, but had not gone far before their path was '* swept by a shower of grape and canister from the Federal bat- teries. One of the litter-bearers was shot through both arms, and the litter was placed on the ground. For several min- utes the firing was teriffic, forcing the entir*i pirty to throw themselves down on the ground for safety. A'* soon as the fire li of canister veered around, another effijrt was made to convey ^' the General to a place of safety, and at last he was placed in * Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 425. 45 354 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. an ambulance, and conveyed to Melzl Chancellor's house, where he received surgical attention.* The firing to which General Jackson had been exposed did great execution in the Southern ranks, wounding, among others, General A. P. Hill, who was compelled to relinquish the com- mand of the corps to General Stuart, who was called away from his cavalry for this purpose. Nothing further occurred during the nighr, which was passed by both armies in preparing for a renewal of the battle the next day. During the niglit, the 1st corps, under General Reynolds, which had been withdrawn from before Fredericksburg, reached Chancellorsvillo^ thus supplying the place of the 11th, which had been driven practically from the field. This left Sedgwick his own corps, twenty-two thousand strong, and, seeing the danger which threatened his army. General Hooker ordered Sedgwick to attack and carry the heights back of Fredericks- burg at once, a-'d move by the plank road to Chancellorsville, destroying any force in his way. He was directed to be at Chancellorsville at daylight the next morning, — Sunday, May 3d.t As soon as General Jackson was conveyed to the rear, after being wounded, he despatched a note to General Lee, inform- ing him of his misfortune. The messenger who bore the sad tidings reached General Lee's headquarters about four o'clock on Sunday morning, and found the Commander-in-Chief rest- ing upon a bed of straw. When he heard of General Jack- son's misfortune. General Lee exclaimed with emotion, "Thank God it is no worse ! God be praised he is still alive ! " Then he added, " Any victory is a dear one that deprives us of the services of Jackson, even for a short time." The t»fficer remarked that he believed it was General Jack- * Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, pp. 426, 427, 428, t Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 29L CHANCELLORSVILLE. • 355 son's intention to have pressed the enemy on Sunday, had he been spared. General Lee said quietly, " These people shall be pressed to-day." Rising and dressing, he partook of his simple meal of ham and crackers, and prepared to set out for the field. Later in the day he sent to General Jackson the noble letter of sympathy which proved so comforting to the wounded hero : — "General: *' I have just received your note informing me that you were wounded. I cannot express my regret at the occurrence. Could I have directed events, I should have chosen, for the good of the country, to have been disabled in your stead. I congratulate you upon the victory which is due to your skill and energy."* General Stuart, after taking command of Jackson's corps, decided not to risk a night attack, as the ground was new to him, and the troops were in some confusion, but made his dis- positions to renew the battle at dajdight. The corps was formed in three lines, Hill's division constituting the first, Cols- ton's the second, and Rodes' the third. The loss of their old commander had become known to the men, but instead of dis- heartening them, as had been feared, it seemed to fill them with fury. * The affectionate admiration with which the great commander of the Sonth regarded Jackson, was fully reciprocated by the latter, who once said to a friend, in speaking of his Commander-in-Chief: "General Lee is not slow. No one knows the weight upon his heart, — his great responsibilities. He is Commander-in-Chief, and he knows that if an army is lost it cannot be re- placed. No! there may be some persons whose good opinion of me will make tliem attach some weight to my views ; and if you ever hear that said of Gen- eral Lee, I beg you will contradict it in my name. I have known General Lee for five and twenty years ; he is cautious ; he ought to be. But he is not ' slow.' Lee is a phenomenon. He is the only man whom I would follow V'lindfoldl " — CooWs Life of Stonewall Jackson, pp. 211, 212. 356 . LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. At sunrise Stuart opened liis attack, his Infantry advanc- ing steadily upon the enemy's vvDrks, less than half a mile distant. With the shout, " Charge, and remember Jack- son ! " the men moved forward, and were soon hotly engaged with the enemy. As he brought his troops into action, Stuart saw that the ridge which had been occupied the day before by the 11th corps, afforded a fine position for artillery. Seizing it at once, he brou2:ht up thirty pieces, and opened them on the enemy's centre, inflicting heavy damage upon the troops massed there.* The enemy resisted stubbornly, and with the hope of check- ing Stuart's advance, assailed his left with great vigor. Cols- ton's division was hurried to the left, and was soon followed by every available regiment. The anmiunition of a large part of the command now gave out, owing to its having been used in the action of the previous night, and, as the enemy pressed heavily upon the Southern left, it seemed that Hooker would yet recover his lost honor. The troo{)3 were ordered to hold their ground with the bayonet, if necessary. A gallant stand was made, and the enemy were checked and beaten back. General Lee had not been Idle. While Stuart was bearing down upon the Federal right, he was pressing the left and cen- tre heavily with the divisions of Anderson and McLaws, moving gradually towards the right to unite with the t^econd corps. Anderson's division was on his left, and this forcing back the Federal centre slowly formed a connection with Stuart by a ihin line, just as the latter had re[)ulsed the attack on his left. The army was now united, and General Lee gave the order to storm the Federal works around Chancellorsville. The whole line advanced with vigor, and after a stubborn fight captured the works. The enemy rallied, and the Confed- erates were driven back. A second time the works were won * General Stuart's Report. CHANCELLORSVILLE. 3.57 ai.d lost, and a third attempt met the same fiite. The fire of tlie Southern artillery was redoubled, and the infantry swept forward in their fourth charge, over the dead and the dying, into the captured works, driving the' enemy furiously towards the river, and at ten o'ch)ck the Confederate flag floated in triumph over Chancellorsville. * The scene was horrible at this moment. The woods, whi(rh were full of wounded, had been set on fire by the shells, and the fierce flatnes were roaring around the helpless sufferers, many of whom perished in this terrible manner. The Chan- cellor.-ville house was in a bright blaze, and the clearing was full of smoke and fire. The shouts of the combatants, the crash of musketry, the heavy discharges of artillery, and the fierce crackling of the flames, all gave a wild and terrible gran- deur to the scene, such as is seldom witnessed, even on a bat- tle-field. As if in anticipation of his defeat, General Hooker had caused to be constructed on the night of the 2d, a strongly intrenched line in the rear of his first position. This new line covered the United States Ford. It was located in an angle formed by the Rappahannock and Rapidan, the right resting on the latter, and the left on the former river. It was heavily fortified, and the corps of Meade and Reynolds, which had been held in reserve during the battle, were formed in it to cover the withdrawal of the army into this place of refuge. In spite of the strength of this line. General Lee resolved to attack it, and drive Hooker across the river. Accordingly he formed his army along the plank road, with his centre at Chan- cellorsville, and late in the afternoon was on the point of a^'dcr- ing an advance, when he was brought to a sudden pause by the news that Sedy-wick was marching against him from Fred- ericksburg, having defeated General Early. f • General Lee's Report. t G'-neral Lee sent the following dispatch to Richmond on Sunday night' 358 LIFE OF GENEUAL LEE. IV. MARYE'S AND SALEM nEIGHTS. General Sedgwick received General Hooker's order to ad- vance to his assistance, about midnight on Saturday. Pie at once left his position, three miles below Fredericksburg, and marching his corps by the flank, occupied the town about three o'clock on Sunday morning, skirmishing nearly all the way with a small Confederate force which retired before iiira. Shortly before daylight he threw forward a detachment to seize the works held by Early's command. This attack was promptly repulsed, and General Sedgwick ordered Gibbon's division of Couch's cor[)s, which had been left to hold Fahuouth, to cross the river, and join him. This gave him a force of not less than twenty-two thousand men. The reader will remember that when General Lee moved from his position on the Heights of Fredericksburg, he left them in charge of General Early, who had under him his own division, and Barksdale brigade of Mississippians, of McLaws' "MILFORD, May 3 1863. 'To Prbsidknt Davis: " Yesterday General Jackson penetrated to the rear of the enemy and drove him from all his positions from the Wilderness to witiiin one mile of Chan- cellorsville. He was engaged at the same time in front hy two of Longstreet's divisions. Many prisoners were taken, and the enemy's loss in killed and wounded is large. This morning the battle was renewed. He was dislodged from all his positions around Chancellorsville, and driven back towards tlie Rappahannock, over which he is now retreating. We have again to thank Almighty God for a great victory. I regret to state tliat Gen. Paxton was killed, General Jackson severely and Generals Heth and A. P. Hill slightly wounded. (Signed,) R. E. Lee, General Commanding." MARYE'S and SALEM HEIGHTS. 359 division. This command was assigned the duty of holding the position of the entire army, and it was now menaced by a force ahnost four times its own strength. The point at which the principal attack of the enemy was to be directed was Marye's Hill, just in rear of the town. This was naturally the strongest part of the Confederate line, and was made much stronger by powerful earthworks. The force charged with the defence of this position consisted of one regiment and three companies of infantry, and one battery of the Washington Artillery, the remainder of Barksda.^'s brigade being disposed along the heights between Marye's Ilill, and Taylor's on the left, and Howison's on the right, where the left of General Early's own division rested. The line which liarks- dale thus had to defend was about three miles in length.* Sev- eral batteries under General Pendleton, were posted on Tay- lor's and Howison's Hills. As soon as Early was informed of Sedgwick's movements, he sent Hays' brigade to reenforce Barksdale, who posted it on the right of the 13th Mississippi, near Lee's Hill. About eight o'clock on the morning of Sunday, May 3d, General Sedgwick moved a strong column towards Hamilton's Crossing for the purpose of turning Early's right, and forcing him to withdraw from the heights- This attack was sueedily repulsed. f About the same time an effort was made to get possession of Taylor's Hill, the extreme left of the Southern line. Just as the attack began, General Hays with four of his regiments arrived to reenforce that flank, and the enemy were repulsed. As they were retiring, General Wilcox, who had been guarding Banks' Ford, arrived on the left with three regi- ments of his brijiade. About eleven o'clock, Sedgwick threw forward a strong • Letter from General Barksdale. — Richmond Dispatch, May 31, 1863 t General Lee's Report. 360 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. column against Marye's Hill, which, tlie reader will remember, was defentletl by less than a thousand men. Moving on quickly in the face of a heavy fire from the Mississippians and the four guns of the Washington Light Artillery, the Federals reached the work, and leaped in among the defenders. Here a sav- age hand-to-hand fight was made for the hill, the JNIississippians clubbing their rifles, and endeavoring with desperate resolution to hold the works. The enemy were too strong, the Mississip- plans, after an lieroio struggle, were driven back, and the Fed- erals gained complete possession of the hill. The Mississippi- ans lost several hundred men, taken prisoners, and a number killed and wounded, and the company of artillery, with its guns, was captured by the enemy. Simultaneously the ridge below the town was stormed and carried by Howe's division, and by noon the entire range which General Lee had held during the battle of the loth of Decem- ber, was in Sedgwick's hands. Early fell back to the south- ward, across the telegraph road, leaving the way to Chancellors- ville open to the enemy, who, in obedience to Hooker's orders, set off at once in that direction. Barksdale and Wilcox, having been cut off from the main body under Early by the loss of Marye's Hill, fell back in the direction of Salem Heights, the ridge which Hooker had abandoned on Friday afternoon. Sedgwick's advance was by the same road along which they were retreating, and as he pressed on, these gallant officers, appreciating the importance of retarding his march as long as possible, moved back slowly, contesting the road obstinately. This was the news which reached General Lee just as he was about to order an advance upon Hooker's new line, on Sunday afternoon. In the moment of victory, his danger was greater than it had been at any previous time. Yet Lee was equal to any emergency, and the course upon which he Immediately re- MARYE'S and SALEM HEIGHTS. 3G1 solved, was one which -in itself is sufficient to establish his fame as a great commander. He determined to leave a part of his little army to hold Hooker in check, and turn with the rest ujjon Sed";wick and drive him back over the Kappahannock. Having done this, he would renew the attack upon Hooker and force him back over the Rappahannock or destroy him. Sedgwi-ck was rapidly nearing Salem Heights, which, if reached, would enable him to command the position of General Lee, and it was necessary to act at once. Leaving Jackson's corps, under Stuart, to take care of Hooker, General Lee marched on Sunday afternoon with the division of McLaws and Mahone's brigade of Anderson's divi- sion to the assistance of Wilcox and Barksdale. Moving with great rapidity, he reached Salem Heights about four o'clock in the afternoon. His arrival was timely. Wilcox was gallantly holding the crest at Salem Chapel with his own and Barksdale's brigade, but this force was too small to accomplish much — being in all about two thousand men against hear twenty-two- thousand. ^IcLaws' division was in the advance, and was at once ordered to form on the right and left of Wilcox ; but before this could be done, Sedgwick made a vigorous attack with two of his divisions, gained the crest, and swept the South- ern line with the fire of his magnificent batteries. His success was brief, however, for Lee formed his line quickly, and drove the enemy back from the heights into the woods. Night put an end to the battle. General Sedgwick's progress was checked, and what he had accomplished during the day had been gained at a loss of four thousand nine hundred and twenty-five men. Monday morning, May 4th, found the forces still confronting each other. In order to finish Sedgwick, General Lee ordered the remainder of Anderson's division (three brigades) from Chancellorsville. This force reached him about noon, and he at once directed General Anderson to turn Sedgwick's left, and 46 ■362 LIFE OF GENKRAL LEE. cut him off from the river. Soflgwiek's. force was now about eighteen thousand, while Lee had about fourteen thousand in all with him, Jackson's whole corps being in front of Hooker. Anderson commenced his movement promptly, but meeting considerable delay in getting into position, was not ready for action until late in the afternoon. At six o'clock General Lee opened his attack, pressing Sedgwick with great vigor, and gra- dually forcing back his left. The Federals resisted stubbornly, but the Confederates moved steadily onward. Unfortunately for the latter army darkness closed over the conflict just as the Federal left was giving way and the retreat of the enemy was about to be cut off. Taking advantage of the darkness. Gen- eral Sedgwick withdrew his corps during the night, and retired across the Rappahannock at Banks' Ford, where he had laid a ponton bridge the day before. The Confederates followed closely, and Sedgwick had barely time to cross his troops and trains when Lee opened on him with his artillery. Fredericksburg was immediately reoccupied by Early's division, the small Fed- eral force left on the heights being quickly driven over the river.* Tuesday morning. May 5th, found General Lee on his way * The victory over Sedgwick was announced to the Government in the 'following dispatch : " Headquabtees, 10 o'clock A. M., May 5, 1863. "To His KxcEirLENCT President Davis: " At the cluse of the battle of Chancellorsville, on Sundny, the enemy was reported advancing from Fredericksburg in our rear, — General McLaws was sent back to arrest his progress, and repulsed him handsomely that afternoon. " Learning that this force consisted of the corps under General Sedgwick, I determined to attack it, and marched back yesterday with General Anderson, and uniting with McLaws and Early in the afternoon succeeded, by the bless- ing of Heaven, in driving General Sedgwick over the river. " We have reoccupied Fredericksburg, and no enemy remains south of the Rappahannock in its vicinity. (Signed,) R, E. Lee, General." MAUYE'S and SALEM HEIGHTS. 363 •to dispose of Hooker. lie had relieved his rear from the ■danger with which Sedgwick had threatened it, and now he was about to strike the i-emaining portion of " the finest army on the phmet" a bhow which shouhl end the campaign. During the afternoon he returned to Chancellorsville with Anderson's and McLaws' divisions, and commenied to make arrangements for an advance of his forces at dayliglit on Wednesday morn- ing. This attack was not to be made. The defeat of his arm} had completely vanquished General Hooker, and on Monday ni'^ht, when it was certain that Sedgwick had been driven back, he determined to recross the river, and his engineers were in- structed to prepare a new line to cover the crossing. Tliis they constructed from the Rappahannock at Scott's Dam to near the mouth of Hunting Creek on the Rapidan.* On Tuesday after- noon a severe storm set in, swelling the Rappahannock to such a stage that it seemed that the bridges of the Federal army would be swept away. Towards dark Hooker commenced to send his artillery across the river, and during the night passed over with his entire army and trains. At davliuht on the morning of the 6th, the Confederates advanced upon the enemy's works, and as the skirmish line reached them the flight of the Federal army was discovered. The campaign was ended, and the Confederates were victorious, at all points, f ♦Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 301. t The next day General Lee telegrap\ied the result to President Davis : " Chancellorsviixe, May 7, 1863. "To His Excellency. President Davis: — "After driving General Sedgwick across the Rappahannock, on the night of the 4th inst., I returned on the 5th, to Chancellorsville. The march was delayed by a storm, which continued all night and the following day. Id placing the troops in position on the morning of the 6th, to attack General Hooker, it was ascertained he had abandoned his fortified position. The line 3(Ji LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. The Confederate loss in the battles was severe. Out of an army of less than fifty thousand, ten thousand two hundred and eighty-one were killed, wounded, and captured. The enemv were still more unfortunate. Their loss in killed, wounded, and captured was seventeen thousand one hundred and ninct}-- scven — of which five thousand, exclusive of the wounded, who fell into the hands of the victors, were prisoners. Four- teen pieces of cannon, nineteen thousand five hundred stand of arms, seventeen standards and a quantity of anmiunition were captured by the Confederates. The campaign had been well fought, and brilliantly con- ducted, but it was dearly won at the cost of the valuable life of General Jackson, who died on Sunday May 10th. f His remains were carried to Richmond where they received all the of skirmishers was pressed forward until- they catue within range of the enemy's batteries, planted north of the Rapj)ahannock, which, from the con- figuration of the ground, completely commanded this side. His aroij, there- fore, escaped with the loss of a few additional prisoners. (^Signed,) R. E. Lee, General." fThe wounding and death of this grealt soldier belong properly to anotlier narration, and have been of necessity passed by hurriedly in these pages. General Lee informed the army of its loss in the following order : " HEADgUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, May 11, 1863. ■"GENERAL OUDER, No. 61. "With deep grief the Commanding General announces to the army the death of Lieutenant General T. J. Jackson, who expired on the 10th inst., at quarter past 3 p. m. The daring, skill, and energy of this great and good soldier, by the decree of an All Wise Providence, are now lost to us. But while we mourn his death we feel that his spirit still lives, and will inspire the whole army with his indomitable courage, and unshaken confidence in God as .)ur hope and strength. Let his name be a watchword to his corps who have followed 'him to victory on so many fields. Let his officers and soldiers emu- late his invincible determination to do everything in the defence of ouj beloTed^ountry. R. E. Lee, General." MARYE'S and SALEM HEIGHTS.' 3G5 honors a mourning nation could pay, and were afterwards escorted to the spot he had chosen for his hist resting-place, in Lexington, in the Valley of Virginia. General Lee issued the following address to his army upon the close of the campaign. " Headquarters Armt Northern Virginia, May 7, 1863. " GENERAL ORDER, No. 6. " With heartfelt gratification the General Commanding ex- presses to the army his sense of the heroic conduct displayed by oflScers and men during the arduous operations in which they have just been engaged. " Under trying vicissitudes of heat and storm you attacked the enemy, sti'ongly intrenched in the depths of a tangled wilder- ness, and again on the hills of Fredericksburg, fifteen miles distant, and by the valor that has triumphed on so many fields, forced him once more to seek safety beyond the Rappahannock. While this glorious victory entitles you to the praise and grati- tude of the nation, we are especially called upon to return our grateful thanks to the only Giver of victory, for the signal deliverance He has wrought. " It is therefore earnestly recommended that the troops unite on Sunday next, in ascribing unto the Lord of hosts the glory due unto His name. " Let us not forget, in our rejoicing, the brave soldiers who have fallen in defence of their country ; and, while we mourn their loss, let us resolve to emulate their noble example. *'The army and the countiy alike lament the absence for a time of one to whose bravery, energy and skill they are so much indebted for success. " The following letter from the President of the Confederate <5tates is communicated to the army as an expression of his appreciation of their success : 366 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. " ' I have received your dispatch, and reverently unite with you in giving praise to God for the success with which He has crowned our arms. In the name of the people, I offer my cor- dial thanks to yourself and the troops under your command, for this addition to the unprecedented series of great victories Wiiich our army has achieved. The universal rejoicing pro- duced by this happy result will be mingled with a general regret for the good and the brave who are numbered among the killed and the wounded.' E. E. Lee, General" The cavalry column which General Hooker sent out to oper- ate on General Lee's communications, did not accomplish much as fiir as it was designed to injure the Southern army. The damage done to the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad was repaired in two days, and the James River Canal was saved from injury.* The only mounted force which the Confederates could oppose to Stoneman's entire column, was W. H. F. Lee's brigade of two regiments. Yet this weak force prevented the enemy from injuring the Canal, and induced them to retreat sooner than there was any real necessity for. Still, the Fed- eral cavalry destroyed a large amount of property, created con- siderable alarm in the country through which they moved, committed many outrages upon the people, and had they been bold enough to make a sudden dash into Richmond, — a part of their command were within three miles of the city — there is no doubt that the Southern Capital would have been captured. General Lee took advantage of this raid to urge upon the Government the necessity of bringing the cavalry from North Carolina and the Southern States, where they were accomplish- ing nothing, and assigning them to duty with his army. Long, before the enemy obtained control of the Mississippi River, he. ♦General Lee's Report. MARYE'S and SALEM HEIGHTS. 3(37 endeavored to persuade the Government to bring horses from Texas for the use of his array. His suggestions were unheeded at the time, and, in spite of the lesson taught by Stoneman, and the grave declaration of General Lee that if the cavalry force of his army was not strengthened, the Federals would be enabled to make raids anywhfro in the State without molesta- tion, the Government contiuayd to treat the cavalry with neg- lect. oH8 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. YIII. THE SECOND INVASIOX OF THE NORTH. June — July, 1863. I. PREPARATIONS FOR AN ADVANCE. The success of the Army of Northern Virginia was more than counterbalanced by the disasters which befell the Confed- erate arms in the West and Southwest. The army of General Bragg had suffered such a steady run of misfortune that the people of that section began to grow despondent. General Pemberton, by disregarding the orders of General Johnston, had allowed General Grant to shut him up in the city of Vicks- burg, and lay siege to the place. Port Pludson had also been beseiged, and affairs in the Trans-Mississippi Department were in a discouraging condition. Only in Virginia had any suc- cesses been gained. The Confederate Government naturally desired to put an end to this state of things, and it was evident that it must adopt some decided measure if it wished to accomplish anything. At first the desiijn of the Government seemed to be to reduce the army in Virginia to a strict defensive, and send a portion of it to Mississippi, with the hope of forcing Grant to raise the siege ©f Vicksburg. Between the 10th and the 14th of May, the PREPARATIONS FOR AN ADVANCE. 369 Secretary of AYar requested General Lee to send Pickett's division on this expedition. The folly of such a course at once presented itself to General Lee, and he protested against it, declaring that in his opinion the measure was a doubtful and d:inposed his corps to prevent Sedg- wick's advance, and informed General Lee of the movement ; but as it was evident, from the nature of Sedgwick's opera- tions, that he had crossed the river merely for purposes of ob- servation, General Lee allowed Longstrcet and Ewell to pro- ceed on their march,* and on the 8th these forces were concen- trated at Culpepper Court House, to which point, the cavalry, under General Stuart, had been sent a short time previous to the commencement of the movement. General Sedgwick's reconnoissance did not satisfy General Hooker, and as the latter was informed that Stuart was mass- ing his cavalry at Culpepper Court House, he determined to send all the Federal cavalry, supported by about three thou- sand infantry, to break up Stuart's camp. To this end, on the 9th of June, General Fleasanton, who had succeeded General Stoneman, crossed the Rappahannock at Kelley's and Bever- ley's fords, with two divisions of cavalry, supported by two carefully selected brigades of infantry, and moved by converg- ing roads upon Cul[)epper Court House. General Stuart, however, had left the Court House, and had moved his com- mand to Brandy Station, in order to place himself on the flank of the army, and cover its movement in the advance north- ward. General William E. Jones' brigade was thrown out towards the Rappahannock, with its pickets at Beverley's Ford. About five o'clock, on the morning of the 9th, the column of General Buford drove in Jones' pickets at Beverley's Ford, and crossed the river, while the remainder of the expedition, under General ♦ General Lee's Report. THE MARCH Tu THE POTOMAC. 373 Gresor, moved to Kelley's Ford. Advancing through the woodt*, the Federals encountered Jones' brigade drawn up to resi.st their advance. An attack was immediately made upon General Jones, who resi>tc(l stttutly until the arrival of W. H. F. Lee's and Wade I lampion's brigades, when the battle be- came fierce and obstinate. As the enemy were reported to be moving on Kelley's Ford, also, General Stuart t-ent Robertson's brigade in that direction about the same time the advance of Buford's column was made known. The Federal force at this point was the column of General Gregg. Gregg crossed the river early in the morn- ing, and drove back Kobert.-on's brigade to Brandy Station, where the latter made a vigorous stand, but was compelled to withdraw from Fleetwood Heightfj, leaving them in possession of the enemy. Information of this reached General Stuart while he was en- ffao-ed with Buford in front of Beverly's Ford. Leavincc Lee's brigade to hold the enemy in check, he moved back with Hamp- ton's and Jones' brigades to Robertson's assistance. The fight- ing at the two points of collision was severe, and continued until late in the afternoon, when the enemy were driven at all points, and forced to recross the river with a loss of four hun- dred prisoners, besides their killed and wounded, which amount- ed to several hundred, three pieces of artillery and several colors. Stuart's loss was about five hundred, including General W. H. F. Lee, wounded.* * General Lee's Report of " the Pennsylvania campaign." General Lee sent the following dispatch to Richmond, announcing General Stuart's victory "CCLPEPPER, June 9, 18G3. To CeKEQAL 8. COOPER: " The enemy crossed the Rappahannock this morning at 5 o'clock a. ji., at the various fords from Beverly to Kelley's, with a large force of cavalry, accom- panied by infantry and artillery. After a severe contest till 5, p. m., General Stuart drove them across the rivor. R. E. Lee." 374 LIFE OF GENERAL LKE. This engagement revealed to General Hooker the presence of a much larger force in Culpepper than he had supposed, and to avert the blow which he supposed would be struck at his rear, he moved the 3d corps of his army, on the 11th of June, to Rap- pahannock Station and Beverley Ford, and post'^.d his cavalry along the upper waters of the Rappahannock. He wns still completely at a loss to divine Lee's object, and supposed that the movements of the Confederates were directed agaipst his communications with Washington. Thus impressed, he turned his whole attention to guarding the line of the Rappahannock, and protecting himself against such a disaster as befell Poue in the summer of 1862. Having thus succeeded in throwing his adversary off the scent, General Lee put his army in motion for the border. General Imboden's command had been directed to make a demonstration upon Romney, and to destroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, in order to draw attention from Ewell's movements, and prevent the enemy from sending any of their troops stationed on that railroad to the assistance of the garrison of Winchester. Gen- eral Jenkins, with his cavalry brigade, was placed under General Ewell's orders for the purpose of cooperating with the 2nd corps in the advance into the Valley.* On the 10th of June, General Ewell left Culpepper Court House, and marched northward. Passing through Little Wash- ington, and moving with the utmost rapidity, he entered the Valley, and crossed the Shenandoah River at Front Royal. The roads leading to the Lower Valley had been strongly guard- ed by the cavalry of General Jenkins, whose pickets extended to within twelve miles of Winchester, so that no information Oi" the movement could reach the enemy at that place. Winchester was at this time held by about six thousand Federal troops under General Milroy, and a small force occr • General Lee's Eeport. THE MARCH TO THE POTOMAC. 375 pied Martinsburg. The people of the Valley had been for some time compelled to submit to the numerous and dastardly out- rages of this man, and they hailed with joy the prospect of getting rid of him. So fur had General Milroy proceeded in hit> brutality that the Confederate Government had been compelled to order its forces to refuse him the rights of a prisoner of war if captured by them. He far surpassed General Pope in his inhumanity, and had neither military skill nor courage to recom- mend him for the post he held. Upon reaching Front Royal, General Ewell detached Rodes' division, and dii-ected its commander to move I'apidly upon Berryville, dislodge or capture the Federal force there, and march upon Martinsburg, so as to cut off the enemy's retreat to the Potomac. Rodes at once set off, and Ewell, taking with him Johnson's and Early's divisions, hurried towards AVinches- ter. Reaching the vicinity of the town on the 13th, he drove the enemy into their works, and rapidly bringing his forces into position, invested the town. As it was difficult to obtain favor- able positions for his artillery on the hills which commanded the town. General Ewell spent all of the 13th in manoeuvring and posting his batteries. The town was strongly fortified, and it was thought that Milroy would endeavor to hold it, but as it was important to clear the Valley at once. General Ewell resolved to storm the works the next day. Accordingly on the 14th, the artillery of Early's division opened a heavy fire on the fortifications, soon silencing the Federal guns. Towards dark Early's infantry carried the retloubts by storm, capturing the greater part of the garrison. During the night, Milroy escaped with the remainder of iris command. The majority of these men were intercepted by Johnson's division, but the Fed- eral commander managed to reach Harper's Ferry with a hand- ful of men. Meanwhile General Rodes had executed his orders to the 376 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. letter. On the 13th he surprised the garrison of Berryville, capturing seven hundred men, and driving the remainder into Winchester. Pushing on, he ocou[)ied Martinsburg on the afternoon of the 14tli, capturing over two lumdred prisoners, several pieces of artillery, and a considerable quantity of ammu- nition and grain.* The movements of General Ewell took the enemy completely by surprise. They resulted in the freeing of the Valley from the presence of the enemy, the capture of Winchester and Martinsburg, with more than four thousand prisoners, twenty- nine pieces of artillery, two hundred and seventy wagons and ambulances, and a very large quantity of stores of various kinds. The Southern loss was small. The enthusiasm of the men was greatly increased by these successes. They saw that the mantle of their old commander had indeed fallen upon his successor, and they were also decidedly proud that in this advance they had sustained their old reputation for rapid movements by marching seventy miles in a little less than three days. General Ewell made a brief halt at AVinchester, and then pushed on to the Potomac to secure the crossings. The garri- son at Harper's Ferry retired to Maryland Heights, and the * The following are the bulletins announcing Ewell's success. "To His Excellency Jefpeeson Davis: " June 15, 18G3. — God has again crowneJ the valor of our troops with suc- cess. Early's division stormed the enemy's intrenchraents at Winchester, »;apturing their artillery, &c. R. E. Lee." " Culpepper Court House, ,Tuno 18, 1863. "Gektral S. Cooper, Adjutant ant> Inspector-General: *' General : On the afternoon of the 14th, General Kodes took possession of Martinsburg, capturing several pieces of artillery, more than two hundred prisoners, and a supply of ammunition and grain. " Our loss was one killed and two wounded. (Signed) R. E. Lee, General.*' THE MARCH TO THE POTOMAC. 377 Valley was once more entirely in the hands of the " F jot Cavalry." The telegraph conveyed to General Honker news of Ewell's movements, and convinced him that he had been deceived by •his wary antagonist. On the night of the 13th Sedgwick's Corps withdrew from A. P. Hill's front and recrossed the river, anil the next day tiie whole Federal army withdrew from the line of the l\a[)pahannock, taking the roads leading to Ma- nassas, and halting and intrenching in the neighborhood of Centreville. A. P. Hill was ordered from Fredericksburg to the Valley, and as soon as he was satisfied of the withdrawal of the enemy from fcJtatFord, he began his march. General Hooker was still under the impression that General Lee was aiming at his rear, and the position wliich he selected was chosen with a view of protecting his communications, and, at the same time, covering the Federal Capital. General Lee, who had with him only the corps of General Longstreet and the cavalry, kept a careful watch over the Federal army during its withdrawal from the Rappahannock, hoping for an opportunity to attack it. Had General Hooker followed the advice of General Halleck, who suggested the propriety of striking a blow at the " flank of the moving column*,"* he would have afforded the occasion for which the great Com- mander of the South so anxiously longed. Hooker, however, had too much good sense to expose his army in this way, and the desired opportunity was not afforded. Li order to draw the Federal army still farther from its base, and cover the march of A. P. Hill, who was now movinjr from Fredericksburg, Longstreet left Culpepper Court House on the 15th, and passing along the east side of the Blue Ridge, occu- pied Ashby's and Snicker's Gaps, and tiiis movement having • Report on the Conduct of the War. Second Series, vol. 1, p. 154- 48 OiQ LITE OF GENERAL LEE. succeeded in drawing Hooker away from Washington towards the mountains, A. P. Hill passed the Blue Ridge, entered the Valley, and took position at Winchester. Thus the masterly strategy of General Lee had in less than a fortnight drawn the Federal army away from the Rappahan- nock to the Upper Potomac, and planted the three corps of his own army in strong positions within supporting distance of each other, and from which they could command an easy entrance into tlie enemy's country without risk of being molested on their march by General Hooker. Still at a loss to divine his adversary's intentions, and anxious to learn the position of his forces, General Hooker threw for- ward his cavalry towards the Blue Ridge before which Stuart had disposed his troops to secure Longstreet's position. On the 17th of June, General Pleasanton encountered two brigades of Confederate cavalry, under Stuart, near Aldie, and was driven back with loss. The next day the enemy renewed the engage- ment, their cavalry being strongly supported by infantry, and Stuart was, in turn, driven back.* Becoming partially in- formed as to Lee's position. Hooker sent the 12th corps of his army to Leesburg, the 5th to Aldie, the 2d to Thoroughfare Gap. He moved forward cautiously, and then, as if realizing that he was manoeuvring precisely as his adversary desired, confined himself to covering the Capital, and waited till Gen- eral Lee should fully disclose his designs. f This was soon done, for the advance of General Ewell into Pennsylvania had by this time rendered it necessary that Gen- eral Lee should move the rest of his army within supporting distance of Ewell. On the 24th of June, Longstreet and Hill crossed the Potomac, the former at Williamsport, the lat- ter at Shepherdstown. General Stuart was directed to re»/iaJn ♦ General Lee's Report. t Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 318. IN THE enemy's COUNTRY. 379 in Virginia, guard the passes of the mountains, observe the movements of the enemy, and impede and harass them as much as possible, should they attempt to cross the Potomac. As Boon as the Federal army entered Maryland, he was to pass the border, moving either east or west of the Blue Ridge, as ho should think best, and take his place on the right of General Lee's army as it advanced.* The absence of the cavalry during the march was severely felt by General Lee in the movementa which are to be described, and its presence might have produced a different result. III. IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. I have stated that the command of General Iraboden was or- dered to operate against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. He moved rapidly, and succeeded in destroying the road at impor- tant points, and on the 17th of June captured the city of Cum- berland, Maryland. General Jenkins' cavalry, after the investment of Winches- ter, were ordered by General Ewell to proceed at once to Penn- sylvania for the purpose of collecting supplies. They were pre- ceded by a part of Milroy's wagon trains, which had escaped. The frightened teamsters lashed their horses furiously through the streets of Chambersburg, and informed the inhabitants that the "whole rebel army" would be in the town before night. That night, June 14th, General Jenkins and his brigade ar- rived. The inhabitants of the town were kindly treated, but as some of them had fired upon the cavalry, after the surrender of the place, General Jenkins resolved to disarm them, an'l ^r^ ♦' ♦ 1-^ • General Lee's Report. 380 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. morning of the 17th, required the citizens to surrender their arms. Some old muskets, sabres, and pistols, belonging to the Pennsylvania militia, were delivered to the Confederates by the citizens, together with a few s!ii»t guns which were the private property of the citizens. Tlie muskets, pistols, and sahics, were almost all worthless, and General Jenkins, after selecting such as could be used, destroyed the remainder, but returned the shot guns to the authorities of the place.* On the 17th, General Jenkins left the town, and returned to Vir<;inia, havinof collected during his stay in Pennsylvania, a large number of cattle and horses, and a quantity of provisions, which he sent back over the Potomac in safety. The moderation displayed by General Jenkins towards the people of Pennsylvania, de- serves all the more credit, when it is remembered that his residence had been destroyed and his family rendered homeless by the enemy. The appearance of Jenkins in the Cumberland Valley, to- gether with the presence of Lee's army on the Ui)per Potomac, threw the North into a fever of excitement. President Lincoln issued a proclamation calling upon the States of IVIaryland, Penn- sylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, to furnish one hundred thousand militia to serve for six months, " unless sooner dis- charged," to repel the invasion. Even as far north as the city of New York, the most intense excitement prevailed, and troops were organized for local defence. The Federal Government on the llth of June sent Major- General Couch to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, and gave him command of the Department of the Susquehanna. General Couch was an officer of great ability, but he was sent to command a department without troops for its defence. He issued an appeal to the Pennsylvanians to take up arms for the tlefence of their State, and Governor Curtin called on the mili- * New York Uerald, June 27, 1863. IN THE enemy's COUNTRY. 381 tia to come forward, but the call.-j produced only a liandfid of militia, and it was not until \ew York sent several of her regi- ments to Harrlsburg that General Couch was enabled to uiidi'r- take anything like a defence of his department. Then he confined liis efforts to the line of the Susquehanna, which lie proceeded to fortify. It was in the midst of this excitement, and while the Northern newspa])ers were threatening that Lee would find millions of men with arms in their hands ready to receive him, that General E^vell's corps began its advance. It crossed the Potomac at Shepherdstown and Williamsport on the 22nd of June, and moved by two columns on Plagerstown. Passing through this place. General Ewell entered Pennsylvania on the 23rd, and, advancing up the Cumberland Valley, occupied Chambersburg the same day. As he crossed the State line, a militia force was observed drawn up at some little distance. This formi- dable body consisted principally of well-to-do farmers mounted on fat, sleek nags. The artillery battalion of Major Latimer was advanced to meet them, and at the second shot the gallant horsemen wheeled and set off to the rear at full speed, followed by the derisive cheers of Swell's infantry. Strict orders were issued by General Lee, previous to the advance of the army, requiring the men to respect private prop- erty. The citizens of Maryland and Pennsylvania were in- formed that such supplies as the army needed would be pro- cured in the country, and paid for in Confederate money, at the prices prevailing before the entrance of the Confederate troops into the State. If they failed to bring in such supplies they would be seized, under authority : and any article neces- sary for the support of the army, if concealed, would be confis- cated upon discovery. Those who declined to receive Confed- erate money would be given receipts for all produce furnished. General Ewell followed this order, immediately upon his 382 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. arrival at Chambersburg, by requiring the citizens to suspend the sale of liquor during the occupation of the town, and to refrain from acts of hostility.* On the 27th of June the whole army was concentrated at Chambersburg. General Lee issued to his troops on that day an address commending them for the manner in which they had acted since their entrance into the North. " Headquarters Armt Northern Virginia, Chambersburg, Pa., June 27, 1863. •' GENERAL ORDER, No 73. " The Commanding General hajS observed with marked satis- faction the conduct of the troops on the march, and confidently aniicipates results commensurate with the high spirit they have manifested. No troops could have displayed greater fortitude or better performed the arduous marches of the past ten days. * T.he order referred to was as follows : "Hf. •njuAKTEES Second corps Akmt op Nokthern ViRcreiA, CUAMBERSBUBO, PA, Juno 23, 186.1. " 1st The sale of intoxioit/'ng liquors to this command, without a written permission from a Major General, is strictly prohibited. " 2d. Persons having liquor in their possession are required to report the fact to tht Provost MarslW, or nearest general officer, stating the amount and kind, that a guard may V'* placed over it, and the men prevented from getting it. " 3d. Any violation ^f paragraph one, of this order, or failure to comply with paragraph two will be punished by the immediate confiscation of all liquors in tlie possesion of the offending parties, besides rendering them and their property liaKe to seizure. "4th. CitizeJ>3 of the country through which the army may pass, who are not in the military service, are admonished to abstain from all acts of hostility, upon the penalty of being dealt with in a summary manner. A ready ac- quiescence in the demands of the military authorities will serve greatly to lessen the rigor of war. By command of Lieut.-Gen. R. S. Ewell."' A. S. Pendleton, A. A. Gen. IN THE enemy's COUNTRY. 383 Their conduct In other respects has, with few exceptions, been in keeping with their character as soldiers, and entitles them to approbation and praise. " There have, however, been instances of forgetfulness on tiie part of some, that they have in keeping the yet unsullied reputation of the army, and that the duties exacted of us by civilization and Christianity are not less obligatory in the country of the enemy than in our own. ** The Commanding General considers that no greater dis- grace could befall the army, and through it, our whole people, than the perpetration of the barbarous outrages upon the inno- cent and defenceless, and the wanton destruction of pi'ivate property, that have marked the course of the enemy in our own country. Such proceedings not only disgrace the perpetrators, and all connected with them, but are subversive of the discipline and efficiency of the army, and destructive of the ends of our present movements. It must be remembered that we make war only upon armed men, and that we cannot take vengeance for the wrongs our people have suffered, without lowering our- selves in the eyes of all whose abhorrence has been excited by the atrocities of our enemy, and offending against Him to whom vengeance belongeth, without whose fovor and support our efforts must all prove In vain. "The Commanding General, therefore, earnestly exhorts the troops to abstain, with most scrupulous care, from unnecessary or wanton injury to private property ; and he enjoins upon all officers to arrest and bring to summary punishment all who shall in any way offend against the orders on this subject. R. E. Lee, General." There were some few violations of these orders, but they were too few to require notice. The citizens were protected In their property and persons, and guards given to such us at^ked 384 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. for tbem. The fidelity with which these guards discharged their duty is well ^hown by a single instance — that of a trooper with a half-starved horse keeping watch over a rich wheat-field, and preventing his own horse from cropping the grain. The conchtct of tlie Confederate army in Pennsylvania furnishes a noble contrast to that of any portion of the Federal army in any part of the South. The absence of General Stuart and the cavalry was now felt to a greater degree than ever. Since crossing the Potomac nothing had .been heard of the Federal army, and for want ot cavalry no reliable information could be gained as to its prog- ress. In order to retain it on the east side of the Blue Ridge, and thus keep open his communications with the Valley of Vir- ginia, through Hagerstown and Williamsport, General Lee or- dered General Ewell to send a division east of South Mountain. Early's division was detached for this purpose, and proceeded as far east as York, while the remainder of Ewell's corps took the road to Carlisle.* Preparations were now made for an advance upon Harris- burg, and the army was about to move in that direction when its progress was arrested by the first reliable news that reached it, after passing the Potomac, concerning the progress of the Federal army. As soon as he was satisfied that General Lee had passed the border, General Hooker crossed the Potomac at Edwards' Fer- ry, on the 25th and 26th of June, and moved towards Fred- erick, a position of great importance, as it would enable him either to pass South Mountain and intercept Lee's communica- tions, or move northward toward the Susquehanna should Lee advance upon Harrisburg. General Hooker's design was to adopt the former plan, and plant his army upon Lee's line of retreat. For this purpose he advanced his left wing to Middle- * General Lee's Report. IN THE enemy's COUNTRY. 385 ton, and sent the 12th corps, under General Slocum, to Har- per's Ferry. He intended that tiie garrison of that post, eleven thousand strong, should unite with Slocum, and tiireaten Lee's rear by a movement towards Ciiambersburg.* This plan of taking away the garrison of Harper's Ferry, involved General Hooker in a quarrel with General Halleck, and on the 27th of June, Hooker requested to be relieved from the command of the army. His request was granted, and on the 28th he was succeeded by Major- General George G. Meade. The new commander was almost a stranger to the Northern people, though enjoying, to an unusual degree, the confidence of the army with which he had been identified since its organi- zation. He was an able, energetic, and cautious commander, who wei^fhed well the chances of success before committing himself to any undertaking. Though General Meade never rose to the height of a great soldier, he was a man who un- derstood his profession too thoroughly to fail to do honor to it, and his appointment was one of the wisest ever made by his Government, which also had the good sense to refrain from trammelling him with instructions to pursue any definite policy, leaving him to be guided by the necessities of the situation. General Meade found the army lying in the vicinity of Fred- erick City, with its left thrown out at Middleton. This was the situation of the Federal army when, on the night of the 29th of June, General Lee was informed that its advanced force was beyond Middleton, threatening to move over the mountains and assail his communications. Ewell was at York and Carlisle with his corps, and Stuart was still absent with the cavalry. To draw the enemy away from the Potomac, General Lee resulvcd to concentrate his army east of the mountains. Ac- cordingly Generals Longstreet and Hill were directed to move * Campaigns of the Army of the rotomac, pp. 321. 324. 49 386 LIFE OF OENEEAL LEE. from Chambersburg to Gettysburg, and General Ewell was re- called from York and Carlisle, and ordered to the same point. The march was conducted very leisurely, as the movements of the Federal army were unknown. Had Stuart been retained with the army, Lee would have been informed of his adver- sary's march, and would have hastened to occupy Gettysburg before Meade could reach it. Meanwhile General Stuart had hung upon the flanks and rear of the Federal army while it remained in Virginia, but he found it impossible to delay its march to any perceptible degree. On the 27th of June he occupied Fairfax Court House, captur- ing a quantity of stores. As he could not delay the enemy, however, he crossed the Potomac at Seneca Falls, and, mov- ing east of Meade's army, passed through Westminster, and reached Carlisle just after the departure of General Ewell for Gettysburg. The route he pursued prevented him from being of any service to General Lee until he reached Carlisle, as Meade's army was between him and his commander previous to his arrival at that point. Meanwhile General Meade had learned that General Lee was moving east of the mountains, and supposing that the Confed- erate commander would seek to attack hira, he set about select- ing a favorable position in which to receive the assault. He chose the general line of Pipe Creek, " on the dividing ridge between the ]Monocacy and the waters running into the Ches- apeake Bay," as the best defensive position, though he deter- mined to be guided, in occupying it, by the movements of his adversary.* He learned General Lee's presence east of South Mountain on the night of the oOth, and at once ordered the right wing of his army (the 6th corps) to INIanchester, in the rear of Pipe Creek ; the 2d corps was directed to move on Taney town, accompanied by the headquarters of the army ; the * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 326. GETTYSBURG. 387 centre (the 12th and 5th corps) were to march to Two Tav- erns and Hano\ er, a little beyond Pipe Creek ; while the left wing (the 1st, 3d, and 11th corps) under General Reynolds, rt^as to advance upon Gettysburg, this last point being consid- ered the most favorable position nearest Lee's line of march. These movements were to commence at sunrise the next day. Thus both armies were aiming for the same point, — Lee ta occupy Gettysburg with his whole force, because of its strat- egic importance in commanding his line of retreat, and Meade to occupy it with only his left wing, until the rest of his army could take position on Pipe Creek, for he was not aware then of the greater advantages offered by the country around Gettys- burg for defensive operations.* Had but the cavalry been present with the Southern army, Gettysburg could have been occupied by General Lee fully twenty-four hours earlier than be arrived there. IV. GETTYSBURG. As I have shown, both armies were marching upon Gettys- burg, one for a fixed and definite purpose, the other merely to cover its real design. On the 29th of June the Federal cav- alry, under General Buford, which had been thrown out to observe the movements of the Confederates, occupied the town for purposes of observation. General Reynolds being ordered to Gettysburg, Buford held the town until his arrival. In the meantime the Confederates marched leisurely, and on the night of June 30th, two divisions of Hill's corps bivouacked only six or seven miles from Gettysburg, on the Baltimore and * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, pp. 326, 327. 388 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Chamborsburg road, while Ewell halted at Heiidersburg, on the Carlisle road, only nine miles from Gettysburg. At this time all of Longstreet's corps was west of the mountains, and but two divisions of Hill's corps were east of them. On the same night General Reynolds, with the left wing of the Federal army, encamped on Marsh Creek, four miles south of Gettys- burg, with orders to occupy the town the next morning. On the morning of July 1st, A. P. Hill and Ewell resumed their advance, and about nine o'clock Hill's advanced divisions encountered Buford's cavalry on the Chambersburg road, about a mile from Gettysburg. General Buford had been informed of the march of General Reynolds to occupy the town, and he disposed his forces to resist Hill until Reynolds could come up. By the skilful manner in which his artillery was served, he suc- ceeded in holding his ground until the arrival of the 1st corps, which Reynolds had hurried forward to his assistance. General Reynolds was under instructions not to bring on an action at Gettysburg, but to retire to Pipe Creek if the Confederates appeared in force at the former place,* but upon his arrival there, he found Buford's cavalry so hard pressed that he was forced to bring up his main body to save them. General Reynolds formed his line to the west of Gettysburg, just back of a small stream called Willoughby's Run. His troops were posted on the right and left of the Chambersburg road, partly in open ground and partly in a strip of woods bor- dering the stream. He brought with him the leading division of the 1st corps, and ordered the remainder of the troops to press on with all speed. By this time only the division of General Heth, of Hill's corps, which was in the advance, had come up. This division had pressed Buford hard, and now made a vigorous attack upon Reynolds' infantry. The attack was made with such spirit that * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac — p. 331. GETTYSBURG. 389 a part of the Federal line was driven back, but as the Confed- erates pressed on to follow up their success, they were them- selves repulsed by an attack on their right flank, led by General Reynolds in person. In this charge the Confederates lost several hundred men, cai)tured, including Brigadier- General Archer ; while the enemy lost their commander, General Rey- nolds, who was killed by a rifle-ball. The death of this officer was a great loss to the Federal army. He was a brave and skilful soldier, an honest-hearted gentleman, and had con- ducted himself so humanely and generously to the people of Fredericksburo* that thev mourned his death almost as though he had been one of their own leaders. The enemy also rallied and regained the ground from which they had been driven on their right, capturing two regiments of Davis' brigade of Mississippians. By this time the whole of the 1st corps of the Federal army had come up, and Heth was reenforced by Anderson's division of Hill's corps. Hill's troops pressed heavily upon the Federal left, causing it to make great exertions to hold its ground. Strong reenforcements were hur- ried by the enemy to this point of their line, and the battle went on fiercer than ever. Meanwhile General Ewell had been marching rapidly from Heildersburg, warned by the sound of the guns that the two armies had come in collision at Gettysburg. His advanced di- vision, under Rodes, came upon the field just as Hill was bear- ing down heavily upon the Federal left. Bringing his division promptly into action, screened from the enemy's observation, and seizing a commanding position on the Northern right. Rode'* opened a determined attack on the Federals, who immediately •brought up a division of infantry to strengthen this part of their line, and succeeded in capturing several hundred men of Iver- son's North Carolina brigade. Thus far the battle seemed evenly balanced between the con- 390 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. tending forces. It was now one o'clock, and the lines of the two armies had been gradually extended towards the right in a semi-circle around the town for a distance of several miles. The ] 1th corps of the Federal army now arrived, General Howard having assumed the command of the field immediately upon the fall of General Reynolds. Pender's division of Hill's corps reached the opposite line, about the same time, and a few min- utes later Early's division of Ewell's corps also arrived and took position on the north of the town, across the Harrisburg road, causing the enemy to extend their lines still farther to the right. About three o'clock Early made a furious attack upon the Federal right, under General Barlow, and drove it back with heavy loss. General Barlow himself being left on the field se- verely wounded. At the same time Rodes, whose position, opposite the Federal centre, was the key-point to the field, broke through the enemy's line. These successes were followed by a general advance of Hill's entire corps and Ewell's two divisions. The enemy were swept back, and driven through Gettysburg in confusion, with the loss of about five thousand prisoners, and several pieces of artillery. The Confederates followed in hot pursuit until checked by orders from their com- mander. Meanwhile the death of General Reynolds had been reported to General Meade, and he sent General Hancock to take com- mand of the left wing, with orders to hold his ground at Gettys- burg if he found the position to be better than at Pipe Creek. If his opinion of the position was favorable, he was to inform General Meade, who would at once bring up the whole army ; but if unfavorable, he was to retire to Pipe Creek.* General Hancock was too good a soldier not to see instantly that here was just the position Meade was in search of, but his first care • Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 334. GETTYSBURG. 391 \n,s to rally his beaten troops iu order to hold it. In this task he succeeded, the halt of the Confederates giving him an oppor- tunity of doing so, and he formed his line along the ridge to the south and west of the town, known as Cemetery Hill. This position was so strong that General Lee decided not to nttack it until Longstreet and the remainder of Ewell's corps should come up. He sent orders to these troops to hasten their march, and efforts were made to discover the enemy's strength and exact position. It would have been better for General Lee had he pressed his pursuit and stormed the heights before Hancock had succeeded in rallying his troops. Such a movement would have wrested from the enemy the strongest defensive position ever assailed by the Army of Northern Virginia, and also have forced General Hancock to retire to Pipe Creek. Nothing but this strange hesitation on the part of General Lee enabled the enemy to hold the ridge. The afternoon was spent in reconnoitering the Federal line, and by nightfall the opportunity which General Lee threw aside had passed by. The town of Gettysburg lies in the centre of a small valley formed by several ranges of hills. North of the town the country is not so rugged, but south, east and west of it the hills are high and abrupt. To the westward, distant about a mile, is a ridge bordering the east bank of Willoughby's Run. About a quarter of a mile from the town, in the same direction is another considerable elevation, called Seminary Ridge. It was in the valley between these ridges that the battle of July 1st was fought. South of the town, and about a quarter of a mile distant, is the Cemetery ridge, running due south. Just beyond the limits of Gettysburg, this Ridge makes a sudden bend to the eastward, and then turning to the right again, falls oiF towards the south, forming a hook. Where it bends to the eastward the ridge is called Cemetery Hill, from its being the 392 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. place of burial for the citizens of Gettysburg, and still farther to the right it is known as Gulp's Hill. From Cemetery Hill the ridge is sharp and rugged for about three miles to the south- ward, where it terminates in a high, wooded peak, called Roual Top, the lower or northern part of this peak being known as Little Round Top, or Weed's Hill. At the base of Gulp's Hill flows Rock Greek, a small stream emptying into the Monocacy, while another creek, called Plum Run, flows along almost the entire front of the Gemetery Ridge from near Gemetery Hill proper, to beyond Round Top. The country west of the ridge is broken, and is commanded by it. Three prominent roads pass over the ridge. The Taneytown road, running due south, crosses it at the Gemetery ; the Baltimore turni)ike crosses the ridge east of the Gemetery, and runs southeast, odiile the Emmettsburg Road passes along the lower part of the ridge, and runs southwest. A line drawn along the crest of the ridge from the end of Gulp's Hill to Round Top will measure a distance of four miles.- The crest of the hill is mainly in tilled fields, with here and there a patch of woods, falling off gradually towards the rear, and affording excellent shelter for trains and reserves.* During the night of the 1st, General Meade brought up the remainder of his army, with the exception of the 6th corps, which was hurrying on from Manchester, and posted it upon Cemetery Ridge. His right consisting of Slocum's corps (the 12th) and Wadsworth's division of the 1st corps held the right, on Gulp's Hill; the centre, consisting of Howard's (Hth) corps, and Robinson's and Doubleday's divisions of the 1st corps, held Cemetery Hill ; and the left, consisting of the corps of Plancock (2d) and Sickles (3d) was disposed along Geme- tery Ridge. Sykes' corps (5th) was held in reserve on the right, and Sedgwick was still to come up. The right and a part ♦Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, pp. 336, 337. GETTYSBURG. 393 of tlie centre of the line faced to the north, and the remainder to the west. The force with which General Meade held this magnificent position numbered (including Sedgwick's corps) fully one hundred thousand men, together with about two hun- dred guns. The Confederates, after the battle of July 1st, occupied the town of Gettysburg, and the country to the right and left of it, lying immediately in front of and commanded by the position of the Federal army. Ewell was on the left, and held the town ; Hill's corps occupied Seminary Ridge, and Longstreet, who arrived with two of his divisions on the morning of the 3d, was posted on Hill's right, his line extending across the Emmettsburg Road, directly in front of Round Top. It was not General Lee's original intention to fight a general battle so far from his base of operations, and indeed, judging merely by the positions held by the two armies, it is strange that he allowed himself to be drawn into one. His army had before it the task of storming a rocky fortress stronger than that against which Burnside had dashed his army so madly at Fred- ericksburg, and every chance of success lay with the Federals. Still, when the two armies found themselves facing each other 80 unexpectedly, a change of some kind from their original plans became necessary. The reader will remember that General Lee, in abandoning his march upon Harrisburg, and moving east of the mountains, had not done so for the purpose of attacking General Meade, but merely to draw him from the movement against the com- munications of the Confederate army. Indeed, when he set out upon the campaign. General Lee promised his Corps Com- manders that he ''would not assume a tactical offensive, but force his antagonist to attack him." * It would have been well * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 340. 50 394 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. for him had he remained steadfast in this determination. He states his reasons for his sudden departure from his original programme, as follows : ** It had not been intended to fight a general battle at such a distance from our base, unless attacked by the enemy ; but finding ourselves unexpectedly confronted by the Federal army, it became a matter of great diflSculty to withdraw through the mountains with our large trains. At the same time the coun- try was unfavorable for collecting supplies while In the presence of the enemy's main body, as he was occupying the passes of the mountains with regular and local troops. A battle thus became, in a measure, unavoidable. Encouraged by the suc- cessful issue of the engagement of the first day, and in view of the valuable results that would ensue from the defeat of the army of General Meade, it was thought advisable to renew the attack.* So far as his trains were concerned. General Lee fell into a strange error. A very large part of them were still west of the mountains, and those which had come up with the army might have been removed. The Southern line covered the passes of the mountains which would have secured the safety of the trains in moving through these defiles r Stuart was now up with the cavalry, and could guard them if necessary against any sudden dash of the enemy. The trains were withdrawn after the battle under more unfavorable circumstances, and there is no reason to doubt that they could have been gotten off as success- fully before as after the engagement. I do not mean that General Lee should have retreated with- out a battle, for I readily admit that such a step would have greatly injured his army. There were other movements by which General Meade might have been drawn from his strong- hold and forced to assume the offensive. The reader will * General Lee's Report. GETTYSBURG. 395 remember that the position of General Longstreet gave him control of the Emmettsburg road. This really placed the right win«" of the Southern army between Meade and Washington. By moving at once upon Frederick, General Lee could have drawn the Federal army from Cemetery Ridge, and had Gen- eral Meade attempted to interfere with the movement by attacking the Confederate commander, he would have afforded General Lee just the opportunity for which he had been watch- in"'. General Longstreet was very anxious to attempt this movement, and urged it upon General Lee, but the latter thought it better to make a direct attack.* There are those who assert that General Lee himself was not free from the contempt entertained by his men for the army they had so frequently vanquished, and that he was influenced by it in his decision upon this occasion. This may or may not be true. It is certain that the decision was an error. The morning of the 2d of July found the two armies con- fronting each other in their new positions. The greater portion of the day was spent in disposing the troops, and it was not until a quarter to five in the afternoon that the Confederates began their attack. The enemy's force on their left, consisting of General Sickles' corps, had been thrown forward, during the morning, to secure what seemed to be a commanding position on the ridge trav- ersed by the Emmettsburg road. Instead of gaining any ad- vantage by this movement, however. General Sickles merely exposed the Federal left, and placed his own corps in a more unfavorable position than it had at first occupied. General Lee quickly detected it, and directed General Longstreet to get posession of it, as it would be of great service to him in his at- tack upon Meade's main line. At fifteen minutes to five, Longstreet's artillery opened a ♦ Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 341. 396 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. heavy cannonade upon Sickles' position, and in a few minutea the firing was taken up by Ewell, on the left. Under the cover of this fire, Hood's divit^ion was thrown forward against Sickles' left, which curved back from a peach orchard on the Euimettsliurg road towards Round Top. Making a sharp at- tack upon tlie enemy before hiui. Hood moved gradually to the right, and threw his right wing into the interval between Sickles' extreme left and Round Top. Little Round Top was, at this time, almost undefended,* and had Hood known it he miijht have seized it, and thus liave gained the key point to the Federal line. This fact being unknown to him, however, he confined his eflPorts to the attempt to dislodge Sickles from his position, and approached Little Round Top cautiously, and with only a part of his division, making every effort, however, to gain the hill. At this moment, however, General Warren, Meade's Chief of Engineers, who was inspecting this part of the line, seeing the danger which threatened the Federal army, by great exer- tions brought up a brigade of infantry and a battery of artillery, just as Hood's troops were nearing the hill.f Hood's men made a gallant attack, charging the enemy's line with great de- termination. The Federals resisted stoutly, and a hand-to- hand fight ensued for the works, in which both lost heavily, but which resulted in the repulse of the Texans, and in confining them to the ru£r2fed s-len at the base of the hill, from which the enemy could not dislodge them. An effort was then made to turn the Federal left by working cautiously up the ravine be- tween Round Top and Little Round Top, but this was also prevented by the enemy. While these efforts were being made on his right. Hood had thrown his left against the centre of Sickles' line, and as soon * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 345. t Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 346. GETTYSBURG. 397 as he had become fairly engaged, Longstreet had advanced Mc- Laws' division to his support. These troops assailed k^ickles so vigorou&ly tliat he was soon compelled to call for rcenforce- ments. Three brigades were sent to him, but they were pow- erless to hold the position. Longstreet directed his pi'incii)al att:ick u[)on the exact centre of Sickles' line, and at a point near the peacii orchard to which I have referred, and, pressing the enemy vigorously in this quarter, broke their troops and drove them from the orchard, gaining possession of the key points to Sickles' advanced line. The Federals made three or four desperate efforts to regain the orchard, but each onset was repulsed with heavy slaughter, and General Longstreet contin- ued to advance his corps steadily. To check his advance the enemy brought up a fresh division, under General Caldwell, and attacked Longstreet, who had reached a wheat field and strip of woods bordering the west side of Plum Run. A sharp encounter took place here, and the enemy seemed to be gaining ground, when Hood, who had by this time driven back Sickles' left and carried its whole posi- tion, came up on the right of the peach orchard. To meet him the enemy advanced Ay res' division of regulars, but the Con- federates penetrated an interval between Caldwell's left and Ayres' right, and drove both divisions back upon their main line at Cemetery Kidge. At the same instant A. P. Plill, who had been ordered to threaten the Federal centre, but to refrain from attacking unless a good opportunity presented itself, made a fierce attack with Anderson's division upon Humphreys' division, which consti- tuted Sickles' riofht wins:, and which, having been until that moment unassailed, had held its position. Humphreys was driven back quickly, and the entire advanced position of Sickle? fell into the hands of the Confederates, General Sickles himseli being disabled by the loss of a leg. 398 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Still the Federal main line remained unassailed, and its strength was such that General Longstreet had but little hope of carrying it. His men pressed on, however, and reached Cemetery Ridge, where the enemy had been rallied by General Hancock. A partial attack was made and repulsed, and find- ing that night was rapidly approaching, General Longstreet withdrew his troops to the western verge of the wheat field, where they remained during the night. While Longstreet was thus engaged on the right, Ewell, in obedience to General Lee's orders, made a direct attack upon the right centre of the Federal army at Cemetery and Gulp's Hills. Moving out of the town as Longstreet became hotly engaged, he commenced to form his line. It was General Lee's design that this demonstration should keep the attention of the Federals too closely confined to their right to permit them to send reenforcements to their left where his real attack was to be made. General Ewell was delayed in his movements, however, '^d did not assail the enemy until near sunset. Under the cover of his artillery, he advanced Early's division tgainst Cemetery -Hill, and Johnson's division against Gulp's Hill. As Early marched out of the town the Union forces opened upon him with a battery of artillery, at a distance of eight hundred yards, but quickly gaining the open country, he formed his line and moved on under a heavy fire from twenty guns loaded with shrapnel and canister. This fire was so severe that the centre of Early's line gave way ; but the right,* which was more sheltered from the enemy's fire, pressed on and gained the crest. The artillerists made a gallant fight for their guns, and succeeded in holding their ground until the arrival of reen- forcements, when Hays and Hoke were compelled to fall back. Rodes' division had been ordered to support General Early, " but when the time came to attack, Rodes, not having his * Hays' and Hoke's brigades. GETTYSBURG. 399 troops in position, was unprepared to cooperate with Early." * Had his division been at hand to sustain the efforts of Hays and Hoke, the lodgement gained by them would have been final, and the Federal right would have been turned. On Ewell's left the attempt was more successful. Johnson's division, advancing up the gorge of Rock Creek, attacked the right of Meade's line at Gulp's Hill, and after a sharp fight suc- ceeded in securing a part of the Federal breastworks on the extreme right. The enemy had greatly weakened this part of their line to meet the attack of General Longstreet, and but for the approacli of night, which noAv compelled General John- son to suspend operations, the success in this quarter would have been pushed still farther. As it was, he arranged his command to hold the position he had gained in the Union works and which, if retained during the next day, would enable Gen- eral Lee to take Meade's whole line in reverse. When night came matters stood thus : Longstreet had carried the entire position in his front occupied in the morning by Sickles' corps, and Ewell had effected a lodgement on the crest on the Federal right. The enemy had suffered in the two days' encounters, the heavy loss of twenty thousand men, with many of their best officers killed or disabled. The Confederates had paid heavily for their successes. General Barksdale had been left, mortally wounded, in the enemy's lines, and many valuable officers had fallen, while the loss in killed, wounded, and missing was severe. Still the successes of the 1st and 2d, decided General Lee to renew the attack the next day. During the night the enemy strengthened their position with earthworks, and prepared to recover that part of their line that had been wrested from them by General Johnson. A strong force of artillery was posted within easy range of Johnson's division, and the 12th corps and two divisions and a brigade of * General Lee's last Report of the Gettysburg Campaign. 400 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the 6th corps were ordered to take position to attack the Con- federates tiie next morning. At four o'clock on the morning of July 3d, the enemy opened a lieavy fire from their artillery, and the inftintry men- tioned moved forward to drive Johnson from the ridge. Although so greatly overmatched, Johnson made a gallant resistance, but after a severe engagement of four hours was driven from the hill, and the enemy reestablished their line. It had been General Lee's intention to strengthen Ewell, and make his main attack this time on the Fedeial right, but the disaster which befell Johnson rendered this inexpedient, and he now resolved to break the enemy's centre, and drive their two wings apart, and in order to effect this more easily he spent the entire forenoon in massing his artillery opposite the Federal centre. His plan was as follows : His artillery was to open fire at one o'clock, and silence the Federal batteries. A strong column of infantry was to storm the heights as soon as the firing ceased, and carry the Federal centre ; the remainder of the army being held in readiness to move forward at any moment. Durino" the morning there was a lull, the Confederates made their preparations with vigor, and by noon had posted one hundred and forty-five pieces of cannon on Seminai*y Ridge, opposite Meade's centre. To reply to these batteries, the Federals, who could see the concentration of the Southern guns, lined the crest of Cemetery Hill with eighty pieces of cannon. At one o'clock, General Lee opened fire from his battel ies, and the Federal guns replied soon after. For two hours this tremendous cannonade went on without slackening, when the Federals, finding their ammunition running low, gradually ceased firing, and the Confederate columns of attack com- menceil to move forward. V/ATERS^SOU fJ.\ GETTYSBURG, 401 The duty of carrying the Federal position was assigned to the division of Major Geaeral Pickett (which had been absent during the fight of the previous day), supported by Ileth's iivision of Hill's corps, commanded by General Pettigrew. Pickett's division was less than five thousand strong, owing to the absence of two of its brigades, but was composed of the tlower of the Virginia infantry, and was an object of pride to the whole army. Ileth's division, which had so distinguished itself in the first day's fight, was made up principally of new troops from North Carolina. The brigade of General Wilcox was also designed to cover Pickett's right flank during his advance. The attacking column was about thirteen thousand strong, and the command of the whole was given to General Pickett. As the Federal guns ceased firing, Pickett, having formed his line, moved forward across the open plain in front of the enemy's works. Kemper's and Garnett's brigades were in front, with Armistead following close behind. Pettigrew was moving on the left, and Wilcox with his troops in columns of battalions following on the right. As steadily, as if marching on parade, the columns advanced, and when they reached the Emmettsburg Road the Confederate batteries became silent, as they could no longer fire safely over the heads of the advancing infantry. The enemy greeted their approach with terrific discharges of grape and canister, before which the Confederates went down by scores. Still the line pressed on, winning the admiration of even its foes by the magnificence of its advance. Suddenly, when the crest was almost reached, the hill blazed with the fire of the Federal infantry, and Pettigrew's division, in spite of the efforts of its heroic commander to rally it, was forced back with heavy loss, after a brief but gallant resistance, leaving two thousand prisoners and fifteen standards in the hands of the Union Army. Pickett's division continued to press forward in the centre. 51 402 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. " Steady they step adown the slope, Steady they climb the hill, Steady they load, steady they fire, Marching right onward still," while the iron hail-storm sweeping through their ranks strewed the earth with their dead and dying. There was no wavering among them, for they were fighting for a cause they loved. The gaps in their line were closed up as fast as made, and with wild cheers of triumph they gained the crest, drove the Federals from the works, and amid the gloom and smoke General Lee saw through his glass the battle flag of the South waving from the crest of Cemetery Eidge. The triumph was dearly won, and was as brief as it was glo- rious. The enemy rallied on their second line, and poured a withering fire into the captured works now held by the con- federates. Glancing around to look for his supports, Pickett found that he was alone and that Pettigrew's men had been re- pulsed by the enemy. The grand charge had been in vain. Every brigade commander, and all but one field officer, had fallen, and it was by a miracle only that General Pickett him- self had escaped. The enemy were rapidly thinning his ranks, and it was vain to attempt to hold the works. All that courage could do had been done, and it remained but to save the rem- nant of the divison. Eeluctantly he gave the order to fall back, and the command retired* slowly and sullenly over the ground it had immortalized. General Wilcox, who had failed to move far enough during Pickett's advance, now attempted to carry the heights, but his gallant and rash assault was repulsed. Of the five thousand men with which Pickett began his charge, nearly thirty-five hundred were killed, wounded, or in the hands of the enemy. Of his three brigade commanders, General Garnett was killed, General Armistead mortally GETTYSBURG. 403 wounded, and General Kemper severely and almost fatally wounded. Out of fourteen field officers, but one returned from the heights. The charge was fruitless, but the Federals purchased their success at a high price. Many valuable offi- cers were killed or wounded, Generals Hancock and Gibber, being among ihe latter, and several thousand of their infantry were put hors du combat. From his position on Seminary Ridge, General Lee had wit- nessed the charge. As he saw his men driven back from the heio-hts, it is said that he placed his finger for a moment thought- fully between his lips, the only sign of perplexity he was ever known to exhibit. Then, realizing the importance of the occa- sion, he rode forward promptly among the broken troops to rally them. Calmly, as though far beyond the reach of danger, he spoke to them words of cheer and comfort. " Never mind," he said, as he urged them to re-form " We'll talk of this after- wards. Now we want all good men to rally. All this will come right in the end." His simple appeals were answered with enthusiasm. The men, even the wounded, returned to their places with cheers for their beloved commander, and a foreign officer, who was present as a spectator states that in this dark hour he heard nothing but admiration for Pickett's noble charge, and that the men assured him of their firm faith in Gen- eral Lee, in such homely phrases, as, " We've not lost confi- dence in the old man : this day's work won't do him no harm, ' Uncle Robert ' will get us into Washington yet." * General Lee was fully alive to the extent of his disaster. To Colonel Freemantle of the English army, he said, "This has been a sad day for us. Colonel, — a sad day ; but we can't expect always to gain victories." But he rose grandly above his disaster when, in reply to General Wilcox, who came to * Colcnel Fre-emantle's Diary, publisla-d in Blackwood's Magazine for Sep- tember 18C3. 404 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. report the failure of his attack, and who could hardly speak for emotion, when telling the sufferings of his men, he said quietly and cheerfully, "Never mind, General; all this has been my fault ; it is I that have lost this fight, and you must help me out of it in the best way you can." All the while his calmness and cheerfulness remained unshaken.* It was thought that the enemy might attempt to follow up Pickett's repulse by an advance upon Longstreet's line, and preparations were made to receive them. Everything was done promptly and rapidly ; "yet there was much less noise, fuss, or confusion of orders," says Colonel Freemantle, " than at any ordinary field-day." The enemy did not advance, how- ever. Many of the ablest officers of the Federal army were in favor of such a movement, but General Meade wisely decided not to risk the advantage he had gained, — wisely, because an advance upon his part would have been repulsed with heavy loss to him, inasmuch as Longstreet had two fresh divisions — McLaws' and Hood's — lying in readiness to meet him, together with a strong force of artillery. Indeed, General Longstreet was anxious that Meade should attack him.f The attack was not made, however, and the remainder of the day passed away in comparative quiet. During the night the corps of General Ewell was withdrawn from the town and posted on Seminary Ridge, upon which the whole army proceeded to intrench itself. The next morning, iJuly 4th, the enemy reoccupied the town. General Lee held his position during the day. Though no longer able to attack his adversary, he was perfectly willing to be assailed by him. General Meade remained quiet, however, and about noon Gen- eral Lee commenced to remove the arms from a portion of the field, and such of his wounded as could be transported. The * Colonel Freeniantle's Narrative. t Campaigns of tlie Army of the Potomac, p. 364. THE RETREAT INTO VIRGINIA. 405 woundod were placed in ambulances and wagons, and sent back to the Potomac under a strong escort, and the prisoners, four thousand in number, were also sent in that direction. It was now evident to General Lee that he could no longer hope for a successful issue to the campaign. The Federal army was too strong to be driven from its position, and it was not advisable to attempt to hold the country in its presence. The ammunition of the Southern army was almost exhausted, and it was difficult to procure provisions. These things made a withdrawal imperative, and that movement involved the ter- mination of the invasion of the North. The losses in the battle of Gettysburg were heavy on both sides. On the side of the Confederates, they were over twenty thousand.* The Federals lost twenty-three thousand one hun- dred and ninety killed, wounded, and captured. THE RETREAT INTO VIRGINIA. During the 4th of July General Lee held his position on Seminary Ridge, his line covering the Chambersburg and Fair- field roads. These highways lead westward from Gettysburg, and passing through the South Mountain range, enter the Cumberland Valley at a distance of seven miles from each other. During the night of the 4th, the Confederate army commenced to retire by these roads, but its progress was so * General Meade reports the captures of prisoners by his armj' at tliirteen thousand six hundred and twenty-one ; but it must be remembered that Gen- eral Lee left most of his wounded in the enemy's hands. He also detailed a large force of nurses to remain with his wounded. These were seized by the Federals and treated as prisoners of war. This accounts for the large num- ber of prisoners. 406 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. much delayed by a severe storm that the rear-guard did not move from Gettysburg until the morning of the 5th. It was a difficult task that now presented itself to the Con- federate commander. His army was inferior in strength to that of the enemy, who had the advantage of railroad commu- nication from the Eastern States to the Upper Potomac, and might plant a force, independent of Meade's army, across his line of retreat. Besides this, he was burdened with four thou- sand prisoners, and a train fifteen miles long. He had a long march before him, audit was certain that General Meade, elated by his victory, would endeavor to cut him off from the Potomac. To conduct his army through all of its dangers, and place it safely in Virginia once more, was a task requiring not only great skill, but great moral courage. Fortunately the troops had not lost the slightest particle of their confidence in their great commander, and while he was at their head they were sure of coming safely, if not triumphantly, through any dan- ger, any trial. General Meade discovered General Lee's retreat on the morn- ing of the 5th of July, and at once sent Sedgwick's corps in pursuit along the Fairfield road, and dispatched his cavalry- after the Confederates by the Harrisburg road. Sedgwick came up with the Confederate rear-guard late in the afternoon, at the point where the Fairfield road passes through the South j Mountain. He found the Confederate position very strong, but his advance was cut short at this moment by an order from General Meade to return. Meade had decided to adopt the route east of the mountains which was nearly twice the lengtli of that by which Lee was retreating. With the hope of inter- cepting the Confederates, he ordered General French, who was at Frederick with the garrison of Harper's Ferry, to seize the lower passes of the South Mountain before Lee could oc- cupy them, and- also to reoccupy Harper's Ferry. General THE RETREAT INTO VIRGINIA. 407 French promptly executed these instructions, and also sent his cavalry to Falling Waters where they destroyed a Confederate ponton-bridge. General Meade followed cautiously with his army, which, duruig the march, was reenforced by French's division and numerous other troops sent from Washington and Baltimore, making it fully as strong as it was before the battle of Gettysburg. By the tenth of July his army was at An- tietara Creek. Meanwhile General Lee had been marching rapidly to secure the crossings of the Potomac. A part of his train moved by the Fairfield road, and the rest through Cashtown, the whole in advance of the array, and guarded by General Imboden's command. The great length of the train in passing through the mountains exposed it to the Federal cavalry which had been sent into the Cumberland Valley, and as the wagons defiled from the passes, the Federals made a dash at them, capturing a number of wagons and ambulances before they could be driven off, but inflicting no serious injury upon the train, which reached the Potomac at VVilliamsport in safety. On the Gth, the enemy's cavalry made another attack on the trains, this time at Williamsport, and were repulsed by General Imboden's command. General Stuart, then coming up with his cavalry, drove them off in another attempt, and pursued them several miles in the direction of Boonsboro.* The Confederate force in these engagements was so small that the teamsters gal- lantly armed themselves and took part in the fight. The army followed slowly in the rear of the trains. The roads were in such bad condition that the advance did not reach Hagerstown until the afternoon of the Gth. The remainder of the troops arrived during the morning of the 7th. General Lee now found himself confronted by a new difficulty. The heavy rains had swollen the Potomac to such an extent • General Lee's Report. 408 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. that it was no longer fordable, and the only ponton-bridge his army ])ossessed had been destroyed by the enemy. The Fed- eral army was some distance behind, having in fact only reached Frederick, and had it been possible to cross the stream the Con- federates might have returned to Virginia unmolested. Tliis being out of his povi^er, there was nothing for General Lee to do but to await the return of the river to its iisual condition. He accordingly selected a strong position, with his right resting on the Potomac at Falling Waters and his left at Ilagerstown, this line giving him command of the crossings at Falling Waters and Williamsport. Earthworks were thrown up, and every precaution taken to resist the enemy should they attack upon their arrival. A part of the old ponton-bridge was recov- ered, and by great exertions a new bridge was constructed by the 13th. From the 7th until the 13th, the army was in great danger, its ammunition was almost exhausted, and the supplies collected in Pennsylvania were running low. It was cut off IVom the southern shore by the high water and the loss of the bridge, and it was found almost impossible to procure anything from the Virginia side, while the high water also flooded the mills and prevented them from being used. No reenforcements could be re- ceived, and it was known that INIeade's armj was aj){)roaching from Frederick. No one could tell when the water would fall. But for the rains the river might have been crossed while Meade's army was at Frederick ; now the passage would have to be made in the presence of the enemy's whole force. The Federal army appeared before the Confederate position on the 12th, but, contrary to General Lee's expectation, made no attack. No one doubted that General Meade, upon finding Lee in such a delicate situation, and with his own army so strongly leenforced, would at least endeavor to prevent tlie latter from crossing the river, if he did not attempt to destroy him. THE RETREAT INTO VIRGINIA. 409 Meade, however, hesitated, and commenced to fortify his own line, intimidated by the natural and artificial strength of Lee's position. By mid-day on the 13th, the Potomac was found to be ford- able, although very deep, and the bridge being in readiness for the passage of the artillery and trains, General Lee ordered the withdrawal into Virginia to be commenced tliat night. Ewell's corps forded the river at Williamj^port, while the corps of Longstreet and llill crossed on the bridge at Falling Waters. The roads were in a such a iiorrible state that the troops did not reach the bridge until after daylight on the morning of the 14th, and it was one o'clock in the afternoon before they were all over and the bridge removed. The enemy offered no material op- position, and the crossing was effected with complete success. Only a few disabled wagons, and two guns which sank too deep into the mud to be dragged off by their horses, were left be- hind.* The guns could have been saved, had fresh horses been at hand, but before they could be procured the army passed by. The march to the river on the Maryland side was made in the midst of a drenching storm, and it was so slow and tedious that some of the men threw themselves down by the roadside to rest. Overcome with fatigue many of them fell asleep, were missed in the darkness by the officers sent to collect them, and fell into the hands of the enemy, f These were the only pris oners taken by General Meade, besides a few stragglers. * General Lee's Report. t The assertion made by General Meade in a dispatch published soon after- wards as to the captures from the Confederate army, drew from General Lee the following letter, which sets the matter at rest. " Headquakters Akmy Northern Virginia, July 21, itm. " General S. Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-General, C. S. A., Richmond, Fa. "General: I have seen in Northern papers what purported to be nn«ofB- cial dispatch from General Meade, stating that he had cajjiured a brigade of infantry, two pieces of artillery, two caissons and a large number of small 52 410 LITE OF GENERAL LEE. The disappointment of the Northern Government and people was extreme when they learned that General Lee had succeeded in reaching Virginia. They were confident, up to the receipt of this intelligence, that Meade would destroy the Southern army. General Lee himself fully expected an attack, and was surprised to see Meade remain so quiet.* General Meade, arms, as this army retired to the south bank of the Potomac, on the 13lh and 14th instants. " This dispatch lias been copied into the Richmond papers, and as its official character may cause it to be believed, I desire to state that it is incorrect. The enemy did not capture any organized body of men on that occasion, but only stragglers and such as were left asleep on the road, exhausted by the fatigue and exposure of one of the most inclement nights I have ever known at this season of the year. It rained without cessation, rendering the road by which our troops marched to the bridge at Falling Waters, very difficult to pass, and causing so much delay that the last of the troops did not cross the river at the bridge until 1 p. m., on the 14th. While the column was thus detained on the road, a number of men, worn down by fatigue, lay down in barns, and by the roadside, and though officers were sent back to arouse them, •as the troops moved on, the darkness and rain prevented them from finding all, and many were in this way left behind. Two guns were left in the road. The horses that drew them became exhausted, and the officers went forward to procure others. When they returned, the rear of the column had passed the guns so far that it was deemed unsafe to send back for them, and they were thus lost. No arms, cannon or prisoners were taken by the enemy in battle, but only such as were left behind under the circumstance I have described. The number of stragglers thus lost I am unable to state with accuracy, but, it is greatly exaggerated in the dispatch referred to. I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, K. E. Lee, General." * General Lee was so confident that Meade was approaching the Potomac for the purpose of attacking him, that the day before the arrival of the Federal army he issued the following order to his troops, his headquarters being^then at Hagerstown : " Hbadquariers Abmy Northern ViBocnA. July 11, 1863. " GENERAL ORDER, No. 16. " After the long and trying marches, endured with the fortitude that has ever characterized the soldiers of the Army of .Northern Virginia, you have THE RETREAT INTO VIRGINIA. 411 however, seems to have preferred to remain on the defensive which had served him so well at Gettysburg. On the 15th of July General Lee moved back from the Poto- mac to Bunker Hill, in the vicinity of Winchester. On the 17th a large detachment of Federal cavalry, which had crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, advanced to the neighborhood of Martinsburg. They were attacked by General Fitz Lee at Kearney sville, and driven back over the river with heavy loss. General Meade now determined to pursue the Confederate army, and attempt to cut it off fi'om Richmond, or force it to a general encrawement before it could move east of the Blue Ridge. He crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry and Berlin on the 17th and 18th of July, and moving along the base of the mountains, endeavored to occupy the passes in advance of the Confederates. In this he was only partially successful ; for, as soon as he was informed of Meade's advance. General Lee commenced to retire up the Valley. His progress was penetrated to the country of our enemies, and recalled to the defences of their own soil those who were engaged in the invasion of ours. You have fought a fierce and sanguinary battle, which, if not attended with the success that has hitherto crowned your efforts, was marked by the same heroic spirit that has commanded the respect of your enemies, the gratitude of your country, and the admiration of mankind. "Once more you are called upon'to meet the enemy from whom you have torn so many fiehls ; names tliat will never die. Once more the eyes of your countrymen are turned upon you, and again do wives and sisters, fathers and motliers, and helpless children lean for defence on your strong arms and brave hearts. Let every soldier remember that on his fcourage and fidelity, depends all that makes life worth having, the freedom of his country, the honor of his people, and the security of his home. Let each heart grow strong in the remembrance of our glorious past, and in the thought of the inestimable blessings for which we contend; and, invoking the assistance of that heavenly Power which has so signally blessed our former efforts, let us go forth in con- fidence to secure the peace and safety of our country. Soldiers, your old en- emy is before you. Win from him honor worthy of your rigiit cause, 'worthy of your comrades dead on so many illustrious fields. R. E. Lee, Gtneral Commanding." 412 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. much (leluved by the high water in the Shenandoah River. General Longstreet was ordered to cross the mountains and oc- cupy (4ili»e|t[)er Court House, moving by way of Front Royal. He succeeded in crossing a part of his corps over the Siienan doah, and as soon as a ponton-bridge could be laid, the rest of it f()lli)\vcd, and, passing through Chester Gap, which they prevented the enemy from occupying, reached Culpepper on the 24th. Hill followed him, ami Ewell, who brought up the rear, reached Front Royal on the 2od, and encam[)ed near Madifcon Court House on the 2i)ih.* During the march the enemy succeeded in passing a part of their army into the Val- ley, but they were held in check by the rear-guard until night- fall, and when they moved forward the next morning to bring on a battle, they found that General Lee had eluded them and placed his army beyond their reach. Baffled in his efforts, General ]Meade made no further attempt to interfere with the Confederates, and the army reached the Rappahannock about the 1st of August. The failure of the Gettysburg campaign was a severe blow to the South, and made all the harder to bear by being coupled with the great disaster in the West, — the loss of Vicksburg and the ^Mississippi River. Any other commander would per- haps have been unable to retain the confidence of the people, who never trouble themselves to decide questions according to their real merits ; but in this case no one thought of assailing General Lee. The general feeling was, that if he had failed once, it was the will of Heaven and not his fault, and that he would yet win the independence of the South. Indeed so far from losing faith in him, the people of the South seemed to double their confidence in the wisdom and skill of the soldier, and their esteem and love for the man. Had the invasion of the North proved successful, there can • General Lee's Report. THE EETREAT INTO VIRGINIA. 413 be little doubt that the Confederate Authorities would liave pro- posed an honorable peace to the North, and there is as little room to doubt that the offer would have been accepted. Fail- ing, however, in its efforts to win a speedy peace, the South- ern Government began to prepare for the long and bitter strug- gle which every one saw must follow. On the 15th of eJuly, President Davis issued his proclamation calling into the military service all persons residing in the Confederacy, and not legally exempt, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years. The 21st of August was appointed by the President a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, and was faithfully observed in the army.* * General Lee's order requiring the observance of the day is as follows : " Qeaoqcartebs Aemy of North EEif VinaiirLA, August 13, 18C3. GENERAL ORDEK, NO 83. The President of the Confederate States has, in the name of the people, appointed the 21st day of August as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. A strict observance of the day is enjoined upon the officers and soldiers of this army. All military duties, except such as are absolutely necessary, will be suspended. The commanding officers of brigades and regiments are re- quested to cause Divine services, suitable to the occasion, to be performed in their respective commands. " Soldiers ! we have sinned against Almighty God. We have forgotten his signal mercies, and have cultivated a revengeful, haughty, and boastful spirit. We have not remembered that the defenders of a just cause should be pure in His eyes ; that " our times are in His hands ;" — and we have relied too nmch on our own arms for the achievement of our independence. God is our only refuge and our strength. Let us humble ourselves before Him. Let us confess our many sins and beseech Him to give us a higher courage, a purer oatriotism and more determined will; that He will convert the hearts of our enemies ; that He will hasten the time when war, with its sorrows and suf- ferings, shall cease, and that He will give us a name and place among the nations of the earth. R. E. Lee, General." 414 LITE OF GENERAL LEE. IX. THE SECOND CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN YIRGINIA. August, 1863 — March, 1864. THE EXPEDITION TO MANASSAS. After retiring to Culpepper, General Lee, having no hope of being able to resume offensive operations during the remain- der of the fall, commenced to grant furloughs to his troops. The system he adopted was a liberal one, and was carried out as far as the necessities of the army would permit.* In September his army was reduced to a strict defensive by the withdrawal of General Longstreet's corps, which was sent to Tennessee to the assistance of the Western army, under General Bragg, then hard pressed by the army of General Rosecrans. The part borne by the veterans of the 1st corps in the Western campaign does not belong to this narration, and a recital of it must be sought elsewhere. I can only say that they were the immediate cause of the great victory ^at Chickamauga, and that during the unfortunate expedition to Knoxville, upon which they were sent by the folly of the President, they main- tained their high reputation for courage, fortitude, and effi- ciency, and failed only because it was not possible for such a force to accomplish the task assigned them. * See Note C at the end of the volume. THE EXPEDITION TO MANASSAS. 415 General Meade, also, was greatly weakened by his Gov- ernment. Soon after entering Northern Virginia, a large part of his army was taken from him and sent to South Carolina, and another strong detachment was sent to New York City to put down the resistance to the enforcement of the Federal draft, which had seriously embarrassed the Government in its eiforts to procure troops in that quarter. Still, when the Federal commander learned that Longstreet had been sent to Tennessee, he determined to secure the line of the Rappahan- nock. Accordingly, about the middle of September, he threw his cavalry across the Rappahannock, and General Lee, sup- posing that Meade was about to advance in force, retired to a stronger position behind the Rapidan. The new position of General Lee was one of great strength, and as a direct attack upon it promised nothing but failure, General Meade determined to attempt a flank movement against it ; but just as he was on the eve of putting his plan into execution, he received an order to send two of his corps d'armce to Chattanooga, where General Grant had just assumed com- mand of the Federal army. Although this greatly reduced his strength, his army was still superior in numbers to that of Gen- eral Lee. The weakness of Meade's army was known to General Lee, and he resolved to strike a blow at his adversary, which should either seriously disable him, or keep him beyond the Rappahan- nock until the season for active operations was over. To accomplish this, he determined to move around Meade's right flank, and place his troops between the Federals and Washing- ton. On the 9tli of October the army crossed the Rapidan, leaving Major-General Fitz Lee's cavalry division to guard the South- ern line on the Rapidan, and the division of General Hampton, under General Stuart's own direction, moved on the right of 416 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. the army. After crossing the river, General Lee marched towards Madison Court House, taking "circuitous and con- cealed roads " to avoid the risk of liis movement being detected by the enemy. On the 10th of October General Stuart attacked the Federal outpost at James City, consisting of a detachment of Kilpat- rick's cavalry and an infantry force belonging to the 3d corps, and drove it back upon Culpepper Court House, where the main body of Meade's army was lying. This attack revealed to Gen- eral iNIeade the f;ict that his right flank had been turned by General Leo, and he at once sent his trains across the Rappa- hannock, and followed them with his army between the night of the 10th and the morning of the 11th. Buford's division of cavalry crossed the Rapidan, and threatened the position lately held by the Southern army. Buford was met, however, by Fitz Lee's division, repulsed, and driven towards Brandy Station. Having turned Meade's right. General Lee followed Stuart's attack on the outposts by an advance of his whole army towards Culpepper Court House, which he reached on the morning of the 11th, only to find that General Meade had retreated across the Rappahannock, and had blown up the railroad-bridge after him. The army remained near the Court House during the rest of the day, and General Fitz Lee's division i-ejoined General Stuart. In the afternoon Stuart encountered the Federal cav- alry near Brandy Station, and drove them across the river, after a severe engagement in which he inflicted a heavy loss upon them. On the morning of the 12th, the army moved forward again for the purpose of " reaching the Orange and Alexandria Rail- road north of the river, and interrupting the retreat of the enemy." * A force of Federal cavalry was encountered and ♦ General I-ee's Report. THE EXPEDITION TO MANASSAS. 417 quickly repulsed at JefFersonton, and in the afternoon the Rap- pahannock was reached opposite Warrenton Springs. The enemy held the north bank with cavalry and artillery, but were speedily driven away by Stuart's cavalry and a battery of artil- lery, and the passage of the stream effected. General Stuart at once pushed on to Warrenton, clearing the road of the enemy, and on the 13lh the army was concentrated at Warrenton. It was known to General Lee that the Federal army was on the north side of the Rappahannock, and it was believed that Meade had halted between Warrenton Junction and Catlett's Station on the railroad, and to gain more accurate information General Sluart was dispatched with two thousand cavalry upon a reconnoissance in the direction of Catlett's. Meanwhile, General Meade, who had come to the conclusion that his retreat across the Rapidan was too hasty, was movino- back towards Culpepper to meet General Lee. lie had beo-un his movement on the afternoon of the 12th, and thus it hap- pened, strangely enough, that while Lee was hastening to get between Meade and \\\ashington, moving by a circuitous route, Meade was marching back to offer battle to him. Meade carried with him the 2nd, 5th, and 6th corps of his army, and I3uford's cavalry, leaving the 3rd corps and Gregg's cavalry to guard the crossings of the Rappahannock at Freeman's Ford, and War- renton Springs. The cavalry, under Gregg, as the reader will remember, were driven off on the afternoon of the 12th. This was at once reported to General Meade, and by revealing to him the true purpose of his antagonist, showed him in what danger his false move had placed his army. He at once en- deavored to repair his error by an immediate recall of his forces en route for Culpepper Court House, and by the morning of the 13th his army was again on the north side of the Rappahan- nock.* The unexpected movement of General Lee had, how- • Campaigns of th« \rmy of the Potomac, pp. 378, 379. 53 418 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. ever, thrown General French's corps out of position, and the Federal commander was forced to pause until it could be broun:ht UD. For this purpose he ordered General Warren, with the 2nd corps, to halt until French could be brought into his proper place, and to cover the retreat " of the army with his own corps, moving through Fayetteville and Auburn to Catlett's Station, after which he was to follow the line of the railroad northward." These columns were in motion when General Stuart com- menced his reconnoissance to Catlett's Station. Upon reaching- that place on the 13th, he discovered General French's column retiring from the river, and at once fell back towards Warren- ton, but upon entering the road leading from Warren ton to Manassas, unexpectedly found his progress barred by the corps of General Warren, and to his surprise discovered that he was hemmed in between the Federal columns and in jjreat danjrer of being captured or cut to pieces. The situation of the cavalry was critical indeed. They were concealed in a strip of woods to which General Stuart had re- tired as soon as he discovered his danger, but they were so near the enemy that the slightest sound — the neighing of a horse, or the clanking of a sabre might betray tliem. General Stuart at once called a council of his officers to decide upon their course, giving them to understand in the first place that he would entertain no proposition looking to a surrender. The result of the deliberations was, that the best thing to do was to abandon the nine pieces of horse artillery brought with the column, and try to cut their way out under the cover of the darkness. Upon further reflection General Stuart resolved to save his artillery, and determined to inform General Lee of his situation. Dismounting several of his men, he ordered them to take muskets and put on infantry knapsacks, trusting to the darkness to conceal the color of ihe'iv uniforms, and make their way through the Federal lines tw Warrenton, inform GeneraJ Lee THE EXPEDITION TO MANASSAS. 419 that he was surrounded, and £lsk him to "send some of his people to help him out." Three of these messengers reached AVarrenton in safety, and delivered the message, whereupon General Lee immediately set out to help Stuart out of hi& " scrape." The plan which General Lee had adopted, after crossing the Rappahannock, was to move from Warrenton in two columns, his left, under Illll, along the turnpike to New Baltimore, where it was to wheel to the right, and march direct to Bristoe Station on the railroad, and the right under Ewell, along the road lead- ing through Greenwich and Auburn, to Bristoe Station, where it was to unite with Hill. In this manner General Lee hoped to seize the railroad before Meade could arrive, and cut him off from Washington. Meanwhile the cavalry passed the night in the greatest anx- iety. The last division of the enemy bivouacked within- one hundred and fifty yards of the Southern pickets, so close that the conversations of the Union troops could be almost dis- tinguished, and during the night two officers of General Meade's staff strayed in among the cavalry and were captured. The men hardly dared to breathe, and no one was allowed to smoke or speak above a whisper, lest the faintest glimmer of a light or the merest sound should betray them. At daybreak on the morning of the 14th, Caldwell's division, which General AVarren had posted on the heights of Cedar Run to protect his rear against any sudden dash of Lee's troops, lit their camp fires to cook breakfast. From their place of conceal- ment Stuart's men could see them, themselves sheltered from observation. While the enemy were thus engaged, they were surprised by a sharp fire of musketry from the advance of General Ewell's column, moving alonij the Warrenton road. Assured by this that General Lee was moving to his assistance. General Stuart promptly opened on the Federal line with his artillery, 420 LIFR OF GENERAL LEK. throwin:an to wltlulraw from the neighborhood of Manassas, General Inibodcn determined to make a dash at the garrison of Charle«- tovvn and capture it. Accordingly, he left Brrryville on the 18th, and reached Charlestovvn in a few hours, the Federals having no suspicion of his approach until the town was surrounded. Tiie garri,"on retreated to the Court House yard, which they had fortified, refusing to comply with Imboden's summons to surrender. An attack was tiicn made by the Confederates, resulting in the sur- render of the entire garrison, with the exception of (he Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and five others, who fled at ihc first fire,* and succeeded in reaching Harper's Ferry where they gave the alarm. Imboden captured four hundred and tl. irty-four (^offi- cers and men) [)risoners, witli their arms, stores, wagons, and horses. The garrison at Harper's Ferry, having heard the fir- ing, moved rapidly toward Ciiarlestown, which ihey reached in two hours after Imboden had fired the first gun. Being too weak to make a stand against the enemy, General Imboden re- tired up the Valley. General Lee's loss in the expedition was about one thousand four hundred men killed, wounded, and missing, and five guns captured. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded is not known to me. Including the prisoners taken by Imboden, the army captured from the enemy two thousand four hundred and thirty-six men, forty -one of whom were commissioned officers. After retiring to the Rappahannock, General Lee disposed his army on the south bank of the river, on both sides of the railroad, Ewell on the right and Hill on the left, with the cav- alry thrown out on each flank. The main body of the army was some distance back from the river, but outposts we^e es- tablished at the railroad bridge and Kelley's Ford. * Geneiul Imboden's Report. THE EXPEDITION TO MANASSAS. 423 Meade's advance was delayed until the restoration of the railroad was com[)leted, but that work being pushed forward energetically, he arrived at tlie Rappahannock on the 7th of November, intending to force the passage of the stream. His army was divided intc» two columns, — the left, under Gcnernl French, consisting of the 1st, 2d, and 3d corps, and the right, under General Sedgwick, consisting of the 5th and 6tli corps. French was directed to cross the river at Kelley's Ford, and Sedgwick at Rappahannock Station, or the railroad bridge. Kelley's Ford was guarded only by Rodes' division of Evvell's corps, and French had no trouble in pressing back this s:nal] force and securing the passage of the river. Johnson's division was immediately advanced to Rodes' assistance, and Early's division moved forward to resist the attempt of the enemy to cross at the railroad bridge. Arriving tl>ere. General Early threw Hoke's and Hays' brigades, about two thousand strong, over to the north bank, and posted them in strong works, which had been built some time before to defend the passage of the river. The ground in front of the works was such that the enemy could not attack with a front more extended than that of the Confederates, and it was believed that a successful resistance could be made, or, that if forced to withdraw, the troops could be recrossed under the fire of the guns on the south bank. Sedgwick's column reached the river late in the afternoon, and at once prepared to storm the Confederate works and cap- ture the little force which had been so foolishly ex[)Osed to them. Just before dark Russell's and Upton's brigades of the Gth corps, made a charge, and the works were carried by nightfall. Out of the two thousand men of Hays' and Hoke's brigades, fifteen hundred were captured, and about one hundred killed and wounded. Those who escaped only reached the south bank by svvinjming the river. Four guns also fell into the hands of the enemy. 424 LIFE OF GENERAL. LEE. As if satisfied with this success, the Federals paused, and General Lee, not wishing to be drawn into a general battle, retired behind the Rapidan, and Meade resumed the position he had held before his retreat to Centreville. When General Lee fell back from Bristoe Station, he hoped to be able to advance again if Meade remained at Centreville. On the 19th of October lie wrote to the War Department that if Meade remained behind Bull Run, and lie could procure quartermaster supplies for his army, he would move forward again. In the condition of his army at that time, any move- ment was difficult, for, as he declared in this letter, thousands of his men were barefooted, and without overcoats, blankets, and many other needed articles, and the weather was very cold. The advance of General Meade across the Rappahannock, how- ever, decided General Lee to go into winter quarters on the Rapidan. II. MINE RUN. After retiring behind the Rapidan, General Lee put his army mto winter quarters. Ilis position, naturally very strong, had been carefully fortified at various times, and trusting to its pro- tection, he disposed his forces in such localities as would best aflTord them wood and other necessities. The right wing rested on the Rapidan at Morton's Ford, and the left was posted in stronu: intrenchments alonij the left bank of Mine Run, a small stream running at right angles to and emptying into the Rap- idan. Under the cover of this line, the troops were scattered over a large extent of country, Hill's cantonments stretching almost to Charlottesville, and the artillery being as far back as MINE IIUN. 425^ Frederick's Hall — but in such a manner as to be easily con- centrated upon the approach of the enemy. Trusting that the strength of the fortifications on the left would secure tlie safety of that vving, General Lee left the lower fords of the Rapidan — Ely's, Culpepper Mine, Ger- manna, and Jacobs' iNlill — uncovered. Upon learning this. General Meade resolved to make another cflTort to destroy the Confederate army before the season became too far advanced for active operations. His hope was, by crossing the Ra[)idan at the lower fords, to throw his army between the corps of Generals Ewell and Hill, and crush them in detail. For this purpose he supplied his troops with ten days' rations, relying on his success to open new routes for bringing up his supplies. His army was to move as follows : "The 1st corps was to cross the Rapidan at Culpepper Mine Ford, and proceed to Parker's Store on the plank road to Orange Court House. The 2d corps was to cross at Germanna Ford, and proceed out on the turnpike (which runs parallel with the plank road) to Robertson's Tavern. To this point also the 3d corps, crossing at Jacobs' Mill Ford, and followed by the 6th corps, was to march by other routes, and there to form a junction with the '2d cor[)S. With the left thus at Parker's Store and the right at Robertson's Tavern, the army would be in cJose communication on parallel roads, and [>y advancing westward towards Orange Court House, would turn the line of Mine Run defences, which it was known did not extend as far south as to cross the turnpike and plank roads." * The movement was to beijin at dawn on the 2Gth of Novem- ber, ard as the distance from the point of starting to the point of con '.entration was a little less tban twenty miles. General iVieade hoped to have his army in position by noon of the 27th. Hi? F 'deral columns moved off promptly on the morning of ♦Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, pp. 391, 392. 54 426 LIFE OF GENEKAL LEE. the 26th, but owing to some delays in the march of the Iroopp, and the difficulty of bridging the river, the Rapidan was net passed until the morning of the 27th. Early on the 27th the march was resumed, and General Meade issued imperative orders to push on with the utmost speed, and to try to make up as far as possible the time that had been lost.. Meanwhile General Lee was not idle. Meade had scarcely bec^un his movement before it was known to the Confederate commander. As early as the morning of the 25th,* it was known that something unusual was going on in the Federal lines, and the crossings of the river were closely watched. It was ascertained on the morning of the 26th, that the enemy •desio-ned crossinix in force at the lower fords, and it was believed that General Meade would attempt to move towards Chancel- lorsville, for the purpose of gaining Lee's rear.j Evvell's * Letter in the lliclimond Dispatch of November 30, 1863. f It lias been said that but for the delays to wliich Meade was put he would have succeeded in concentrating his army on Lee's left before the latter could have learned his purpose. The following order shows that General Lee was early on the watcli, and prepared to meet him. "Headquarters Army Northern Viroinia, Ngvember 21), 1«63. "GENERAL ORDER, No. 102. " The enemy is again advancing upon our Capital, and the country once •more looks to this army for its protection. Under the blessings of God your valor has repelled every previous attempt, and invoking the continuance of Ills favor, we cheerfully commit to Him the issue of the coming conflict. " A cruel enemy seeks to reduce our fathers and our mothers, our wives, and our cluldren, to abject slavery ; to strip them of their property and drive tliem from their homes. Upon you these helpless ones rely to avert tiiese terrible calamities, and secure to them the blessing of liberty and safety. Your past history gives them the assurance that their trust will not be in vain. Let every man remember that all he holds dear depends upon the faitliful dis- charge of ills duty, and resolve to fight and, if need be, to die, in defence of a cause so sacred and worthy the name won by this army on so many bloody 'fields. (Signed,) R. E. Lee, GeneralJ* MINE RUN. 427 corps, which was lying around Orange Court House, was held in readiness to advance as soon as the phin of the Federals should he disclosed. Early on Friday morning, the 27th, it was ascertained that the enemy were moving towards Mine Run, and E well's corps was at once thrown forward to meet them, and hold them in check until Hill's 'corps, which was on the march, could arrive. Ewell moved rai)idly, and learning of Warren's march hy the Old Turn[)iUe, formed his line near to Robertson's Tavern. About one o'clock, the 2d corps of the Federal army arrived in his front, and some sharp skirmishing ensued, but, as General Warren was ordered to refrain from attacking until the arrival of the corps of General French, nothing further occurred. General French, however, had taken the w^rong road, after crossing at Jacobs' Mill Ford, and mov- ing by a road too much to the right, came unexpectedly upon Johnson's division which formed the left of Ewell's line. John- son at once attacked him, and a severe fight ensued, which lasted until late in the afternoon, and in which General French was very roughly handled. Discovering his blunder, French endeavored to extricate himself from his false position, and open communication with Warren at Robertson's Tavern, but before he could accomplish these objects night put an end to all hostile operations. During the night, Hill's corps having arrived, General Lee withdrew Ewell to the west side of Mine Run, and proceeded to fortify the position he had chosen, and which extended across both the Old Turnpike and the Orange plank road. This position was very formidable. The Southern line was drawn along a commanding range of heights about seven or eight miles in length and running north and south, foUowino- the course of Mine Run, which flowed at their base. The range was in itself a strong position, being, by a singular freak of nature, formed after tiie most approved principles of fortifl- 428 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. cation, consisting, in short, of "four or five well-defined facings of unequal length, occupying a space of more than three thousand yards," with such angles of defence that the troops manning the line were able to enfihide every avenue of ap- proach, while both flanks were so strongly posted as to defy almost any effort to turn them.* The country in the rear and on the flanks of this line was densely wooded, and the ap- proaches in front were rendered difficult by the marshy ground covered with thick undergrowth that bordered Mine Run, which flowed along the entire front at a distance of twelve hundred yards from it. General Lee commenced the construction of earthworks on the heights during the night, and felled the tim- ber in his front. On the morning of the 28th, General Meade found that Ewell had abandoned his advanced position, but, upon pressing forward for a couple of miles, found his progress suddenly checked by the strong line held by the Confederate Army on Mine Kun. He at once brought up his troops, and determined to attack the Confederates. He spent the day in reconnoi- tering Lee's works for the purpose of ascertaining the most favorable point for his attack. The result of these rcconnoi- sances was the following [dan of operations : General Warren, with about twenty-six thousand men, was to attempt to turn the Confederate right, while Sedgwick, with the 5th and 6th corps, Avould endeavor to turn the left. French, with three divisions, was to hold the line between Sedgwick and Warren, but not to engage in the attack. The 29th was ?j)ent in making the necessary dispositions, and it was ordered that Warren should commence the attack at eight o'clock, to be followed by Sedgwick at nine o'clock, on the morning of the 30th. Meanwhile General Lee awaited the opening of the battle* • Campaigns of the Array of the Potomac, p. 394. MINE RUN. 429 fully confident of his ability to maintain his position.. At nine o'clock on the morning of the 30th of November, General Sedgwick opened his artillery on tlie Confederate position, fol- lowed by the batteries of General French. General Warren, however, remained quiet. Upon forming his line for an attack, he discovered that the Confederate position was impregnable, having been greatly strengthened on the right since the 28th. He therefore declined to attack, gallantly preferring "to sacri- fice iiimself rather than his command."* General INIeade immediately repaired to AVarren's line, and was satisfied that the opinion of his lieutenant was correct, and at once abandoned the attack as hopeless. The demonstration made by General Sedgwick was so slight that General Lee was under the ivapression that Meade was not yet ready to attack, f The opportunity of the Federal com- mander had passed, liowever. Still, as he was between Lee and Fredericksburg, he miglit have drawn the Southern army from its position by threatening its communications with llich- mond. But his trains were beyond the Rapidan, and the rations brought with his troops running low. Above all, the season was so far advanced that in a few days the winter would render it dangerous to move his army on Virginia soil unless he wished to share the fate of Burnsid^ in his "mud march." Therefore, having been baflfled by General Lee in his original design, there remained for him nothing but to withdraw to his old position north of the Rapidan, which he did on the night of * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 397. t This will be seen from the following dispatch : — " HEADQUABTERS ABXY NOBTBRBK VlBOLSIA, VIA OBAKaE COrST HOCSE, December 1, ltJ63. •'To GenEbal 8. COOPBB: •' The enemy opened their batteries on our lines yesterday. Some skir- mishing took place, but no attack. " (^bigned) R. E. Lee, General." 430 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the 1st of December. His retreat was discovered the follow- ind) R. E. Lee." SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE. 467 road by which the Confederates reached Spottsylvania is about of equal length with the Brock road, or if any shorter the dif- ference is less than a mile. Anderson marched all night, and early the next morning, the 8th, arrived at the heights around Spottsylvania Court House, where he found Fitz Lee's cavalry hotly engaged with Warren's advancing columns. In order to impede Grant's progress, the cavalry had been thrown out on the 7th, with orders to hold the Brock road,. as long as possible and endeavor by every means in their power to" harass the enemy on their march. These instructions were well carried out, and from Todd's Tavern on the Brock road to the immediate vicinity of Spottsylvania Court House, Fitz Lee cx)ntested the road stubbornly with the enemy, barricading it in many places with fallen trees, and inflicting severe loss upon the parties sent to clear away these obstacles. When Anderson reached Spottsylvania Court House on the morning of the 8th, he found it in possession of a detachment of Federal cavalry, which had succeeded in occupying the village in advance of General Warren's corps. General An- derson immediately divided his command, sending a part of it to drive off the Federal cavalry from the village, and hurrying with the rest to the I'elief of Fitz Lee. Warren continued to press on, thinking that the force in his front was nothing but the dismounted cavalry he had been driving before him all night ; but as his advanced division com- menced to ascend the ridge on which Anderson had formed his line, it was met with such a withering discharge of musketry that it broke and rushed back in confusion, with the loss of its commander, who was severely wounded. At the same time the Federal cavalry were driven from the Court Plouse, and Ander- son, bringing his whole force into line prepared to hold the position which both armies sought so eagerly. General Warren hurried up the remainder of his corps, consisting of Crawfc^rd's, 468 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. Griffin's, and Cutler's (Wadsworth's) divisions, and made a spirited attack upon Anderson's two divisions, but was unable to carry the position.* After this repulse Warren remained in front of Anderson's- line, and commenced to intrench, being unwilling to risk a new attack until the arrival of reenforcements. In the afternoon he was joined by the 6th corps, under General Sedgwick, but it was almost dark before the enemy completed their dispositions for another attack. Just about dusk Crawford's division was thrown forward, but was repulsed with heavy loss. Ewell's corps commenced to take position as Crawford began his attack, and the enemy striking it suddenly while it was marching by the flank, drove it back some distance, capturing about one hundred prisoners, but were unable to follow up their advantage and suffered more than they had gained by their attack, f During the night all of Ewell's corps came up, and the next morning General Hill arrived, but being disabled by sickness was compelled to relinquish the command of his corps tempo- rarily to General Early. • The following is General Lee's bulletin to the "W^r Department : " Neak Spottstltaitia C. H. — 2.30, p. M., via Obanoe C. H. "To Hon. J. A. SBDDON: " After a sharp encounter with the 5th army corps, (Warren's) and Torbert'a division of cavalry, General R. H. Anderson, with the advance of the army, " repulsed the enemy with heavy slaughter, and took possession of the Court House. " I am most thankful to the Giver of all victory that our loss is small. R. E. Lee, General." fHEADQUAKTEKS ABMT NOETHEBU VlEOnflAj May, 8, ISO!.— 9 P. M. »'Hoir. Seceetakt of Was: " After the repulse of the enemy from Spottsylvania Court House, this morning, receiving reenforcements, he renewed the attack on our position, bat was again handsomely driven back. R. E. Lee, General." SPOTTSTLVANIA COURT HOUSE. 469 On Monday morning, May 9th, the entire Federal army was concentrated before Spottsylvania Court House ; but under very different circumstances from those hoped for by General Grant wlien the march began. That officer had been thwarted again in liis deeigns by General Lee, and he now found the Confed- erate army in the position he had hoped to gain, and barring his advance as thoroughly as it had done in the Wilderness. He might have moved still farther to the right, and have manoeuvred Lee out of his position ; but, being anxious to carry out his programme of " attrition," he resolved to attack the Confederate line, and drive General Lee from the heights. The line held by General Lee was very strong. It extended along a range of heights, enclosing Spottsylv^ania Court House in a semi-circle, and running almost due north at Longstreet's posi- tion, and sweeping around to the west and south along Ewell's and Hill's lines. The crest was crovt'ned with strong earth- works protected by a formidable abatis, and the approaches, made difficult by the low, dense undergrowth in front, were swept at all points by the fire of both infantry and artillery. Anderson's corps formed the right, stretching from the River Po, northward to the Court House. Ewell was in the centre, with his line running almost east and west, and Hill held the left, with his left flank slightly drawn back towards the south. The Federal line was formed with Warren and Sedgwick in the centre, Hancock on the right, and Burnside on the left. The greater portion of the 9th was occupied by the enemy in getting their troops into position. The Confederate sharp- shooters kept up an active fire upon them, and among others killed General Sedgwick, the commander of the 6th corps, and the ablest and most esteemed of all the subordinate generals in the Federal army. Between Hancock's position and that held by General Hill's corps was the valley of tlie river Po, and through this valley 470 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. wound one of the branches of this stream. During the after- noon of the 9th, Hancock was directed to cross the river, and endeavor to intercept a Confederate wagon train which was seen beyond the stream, moving into Spottsylvania Court House, lie succeeded in passing the Po, about three miles west of the Court House. The river was at that point defended by a small force, but before he could penetrate over a few hundred yards beyond it, it was too dark to attempt anything further, and durino: the nio'ht the Southern wagons were taken into General Lee's lines in safety. The next morning, the 10th, General Hancock continued to advance, and discovered A. P. Hill's corps strongly intrenched along the east bank of the Po, and commanding the crossings of the river. About half past two o'clock Hancock received orders to withdraw across the Po to his original position, and, while engaged in this movement, Barlow's division, which was covering his withdrawal, was attacked by Heth's division of Hill's corps, and driven Avith heavy loss for some distance. Barlow succeeded, however, in rejoining his corps, and Heth's men were withdrawn to their original line. While Hancock's movement on the extreme Federal right had been going on, General Warren, with the 5th corps, was engaged in assaulting the position of Field's division which constituted Hill's right. Twelve assaults were made by the enemy, and each one was repulsed with loss to them. When Hancock was withdrawn across the Po, he was directed to unite tis corps with the 5th, for a decisive charge upon Field. At five o'clock these two corps made a fierce attack upon Field's line, and at first succeeded in gaining possession of the first line of breastworks ; but they were quickly dislodged from the works, and driven down the hill with heavy loss. Another charge was made just before dark, and was repulsed with even more promntness and decision. The Federals fought gallantly, bu* they gained no advantage. SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE. 471 About the same time a part of the 6th corps assailed the division of General Rodes, on the left of E\v ell's position, and broke his line, gaining possession of the works, together with nine hundred prisoners and six guns, Rodes rallied his men, and falling suddenly upon the enemy drove them out of the works, recaptured his guns, and reestablished his line. At dark the firing ceased, the enemy having failed in all their assaults.* These attacks on his left induced General Lee to believe that Grant's main effort would be made in that quarter, and during the night of the 10th and the greater part of the 11th he moved troops from other points to strengthen that wing. General Grant, however, had decided that the Southern left was too strong to be successfully assailed, and had detected the weak point in Lee's line. He at once determined to attack it with Hancock's corps, supported by his whole army, and spent the 11th in making his dispositions for the battle. • " SPOrrsYLVANiA Court house, via Guinea's, May 11. " Honorable Secretary of War: " General Grant's army is intrenched near this place on both sides of the Brock road. Frequent skirmishing occurred yesterday, and to-day each army is endeavoring to discover the position of the other. To-day the enemy shelled our lines, and made several assaults with infantry against diflerent points, particularly on our left, held by General A. P. Hill. The last, which occurred after sunset, was the most obstinate, some of the enemy leaping over the breastworks. They were easily repulsed, except in front of Dole's brigade, where they drove our men from their position, and from a four-gun batter}' there posted. The men were soon rallied, and by dark our line was reestablished and the battery recovered. " A large body of the enemy moved around our left, on the evening of the 9th, and took possession of the road about midway between Sliady Grove Clmrch and the Court House. General Early, with a part of Hill's corps, drove them back this evening, taking one gun and a few prisoners. Thanks to a merciful Providence, our casualties have been small. Among th(? wounded are Brigadier-Generals Hays and H. H. Walker. " R. E. Lek." 472 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. The point which he chose for his next attack was in the right centre of the Southern line. It was a salient which had been thrown out to cover a hill a few hundred yards in front of the general line, and to prevent the enemy from occupying it with their artillery. It was an unfortunate piece of engineering that included this hill in Ewell's intrenchments, as the sequel will show. Past the hill on the north side swept a ravine, which presented a convex line to the hill, the two approaching each other like circles that touch but do not cut each other. This salient was held by the division of General Edwaid John- son, of General Ewell's corps. Through some mistake, on the night of the 11th, General Johnson's artillery was withdrawn from his line, thus leaving him to hold it with only his infantry. General Johnson detected the concentration of the enemy in his front, about midnight, and informed General Ewell of it, at the same time asking to have his artillery sent back to him. General Ewell promptly ordered the guns back, but it was nearly five o'clock before they began to get into position again, and befoi'e they were ready for action the battle opened. Hancock had massed his corps in front of the position of General Johnson on the night of the 11th, and at half past four o'clock on the morning of the 12th of May, began his ad- vance, taking advantage of the ravine to shelter his troops as they approached the Southern works. ^A'ith an impetuous rush the Federals poured over the breastworks, and were met by Johnson's troops in a stubborn hand-to-hand fight. Only two pieces of Johnson's artillery had been unlimbered, and these were of but little use. After a desperate resistance his line was overwhelmed. Over three thousand prisoners, includ- ing Generals Johnson and G. H. Stewart, and twenty-five pieces of cannon were captured, and the enemy remained in posession of the works. Elated by his success, Hancock pressed on towards the in- SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE. 473 terior line of works which had been thrown up in the rear of Johnson's position. He had cut the Southern line in two, and there was danger that he would drive the wings apart if not checked. General Gordon, commanding Early's division, promptly threw forward hi;3 troops, and Rodes and \Vilcox hurried forward to his assistance. This force gallantly met the eager advance of the enemy, and forced them back. For hours the battle raged with great fury, the enemy endeavoring to break the new line, and meeting a bloody repulse each time they advanced. Supposing, from the determination with which General Lee maintained his ground, that the other portions of the Confed- erate line had been greatly weakened to furnish troops for the right centre. General Grant ordered Generals Warren and Burnside at eight o'clock to attack the Southern right and left wings. These officers assaulted vigorously, but were re- pulsed with much loss. The battle continued throughout the entire day, and did not cease altogether until midnight, when General Lee drew in his lines on the interior position. He had failed to recapture the works won from Johnson, but the enemy had been confined to them and foiled in all their efforts to penetrate farther, or to break the line at other points. The Southern losses were very heavy during the engage- ments up to this period, but they were nothing like those of the Federal army. General Grant had "hammered away" nearly a third of his army, but he was not discouraged. After the great battle of the 12th he wrote to his Government : '* We have now ended the sixth day of very heavy fighting. The result to this time is much in our favor. Our losses have been very heavy, as well as those of the enemy. I think the loss of the enemy must be greater. We have taken over five thousand prisoners in battle, while he has taken from us but 60 474 LITE OF GENERAL LEE. few except stragglers. I propose to fight It out on this line if it takes all summer." General Lee having now retired to an Interior and shortei line, General Grant determined to move around to his right, and try to force that wing back. General Warren was sent over to the right to unite with Burnside, which he succeeded in doinsi: after an arduous nioht march on the loth. On the 14th, the 5th and 9th corps made a vigorous attack on Wilcox's division and were " handsomely repulsed." Later in the day Lane's and Mahone's brigades made a dash at the enemy's left, capturing four hundred prisoners and several standards, and ahnost taking General Meade prisoner. The remainder of the day was spent in skirmishing, which grew heavier towards twi- light.* The 6th corps was moved over to the Federal left, on the 14th, and this, changing General Grant's entire position, ne- cessitated the opening of a new base at Aquia Creek, which was accomplished on the 16th of May.f Previous to this the enemy drew their supplies from Port Royal. General Grant now determined to make another effort against * " Spottsyi.vania Court House, May 14, via guinea's Station, May 15. "The enemy assaulted Wilcox's lines this morning and was handsomely repulsed. Mahone's and Lane's brigades attacked his left, capturing three hundred prisoners, and four stands of colors. Light skirmishing along the whole line during the day. The enemy seems to be moving toward our riglit. In the afternoon Wright's and Harris' brigades assaulted his left, and captured Bome prisoners and a stand of colors. E. E. Lee. " f'SPOTTsvLVANiA Court Housb, «io Guinea's Station, May 16, 1864. "To HIS Excellency President Davis: " The enemy has made no movement against our position to-day. He has retired his right and extended his left towards Massaponax Church, occupyinfl the line of the Ny river, his main force being apparently east of t'aat stream. (Signed,) R. E. Lee." THE MARCH TO THE CHICKAHOMINY. 475 Ewell's line, and on the 18th threw forward Hancock's, Burn- eide's, and Wright's (6th) corps against the works in the rear of the salient Hancock had carried on the 12th. The enemy pressed forward until they reached the abatis in front of the Southern works, when they were brought to a stand by this formidable obstacle, and broken by the heavy fire of the Con- federates. Finding their task a hopeless one, they fell back and abandoned the attack.* The losses of the Federal army since the passage of the Rap- idan, now amounted to more than forty thousand men, and the troops began to grow dispirited. It was certain that the Con- federate array could not be forced from its position on the heights of Spottsylvania, and there was but one way to dislodge it, — to move towards Richmond. This General Grant deter- mined to do. IV. THE MARCH TO THE CHICKAHOMINY. General Grant began his preparations to withdraw on the afternoon of the 1 9th. This movement was observed by General Lee, who threw out Ewell's corps, and struck the Federal left a severe blow, forcing General Grant to delay his move ment until the night of the 21st, when it was conuuenced.f • " Spottstltaxla Coukt House, May 18, 7 p. m via MiLFOED, 19th. "HON. J. A. Seddon, Secbetakt of WaB! " The enemy opened his batteries on a portion of Ewell's line, and attempted an assault, but failed. He was easily repulsed. Subsequently he cannonaded a portion of Hill's lines, under Early. The casualties on our side are very R. E. Lee." t General Grant's Report, p. 7. 4f6 LIFE or GENEKAIi LEE. Feel In f^ assured that Grant was moving to occupy the line of the North Anna, General Lee left hlcS position at Spottsyl- vania, and marching rapidly by a shorter route than that chosen by the Federal army, reached the south side of the North Anna before Grant arrived at Mllford, at which place the Federal advance encamped on the 22nd of May. On the morning of the 2ord the Federal army reached the North Anna River, but only to behold its old antagonist in position on the sp^th side, and ready to meet it again. The [)Ofsition which General Lee held here was an important one. Less than two miles back of the river was Hanover Junction, the point of intersection of the Virginia Central and Richmond and Fredericksburg railroads. The possession of the former road was important to the Confederates, as it was their only direct line of communication with the Shenandoah Valley. Nothing daunted, however, General Grant determined to force a passage of the river, and " hammer away " at this posi- tion also. General Hancock was on the Federal left, and General Warren on the right. The position of the former brought him opposite the crossings of the Fredericksburg Rail- road and Telegraph ( old stage) road, while the latter was in front of Jericho Ford about six miles to the right of the railroad bridge. Both of these commanders were ordered to effect a passage of the river. Jericho Ford was unguarded, but the Telegraph bridge was defended by a small force, Warren passed over unmolested, and advanced towards the Central Railroad. Near Noel's Station, he was encountered by Wil- cox's division of A. P. Hill's corps. Hill brought up his other divisions as rapidly as possible, and in a brisk engagement forced General Warren to halt for the rest of the day. At the same time Hancock, moving forward on the Federal left, made a sharp attack on the three regiments guarding the THE MARCH TO THE CHICKAHOMINY. 477 Telegraph bridge, and drove them over the river, gaining pos- session of the bridge, which he lield during the night, repuL-^ing several attempts of the Confederates to destroy it.* The next morning, the 24th, Hancock's corps crossed to the south side of the river. If General Grant supposed that he was now in a position to attack General Lee with a prospect of success, he was destined to disappointment. Feeling assured of the strength of his po- sition. General Lee had made no effort to resist General War- ren's passage of the river, and only checked him until his own line could be thoroughly established. On his right lie had simply lured General Hancock over the river, and on the morning of the 24th, he was sincerely desirous that General Grant should attack him. The reader will see by a glance at the map that the Telegraph bridge and Jericho Ford are about six miles apart. 'About a mile above the former are the Oxford Mills, At this point, Gen- eral Lee established his centre, clinging close to the river. His right stretched back beyond Hanover Junction, in an almost due southerly course, and rested on a series of extensive and impen- etrable marshes, while his left, running almost due vrest, rested on Little River. Both flanks were thus made secure by marshes and rivers, and the rest of the line was sti'ongly intrenched. The centre resting on the North Anna was interposed directly between the right and left wings of the Federal army, cutting oflfall communication between them south of the river. Lee's right faced nearly eastward towards Hancock's, and his left • " Hanover JuNcnoif, May 23, 10 p. m. "HOir. James A. Seddon: " About noon to-day the enemy approached the Telegraph bridge on the North Anna. In the afternoon he attacked the guard at the bridge and drove it to this side. About the same time the 5th corps (General "Warren's) crossed at Jericho Ford, on our left, and was attacked by General A. P. Hill and its advance checked. R. E. Lee." 478 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. westward towards Warren's and Wright's corps, his line form- ing two sides of an obtuse-angled triangle. While he held this position it would be impossible for General Grant to attack him, except with a part of his forces, without making a double passage of the river, while the Confederates could concentrate on any endangei'ed part of their line, or mass their forces and fall upon either the Federal right or left, at the same time pre- venting the other wing from going to its assistance. The con- ception was masterly, and without a blow defeated all General Grant's plans for an advance south of the North Anna, and also endangered the safety of the separated wings of his army. In oi'der to remedy this, General Burnside was ordered, on the 25th, to cross with the 9th corps at Oxford Mills, drive back Lee's centre from the river, and establish communication between Warren and Hancock. Burnside succeeded in crossing one division which was so roughly handled that he was com- pelled to withdraw it, and Warren in attempting to extend his left down the river to communicate with Burnside, was so vig- orously assailed by Hill's troops that it was with difficulty that tlie division (Crawford's) endeavoring to accomplish this, could be brought off.* General Lee had selected his position with great care, and his skill was richly rewarded. General Grant had gotten over the river, and into the trap set for him, but he was powerless to move forward, and might be equally unable to go back. See- ing his danger. General Grant wisely concluded to withdraw at * The following dispatch partly relates the events of the 2oth: " Tayloksville, Mny 25, 9.30 P. M. " Eos. Jaues a. Sbddon: " The enemy have been making feeble attacks upon our lines to-day, prob- ably -with a view of ascertaining our position. They were easily repulsed. " General Mahone drove three regiments across the river, capturing a stand of colors and some prisoners, among them an aid-de-camp of General Ludlow. E. E. Lee." THE IVIAKCH TO THE CHICKAHOMINY. 479 once. Had General Leo's army been strong enough to permit him to assume the offensive then and there, the Federal com- mander would have found that it was a much easier matter to get into such a predicament than to get out of it, but it being Gen- eral Lee's first duty to husband carefully the limited resources at his command, he was compelled by the weakness of his force to allow his antagonist to withdraw in safety. On the night of the 2Gth of May, the Federal army with- drew in silence across the North Anna. The Federal commander had been again baffled in his efforts to throw his army upon Lee's line of communication, and he now resolved to make a last effort to cut the Confederates off from Richmond before they should reach the defences of that city. Accordingly he directed his march towards the Pamun- key, which is formed by the union of tlie North and South Anna Rivers. To effect this march it was necessary to cut loose from his base at Port Royal ; but he would be compensated for this by establishing a new base at the White House, near the mouth of the Pamunkey, wliich had served McClellan for a similar purpose in 1862. He intended crossing the Pamunkey at Hanovertown, twenty miles northeast of Richmond, and then trying to throw his army over the Chickahominy before Lee could interfere, when the city would be at his mercy. But if, after passing the Chickahominy, he found tlie prospect of capturing Richmond unfavorable, he could move direct to the James River and unite his army with that of General Butler, then operating south of that river. On the night of the 26th, the Gth corps and Sheridan's cavalry commenced the movement, and crossed the Pamunkey at Hanovertown on the morning of the 27th, readily driving off the small party of Confederate cavalry on the opposite bank. By the morning of the 28th the whole Federal army was south of tlio Pamunkey. " Hanovertown Ferry is northeast of Richmond twenty miles, by the most direct road, which crosses the Chickahominy at 480 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Meadow Bridge, near the Central Railroad, and is known beyond the Chickahominy as the Hanovertown road. Another road to this ferry runs sontli four miles to Old Church and thence in a southwesterly direction by Old Cold Harbor to New Cold Har- bor, Gaines' Mill and New Bridge to Richmond, entering the city over Union Hill. From the city to New Bridge this is known as the New Bridge or Nine-Mile road ; beyond the New Bridge, as the Cold Harbor or Old Church road. Hanovertown ferry is three or four miles further from Richmond by this than the road previously mentioned. Hawes' Shop is three miles south of the ferry, on the direct road to Richmond. Hanover Court House is situated northwest of the ferry some eight or ten miles. — Another road from Richmond to Hanovertown Ferry is the Mechanicsville, which leaves the city by Howard's Grove, crosses the Chickahominy a couple of miles east of Meadow Bridge, and passing Dr. Lumpkin's residence, a point six miles from the city, known as Mechanicsville, falls into the Hanover- town road six miles further on and a mile north of Tottapotamoi Creek. Atlee's Station, on the Central Railroad, is nine miles north of Richmond and three miles northwest of Mechanicsville. From Atlee's to Old Cold Harbor on the Old Church road, as the crow flies, the distance is about nine miles ; by county roads it is several miles further. Tottapotamoi Creek rises near At- lee's Station, and running southeast to Poll Green Meeting House, turns thence northeast and empties into the Pamunkey two miles below Hanovertown. Old Cold Harbor is ten miles from Richmond ; New Cold Harbor, on the same road, is from a mile and a half to two miles nearer the city, and Gaines' Mill yet a quarter of a mile nearer. The country between Hanovertown and Mechanicsville by the direct road consists of large cleared fields and patches of heavy forest, there being no streams worthy of note except the Tottapotamoi ; on the Old Church road the country is more wooded." * * Richmond Examiner, June 13, 1864. THE MARCH TO THE CHICKAHOMINY. 481 The withdrawal of the enemy was discovered by General Lee on the morning of the 28th, and as soon as it was ascertained that Grant was moving towards the Pamunkey, General Ewell was sent off towards Ilavt'cs' Shop to prevent him from reaching the Chickahominy, and the whole army followed immediately. Ewell reached his position near Hawes' Shop late on the 27ih, and the next day was rejoined by the army. On the 28th, General Grant threw forward his cavalry to Hawes' Shop, and supported it by strong detachments of infantry. Fitz Lee, who was temporarily in command of the Confederate cavalry, was advanced to meet this force, and ascertain if Grant's whole army had crossed at Hanovertown, Fitz Lee attacked Sheridan and drove him back upon his infantry supports, and then, having accomplished the objects of the reconnoisance, drew off his command in the direction of Richmond. The 29th, and 30th were occupied by General Grant in reconnoiter- ing his adversary's position. Heavy skirmishing was of frequent occurrence between the two armies. On the afternoon of the 30th, General Hancock's corps developed the position of the Southern army, which had been carefully selected on the south side of Tottapotamoi Creek. Hancock crossed the creek, and advanced towards Ewell's line, but was driven back, after a sharp fight, to his own army in front of Hawes' Shop. The hostile lines now stretched east and west over an extent of country about ten miles in length — the Confederates behind the Tottapotamoi, with their left at Atlee's Station on the Cen- tral Railroad, their centre in front of Mechanicsville, and their right at Cold Harbor on the Cliickahominy ; the Federals, on the north bank of the creek, threatening Atlee's Station w^ith their right, and gradually moving their left towards the Chicka- hominy. 61 482 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. V. THE SECOND BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR. General Grant's first intention seems to have been to force a passage of the Chickahominy, at or in the neigliborhood of Meadow Bridge, but, finding that this could not be effected without driving the Confederate army from its position which covered this bridge, as well as that at Mechanicsville, and the New Bridge, he determined to move around Lee's right, and attempt to pass the river at Cold Harbor. Upon reaching the Pamunkey, General Grant had directed General Butler to send him all the men he could spare. Butler detached a force of sixteen thousand men, under General W. F. Smith, and sent it in transports to the White House, where it debarked on the 30th of May. General Grant now ordered General Smith to move out from the White House and occupy New Cold Harbor. A mistake was made in the order, and Smith was sent to New- castle on the Pamunkey, ten or fifteen miles out of the way. Discovering the mistake in his orders, he countermarched his corps, and arrived in the neighborhood of New Cold Harbor, where the 6th corps had just come up, on the afternoon of June 1st.* jNIeanwhile General Lee had been reenforced by Brecken- ridge's command of two thousand men from the Valley of Vir- ginia, and Hoke's and Pickett's divisions from Beauregard's army south of the James. This brought his force to about forty-four thousand men of all arms, and barely covered his losses in the campaign. While holding his line on the Totta- potamoi he had also been careful to watch the Federal left, as * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 482. THE SECOND BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR. 483 he v\'as convinced that Grant would endeavor to secure the bridges in the rear of Cold Harbor. Grant had scarcely put the Gth corps in motion before the march was discovered by General Lee. Anderson was at once dispatched with Kershaw's division to occupy the heights around New Cold Harbor and Gaines' Mill, and Hoke's division was hurried to his assistance Later in the day a part of Hill's corps and Breckenridge's divi sion were also sent to New Cold Harbor. After leaving Gaines' Mill, on Powhite Creek, the road from Richmond to Cold Harbor ascends a long, high hill. Near the brow of this hill, stands New Cold Harbor, and from this point to Old Cold Harbor, about a mile and a half to the southwest, is a very gently sloping plain. The ridge of this hill or high land runs from New Cold Harbor in a southeasterly direction, and ends abruptly three hundred yards from the Chickahominy, at the bridge by which General jNIcClellan withdrew his defeated troops after the first battle in June 1862, ten miles from Rich- mond. On the night of the 31st of ]May, General Sheridan occupied Old Cold Harbor with his cavalry, and threw out a strong de- tachment to seize the heights at New Cold Harbor to gain which the 6th Federal corps, and Anderson's Confederate corps were hastening. Anderson came up on the 1st of June, with Ker- shaw's and Hoke's divisions, and attacking Sheridan drove him back towards Old Cold Harbor, and secured the heights around New Cold Harbor and Gaines' INIill, which he at once pro- ceeded to fortify. Breckenridge and Heth also arrived by noon, and by two o'clock the heights were held by a force too strong to be driven from them without a general engagement. In the afternoon, the 6th corps and the corps of General Smith reached Old Cold Harbor. General Meade, who had established his headquarters at that place, gave orders for an immediate attack for the purpose of gaining possession of the 484 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. heights. At four o'clock Wright and Smith attacked a part of Hill's line immediately behind Old Cold Harbor. They succeeded in carrying the first line of rifle pits, but were driven from them. They fell back only a few hundred yards, how- ever, and immediately commenced to fortify their position.* The next day, June 2nd, General Grant directed General Burnside to withdraw his corps from the Tottapotamoi, and take position at Cold Harbor. Warren's corps was to cover the movement, after which it was to follow Burnside to the Chickahominy. While this movement was in process of execu- tion, Ewell's corps moved around by the Mechanicsville road, and fell upon Warren's right near Bethesda Church, driving it in with vigor. Pressing on, three strongly intrenched lines were carried, and the enemy driven back for nearly a mile, with the loss of over five hundred prisoners. The night of the first and the whole of the second of June were spent by the Confederates in strengthening their position, 60 that by dark on the second, the line which they held was even stronger than that they had occupied at Spottsylvania Court House. Their right was within a few hundred yards of the Chickahominy on the New Cold Harbor ridge, the interval between being occupied by an impassable swamp, and their • " HBADQUABTER3 ABMT OF NORTHERN VlROimA, June 1, HSM, e. m. " Hon. Secretary of "War : "There has been skirmishing along the lines to-day. General Anderson and General Hoke attacked the enemy in their front this forenoon, and drove them to their intrenchments. This afternoon the enemy attacked General Heth and were handsomely repulsed by Cooke's and Kirkland's brigades. Generals Breckenridge and Mahone drove the enemy from their front, taking about one imndred and fifty prisoners. A force of infantry is reported to have arrived at Tunstall's station from the White House, and to be extending up the York River Railroad. They state that they belong to Butler's forces. " Respectfully, " R. E. Lee, General." THE SECOND BATTLE OF COLD HAKBOR. 485 left extended over to the Tottapotamoi , making their line about eix miles in length. Anderson's corps, and the divisions of Breckinridge and Ilokc, and a part of Hill's corps held the "works on the Cold Harbor ridge, and the remainder of Hill's troops and Eveell's corps held the centre and left. The Fed- eral line was somewhat lons^er. The riiiht, under General Burnside, was near Bethesda Church, the left was in front of McGeiiee's house, under Hancock, and the interval was filled with the corps of Wright, Smith and Warren, in the order named. Sheridan's cavalry was thrown out on the left of Han- cock, from Dispatch Station to the neighborhood of Bottom's Bridge. Both armies were in position by nightfall on Wednesday, June 2d, and General Grant determined to assault the Southern lines at dawn the next morning. There was much to inspire both armies in the conflict. The ground on which the battle was to be fought was the same that had been made memorable by the battle between Lee and JMcClcllan two years previous. The positions of the armies, however, were changed. Lee, in 18()4, held almost the same line that he won from McClellan in 18G2 ; while Grant held the greater portion of the old line of the Con- federates ; the Federals this time attacking, and the Confederates defending, the Cold Harbor ridge. At half-past four o'clock on Thursday morning, June 3d, just as the breaking day gave light enough to guide the troops, the battle began. The attack was made simultaneously along the whole line. Hancock opened the engagement by a sudden rush against the works held by Brecken ridge's command on the ex- treme right of the Confederate line, driving the troops from them, and gaining possession of three guns of Reid's battery, which were at once turned upon the Confederates. Instantly Breckenridue's men rallied on Finne^an's Florida brijiade whicli 486 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. daj^lieJ forward with a yell. A fierce strugf^le took place in the works, and, in a quarter of an hour after the attack l)egan, Hancock was driven back, and Breckenridge's line reestablished. Not discouraged by this repulse, however^ Hancock made re- peated attempts, in as many as seven distinct charges, to carry Anderson's works, but each time was driven back with fearful loss. The corps of Generals Wright and Smith were hotly engaged on Hancock's right. They endeavoured again and again to carry the works in front of them (a part of Anderson's line), but in vain. They lost heavily, and could with difficulty maintain the new position whicli they had taken up in advance of their orig- inal position of the morning. The attack on Early, on the left, was less vigorous. Warren had been too severely handled on the afternoon of the 2d to attempt much, and Burnside spent the best part of the morning in getting his men into position to assail Early's extreme left, under General Heth. He made two attacks on Ileth's line, which were easily repulsed. The battle ended between eleven and twelve o'clock. Every attack of the enemy had been successfully repelled, and the fight closed with the Confederates in full possession of their works. The Southern loss was insignificant, — scarcely twelve hundred, if so much, — while on the side of the Federals the losses reached the enormous sum of thirteen thousand men,* While the engagement was in progress, the cavalry, under General Hampton, who had been appointed to succeed the lamented Stuart, were thrown out on Evvell's left. Moving towards Hawes' Shop, they encountered the cavalry division of General Wilson, of the Federal Army, strongly posted at that place. Hampton attacked them with a part of Gen. W. H. F. * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 487. THE SECOND BATTLE OF COID HARBOR. 487 Lee's division, and drove them back rpon ^Yarren's corps, inflicting considerable loss upon them.* The only change made in the Southern line after the battle was the withdrawal of Breckenridge's troops from the salient they had lost and regained. The line was straightened, and this weak point removed. When this was a':;complished, Breck- enridge, about nine o'clock that night, advanced his skirmish line to its original position. Immediately the en-emy drove it in, at the same time making an effort to carry the line of battle. They were promptly repulsed. An -attack Mas then made on Hoke's line with a like result. The firing then ceased for the night, t • " Hbadquakters Army Northern ViBGjinA. "Jir 6 3,1804 — 8.35, P.M. "How. Seceetaet of War: " About 4.^, A. M., to-day, the enemy made an attack upon the right of our line. In front of General Hoke and part of General Breckenridg:e's line he was repulsed without difficulty. He succeeded in penetrating a salient in General Breckenridge's line and captured a portion of t'^e biitallion there posted. " General Finnegan's brigade of Mahone's division, and the Maryland bat- talion of Breckenridge's command, immediately drove the enemy out with severe loss. Repeated attacks were made upon General Anderson's position, chiefly against his right, under General Kershaw. They were met with great Bteadiness and repulsed in every instance. The attack extended to our ex- treme left, under General Early, with like results. Later in 'he day it was twice renewed against General Heth, who occupied Early's leff but was re- pulsed with loss. " General Hampton encountered the enemy's cavalry near Hawcs' Shop, and a part of General William H. F. Lee's division drove them from the.>r intrench- ments. Our loss to-day has been small, and our success, under tb? blessing of God, all that we could expect. Respectfully, R. E. Lke, General." f " Headquarters ahmt Northern Vi"«oinia, June 4, 1SJ4, 8.J0., p. M. "HON. SECEETART of WAB! " Last night, after the date of my dispatch. Generals Breckenridge ard Fin- neg-'n were attacked by the enemy as they were preparing to reestablisU \hoit 488 lilFE OF GENERAL LEE. The failure of the main attack on the morning of the Srd dis- heartened the Federal troops to a great extent. In the after- noon General Meade, wishing to renew the battle, directed each of his corps commanders to attack again without reference to the troops on his right or left. The order was transmitted to the army through the usual channels, and the word given to advance, but the men stood still, refusing to move, and turning deaf ears to the commands and entreaties of their officers.* They were convinced that it was impossible to carry the South- ern works, for they had struggled gallantly for them during the morning, and it is but justice to add that their conduct was prompted by the wisdom of veteran soldiers, and not by cow- ardice. After being repulsed in their efforts to carry Lee's line, the Fed- erals fell back to a line in advance of that held by them on the 2d of June. This they proceeded to fortify, and by the morn- ino- of the 4th, they had thrown up a series of formidable works, and had commenced to lay siege to the position of the Confederate army. The opposite works were at some i)oints three hundred yards apart, at others they were separated by a distance of less than fifty yards. The sharpshooters of both armies were constantly at woi'k, save at rare intervals, when, by a sort of tacit understanding, both sides would cease from firiniT, and o;aze at or talk with each other over their frownins ramparts. These " truces," as they were called, were very precarious. The least thing — the accidental discharge of a skirmish line. The enemy was soon repulsed. Immediately afterwards an attack was made upon General Hoke's front, with a like result. " Up to the time of writing, nothing has occurred along the lines to-day, except skirmishing at various points. The position of the army is substan- tially unchanged. Respectfully, R. E. Lee, General" * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 487. THE SECOND BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR. 489 uuisket, a shout, or the merest trifle — would cause the firing to be resumed, and the rumble of an empty wagon was sure to be followed by a cannonade. The enemy's dead lay between the lines of the two armies, and the hot sun causing them to become very offensive, General Grant on the morning of the 5th, sent a flag of truce to Gen- eral Lee, proposing that when the armies were not actually engaged, unarmed parties on both sides might be permitted to pass between the lines to succor the wounded and bury the dead belonging to them. To this General Lee replied that none of his dead or wounded were unburied or uncared for between the lines ; that General Grant's proposition was irregular and could not be accepted ; but that he would cheerfully grant any re- quest from General Grant for this purpose if made in the usual manner. It seems that General Grant misunderstood this reply, for he sent a second fla^ of truce to General Lee, stating that he (Grant) would send forward a detail to bury his dead. General Lee at once notified General Grant that he had mis- taken his answer, and that if a burial party was sent out with- out first obtaining permission under a flag of truce to perform its work, it would be warned off by the Southern pickets. General Grant then sent in a formal request for permission to bury his dead, and General Lee at once granted it. The battle of Cold Harbor was decisive. It closed the over- land campaign, and left General Grant again foiled in his ejQTort to get between Lee and Richmond. In four days after the battle the Federal commander decided to abandon the north side, and transfer his forces to the south bank of the James. The campaign was a total failure. It was begun with the hope of flanking Lee on the Rapidan and seizing his com- numicaticjns at Gordonsville. So far from accomplishing this. General Grant was attacked when he least expected, held back in the AVilderness, and compelled to abandon his original move- 62 490 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. nient. He then attempted to plant his army between Lte and Kichmond at Spottsylvania Court House. In this he was foiled, and every effort to drive Lee from the line which barred the advance of the Federal army was repulsed with loss. The flank movement upon the North Anna was made only to find the Southern army in position across the Federal line of march again. The renewed effort to outflank Lee by way of the Pamunkey also failed, and the last great effort to force the passage of the Chickahominy at Cold Harbor was thwarted, and made at the terrible cost of thirteen thousand men. Then, having nothing else left for him, General Grant was forced to abandon the campaign, and seek a new base and a new scene of operations south of the James. The losses in the campaign were very great. On the side of the Confederates they amounted to about eighteen thousand, while the Federals lost sixty thousand men, — more than ten thousand above the total strength of Lee's army.* Yet, in the fvce of all this, it is the habit of the mnjority of writers on the Northern side to describe the campaign as suc- cessful for them. I can only say that a few more such suc- cesses would have brought the Union cause to total ruin. Before passing to the narration of the movements which fol- lowed the battle of Cold Harbor, I must ask the reader's attention to matters in other quarters, bearing immediately upon this campaign. VI. THE CAMPAIGN IN THE VALLEY. The reader will remember that a part of General Grant's programme was for General Crook to move through South- * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 491. THE CAMPAIGN IN THE VALLEY. 491 western Virginia, and destroy the Virginia and Tennessee Rail- road, and for Sigel to advance as far as pos;?ible up the Valley of Virginia and destroy the Central Railroad. Both of these "columns moved on the 1st of May. General Crook reached the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, cut it in several places, and then moved towards the Valley of Virginia. Sigel moved up the Valley, meeting but little resistance until the 15th of May, when he was attacked and defeated with great loss, near New Market, by the command of General Breckenridge. Breckenridge drove Sigel hotly before him until Cedar Creek was reached, and then paused, being unable to continue the pursuit farther, and General Sigel escaped do\Yn the Valley. Unfortunately Breckenridge was at this time withdrawn from the Valley and brought to Richmond to reenforce General Lee. This left the Valley defenceless; as the small force under Gen- eral William E. Jones, which was left behind, was incapable of making a stand against any serious effort on the part of the Federals. Just as Breckenridge was v/ithdrawn. General Sigel was re- moved from his command, and succeeded by General Hunter, who was ordered by General Grant to resume Sigel's movement, penetrate into the Valley as far as he could, and, if, after cap- turing Staunton and destroying the railroads, he found it possi- ble to reach Lynchburg, to march for that place, and occupy it. Hunter at once began his march, and on the 5th of June at- tacked the little command of General Jones at Piedmont. Jones made a gallant resistance, but was defeated, himself killed, and fifteen hundred of his men — fully half of his command — and three pieces of artillery captured. Hunter then marched to Staunton, where, on the 8th of June, he formed a junction with the columns of Generals Crook and Averill. Finding that no force of any importance lay between Staun- 492 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. ton nnd Lynchburg, he set out for the latter place, mov- ing tlirough Lexington. On his way he burned the Military Institute of Virginia and the residence of Ex-Governor Letcher, and during his march his men burned many private dwellings,- and committed many other outrages upon the helpless people of the country — his conduct being far more brutal than that of General Pope in Culpepper in 18G2. Hunter reached Lynch- burg on the lOth of June, and at once commenced his prepara- tions to attack the town, which was held by the small force has- tily collected, and to which was added the command of General Breckenridge. The news of Hunter's movement upon Lynchburg compelled General Lee to detach a part of his army to relieve the threat- ened city. Lynchburg was not only important as a depot of supplies, and as commanding the Confederate communications with Southwe:^tern Virginia, but its occupation by the enemy would greatly endanger the safety of both Richmond and Peters- burg. The corps of General Ewell was detached for the task, and as General Ewell was disabled by the injuries he received at INIanassas in the fall of 18G2, and from which he never fully recovered, the command of thj corps was given to General Early. Early left the Chickahominy about the 14th of June, taking with him about twelve thousand men, and an unusually large supply of artillery. INIarciiing rapidly from the Chickahominy, he reached Gordonsville, where he embarked on the cars, and ar- rived at Lynchburg on the 17th. On the 18th General Hunter attacked the Confederate works and was repulsed. By the morning of the 19th all of Early's troops had arrived, and he at once advanced upon Hunter. The Federals were discovered in fidl retreat. General Hunter having come to the conclusion that he could secure nothing but his own defeat by remaining at Lynchburg. Early struck the rear of the Federal column a few miles beyond Lynchburg, threw it THE CAMPAIGN ON THE SOUTH SIDE. 493 into confusion, and captured a number of prisoners and tlilrteen pieces of artillery. He also pressed the enemy so hard tliat General Hunter decided not to retreat through the Valley, and adopted a circuitous route through Western Virginia, which opened to Early the way for the execution of the second part of the instructions he had received from General Lee, and wliich will be described fai-ther on. During his retreat General Hunter destroyed the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, tearing up the track and burning the bridges, from Lynchburg to AVytheville, where Crook and Averill had cut it in INIay, — a distance of one hundred and thirty-five miles. The damage done was very great, but the road was in running order again in sixty days. VII. THE CAMPAIGN ON THE SOUTH SIDE. The reader will remember that a part of General Grant's programme was , for the command of IMajor-General Biitler to attacTi Richmond from the south side of the James River. This was the principal of the movements which were to be cooperat- ive with that of the Army of the Potomac. General Grant's instructions to Butler were as follows : « Fort Monroe, Va., April 2, 18G4. "General: "In the spring campaign, which it is desirable shall com- mence at as early a day as practicable, it is proposed to have cooperative action of all the armies in the field, as far as this object can be accomplished. ' ' It will not be possible to unite our armies into two or three 494 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. large ones to act as so many units, owing to the absolute neces- sity of holding on to the territory already taken from the enemy. But, generally speaking, concentration can be practically effected by armies moving to the interior of the enemy's country from the territory they have to guard. By such movement they interpose themselves between tlie enemy and the country to be guarded, thereby reducing the number necessary to guard im- portant points, or at least occupy the attention of a part of the enemy's force, if no greater object is gained. Lee's army and Richmond being the Greater objects towards which our attention must be directed in tlie next campaign, it is desirable to unite all the force we can against them. The necessity of covering Washington with the Army of the Potomac, and of covering your department with your army, makes it impossible to unite these forces at the beginning of any move. I propose, there- fore, what comes nearest this of anytliing that seems practicable. The Army of the Potomac will act from its present base, Lee's army being the objective point. You will collect all the forces from your command that can be spared from garrison duty — 1 should say not less than twenty thousand effective men — to operate on the south side of James River, Richmond being your objective point. To the force you already have will be added about ten thousand men from South Carolina, under IMajor- General Gillmore, who will command them in person. ]\Iajor General W. F. Smith is ordered to report to you, to command Jie troops sent into the field from your own department. ^' General Gillmore will be ordered to report to you at Fort- ress JNIonroe, with all the troops on transports, by the 18th instant, or as soon thereafter as practicable. Should you not receive notice by that time to move, you wall, make such dispo- sition of them and your other forces as you may deem best cal- culated to deceive the enemy as to the real move to be made. '* When you are notified to move, take City Point with as THE CAMPAIGN ON THE SOUTH SIDE. 495 jiucli fo^^e as possible. Fortify or rather intrench, at once, and concentrate all your troops for the field there as rapidly as you can. From City Point directions cannot be given at this time for your further movement. " The fact that has already been stated — that is, that Rich- mond is to be your objective point and that there is to be cooperation between your force and the Army of the Potomac — must be your guide. This indicates the necessity of your holding i;lose to the south bank of the James River as you advance. Then, should the enemy be forced into his intrench- ments in Richmond, the Army of the Potomac would follow, and by means of transports the two armies would become a unit. " All the minor details of your advance are left entirely to your direction. If, however, you think it practicable to use your eavalry south of you so as to cut the railroad about Ilicks- ford about the time of the general advance, it would be of immense advantage. " You will please forward for my information, at the earlie&t practicable day, all orders, details and instructions you may give for the execution of this order. U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General . Majoe-Generaj4 B. F. Butler." * It is rather difficult to understand from this letter what was the exact part assigned to General Butler ; but, from various papers which I have consulted elsewhere, I have come to the conclusion that Butler was expected to move up the south bank, take Richmond or Petersburg, if possible, and if unsuccessful in that, keep the way open for General Grant to pass the James River should he be unable to defeat Lee before reachinof Rich- mond. * General Grant's Report p. 4. 496 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Butler's force consisted of the 18th corps under General W. F. Smith, and the 10th corps, under General Q. A. Gill- more, which had been at Charleston, South Carolina. The cavalry division of General Kautz, then at Norfolk, was also placed under his orders. This army was almost as ly.rge as that under General Lee, numbering about thirty-one thousand men.* It rendezvoused at Yorktown and Gloucester Point towards the last of April, and, to conceal his real designs, Butler sent about four tliousand infantry and cavalry up the Peninsula to threaten Richmond. On the 4th of May, the Army of the James, as it vras called, embarked in transports, and dropping down York River, sailed down the Bay, into Hampton Roads and the James River. On the 5th, City Point and Bernmda Ilundredsf were occupied, the Confederates offering no resistance. At the time of the landing of Butler's forces, the city of Petersburg and the country between the Appomattox and the James were almost entirely defenceless. Drewry's Bluff was held by a small garrison, but there was scarcely more than a regiment at Petersburg. The troops intended for the defence of the South Side had been sent off to the coast of North Carolina by General Bragg. They captured the town of Plymouth, — a barren and worthless victory, — but were thrown off to a point where they could do no good in the defence of the all-important line south of the James. When the authorities at Richmond found that the city was to be threatened from this quarter, they confided the defence of the South Side to General Beauregard, who was ordered to repair at once to his new command. Gen- eral Beauregard left Charleston, bringing with him such troops as he could withdraw from the coast, and orders were sent to * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 4G1. t A narrow neck of land at the intersection of the Appomattox and James Rivers, opposite City Point, about a mile distant. THE CAMPAIGN ON THE SOUTH SIDE. 497 Generals Hoke and Pickett to move up promptly from North Carolina with their divisiong. The advanced brigade of General Pickett, accompanied by the General himself, reached Peters- hurg about the time the enemy occupied Bermuda Hundreds. General Beauregard was hurrying the rest of the troo[)s forward as rapidly as possible, but they were still in North 'Carolina. General Bragg, now that the plans of the Federals had fully dcvel()i)cd themselves, went to work energetically to repair his error in sending Pickett away, and appieciating the importance of Petersburg, did his best to make it secure, and had no idea of abandoning it, as has been unjustly charged against him. On the Gth of May, Butler advanced a brigade, and battery under General Ileckman, to Port Walthal Junction, about six miles from Petersburg, and the same distance from Bermuda Hundreds. A par! of Haygood's South Carolina brigade was sent from Drewry's Bluff to Port Walthal Junction. This force encountered Heckuian's brigade on the afternoon of the Gih, and a sharp skirmish ensued, resulting in the enemy being forced back. Heckman returned to Bermuda Hundreds that night. On the 7th, Butler, in accordance with General Grant's in- structions, having strongly intrenched his front from river to river, moved towards the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad for the purpose of destroying the track. A part of Pickett's divi- sion had now reached Petersburg, and this force was thrown out to the railroad, which it covered from Port ^Valthal Junction to Chester, about half way between Richmond and Petersburg. Butler attacked at once, and was repulsed. That night Pickett, fearing an advance upon Petersburg, and not having men enough to hold it against a determined attack, resorted to strategy. All night he ke[)t a number of locomotives on the railroads leading into Petersburg, running backwards and forwards with as much noise as possible, hoping to cause Butler to think that reenforce- 63 498 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE- ments were pouring into Petersburg. The enemy made no advance during the night. On the 9th General Butler again advanced against the rail- road with his whole command. Upon reaching the road in the vicinity of Chester, Butler proceeded to destroy it. Then dividing 4iis force, and leaving one part facing Richmond, he moved with the rest towards Petersburg. Driving in the Con- federate skirmishers, he encountered the Southern line of battle drawn up in intrenchments behind Swift Creek, about three miles from the city. Slight skirmishing ensued, but no serious attack was made by the enemy. It was General Butler's inten- tion to attack this line the next mornino:, but that niuht he was informed by his Government that Grant was driving Lee before him towards the Confederate Capital. Upon this he abandoned the movement against Petersburg, and resolved to march at once upon Richmond.* lie doubtless hoped to carry the defences of that city south of the James, and cither occupy it before Grant's arrival, or aid in its capture when the Army of the Potomac came up. On the 12th the Federal army moved in the direction of Richmond, the Confederate advanced forces falling back slowly until they reached their intrenched line on the left bank of Proctor's Creek. On the 13th the Confed- erates fell back from this line to the defences of Drewry's Bluff. On the 13th General Beauregard's army reached Petersburg, and was rapidly thrown across to Drewry's Bluff, and posted in the line behind Proctor's Creek. The Confederate force now numbered about eighteen thousand, and its position was very strong. Butler followed, and on the 14th occupied Beauregard's outer line of works in front of Drewry's Bluff. This line General Beauregard permitted him to occupy, desiring to draw him a& * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 464. THE CAMPAIGN ON THE SOUTH SIDE. 499 far as possible from his gunboats, and thus enable his own army to operate on the Federal left flank. In order to occupy the line abandoned to him, Butler was compelled to "string out" his force, but he determined to attack the main line of the Confed- erates on the morning of the 16th. This was the time appointed by General Beauregard fof striking a blow at Butler. He had discovered that the interval of half a mile which extended between the Federal rijrht and the James River was weakly guarded by cavalry, and he de- cided to turn Butler's position in that direction. He had stationed General Whiting's divi&ion at Port Walthal Junction to cover the approaches to Petersburg, and had thus in reality placed it around Butler's left flank and in the rear of the new Federal position. Appreciating this advantage, he ordered General \\ hiting to move out on the morning of the 16th, and throw his command across the neck from the Appomattox to the James, and thus cut off the Federals from their base at Bermuda Hundreds. In this way he hoped to surround and capture, or destroy Butler's whole command ; and there was every reason to believe that the plan would be crowned with success. At dawn on the morning of the 16th of May, General Beau- regard made his attack. A thick fog covered the whole coun- try, rendering it very difficult to distinguish the position of the enemy. The first attempt against the Federal right failed, but after a severe attack in front, the turning movement was re- newed, and Smith was forced back from his position to a point farther in the rear, and Beauregard, then renewing his efforts, forced Butler's whole command back about two miles behind Ware Bottom Church, where they had thrown up a strong line of intrenchments when they first landed at Bermuda Hun- dreds. During all this time, General Whiting lay quiet at Port 500 LIFE OF GENETIAL LEE. "Walthal Junction, fed ring that the enemy would attempt to advjmce upon Petersburg. Had lie moved off early in the mornini;, he would have seized Butler's line of retreat, and the Federal army would have been ruined ; but he deliberately reiiised to obey General Beauregard's instructions, and the biilliant and promising plan of the Confederate commander failed, simply through this act of insubordination. The Confederate loss in this battle was about three thousand, that of the enemy over four thousand. General Beauregaid tullovved Butler leisurely, and threw up aline of intrcnchmcnts, extending from Port Walthal Junction to the James River below Drewry's Bluff. On the 21st of May, Butler attacked this line with the hope of stopi)ing its construction, but was re[>ulsed with heavy loss. Frequent skirmi?hing now took [)lace between the two armies, but Beau- regaid finishgd his iutrenclunents, and the Federal army, to use tiie forcible langunge of General Grant, " was as completely shut off from further operations directly against Kichmond, as if it had been in a bottle strongly corked."* Thus the early part of June found the army of General But- ler, who h;id boastfully oj)ened his campaign, "corked up" by Beauregard, the commands of Crook, Hunter and Averill, driven beyond the mountains, and the princi|)al Federal army, under General Grant himself, abandoninnf the orii^inal cam- paign, and seeking a new base south of the James. Everywhere success crowned the efforts of the Southern army. * General Grant's Report, p. 8. 'grant crosses the JAMES RIVER. 501 XI. THE SIEGE OF rETEriSBURG. June, 1864 — IMarch, 18G5. I. GRANT CROSSES THE JAMES RIVER. Im^IEDTATELY after the battle of Cold Harbor, General Grant detcrinincd to abandon the line of the Chickahoniiny, and seek a new base south of the James River. It required a con- siderable amount of moral courage upon his part to carry out this re?olution, for it involved the abandonment of the favorite scheme of his Government — the covering of Washington City. General Grant, however, had a correct idea of the way in which this should be done, and he was convinced that the best way to cover Washington was to threaten Petersburg and llichmond. lie had come to the conclusion that the weak point of Ivichmond ■was south of the James, and he determined to assail it there. It woxdd have been well for him had lie made his original move- ment from that quarter. He would have saved sixty thousand of his best troo|)s, and have gained more decided advantages than he could have secured from any other plan. Having decided to cross the James, General Grant at once commenced to put his j)lan into execution. On the Gth, he be 502 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. gan to move his line closer to theChickahoniiny,* by withdraw- ing Warren's corps to a point in rear of his centre, only ten miles from the Long Bridge. On the 7th, his line was drawn still closer to the York liiver Eailroad, and Sheridan was sent with his cavalry to destroy the Central Railroad. This expedi- tion was met by Hampton's cavalry at Trevylian's Depot, and repulsed with such loss that Sheridan was forced to retreat. On the night of the 12th of June, the march of the Federal army began, Warren's corps moving in advance, preceded by Wilson's cavalry. Warren seized the Long Bridge, and throw- ing out his corps beyond it, made his dispositions to mask the crossing of the remainder of Grant's army. General Lee discovered the withdrawal of the Federal army, on ihe morning of the 13th, and moved his forces towards the James River. A small cavalry force had been stationed in front of the Lonjj Bridge to watch it, and on the mornincj of the 13th, this was driven back by Warren's corps about two miles beyond Riddle's Shop, which is the point where the road lead- ing from Richmond to Charles City Court House, intersects the road leadinsr to Malvern Hill. About two o'clock in the afternoon, Mahone's and Wilcox's divisions came to the assis- tance of the cavalry. An attack was made at once, and the enemy were driven back two miles beyond Riddle's Shop. The cross roads, and the road leading to Malvern Hill were recov- ered, and the enemy were forced back in the direction of the * The following bulletin will show that this movement was quickly detected. "Headquarters Army northern Vibqikia, June 6, 1804— 8.30, r. u. "Hon. Secretary of Wab: " There has been very little skirmishing on the lines to-day. " It was discovered early this morning that the enemy liad withdrawn from the front of General Early on our left, and from the most of tiie front of Gen- eral Anderson on the c« ntre. Respectfully, &c., R. E. Lee, General." GRANT CROSSES THE JAMES RIVER. 503 Long Bridge and the Chlckahonainy,* when night came on, and the advance was checked. Meanwhile the Federal army had crossed the Chickahominy. Upon leaving Cold Harbor General Smith's corps was sent to the White House where it embarked in transports and returned to Bermuda Hundreds. The remainder of the army followed Warren over the Long Bridge, and the trains crossed on a pon- ton-bridge at Coles' Ferry. The march was then resumed towards the James River, which was reached at Wilcox's land- ing on the 14th. A delay was caused here by the fiiilure to provide a sufficient quantity of materials for bridging the river. Plancock's corps was ferried over to Windmill Point in trans- ports, and on the night of the 14th a bridge was thrown over the river, and by the IGth the entire Federal army was south of the James. Grant's movements were known to General Lee,| but no * " HEADQUAETEKS AEMY NOKTHEKN VlKGINIA, JunelS, 1864— 10 p.m. "Hon. Secbetaey of War: " A dispatch just received from Major-General Hampton, states that he de- feated the enemy's cavalry near Trevylian's, with heavy loss, capturing five hundred prisoners, besides the wounded. The enemy retreated in confusion, apparently, by the route he came, leaving his dead and wounded on the field. " At daylight 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. A body of cavalry and some infantry, from Long Bridge, advanced to Kiddle's Shop and were driven back this evening nearly two miles, after some sharp skirmishing. , Kespectfully, li. E. Lee, General." f "HBAIMJUAETEES AKMY NORTHEKJf VinoiNXA, June 14, 1864 — 9 p.m. "HOB. Secbetaey of Wab: " Sir : The force of the enemy mentioned in my last dispatch as being on the Long Bridge road, disappeared during the night. It was probably ad- vanced to cover the movement of the main body, most of which, as far as I can learn, crossed the Chickahominy at Long Bridge and below, and has reached James River, at Westovsr and Wilcox's Landing. 504 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. effort was made to interfere with him. The only fighting that occurred was between the Federal cavalry, and Fitzhugh Lee's division,* the former being doubtless thrown out by General Grant to keep back an advance of the Southern army while his troops were delayed at Wilcox's Landing. j\Iuch surprise was expressed in the South because General Lee permitted the enemy to pass the James without seeking to impede their move- ments. The truth was, however, that General Lee was not strong enough for such a venture. lie had just detached Early's corps from his army, and was left with very little over thirty thousand men. With this force it would have been impost^ible to prevent the Federal army from crossing the river, and Gen- eral Lee wisely considered it his duty to refrain from throwing awav the lives of his men. He contented him-elf with occupy- ino" a position covering Richmond, from whic^h he could watch Grant's army on the James, or go to the aid of Petersburg if the enemy should attempt to capture that city. " A portion of General Grant's army, upon leaving our front at Cold Harbor, is reported to have proceeded to tlie White House and embarked atttbat place. Everything is said to have been removed, and the depot at llie White House broken up. The cars, engine, railroad iron, and bridge timber that had been brought to that point, have also been shipi)ed. Very respectfully, &c., 11. E. LiiE, General." * "Headquarters Army of Northern Vie:oinL4» Juue 15, 18W — 6, r. U. "Hon. Secretary op War: " SiK : After the withdrawal of our cavalry yesterday evening from the front of the enemy's works at Harrison's Landing, his cavaify again advanced on the Salem Cluircli road, and this morning were reported in some force on that road and at Malvern Hill. General William H. F. Lee easily drove back the force at the latter point, which retreated down the river road bi-yond Charter's Mill. A brigade of infantry was sent to support the cavalry on the road to Smith's Store, and drove the enemy to tliat point without difficulty. Notiung else of importance has occurred to-day. Very respectfully, &c., R. E. liEE, General.'* TUE SICGE BEGUN. 5U5 II. THE SIEGE BEGUN. Petersburg lies twenty-two miles south of Richmond, on the right bank of the Appomattox. It is connected with the latter city by a railroad and an excellent turnpike. The Appomattox is navigable to the wharves of the city for light-draught vessels. Two railroads of importance begin at Petersburg, the road to AVeldtm leaving the city on the south, and the South Side Rail- road, running to Lynchburg and connecting with the Richmond and Danville Railroad at Burkes\ille, about fiftv-five miles from Peterabuig, and the same distance from Richmond. Both of tlie?e railroads were important lines of supply, and their loss, together with that of the city, would sever the communications of Richmond with the country south of the Appomattox, and compel the evacuation or surrender of the Confederate Ca[)ital. As General Butler had said, Petersburg was the back door of Richmond. In spite of its importance, however, it was left at the mercy of the enemy. General Lee could spare no troops for its de- fence, and the army of General Beauregard, from which Hoke's and Pickett's divisions had been taken, was too weak to hold the line in front of Butler, and the city also. Therefore, as the menace afjairist Pet'crobi:r(j seemed to come from the direction of Bermuda llundreds, General Beauregard was compelled to leave tiic city without a garrison, in order to oppose the enemy (H his immediate front. General Grant's first design after reaching the James River A'as to capture Petersburg, as the possession of that city by his 64 506 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. forces would compel General Lee to abandon Richmond and retire to the interior of the State. As he had cut loose from his base at the White House, and thus informed his adversary of his intention to cross the James, it was necessary to attempt to surprise Petersburg, for in a sudden and unexpected attack upon it lay his only hope of success. Accordingly, as soon as General Smith's corps returned to Bermuda Hundreds, it was thrown across the Appomattox by means of a pcnton-bridge near City Point. To this force waa added a division of cavalry under General Kautz, and a division of negro troops under General Hinks. General Smith was or- ■dered to march at once upon Petersburg and attack and capture the town, which was known to be undefended by any consid- erable force. On the morning of the 15th he set off, marching in three columns, to assail the city from the Norfolk and Peters- burg Railroad, to a point across to the City Point Railroad. Soon after daylight the enemy appeared before some breast- works which had been hastily thrown up during the night of the 14th on Baylor's Farm, on the City Point road, six miles from Petersburg. These works were held by the 4tli North Carolina cavalry and Graham's battery. General Smith threw forward the negro division to carry them, and, after a gallant struggle, the Confederates were driven back with the loss of one gun. Continuing to advance, General Smith arrived in front of the outer line of fortifications around Petersburg about noon. He had been informed that the fortifications were buch "that cav- alry could ride over them," and was somewhat surprised upon reconnoitering them to find them so strong arid well con- strnct(!d.* He was not aware, however, of the weakness of the force charged with their defence. He was induced to think the garrison very large by the excellent and heavy fire which the Confederate artillery maintained upon the Federal batteries, ♦ Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, pp. 500, 501 . THE SIEGE BEGUN. 507 which constantly compelled the latter to change their positions.* The Confederate force, however, consisted of about three bat- teries of artillery, a part of Wise's brigade, and the militia of the city of Petersburg, — a force scarcely sufficient to occupy the works, still less to hold them. At a little before seven o'clock P. M. General Smith threw forward strong skirmish lines, — as many as six, in rapid suc- cession, — and with these assaulted the works on the City Point and Prince Georo;e Court House roads. Three attacks were repulsed with loss to the enemy, but the fourth was successful. The Confederates were driven back and four of their guns cap- tured. These pieces were at once opened on the remainder of the line, enfilading it completely, and by dark the enemy were in full possession of the whole line of outer works, and about twelve guns, together with several hundred prisoners. The city was now at the mercy of the Federals. The Con- federate army was hurrying from the James River to its assist- ance, but was too far off' to render any aid, and the force in General Smith's front was inadequate to a successful defence of the town. Hancock's corps, which had been hurried forward by General Grant to cooperate with Smith, had come up, and all that was necessary was for General Smith to enter the town, drive out the little band occupying it, and take possession. This, however, he did not do, but contented himself with hold- ing the works he had won, and waiting for the arrival of Gen- eral Grant, who was on his way with the rest of his army. As I have stated, General Beauregard's army was very small, but no sooner did he hear of the danger which threatened Petersburg than he withdrew a considerable part of his troops from Butler's front, and sent them to the assistance of Peters- burg, where they began to arrive just after the outer line was carried by the enemy. General Lee hurried forward as soon as * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 502. 508 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. he learned of the attack on Petersburg, but as he was full forty miles from the Appomattox his advanced forces did not reach the city until the night of tiie 15th. The force there, however, was still very small, and before additional reeiiforccments could be seut, Gcner;il Lee was compelled to turn aside to meet a menace from Ilutier. General Lee had ordered General Beauregard not to evacuate his line until Anderson's corps, then n)oving from Richmond, should relieve him ; but as the demand for troops at Petersburg was so urgent, and there was no prospect that Anderson would get up in time, General Beauregard assumed the responsil)ility of withdrawing his command into Petersburg. Butier then taking advantage of this withdrawal, occupied the Confederate works, and sent Terry's division towards the railroad to destroy it. Before this could be done, however, Terry was met by the head of Anderson's column — Pickett's division — and driven back to Bermuda Hundreds. Pickett's men, then following in pursuit, arrived before Beauregard's abandoned line, which Butler had occupied. General Lee did not wish to bring on an engagement at this point, and sent repeated orders to Pickett to halt. These orders were transmitted to the troops, but U-ere of no avail. Pickett's men dash.ed on in si)ite of the efforts of their officers to stop them, and in a fierce, impetuous charge drove Butler into his own works and reestablished Beauregard's line.* * Tliis drew from General Lee the following complimentary letter to Gen- eral Anderson : " Clay's House, June 17, 5 1-2 p. ii. "Lieutenant-general E. H.Anderson, Commanding Longatreet's Corps. " Gkneral : I take great pleasure in presenting to yon my congratula- tions upon the conduct of the men of your corps. I believe that they will carry anything tiiey are put against. We tried very iiard to stop Pickett's men from capturing the breastworks of tlie enemy, but could not do it. I hope his loss lias been small. 1 am, with great respect, your obedient servant, li. E. Lee, General " THE SIEGE BEGUN. 509 Butler telegraphed that he had destroyed the railroad. This, however, was a mistake. The injuries he inflicted upon it were repaired in two or three hours, and General Lee was able on the same day to send troops over it to Petersburg. Meanwhile General Hancock, who had assumed command of the two corps in front of Petersburg, to which his rank entitled iiini, s[)ent the morning in cannonading the Southern lines, and shelling the city, which was full of non-combatants, notice not having been given them to leave it. lie was ordered by General jNJeade to refrain from attacking again until the rest of the Army of the Potomac should have arrived. The morn- ing was passed by the Confederates also in strengthening their position, and bringing up their forces. The 9th Federal corps having arrived at noon, an assault was ordered by Burnside and Hancock at four o'clock in the after- noon. At the appointed hour these corps made a gallant charge upon the Southern line, and penetrating through an interval which had been unfortunately left on the right, [)oured into the works, and assailed the Confederates in them. The Southern troo[)s then fell back to a second line nearer the town, and resisted the efforts of the enemy to carry that also. About nine o'clock that ni"ht General Lee, with the jjreater portion of his army, arrived at Petersburg. lie decided to retake the works lost in the afternoon, and at eleven o'clock P. M., an assault was ordered on the Federal right. The enemy were driven back, and the* works at llowlett's House recap- tured.* •"HEADQnAETERS, ETC., June 17, 1864. "His Excellency Jefferson Davis: " At eleven o'clock last night we took the breastworks at llowlett's House. Other portions of the same line were taken. The battery at Howlett's is being reestabii.NJieil. Five vessels have been sunk by the enemy in Trent's Keacli. Ten steamers are within tiie Ueacii, behind tiie monitors. Some fighting lias occurred near Petersburg, this morning, without result. I have ordered tiiat the railroad at Port Wakhal Junction, destroyed by the enemy yesterday, be repaired and re-opened. U. E. Lee, Generai." 510 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. The next day, tlie 17th, Hancock and Burnside renewed the attack. The day was spent in heavy fighting, the enemy sev- eral times a:?saulting, but only to be repulsed. Towards dark, Burnside succeeded in carrying a part of the Southern intrench- ments, but after nightfall was attacked and driven back to his own line. Grant's whole army was now before Petersburg, and still holding to his original resolve to capture the city, he ordered a general assault for the morning of the 18th. In the meantime, however, General Lee had been engaged in constructing a for- midable line of works immediately around the city, and on the morning of the 18th, he withdrew from the temporary line he had held in advance, and occupied that which was destined ta become memorable for the siege it sustained. When the enemy moved foru\ard a few hours later, they found that the works ihev had expected to storm were abandoned. General Grant then ordered an attack upon Lee's new line. At noon. Gib- bon's division, of Hancock's corps, attacked and was repulsed. At six o'clock, an attack by the 2nd corps met the same fate ; and later in the day, attacks by the 5th and 9th corps were also driven back.* The losses in these commands were very heavy. These assaults cost General Grant many of his best men. From the time Smith made his first attack up to the repulse of the last assault of the 18th, the Fedei'al army suffered a loss of about ten thousand men,f while the Confederate casualties did not amount to more than a third of that number. It was now plain that Lee's whole army was south of the James, and that it would be impossible to carry Petersburg by a direct attack. Therefore General Grant decided to lay siege to the city. The musket was laid aside for the spade, and in a few days the Fed- erals were strongly intrenched in Lee's immediate front from the- * General Meade's Report. t The exact number according to the Federal official statement, was 9,665.. THE SIEGE BEGUN. 511 river to the Norfolk Railroad. This line being made secure against attack, General Grant commenced to extend his left for the purpose of comjileiing the investment of the city. On the 21st, the 2ii(l and Gth corps moved towards the Wel- don Raih'oad. By nightfall they secured a position across the Jerusalem plniik road, and the next afternoon attempted to con- tinue their movement to the railroad. The movement had been detected on the previous evenino^, however, and General Lee had sent ]\Iahone's division to put a stop to it. About two o'clock in the afternoon, Mtihone struck the enemy at a point where an interval had been left between the Gth and 2d corps. Penetrating this gap in the Federal line, he made a spirited attack, doubling up the 2d corps and driving it back to the left of the plank road, capturing several entire regiments,* and a battery. Then driving the 2d corps into the works held by the Gth, iNIahone withdrew his command as rap- idly as he had struck the blow. He carried off the captured guns, several standards, and sixteen hundred prisoners. f * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 512. t " Headquarteks Army of Northern VrRoiHiA, June, 22, 18&4. "Hon. JAME3 A. Seddon, Secretary of War: " Since Friday last there has been skirmishing along the lines in front of Bermuda Hundreds and around Petersburg. The Federal army appears to be concentrated at these two places, and is strongly intrenched. " Yesterday, a movement of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, was made to- wards the right of our forces and Petersburg, in the direction of the Weldon railroad. The enemy was driven back, and his infantry is reported to have halted. His cavalry have continued to advance upon the road by a route fur- ther removed from our position. " The enemy's infantry was attacked this afternoon, on the west side of the Jerusalem plank road, and driven from his first line of works to his second on that road, by General Mahone, with a part of his division. About sixteen hundred prisoners, four pieces of artillery, eight stands of colors, and a large number of small arms were captured. Very respectfully, &c., R. E. Lee, General." 512 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Whei the 2(1 and Gth corps moved out, a cavalry expedition under Generals Wilson and Kautz, was organized to operate aijainst the railroads south of the Appomattox. This force left the j)osition of the 2d corps on the evening of the 21st of June. Proceeding to Reams' Station on the Weldon Railroad, the Fed- eral cavalry burned the depot, and destroyed the road for a con- siderable distance. Then striking across the country, they made for the South Side Railroad. Wilson marclied direct to Nottovi^ay Station, where he destroyed the track for several miles, and Kautz moved to Burkesville, the juncticjn of the South Side and Richmond and Danville railroads, where he in- flicted some damage ujjon the track. As soon as General Lee was informed of this raid he sent Fitzhugh Lee's division of cavalry in pursuit of the enemy, and at the same time moved Mahone's infantry down the Weldon Railroad to cut off the retreat of the Federals if they attempted to return by the route by which they advanced. Fitzhugh Lee came up with Wilson near Dinvviddie Court House. Lee was repulsed in this encounter, but hung closely upon the Federal column, and the next day succeeded in throwing his command across Wilson's line of march near Nottoway Court House. Wilson made a vigorous attempt to break Lee's line, but was repulsed,* and the next day withdrew to Meherrin Station on • " Headquaeteks Army Northern Vikoinia, Juue 25, ISM. "Honorable secretary of Wab. " Sir : General W. II. F. Lee pursued the enemy's cavalry which advanced along tlie South Side Railroad. He had a skirmish on the 22d near Dinwiddie Court House, and the next day struck their column in flank, near Black's and White's, cutting it in two, and getting possession of the road by which they were moving towards Nottoway Court House. " Tlie road was held after an engagement which continued from 12, M., until dark, the enemy making rcj'eated attempts to break through and rejoin his advance. He witlulrew from General Lee's front at daylight on the 24th, leav- ing his dead and wounded on the field, taking the road to Hungarytown and KeysviUe. General Lee is still following them. " Very respectfully, &c., " K. E. Lee, General." THE SIEGE BEGUN. 513 the DanviTTe Railroad, where he formed a junction with Kautz. Not far from this point the railroad crosses the Staunton River on a covered bridge of considerable length. Wishing to destroy this important bridge, the Federals hastened towards the river. The bridge was guarded by a battalion of home guards — old men and boys, who had never been under fire — under Captain Farinholt. This force repulsed the attacks of the enemy, and saved the bridge; and Fitzhugh Lee arriving at this time, Wilson retreated, leaving his dead on the field.* Retreating rapidly, Wilson reached Sappony Church, on the afternoon of the 28th. Here he found Hampton's cavalry which had been thrown out to meet him. A severe enn-ao-ement ensued, in which General Wilson was worsted. He then re- • " HXABQUABTER3 ArMT OF NORTHKRJJ VlBOIOTA, June 2C, 1801. "Hon. Secret art of Wak: " Sir: The enemy has been quiet to-day in our front. A dispatch, dated 25th, was received this morning from Capt. Farrinholt, commanding at Staun- ton River bridge, expressing his confidence in being able to protect it. " This afternoon General W. H. F. Lee reports that he attaclied the enemy near Staunton River bridge, yesterday afternoon, and drove him until dark. He also states that the enemy was signally repulsed at the bridge the same even- ing, and retreated this morning, leaving about tliirty of liis dead on the field. Very respectfully, &c., R. E. Lee, General" " HBAJMinABtERS AbMT NORTHERN ViROunA. Juue 28, 1864. "Hon. Secretart of War. " Sir : The enemy has been engaged to-day apparently in strengthening his lines in front of Petersburg, advancing them at some points. His cavalry, after being repulsed at Staunton River bridge, on the afternoon of the 26th, re- tired in the direction of Christiansville, where they encamped that night. The next morning they continued their march towards Lawrenceville, by way of Burntville, and a part of them encamped last night about eight miles northwest of the former place. They appeared to be making their way back to the main body of the army. Very respectfully, &c., R. E. Lee, General.'' 65 514 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. tired to Reams' Station, which was in possession of the Federal army. To his surprise, however, he was attacked by IMahone'a infantry upon reacliing the railroad, while Hampton and Fitz- hugh Lee closed in upon him from behind. Defeated in this encounter, with the loss of his trains and artillery, he fled southward, abandoning everything that could impede his movements.* He succeeded in crossing the Xottovvay River, and escaped into the Union lines. The Federal loss in this raid was very great, and the expedition accomplished literally nothing in comparison with what it suffered. f The month of June closed with both armies facini; each other at Petersburg, General Grant constantly watching for an op- portunity to extend his left across the Weldon Railroad. • " Headqcabters Armt Northern Viroinia, Junk 2Uth, 1864-8 30, p. m. "Honorable Secretary of War: " Sir — General Hampton reports that lie attacked the enemy's cavalry, yesterday afternoon on their return from Staunton river bridge, this side of Sappony churcli, and drove them beyond that point. The fight continued during the night, and at daylight this morning he turned tlieir left and routed tliem. When they reached Reams' Station tliey were confronted by a portion of Mahone's division, who attacked them in front, while their left flank was turned by iGeneral Fitzlmgh Lee's cavalry. The enemy was completely routed, and several pieces of artillery, with a number of prisoners, wagons, arabulanc£S, etc., captured. The ca^^alry are in pursuit. R. E. Lee." t " Hkadqcarters Armt Northern Viroisia. JULV 1, 1804. "Hon. SBCEETAKr of War: " General Beauregard reports a feeble demonstration made by tlie enemy on a {lortion of General Johnson's lines about five p. m., yesterday. His skirmishers, supported by two lines of troops, drove in our line of skirmishers, which was established at dark. " In the various conflicts with the enemy's cavalry in their late expedition against the railroads, besides their killed and wounded left on the field, one tliousand prisoners, thirteen pieces of artillery, thirty wagons and ambu- lances, many small arms, horses, ordnance stores, and several hundred Qegroes, taken from the plantations on their route, were captured. R. E. Lee, General." burnside's mine. 515 North of the James very little transpired worthy of note, the efforts of both armies being concentrated south of the river. General Butler, towards the close of the month, threw a part of his command to the north bank, and established a force at Deep Bottom. The Federal cavalry, on the 24th of Jun'e, at- tempted to occupy Nance's Shop, but were driven from it by General Hampton.* III. BURNSIDE'S MINE. The months of June and July were spent by the Confed- erate army in strengthening its position. So powerful were the works constructed for the defence of Petersburg, that by the 1st of July the Federal engineers declared them impreg- nable to assault. f The line consisted of a *' chain of redans, connected by infantry parapets of a powerful profile, while the approaches were completely obstructed bvliiibatis, stakes, and entanglements. Beginning at the south bank of the Appomat- •" Hkadrt of two deserters who do rot allege that the negroes in question were exposed to any dan- ger,) in placing our prisoners at labor in tlie canal at Dutch (Jap, under the fire of our batteries. " In view of the explanation of the practice of the Confeder- ate Government above given, and of the statement of facts I have made, I have now, in accordance with my instructions, respectfully to inrpiire whether the course pursued towards our prisoners, as set fortli in the accompanying letters, has your sanction, and whether it will be maintained? Very respectfully, your obeilicnt servant, (Signed) li. E. Lee, General " MATTERS .^ORTH AND SOUTH OF THE JAMES. 537 " Headquarters Armies of the United States. October 20, ISG-t "General R. E. Lee, C. S. A. Commanding Army of Northern Virginia: "General: Understanding, from your letter of the IDrli, that the colored prisoners who were employed at work in the trenches near Fort Gilmer have been withdrawn, I have di- rected the withdrawal of the Confederate prisoners employed in the Dutch Gap Canal. I shall always regret the necessity for retaliating for wrongs done our soldiers, but regard it my duty to protect all persons received into the army of the United States, regardless of color or nationality. When acknowledged soldiers of the Government are captured, they must be treated as ])risoners of war, or such treatment as they receive will be inflicted upon an equal number of prisoners held by us. " I have nothing to do with the discussion of the slavery question, therefore decline answering the arguments adduced to show the right to return to former owners such negroes as are captured from our army. In answer to the question at the conclusion of your letter, I have to state that all prisoners of war falling into my hands shall receive the kindest possible treatment consistent with securing them, unless I have good authority for believing any number of our men are being treated otherwise. Then, painful as it may be to me, I shall inflict like treatment on an equal number of Confederate prisoners. " Hoping that it may never become my duty to order retal- iation upon any man held as a prisoner of war, I have the honor to be, Very respectfully, your obedient servant, U. S. GiiANT, Lieutenant-General.^* The winter was now rapidly approaching, and as this is, in Eastern Virginia, a season when it is extremely difficult if not impossible to conduct military operations. General Grant re- 68 538 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. solved to make one more effort to turn Lee's ri^rht before go- in^f into winter quarters. This time he designed reaching the South Side llaih'oad and destroying it. Accordingly liis army vvas put in light marching order, and everything [jreparcd for a movement of n)ore than ordinary niagnitude. Only enough men to hold the line in front of Petersburg were left in it, and the remainder of the army was provided with five days' rations, and t-trippod of its superfluous baffaire. Nothini; was left undcnie that could in the least con- tribute to the success of the movenient, which, if successful, would result in the forced evacuation of Kichmond and Peters- burg by General Lee. At daylight on the 27th of October, the Federal army began its march towards Hatcher's Run, where the right of the South- ern line rested. General Grant's plan was for the 9th corps, eupported hy the 5th, to make a direct attack in front, while Hancock, with the 2nd corps, should cross Hatcher's Run above the Confederate right, and, by a detour, gain the Boydton plank road, and seize the St)Uth Side Raih'oad. Upon reaching the lioydton road, General Grant found it protected by the Confederates, who occupied strong earthworks extending some distance below the point where the road crosses Hatcher's Rim. An attack was made on this position by the 5tii and 9th corps, and repulsed. Finding it impossible to carry the works by a direct assault, the 5th corps was sent to cooper- ate with Hai cock in turning them. General Grant had mistaken the location of the Confederate right, and when Hancock reached the point where the intiench- ments were supposed to terminate, he found that they extended still fai'ther t(y the right, and were of such a formidable nature that it was useless to attempt to carry them. Meanwhile General Lee had determined to assume the offen- sive, and General A. P. Hill was ordered to attack the enemy. MATTEKS NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE JAMES. 539 Tlie presence of tlie 5th corps was not known to either General Hancock or General Lcc, and General ^\ arren was equally ignorant of" the wliercabt)uts of either friends or foes, the tliickly wooded conniry having con)[)leteIy bewildered him in his move- ment to Hancock's assistance. General Lee at first intended to uttack Hancock's left, but finding that his other Hank offered more iunneiliate advantage ordered General Hill to assail it. Hill promjjtly threw forward Heih's command, which crossed Hatcher's Run between Hancock's right and \Varren's left, and made. a sharp attack with Mahone's division in front, and Hamp- ton's cavalry in the rear. jNlahone drove Hancock's right back for a mile, and cai)tured four hundred prisoners, six pieces of artillery, and ihrce standaids. He was unable to bring off the guns, as he could not get them across the Kun. Hampt(Mi, at the same time struck the enemy's rear, and aided greatly in the success of M;thone's attack. Hancock brought up his remaining divisions and endeavored to diive Mahone from the Boydton road, and regain the position lost by his right. Three lines of battle were broken by the Confederates, and when night came Mahone still held his ground, covering the Boydton road and the South Side Railroad. Thus far the movement of General Grant had failed. He was convinced by this failure that the Confederate position on the Boydton road was too strong to be successfully assaulted, and being unwilling to keep his army in such an exposed situa- tion, he abandoned the movement on the night of the 27(h, and returned to his old position before Petersburg. The Fed- eral loss in this expedition was about two thousand.* • *' Ubaoquabtebs ARur nobthern Viroiwia, •October as, 1«<)CAJCTEBS ABMT OF KORTHERN VlROUlIA, December U, ltJ(M. "Boir. Jamcs a. SiDDOir, Secbetart or Wab: •' The expedition to Bellfield, under General Warren, returned within the enemy's lines yesterday. The two divisions of the 9th corps which went to Warren's relief proceeded no further than Belsches' mill. On meeting the returning column, they turned back. '"On returning from Bellfield, the enemy moved eastwardly to the Jeru- aalem and Sussex Court House roads. Our troops, consequently, only en- 544 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. When General Lee sent General Early to drive Hunter from Lynchburg, lie also directed him, if possible, to cross the Poto- mac, and threaten Wasliington. The Confederate commander was aware of the fears constantly entertained by the Federal Government for the safety of the Capital, and he reasoned that bv making a bold movement against it, President Lincoln and his advisers would become so much alarmed that they would draw off from Grant's army a large force for its defence, nnd that this would reduce the strength of the Army of the Potomac to an extent sufficient to induce General Grant to abandon the sie2:e of Petersbur"-. Thou":h the result did not meet all of these expectations, we shall see that the expedition to Maryland, and the subsequent campaign in the Valley, did weaken Grant's army to a considerable extent, and to a proportionate degree lighten the pressure upon the army of General Lee. Indeed il is not uoinjj too far to assert that, had General Grant been able to use bheridan's army at Petersburg or Deep Bottom, General Lee would have been forced to abandon his lines in the autumn of 18(i4. The line of retreat adopted by General Hunter after his re- pidse at Lynchburg, opened the way for Early, who promptly moved down the Valley of Virginia, towards the border. His force consisted in all of about fourteen thousand men, — but they were the troops who had made themselves famous as the corps of Stonewall Jackson. Marching rapidly. Early reached IVIartinsburg by the 3d of July, driving off the connnand of General Sigel, which retreated across the Potomac at Shepherds- town. The garrison of Harper's Ferry retired to ISIaryland countered tlieir rear guard and pursued no farther than the Nottoway River; and ihey have returned to camp, brinjjing a few prisoners. Our loss is very slight. The superintendent of the Petersburg and Weldon railroad reports tlutt about six miles of the railroad has been broken up. R. E. Lee." THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 545 Heights, and Early immediately crossed the Potomac, and, mov- ing through llagerstown, occupied Frederick City on the 7th. From this point he could move u[)on either Baltimc .'e or Wash- ington, and to mask his real designs he threatened both places. The sudden apjjcarance of so considerable a Confederate column north of the Potomac, produced no litt.e dismay at Washington ; which was reasonable enough, when it is consid- ered that the force for the defence of that city, at the time of Early's arrival at llagerstown, did not amount to more than two thousand men. Fortunately for the Federals, the 19th corps, which had been ordered from New Orleans to join Giant, after the failure of the Ked River expedition, had just arrived in transports at Fortress Monroe. This force was at once ordered to Washington, and General Grant at the same time despatched the Gth corps from his own army to the relief of the threatened Capital. It happened that General Lew Wallace, commanding at Bal- timore, as soon as he heard of Early's advance, collected a force of about two thousand men, composed of such troops as he could lay hands on, and advanced towards Fredeiick to check the Confederates. While on his way he was joined by the ad- vanced division of the Gth corps, under General Ricketts. With this force, General Wallace took position on the left bank of the Monocacy River, at the railroad bridge, to dispute the passage of the strean;, and hold Early in check until the troops on their way from the James River could arrive and ensure the safety of Washington. General Early resolved to attack this force and drive it back, and at once left Frederick for that purpose. On the 8th of July he reached Frederick Juurtion, forced the passage of the Monocacy, and drove General Wc'llace from his position, in- flicting upon him a loss of a thousand inen killed and wounded, and seven hundred prisoners. General Wallace retreated 69 6A(i LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. towards Pennsylvania, leaving the road to Washington open, and Early promptly set out in that direction, sending liis cav- alry towards Baltimore to cut off the enemy's communications M-ith the North, and thus secure his own rear. The cavalry destroyed a considerable part of the Northern Central Railroad, and burned the railroad bridge over Gunpowder River between Baltimore and Piiiladelpliia. On the 10th General Early arrived at Rockville, in the vicin- ity of Wasliington, and on the next day advanced his lines to the fortifications of the city. lie found the works very strong, and too well garrisoned to admit of their being captured by him. His men had straggled to a considerable extent on the march, so that when he reached Washin2:ton he had but ei^ht thousand infintry, two thousand cavalry, and forty pieces of artillery. Since his advance began, he had marched five hundred miles, averaging twenty miles each day, and his command was very much broken down. Tiie enemy's force in the works was very strong, and the army of General Hunter was closing in upon his rear. In view of all this. General Early wisely determined not to hazard an attack upon the city. This being his deter- mination, his next care was to bring his army off in safety. After skirmishing for several days before Wasliington, he recrossed the Potomac at White's Ford, on the 14th of July, and retreated to the neighborhood of Winchester. lie carried off with him twenty-five hundred horses and twenty-five hundred beef cattle. His expedition created the profoundest excitement in the North, and it was generally believed that he would capture Washington. Some writers on both sides have censured Gen- eral Early for his want of enterprise in not making a dash upon the city as soon as he arrived before it, alleging that it was so weakly garrisoned that it would have fallen before him. Gen- eral Early himself, however, declared that he found the works THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 547 etrongly manned by a force too large to be attacked by his own, and he is sustained by the direct testimony of General Grant, who, in referring to the battle of Monocacy Bridge, says, " Although it resulted in a defeat to our arms, yet it detained the enemy, and tliereby served to enable General Wright ta^ reach AVashington with two divisions of the Gth corps and the advance of the 19th corps, before him" (Early).* When General Early retreated from before Washington, General Wright made an effort at pursuit, but, being repulsed in an engagement with the Confederate rear-guard at Snicker's Ferry, withdrew to Washington. Being convinced that Early was retreating up the Valley, General Grant ordered the return of the Gth and 19th corps to the lines of Petersburg, that they might be used in a movement against Lee before the return of the troops sent by him into the valley. I Wliile the corps were en route for the James, how- ever, General Early again assumed the offensive. lie moved down the Valley and sent a raiding party of cavalry, under General McCausland, into Pennsylvania, which, on the 30th of July, burned the town of Chambei'sburg in retaliation for the outrages of the enemy in Virginia. This movement showed General Grant that it would be necessary to station something more than a mere corps of ob- servation in the Valley of Virginia, and he directed the Gth and 19th corps to suspend their movement to the James, and return to Washington. From that city they were sent to Harper's Ferry. General Grant now combined the old departments of Washington, the Susquehanna, West Virginia, and the ISIiddle department, into one command, which was styled the Middle Military Division, and assigned to General Hunter. The new commander, having expressed a willingness to be relieved, was * General Grant's Report, p. 15. f General Grant's Report, p. 16. 548 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. soon afterwards succeeded by Major-General Sheridan, who was transferred from the Army of the Potomac. General Grant's choice was fortunate. Sheridan was the commander best suited for the task assigned him. An edu- cated soldier, he joined to his theoretical knowledge a clear conception of the necessities and requirements of the campaign which was before him, and an energy and pugnacity that ren- dered him a dangert)us antagonist under any circumstances. He was given an army of forty thousand men, consisting of the 6th and IDth cor[)s, and the infmtry and cavalry of the old de- partment of West Virginia. The cavalry under his command numbered ten thousand men, splendidly armed and equipped, — in short, the finest body of horse ever seen in America. Sheri- dan took command of his army on the 7th of August, but for some time nothing of importance occurred in his department. Meanwhile General Lee had determined to hold Early's army in the Valley. His chief desire was to induce General Grant to raise the siege of Petersburg, and, as he was too weak to accomplish this by offensive movements on the Appo- mattox, he determined to use Early's column as a means of gaining his object, and on the 4th of August he sent Kershaw's division of L'ongstreet's corps, and Fitz Lee's division of cav- alry to cooperate with him. General Lee's intentions, as he explained them to his lieutenants, were to send Kershaw and Fitz Lee to the neighborhood of Culjiepper Court House. Fitz Lee was to move down towards Alexandria, and reconnoitre the enemy's position in that quarter, and if his information and discoveries as to the disposition and strength of the enemy's forces on the Potomac should warrant such a step, he and Ker- shaw were to cross the river near Lcesburg, while Early was to enter Maryland higher up the stream, and the two columns, acting in concert, were to make a domonstration in the direction of Washington, which, if opportunity offered, was to be con' THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 549 verted into a real attack. The cavalry of FItz Lee and the in- fantry of Kershaw were both placed under the command of Lieutenant-General Anderson, who commanded Longstrcet's corps during the absence of the wounded general. General Lee hoped that, as this fact would be known to General Grant, it would induce the latter to believe that the Confederate army had been weakened by. the removal of Long>treet'« whole corps, and that the Federal commander would either reduce his own strength to reenforce his troops on the Potomac, or venture to attack the Southern position at Petersburg, — the latter step being particularly desired by General Lee at this time.* The j)lan was not to be carried out, events defeating it before it could be fairly entered upon. General Anderson moved pronij)tly to Culpepper Court House, and had just reached It when he received a dispatch fiom General Karl}', stating that he (Early) had been forced, l»y the concentration of a heavy Federal force in the Lower Valley, to fall back to Fisher's Hill, and urging General Anderson to send him reenforcements. Anderson at once set out to Early's assistance, passed the Blue Ridge at Chester Gap, and, on the 15th of August, reached Front Royal. He found that Early was at Strasburg, ten miles distant, and that the road between the two j)laces, which winds along the base of the Massanutten, or P'ort Mountain, was held by the enemy, who were also in heavy force in Early's front. Anderson at once perceived that the position of the enemy offered an excellent opportunity for a combined attack by his own and Early's columns, and in order to arrange the details for this movement, sent General Fitz Lee at daybreak on the l(jth, to communicate the plan to General Early. Fitz Lee took with him only one staff officer, and, as the road was in possession of the enemy, they set out on mules, ascended the stee|: side of the mountain, and descended the opposite side in • The Lost Cause. By E. A. Pollard, p. 591. 550 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. this manner, reached Early's headquarters in safety, arranged the plan of battle, and returned to General Anderson by day- light on the 17ih. The enemy, however, had discovered the presence of General Anderson, and, alarmed for their safety, had commenced tore- treat, throwing out their cavalry on the morning of the IHth, and occupying Guard Hill, on the north side of the Shenan- doah, o[)posite Front Royal, to cover their withdrawal. An- derson feared that the force on Guard Hill would be increased and the position fortified, and, in the afternoon of the l(3th, he sent a brigade of cavalry and one of infantry to drive the en- eni}' from it, and the hill was secured after a sharp engagement. The retreat of the Federals being now discovered, Anderson, on the morning of the 17th, advanced from Front Royal in pur- suit, and at the same time Early moved out from Strasburg. The two Confederate columns were united before Winchester, and the Federals were driven through the town with the loss of one gun and a number of prisoners. The pursuit was con- tinued the next day, and the enemy withdrew to Maryland Heights and Harper's Ferry. Under an energetic and skilful commander, the Confederate army in the Valley miglit have accomplished higldy beneficial results ; but, unfortunately, a state of aflTuirs arose which ef- fectually destroyed every prospect of success. It seems that Anderson and Early had both been made lieutenant-generals on the same day, thus making them by their last commissions of equal rank. As major-generals, however, Anderson was tlie senior oflficer, and therefore justly Early's superior in this case. Being in Earl3''s department he was unwilling to take conunand of the whole army, and as Early, by reason of being the junior oflScer, could not assume it, the army was in reality left without a head, and the golden opportunity was wasted. The chance for pressing Sheridan back over the Potomac, and compelling THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 551 Grant to reenforce him to a still greater dejjree was suffered to pass by unimproved, and for nearly a month matters went on in this way. At last, General Lee, seeins^ that his plan of opera- tions had been suffered to remain neglected, ordered General Anderson to return with Kershaw's division to. Culpepi)er Court House, where he would be in a position to move to the assist- ance of either the army at Petersburg and Richmond or that in the Valley. On the 15th of September Kershaw set out for Culpepper. Eai ly was now in the vicinity of Winchester, to which point he had moved back for the purpose of supplying his army more easily. Siieridan was between Charlestown and Berryville, with his advance lying around the latter town, and the pickets of tiie ho^tile forces were within a few miles of each other. Early's force, after Anderson's withdrawal, numbered eight thousand five hundred infantry, less than three thousand cavalry and about tliirty-six pieces of artillery — in all about one third as many men as followed Sheridan. In cavalry especially were the Confederates unequal to the task before them. Opi)osed to the ten thousand splendidly armed horsemen of Torbert and Wilson, Early had but two skeleton divisions under Fitz Lee and Lomax. The horses had been fed on hay — and very little of that — for some time, and were quite weak, and the men were in a wretched state from the lack of discipline which pre- vailed. They were armed almost exclusively with Enfield rifies or muskets, scarcely any of them having either pistols or sabres. The task assigned to General Early was almost similar to that 80 brilliantly performed by General Jackson in the spring and early summer of 1862. He was to prevent the whole strength of the enemy from being concentrated against General Lee, to gather in the harvests of the Shenandoah Valley, and protect the Central Railroad. He was in the same region which Jack- eon had made glorious, and had under him many of the men o^ 552 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the 01(1 Valley Army. But the great master was no longer at the head of his veterans, his ablest successor was kept at Rich- mond by physical sufferings, and his mantle had not fallen upon General Early. Still General Early was a good soldier. As a corps com- mander he had proved himself an able officer, and had won a high reputation by Ills stubborn courage and hard fighting. He vv^as not competent to an independent command. lie lacked the genius to form great conceptions, and the ability to execute them as the emergency required. He was a brave, hard-working, pains-taking man, and thoroughly devoted to the cause in which he was engaged. He was most cruelly and wickedly slandered when his reverses befell him. He was charged with drunken- ness, among other things, and this charge was bandied about the country to such an extent that " Early and his apple-jack" became a byword. A Committee of the Confederate Congress investigated this charge, and, falling to discover any evidence an-ainst hlcn, acquitted him of it. At first General Early was very popular with his troops, and his eccentricities made him a hero in their eyes. A newspaper correspondent, writing at the time, thus speaks of him : " Old Jubal Early, or as General Lee calls him, his bad old man, has won a name during his sojourn in the Valley of Vir- ginia of which he is well worthy. Did you ever see him? If not, you have missed one of the greatest curiosities of the war. He is a man of considerable corporosity, with a full face, which has the appearance of the full moon when it is at its height in redness. He is about six feet high, and of immense structure. His voice sounds like a cracked Chinese fiddle, and comes from hia mouth somewhat in the style of a hardshell Baptist, with a long drawl, accompanied with an interpolation of oaths. In the winter his head is encased in a net striped woollen skull-cap, drawn down over his ears, while his body is contained within THE V ALLEY CAMPAIGN. 553 the embraces of a Virginia cloth overcoat, striking his heels. His legs are covered by Icggins of the same miiterial, wrapped fiom the feet upwards as high as the knees with white tape. He is as brave as he is homely, and as homely as any man you ever saw, except Parson Bi'ownlovv, who is said to rival his Satanic Majesty in his personal appearance. There are nuny anecdotes related of old Jubal, but I cannot at present call to memory but one. During the battles in the Wilderness, on one occasion a regiment from South Carolina was ordered to cliarge the enemy. For some reason they faltered. Old Jubal hearing of it, rode up to the head of the column, and in that peculiar tone for which he is noted, cried out at the top of hia voice, ' Boys you got us into this d — d scra[)e, and you shall help us out. Charge ! ' The regiment rushed upon the foe, driving him from every position." After Kershaw left him, Early disposed his army in the fol- lowing order : Ramseur's division of infantry, and Wickham's division of cavalry (Fitz Lee having been placed in command of all the cavalry) were posted at Winchester. Wharton's division of infantry, and Lomax's division of cavalry were at Stephenson's depot on the railroad, about five miles from AVin- chester. liodes' and Gordon's divisions, under Early's imme- diate command, were marched to JNIartinsburg to destroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Thus the army was scattered over twenty-two miles of country, and the separated portions were so weak that it would require but little effort on the part of the enemy to destroy them. Sheridan's position was such as to enable him to seriously endanger the safety of Early's com- munications, and the error into whicL the Confederate com- mander had fallen was so decided as to invite attack from the superior forces of the enemy. Hitherto General Sheridan had been held to a strict defensive by General Grant, but by the middle of September the Federal 70 -554 LIFK OF GENERAL LEE. Commander-in-Chief became convinced that it was advisable to allow his lieutenant to carry out his aggressive designs, and accordingly ordered iiim to attack Early and destroy his army, leaving Sheridan unfettered by any further instructions. It so happened that this permission was accorded by General Grant just as Early committed the fatal error of dividing his weak army in the presence of such a powerful adversary. Sheri- dan at once perceived the blunder, and determined to seize Winchester before Early could return to it, and on the after- noon of the 18th of September, marched from Berryville with his whole army. On the morning of the 18th, General Early, having finished his business at JNLirtinsburg, set out on his return to Winchester, and, in total ignorance of Sheridan's movement, bivouacked that night with Gordon's and Rodes' divisions at Bunker Hill, twelve miles north of Winchester. At daylight on the morning of the 19th of September, the 6th corps of the Federal army, drove in the pickets at Win- chester, and opened a sharp attack upon Ramseur's division, about fifteen hundred strong, posted beyond the town. Fitz Lee at once threw Wickham's cavalry division (also about fifteen hundred strong) on Ramseur's left, and these three thousand men held their ground bravely against nearly six times their number,* resisting successfully every attack until eleven o'clock, when Early arrived from Bunker Hill with Rodes' division. Rodes' men were thrown forward to support Ramseur, and in a short time General Rodes was killed. Gordon's division now came up, and was posted on the extreme left, and soon after Wharton and Lomax made their appearance from the railroad, where they had been holding back Torbert's cavalry division which Sheridan had sent to cut oflf the divisions of Rodes and ♦The opposing forces were the 6th corps and Wilson's cavalry division of •Sheridan's army. THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 555 Gordon in their march from Bunker Hill. Tlie Southern cav- alry were now transferred to the rij^ht to prevent Wilson's cavalry from gaining the Valley Turnpike in rear of Win- chester. Just before AYharton arrived, Gordon made a gallant charge with his divi.-iion, driving the enemy back in his front, but, venturing too far, was himself attacked and forced back, fol- lowed hotly by the enemy. The Federals were checked in their advance, and thrown into confusion by the horse artillery of Major Breathed, which had been concealed under the edge of a hill on Gordon's left, and then hurried to the crest immediately after the Federals had passed by in their pursuit of Gordon. Gordon, taking advantage of this, rallied his troops, and, before the enemy could recover from their confusion, made a furious charge upon them, and drove them from the field. It now seemed that the Federal army was to be defeated, and General Eai-ly began to congratulate himself upon his suc- cess, when suddenly the prize was wrested from his grasp, for at this moment the 8th corps (Crook's) arrived and took posi- tion on the Federal right, forcing Gordon to stop his advance, and fall back. Wharton's infantry now came up, and were placed on Gordon's left. At the same time Torbert's cavalry, which had been held in check by Wharton, arrived, and formed on Crook's right. Their line was semicircular in shape, com- pletely overlapping the Confederate left, and threatening the line of retreat of the army. At four o'clock. General Sheridan threw forward his army in a general charge, and his cavalry, sweeping around, fell upon the Confederate rear, and seemed by their great strength about to envelope the whole Southern army. The country was perfectly open, and the movement could be seen by the Confederates. Unable to resist any longer, and fearful of being surrounded, they broke in disorder, and fled rapidly through Winchester with the enemy in pursuit. 556 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Early's loss was over three thousand men, of whom twenty- five hundred were prisoners. Among the killed were Generals Rodes and Godwin. Five guns and nine battle-flags were also ca[)tured by the enemy. The Federal loss was severe, includ- ino- General llussell, a division commander of the Gth corps, kiFlel.* General Early retreated to Fisher's Hill, near Strasburg, and occupied a position of great strength. Cancerning this position, a Confederate officer has well said : " When Early took a po- sition on the great range of hills above Strasburg, and waited to be attacked, lie committed an error under the circumstances, which the General himself, at this day, would [irobably acknowl- edge. The ground there is unsuitable to receive an attack upon, unless the force standing on the defensive is strong enough to reach from mountain to mountain. General Jackson is said to have expressed this opinion, and it is certain that he never made a stand there. General Early did so, and was flanked on the left." Sheridan followed Early closely, and on the 22nd of Septem- ber, moved forward to make a direct attack on the Confederate position, at the same time, sending two divisions of cavalry un- der Torbert by the Luray Valley, to gain New Market, twenty miles in Early's rear. Perceiving that Early was not strong enough to avail himself of the advantages of his position, Sher- idan sent a corps of infantry to turn the Southern left at North • " Headquarters Army of Northern Vieoinia, September 20, "Hon. James A. Seddon : •' General Early reports that, on the morning of the 19th, the enemy ad- vanced on Winchester, near wl.ich place he met his attack, which was resisted from early in tJje day till near night, when lie was compelled to retire. After night he fell back to Newtown, and tliis morning to Fisher's Mill. Our loss reported to be severe. Major-General llodes and Brigadier-General Godwin were killed, nobly doing their duty. Three pieces of artillery, of King's battalion, wert lost. The trains and supplies were brought off safely. (Signed,) R. E. Lee ' THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 557 Mountain. Tliis was accomplished, and at the same time an at- tack was made in front. Early's line was broken, his troops driven from their intrenchments, and forced to retreat up the Valley with the loss of sixteen guns, and several hundred pris- oners. General Sheridan expected to capture Early's army, as he was confident that Torbert would be able to occupy New Mar- ket, and thus close Early's line of retreat. This would have occurred but for the gallant stand made by the small cavalry di- vision of General Wickham, on the same day. This little band held the Federal cavalry in check at Milfurd all day, and thus enabled General Early to secure his retreat to the upper passes of the Blue Ridge. By this time. Early had less than five thous- and men, and had lost more than half of his artillery. Sheri- dan pursued as far as Staunton, and there, after destroying a part of the Virginia Central Kailroad, withdrew his army be- hind Cedar Creek. The successes of General Sheridan were stained with cruelties and barbarism. During his advance and withdrawal, he made the Valley a desert, inflicting such suffering upon its inhabitants as they had never known before. Not even Pope or Hunter had gone so far in this inhuman work. General Sheridan shall tell his own story. In his dispatch to his Government, he says : *' In moving back to this point, the whole country, from the Blue Ridge to the North Mountain, has been made entirely un- tenable for a rebel army. I have destroyed over two thousand barns filled with wheat and hay and farming implements ; over seventy mills filled with flour and wheat ; have driven in front of the army over four thousand head of stock, and have killed and issued to the troops not less than three thousand sheep This destruction embraces the Luray Valley and the Little Fort Valley, as well as the main Valley."* * Pampaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 660 558 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. The destruction of crops and provisions is always an extreme measure, and is resorted to by humane commanders with great reluctance; for, wliile it is true that these supplies, if not de- stroyed, go to subsist the enemy, it is also true that their destruc- tion entails great suffering upon unoffending non-combatants. Still, as a means of crippling an enemy, the destruction is allow- able. But nothing can be said in vindication of the destruction of the mills and agricultural implements, to destroy which was simply to bring the inhabitants of the Valley to a state of starv- ation, and to curse them with poverty long after the close of the war. It was an act unworthy of the source from which it ema- nated, and which must always remain a stain upon the fame of him who ordered and him who performed it. A Northern writer, whose devotion to the Union does not warp his sense of justice, thus refers to General Sheridan's conduct : — " This dread bulletin recites acts some of which are indefensi- ble. The destruction of the crops, provisions, and forage was allowable ; for this deprived the enemy of immediate subsistence, and operated to the end to induce him to surrender. But the burning of the mills and farming implements cannot be justified, for that was to inflict vengeance upon tiie country for many years to come. It may, indeed, be said that the desolation of the Shenandoah Valley was a special measure designed to cover the frontier of the loyal States from invasion ; but this, though plausible, is not a sufficient reason. I have cited, above, the destruction of the Palatinate, and the case is quite in point, both in respect to the act itself and the verdict history will pro- nounce thereon. ' When,' says a legal writer of the highest authority, ' the French armies desolated with fire and sword the Palatinate in 1674, and again in 1689, there was a general outcry throughout Europe against such a mode of carrying on war ; and when the French minister, Louvois, alleged that the THE VALLEY CAJVIPAIGN. 559 object in view vas to cover the French frontier against the inva- sion of the enemy, tlie atlvantajje which France derived from the act was universally held to be inadequate to the suffering inflicted, and the act itself to be, therefore, unjustifiable.'"* General Sheridan was not alone to blame in these outrages. He was acting under the orders of General Grant. f After retiiing to the Upper Valley, General Early was re- enforced by Kershaw's division, now reduced to twenty-seven hundred men, and about six hundred cavalry. His losses in artillery were also made up, and his force amounted to about nine thousand men, and forty pieces of artillery. On the 9th of October Rosser's cavalry, which was harass- ing Sheridan's rear, were attacked and routed on the Strasburg Turnpike, with a loss of eleven pieces of artfllery and several bundled prisoners. Early continued to move down the turnpike, and by the 18tb of October arrived at Cedar Creek, between Strasburof and Winchester. He found the Federal army posted along the east bank of Cedar Creek, behind intrenchments admirably located. The 6th corps (temporarily under General Eicketts), was on the right, the 19th (Emory's) in the centre, and the 8th (Crook's) on the left. The cavalry divisions of Custar and Merritt were posted on the right, and that of Averill on the left. Owing to the temporary absence of General Sheridan, the army was com- manded by General Wright. The Federal position was very strong, and Early's force very * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 5G0. t It is true that General Grant wrote to Sheridan on the 5th of August, " It is Dot desirable that the buildings should be destroyed, — they should rather be protected " ; but he also wrote to the same oflScer, at a later date, — •' Do all the damage you can to tiie railroad and crops. Carry off stock of all de- scriptions, and negroes, so as to prevent further planting. If the war is to last another year, let the Shenandoah Valley remain a barren waste. — U. S. Grajjt." yevr York Herald, October 5, 1864. 560 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE- weak, yet, by surprising the enemy and striking a powerful and unexpected blow, General Early hoped to gain a victory. He resolved, therefore, to attack at once, making a feint with artil- lery and cavalry against the enemy's right, while with his infantry he would fall upon then* left, where the 8th corps was posted. lie began his march at midnight on the 18th, and hurried on all night over a rugged road, where sometimes his men could scarcely keep their footing, moving towards the north fork of the Slienandoah, which was crossed at dawn by a ford about a mile to the east of the mouth of Cedar Creek. This march of seven miles was successfully performed, and when dc\ylight came, the movement was hidden from the enemy by a thick fog. The enemy had no idea of the danger which threatened them, and, moving on quickly, Early brought his infantry in the rear of the Federal left flank, while the troops of that army were either at breakfast or in bed. It was the anniversary of the surrender of Yorktown to the Continental army, — the li'th of October, — a glorious day for a victory, and it seemed that a great success was now within Early's grasp. Rapidly forming his line, he swept down upon Crook's camp, driving everything before him, and at the sound of his guns the force he had left in front of the Federal right crossed the creek, and drove back that part of the line (the lilth corps) upon the 6th corps, which was posted a little in the rear in reserve. The camp of the enemy, with everything it contained, eighteen pieces of artillery, and fifteen hundred pris- oners, were captured. The surprise was complete, and the enemy, bewildered and panic-stricken, were flying down the Valley Turnpike, while Early, firing rapidly from the guns he had taken, moved on steadily in pursuit. Seeing that it was his only chance for rallying and reuniting his army. General Wright ordered the 6th corps to retreat, and THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 5G1 fell back, covering the flight of the fugitives. Upon reaching Middletown, General AVright attempted to rally his men, and take up a position to resist Early's advance. The Confederates followed closely, and made a threatening demonstration against the Federal left, when Wright resumed his retreat down the Valley. The Confederates now abandoned the pursuit, and the major- ity of them also forsook tlieir colors, and commenced to plunder the captured camp, which was rich in spoils. By this out- rageous conduct, — which General Early seems to have tried to check, — the army was demoralized, and the fruits of its brilliant victory lost. When General Wriijht retreated bevond ]\Iiddletown he waa by no means en route for Winchester, as General Early sup- posed. At the first suitable position between Middletown and Newtown, he halted and re-formed his line, and by half past ten o'clock A. m. was in readiness either to meet a new aitack from Early, or to try to regain his lost camp. At this moment. General Sheridan, who had heard the firing at Winchester, " twenty miles away," at daybreak, and who had ridden hard all morning to reach the field in time, arrived. Althougii his presence greatly encouraged his men. General AVright had re-formed the army and opened tlie way for the victoiy which followed. Sheridan waited for sometime to receive Early's attack, but finding that the latter did not advance. moved back to regain his lost camp. His task was an easy one. Early's men were utterly demoralized, and had lost all spirit. Gordon's division gave way at once, Kershaw's and Ramseur's quickly followed, and the army was soon in rapid and disorderly flight up the Valley. Sheridan halted his infantry in his old camp, and sent his cavalry across the creek in pursuit. This force harassed the Confederates as far as Strasburg, when the darkness put an end to the operations. Early halted for the 71 562 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. niglit at Fislier's Hill, and the next day continued his retreat southward. Sheridan recaptured all the guns he had lost in the morning and took twenty-throe others besides, he also retook his camp, and captured fifteen hundred prisoners, as many as he had lost in the early part of the day. After this defeat General Early issued the following address to his troops : " IlEADQnARTERS VaLLET DISTRICT, October 22, 18Gi. "Soldiers of the Armt of the Valley: " I had hoped to have congratulated you on the s]ilendid victory won by you on the morning of the 19th at Belle Grove, on Cedar Creek, when you surprised and routed two corps of Sheridan's army and drove back several miles the remaining corps, capturing eighteen pieces of artillery, one thousand five hundred prisoners, a number of colors, a large quantity of small arms, and many wagons and ambulances, with the entire cam[)S of the two routed corps; but 1 have the mortification of announcing to you that, by your subsequent misconduct, all the benefits of that victory were lost and a serious disaster incurred. Had you remained steadfast to your duty and your colors, the victory would have been one of the most brilliant and decisive of the war ; you would have gloriously retrieved the reverses at Win(;hester and Fisher's Hill, and entitled yourselves to the admiration and gratitude of your country. But many of you, including some commissioned officers, yielding to a disgraceful propensity for plunder, deserted your colors to appropriate to yourselves the abandoned property of the enemy, and subse- quently those who had previously remained at their posts, seeing their ranks thinned by the absence of the plunderers, when the enemy, late in the afternoon, with his sliattercd columns, made but a feeble effort to retrieve the fortunes of the day, yielded THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 563 to a needless panic and fled the field in confusion, thereby con- vcrtini^ a splendid victory into a disaster. " Had any respectable number of you listened to the appeals made to you, and made a stand, even at the last moment, the disas- ter would have been averted and the substantial fruits of victory sccin-cd ; but under the insane dread of being flanked, and a panic-stricken terror of the enemy's cavalry, you would listen to no appeal, threat, or order, and allowed a small body of cav- alry to penetrate to our train, and carry off a number of pieces of artillery and wagons, which your disorder left unprotected. You have thus obscured that glorious fame won in conjunction with the gallant men of the Army of Northern Virginia, who still remain proudly defiant in the trenches around llielimond and Petersburg. Before you can again claim them as com- rades, you will have to erase from your escutcheons tlie blem- ishes which now obscure them ; and this you can do if you will but be true to your former reputation, your country and your homes. You who have fought at Manassas, Kichmond, Sharps - burg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and from the AVilderness to the banks of James River ; and es[)oeIally you who were with the immortal Jackson in all his triumphs, are capable of better things. " Arouse yourselves, then, to a sense of your manhood and appreciation of the sacred cause in which you are cnagagcd ! Yield to the mandates of discipline ; resolve to stand l)y your colors in future at all hazards, and you can yet retrieve your reputation and strike eifective blows for your country and its cause. Let every man spurn from him the vile plunder gath- ered on the field of the 19th ; and let no man, whatever his rank, whether combatant or non-combatant, dare exhibit his spoils of that day. They will be badges of his dishonor; the insignia of his disgrace. The officer who pauses in the career of victory to place a guard over a sutler's wagon, for his private use, is as 564 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. bud as tlie soldier who halts to secure for himself the abandoned clothing or money of a flying foe, and they both sell the honor of the army and the blood of their country for a paltry price. He who follows his colors into the ranks of the enemy in pur- suit of victory, disdaining the miserable passion for gathering booty, comes out of the battle with his honor untarnished ; and though barefooted and ragged, is far more to be envied than he who is laden with rich spoils gathered in the trail of his victori- ous comrades. There were some exceptions to the general mis- conduct on the afternoon of the 19th, but it would be difficitlt to specify them all. Let those who did their duty be satisfied with the consciousness of having done it, and mourn that tlieir efforts were paralyzed b\' the misbehavior of others. Let them be con- soled, to some extent, by the reflection that the enemy has noth- ing to boast of on his p«rt. *' The artillery and wagons taken were not won by his valor. His camps were destroyed, his army terribly shattered and de- moralized, his losses far heavier than ours, even in proportion to the relative strength of the armies ; his plans materially im- peded ; and he was unable to pursue by reason of his crippled condition. Soldiers of the Army of the Valley, ] do not speak to you in anger ; I wish to speak in kindness, though in sorrow. My purpose is to show you the causes of our late misfortune, and point out the way to avoid similar ones in future, and ensure success to our arms. Success can only be secured by the en- forcement and observance of the most rigid discipline. Officers, whatever their rank, must not only give orders, but set the ex- ample of obeying them, and the men must follow that example. " Fellow-soldiers, 1 am ready to lead you again In defence of our common cause, and I appeal to you, by the remembrance of the glorious career in which you have formerly participated, by the woes of your bleeding country, the ruined homes and devas- tated fields you see around you, the cries of anguish which come THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 565 up from the widows and or[)hans of your dead comrades, the horrors which await you and all that is yours in the future, if your country is subjugated, and your hopes of freedom for yourselves and your posterity, to render a cheerful and willing obedience to the rules of discipline, and to shoulder your mu>!lvets again with the determination never more to turn your backs upon the foe, but to do battle liUe men and soldiers until the last ves- tige of the footsteps t/f our barbarous and cruel enemies is erased from the soil they desecrate, and the independence of our coun- try is firmly established. If you will do this, and rely upon the protecting care of a just and merciful God, all will be well ; you will again be what you once were, and I will be proud to lead you once more to battle. J. A. Early, Lieutefm7i(-Gc7ieniL" The battle of Cedar Creek was the last event of importance in the Valley campaign, and practically closed it. The defeat experienced by General Early and the desolation of the Valley by General Sheridan, made it impossible for a Confederate army to remain in that region. Towards the close of the fall, the remains of Gordon's, llamseur's and Rodes' divisions (tlie old 2d cor[)s) were placed under General Gordon's command, and sent back to Petersburg. Brcckenridge's division was transferred to Southwestern Viri^inia, and almost all of the cavalrv were fur' loughed for the winter, the Government being unable to provide forage for the horses. General Early was left in command of the Valley Department, with his head'quarters at Staunton, and the wreck of Wharton's division comprised his army. His failures made the unfortunate general the object of a great deal of the popular indignation, more in fact than he dc- eervcd, and this ran so high that towards the close of the war. General Lee was compelled to relieve him of his command. Yet, sympathizing with him. General Lee sought to soften his mortification by the following generous Irtter : 5(36 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. " Headqdarte IS C. S. Armies, March 30, 18G5. " LiELT. Gen. J. A. Early, Franklin C. II. Ya. " DiLMi Siu : My telegram will have informed you that I deem a change of commanders in your department necessary, but it is due to your zealous and patriotic services that I should explain the reasons that prompted my action. The situation of afllairs is such that we cannot neglect any means calculated to develop the resources we possess to the greatest extent, and make them as efficient as poi?sible. To this end it is essential that we should have the cheerful and hearty support of the people and the full confidence of the soldiers, without which our means of resistance is weakened. "I have reluctantly arrived at the conclusion that you can- not command the united and willing cooperation which is so es- sential to success. Your reverses in the Valley, of which the public and the army judge chiefly by the results, have, I fear, impaired your influence both with the people and the soldiers, and would add greatly to the difficulties which will, under any circumstances, attend our military operations in Southwestern Virginia, While my own confidence in your ability, zeal, and devotion to the cause is unimpaired, I have nevertheless felt that I could not oppose what seems to be the current of opin- ion without injustice to your reputation and injury to the ser- vice. I therefore felt constrained to endeavor to find a com- mander who would be more likely to develop the strength and resources of the country, and inspire the soldiers with confi- dence ; and to accomplish this purpose thought it proper to yield my own opinion, and defer to that of those to whom alone we can look fur sup[)ort. I am sure that you will understand and appreciate my motives, and that no one will be more ready than yourself to acquiesce in any measures which the interests of the country may seem to require, regardless of all personal WINTER QUARTERS. 5G7 considerations. Thanking you for the fidelity and energy with which you Iiuve always supported my efforts, and for the cour- age and devotion you have ever manifested in the service of the country, I am, very respectfully and truly, YoQr obedient servant, 11. E. Lee, General." VI. WINTER QUARTERS. When active operations ceased before Petersburg, both arniiea went into winter quarters, — the Federals surrounded by every comfort that their Government could furnish them with, and the Confederates to brave out the long, cold season, and battle with hunger and privation with little to encourage them, and a Government too indifferent to care for their sufferings. During the winter the citizens of Iviciniiond and Petersburfr prepared to give Lee's army a New Year's dinner. Contribu- tions were liberally made, but owing to the unfortunate manner in which the distribution of the provisions was conducted, the good intentions of the citizens were practically defeated.* * The following letter humorously describes the disappointment of the army : " I presume thousands of rebels, like myself, expected really a good treat to the inner man, and plenty of it, basing their expectations upon the colossal preparations in Richjiond, the great number of Confederate dollars contrib- uted by worthy and patriotic citizens, the glaring articles in the newsijnpcrs, and the mimes of the gentlemen who composed the committee, satisfied all of them that it would be a good thing; and, laboring under these impressions, we prepared accordingly, setting our incisors. The quartermaster and com- missary were to have nothing to do with the sumptuous feast, nor were thej 568 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. The army sufFereJ very greatly for food during the winter. Matters had, indeed, reached such a condition that it was im- possible, whether the Confederacy was successful or conquered in the spring, to avert the horrors of a famine — such as visited the South after the failure of the great struir^le. This, as ] have said so often, was brought ivbout by the gross mismanage- ment of the Confederate Commissariat. ' AVhen the campaign in Northern Virginia began in May 18G4, the Commissary-General had only two days' rations for General Lee's army in Richmond. On the 23rd of June, there were but thirteen days' rations on hand, and on that day the Federal cavalry cut the Danville Ivailroad, which was not re- paired for twenty-three days, and to prevent the troops from starving in the meantime, Color.el Northrop was forced to buy uncut or unshocked wheat in the field at maikct rates. General Lee repeatedly urged the Goveiment to collect thirty days' re- serves of provisions at Richmond and Lynchburg, but his advice invited to partake. Well, on Monday night notice was received at regiment headquarters to send a detail of men, with an 'officer, to brigade headquarters to receive our quota. [None of the conuiiittee have, as yet, made their ap- pearance.] They soon retuined witli two barrels, holding the dinner. The contents were soon made visible by knocking in the heads. I will give you a list of tlie^contents for the entire regiment, numbering two hundred and sixty men and officers : Thirty-two ordinary-size loaves of bread ; two turkeys, one of them a very diminutive s)>eeimcn of that species of fowl, (some swore that it was a chicken) ; a quarter of ]an)b and a horse-bucketfuU of apple butter. "Well, of course this immense weigiit of provender had to be divided out to the various companies. Alter our company had received its due proportion, the whole lot was, by unanimous consent of tlie company, (numbering thirty men,) condensed into six parts, and by a species of lottery, all thirty partici- pating, the six "piles " fell to six men; so twenty-four received twilling, and six all. I was on picket at the time, but found, upon my return to camp, that I was one of the successful six, and got the leg of a turkey and a half-pound of mutton, which I soon disposed of, with some fried bacon, red pepper, salt, water, and flour to thicken, making a French disii, which I leave for you to name. So ended our New-Year's dinner. No blame is attached to any one. The undertaking was too great an one ; so say all the troops." WINTER QUARTERS. 569 was suffered to pass unheeded, and the army was constantly kept in a state of suffernig. On the 5th of December, the Commissary-General stated that he had on hand nine days' rations for General Lee's army, and at this time General Lee informed the Government that his troops were deserting for want of food — the rations issued to them being hardly suffi- cient to sustain life — and urged prompt action. As might have been expected, the Government took no steps to remedy the evil, and on the 14th of December, General Lee informed the President that his army was without meat. Fortunately several vessels loaded with supplies had just arrived at Wilming- ton, and provisions were hurried forward to Petersburg and Richmond. But for this, the army would have been forced to disband or starve. The condition of the Confederacy with re- spect to food was thus stated in secret session In the Confederate Congress : " First, That there w^as not meat enough in the Southern Con- federacy for the armies It had in the field. Second, That there was not In Virii:inia either meat or bread enough for the armies within her limits. Third, That the bread supply from other places depended absolutely upon the keeping open the railroad connections of the South. Fourth, That the meat must be ob- tained from abroad through a seaport, and by a different system from that which prevailed. Fifth, That the bread could not be had by impressment, but must be paid for in market rates. Sh'th, That the payments must be made in cash, which, so far, had not been furnished, and from present indications could not be, and, if possible. In a better medium than that at present cir- culating. SeventJi, That the transportation was not now ade- quate, from whatever cause, to meet the necessary demands of the service. Eighth, That the supply of fresh meat to General Lee's army was preen rious, and If the army fell back from Ricb- 72 570 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. mond and Petersburg, there was every probability that it would cease altogether." * Still the Government delayed, and spent the winter without acconi[)lishing anything, until within a few weeks of the close of the war, when an impracticable scheme was adopted to pur- chase 6ui)i)lies by paying specie for them. Meanwhile the soldiers were starving. In this time of suffering and privation it was to be expected that the President, as the head of the nation, would give to the people an example of self-denial, which might cheer and en- courage them in their trials. I regret to say that Mr. Davis pursued an opposite course. The following Bill, which was gotten through Congress by his friends, is a specimen of his conduct : — " FORAGE, FUEL AND LIGHTS FOR THE PRESIDENT. " Mr. Sparrow, from the Military Committee, reported the following bill, which was considered and passed : "A bill to provide for the lighting and warming of the Execu- tive mansion, and for the supply of forage and commissary stores for the use of the Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy of the Confederate States. " The Congress of the Confederate States of America. Jo enacty 1st, Tliat it shall be the duty of the Quartermaster-General to provide fuel and lights necessary for the Executive mansion, and forage for six horses- for the use of the Commander-in- Cliiefof the army and navy of the Confederate States. "2. That it sliull be the duty of the Commissary-General to furnish the Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy of tlie Confederate States the same commissary supplies, and upon the same terms as are now allowed by law to commissioned officers in the field ; and the quantity of commissary supplies allowed * The Lost Cause, pp. 648, 649, 650. WINTER QUARTEES. 571 to be drawn and purchased by the Cornmander-ni-Chicf shall be double the quantity allowed to a general in the field ; Provided ^ That in case hereafter the nnnual salary of said CommaiKler-in- Chief shall be paid in p:u" funds, the vahie of the forage and sub^iistence given hini by this act, and which may be furnished during the period in which payment of said salary in par f'unils is made, shall be deducted from his salary in the settlement of his account." This too when the army was starving, and a large part of the cavalry in the field had to be disbanded for want of fi)ragc. In the spring of 18G4-G5, Confederate Treasury Notes were worth less than two cents in the dollar. A loaf of bread was worth three dollars in Richmond and Petersburg, and a month's pay would scarcely purchase the most trifiing article of clothing. Yet, with its money so greatly depreciated as to be almost worthless, the Government was greatly in debt to the army. Not a single man had been given his full pay, and thousands had not received a cent for two years. It would have been some comfort to the men to see the Government meet its obli- gations, and a still greater comfort to have been able to send the money to those who were starving at home. Yet tiiis was denied them. Mr. Davis and his Aids drew their pay prom[)tly, but the men in the trenches were supposed to have no use for money. When the reader remembers that General Lee's army was the most favored of all the Southern forces, it will not be difficidt to imagine the condition of the remainder. The Conscription had ceased to bring forth men. On the 3 1st of December General Lee declared that it was diminishing rather than increasing the strength of his army. A pernicious system of details also contributed to bring down his force ; and it was a fact which the army did not fail to notice that these details were granted to few but the ricii or influential. Rich men, in some way, managed to escape mili 572 LIFE OF GENERAL LEII. tary service altogether, and men who were unfit for service by reason of sickness and disease were hurried off to the army to linger out a miserable existence. Indeed as early as the fall of 18G4, the Surgeon-General of the Confederacy declared that no man ought to be excused who could serve twenty-fpur hours in the field, and this inhuman idea was carried out. The result was that the people set themselves against the Conscription, and frequently resisted the enrolling officers with arms. In view of all this, it was not strange that the troops deserted at a fi-ightfid rate. Extravagant Tas the assertion may seem, it is nevertheless true that no Government ever did so much as the Confederacy to force its army to desert, for no army was ever so badly treated, or with such system. It was with diffi- culty that the men could be kept together. Hundreds deserted to the enemy, and fully twice as many went home. One of the chief causes of the evil was the weakness of the President. He steadily opposed the enforcing of the law against deserters, and finally it came to be generally understood that no one need fear being shot for desertion, as a commutation of the sentence, if not a pardon, was sure to be granted by the Executive. If the army was to be kept together, it was necessary that rijjid measures should be enforced. The matter was brou2;ht before the Government about the last of November by a state- ment from General Longstreet, who had returned to duty. He said, "Over one hundred of General Pickett's men are in the guard-house for desertion, and the cause of it may be attributed to the numerous reprieves, no one being executed for two months." General Lee indorsed on this paper, " Desertion is increasing in the army, notwithstanding all my effijrts to stop it. I think a rigid execution of the law is mercy in the end. The great want in our army is firm discipline." Tliis paper was submitted to the Secretary of War, who referred it to the Preeident " for his information." Mr. Davis returned it with WINTER QUARTERS. 67:> tlie following indorsement. "When deserters a/e arrested they should be tried, and if the sentences are reviewed and remitted, that is not a proper subject for the criticism of a military com- mander. Jeff. i>^/o;s — November 29, 1864."* During the winter the Virginia delegation in Congress, headed by INIr. Bocock, the Speaker of the House of Represent- atives, waited on the President, and informed him that they had no confidence in his Cabinet. jNIr. Davis treated the address with contempt, and when j\Ir. Seddon, feeling himself the prin- cipal object of this censure, offered his resignation as Secretary of War, the President endeavored to induce him to retain his position, and took occasion to declare that he would in no way change either the policy or course of his administration. Mr. Davis' besetting sin was his contempt for the wislies of the people whose servant he was under the Constitution, but whose master he aspired to be, and virtually became. His election to the Presidency was a great misfortune to the South, for he proved himself incapable of executing the task assigned him. The people were slow to believe this, but the truth was forced upon them, and when the month of April 1865 opened, Mr. Davis was the most unpopular public man in tlie South. The resignation of INIr. Sedtlon, who was succeeded, too late to accomplish anything, by General Breckenridge, was followed by that of Colonel Northrop, whose place was given to Colonel St. John. The Government, at the opening of the year 1864, esti- mated that the Conscription would place four hundred thou- sand troops in the field. This hope- was not realized, and iu order to sup[)ly the deficiency it was proposed to arm the slaves. A large number of them were eniployed in the army us labor- ers, engineer troops, and teamsters, and had given great satis- faction by their efforts, and it was believed that they could be ♦Diary of a Rebel War Clerk. Vol. II, pp. 343, 344. 574 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. made to fill up the ranks. They had been found to be good soltliers in the Federal army, and it was believed that they would accomplish still more in the Confederate army. It is my intention to refer to this matter very briefly, and only so far as it concerns General Lee. The limits of this work forbid a full discussion of it. General Lee favored the proposition, and did all in his power to induce the Government to adopt it. His views are staled at len2;th in the following; letter : " IIeadqcarters Confederate States Armies, February 18, 18G5. "Hon. E. Barksdale, House of Representatives, Richmond : " Siu : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, with reference to the employment of negroes as soldiers. I think the measure not only expedient but necessary. The enemy will certainly use them against us if he can get possession of tlieni ; and, as his present numerical superiority will enable him to penetrate many parts of the country, I cannot see the wisdom of the policy of holding them to await his arrival, when we may, by timely action and judi- cious management, use them to arrest his progress. I do not think that our white population can sup[)ly the necessities of a long war without overtaxing its capacity, and imposing great suffering upon our people ; and I believe we should provide re- sources for a protracted struggle, — not merely for a battle or a campaign. " In answer to your second question, I can only say that, in in my opinion, the negroes, under proper circumstances, will make efficient soldiers. I think we could at least do as well with them as the enemy, and he attaches great importance to their assistance. Under good officers and good instructions, I do not see why they should not become soldiers. They possess WINTER QUARTERS. 575 all the physical qualifications, and their habits of obedience con- stitute a good foundation for discipline. They furnish a more promi.^ing material than many armies of which we read in his- tory, which owed their efficiency to discipline alone. I tliink those who are employed should be freed. It would be neither just nor wise, in my opinion, to require them to serve as slaves. The best course to pursue, it seems to me, would be to call for such as are willing to come with the consent of their owners. An impressment or draft would not be likely to bring out the best class, and the use of coercion would make the measure dis- tasteful to them and to their owners. *' I have no doubt that if Congress would authorize their re- ception into service, and empower the President to call upon individuals or States for such as they are willing to contribute, with the condition of emancipation to all enrolled, a sufficient number would be fortlicoming to enable us to trj' the experi- ment. If it proved successful, most of the objections to the measure would disappear, and if individuals still remained un- willing to send their negroes to the army, the force of pubHc opinion in the States would soon bring about such legislation as would remove all obstacles. I think the matter should be left, as far as possible, to the people and to the States, which alone can legislate as the necessities of this particular service may require. As to the mode of organizing them, it should be left as free from restraint as possible. Experience will suggest the best course, and it would be inexpedient to trammel the subject with provisions that might, in the end, prevent the adoption of reforms suggested by actual trial. With great respect, your obedient servant, E. E. Lee, General.'' The proposition to arm the slaves was made in November 1864. It was not passed until March 1865, and then the liil) 576 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. stiKliously set aside the recommendation of General Lee. Tho reward of freedom was not lield out to the shives. The law merely autliorized the President to accept such slaves as the masters miii^ht clioose to put into the military service. In short, no inducement was to be offered to the negro ; he was to be forced to figlit for his own captivity. Tlie law having passed in this form, it was not reasonable to expect to raise black troops. Still the effort was made, and it failed. The measure was also passed too late. General Lee wanted the negroes in the fall, so that they might be trained to tlieir duties during the winter, but Congress trifled away the tim6, and the opportunity for making soldiers of the blacks was lost forever. Had these troops been raised, it is doubtful whether anything could have been accomplished with them. They would have been so many more men to feed, and would have increased the sufferings of the army. The measure proposed to put two hurdred thousand black troops in the field, and at that time there were not arms enough in the Soutli to enable the returned prisoners to go back to duty. It is difficult to understand how the negroes would have been armed ; and besides, it was not reasonable to suppose that they would under any circumstances fiirht for a slaveholding Government. In January, 1865, an effort was made to secure peace. An interview was held between President Lincoln, Secretary Seward, and others, on the Federal side, and Vice-President Stephens, Senator Hunter, and others, on the Confederate side, on board of a steamer in Hampton Koads, but nothing was accomplished. Towards the last of February, General Longstreet was in- formed by General Ord of the Federal army, that General Grant was willing to meet General Lee for the purpose of set- tling the terms of an honorable peace, provided General Lee WINTER QUARTERS. 577 was authorized to act In the matter. President Davis at once cont'erred upon General Lee full powers, and the Confederate coiuuiander notified General Grant that he was ready to open the neirotiation. It proved, however, that General Ord had misinfornied General Longsti'eet, having mistaken General Grant's meaning. The following correspondence passed be- tween the two commanders : — " Headquarters Confederate States Armies, March 2, 1865. " Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant, commanding United States Armies : "General: Lieutenant-General Longstreet has informed me that in a recent conversation between himself and Major- Gen^'val Ord as to the possibility of arriving at a satisfactory adjustment of the present unhappy difficulties, by means of a military convention, General Ord stated that if I desired to have an interview with you on the subject, you would not decline, provided I had authority to act. Sincerely desiring to leave nothing untried which may put an end to the calamities of war, I propose to meet you at suclvconvenient time and place as you may designate, vvlth the hope that upon an interchange of views it may be found practicable to submit the subjects of contro- versy between the belligerents to a convention of the kind men- tioned. "In such event I am authorized to do whatever the result of the proposed interview may render necessary or advisable. Should you accede to this proposition, I would suggest that, if agreeable to you, we meet at the place selected by Generals Ord and Longstreet for the interview, at 11 A. M., on Monday next. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, (Signed) R. E. Lee, General.** 73 578 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. " Headquarters Armies United States, March 4, 18G5. " General 11. E. Lee, commanding Confederate States Armies : <' General: Your two letters of the 20th instant 'were received yesterday. In regard to any apprehended misunder- standing in reference to the exchange of political prisoners, I think there need be none. General Ord or General Longstreet liave probably misunderstood what I said to the former on the subject, or I may have failed to make myself understood, pos- sibly. A few days before the interview between Generals Longstreet and Ord, I had received a dispatch from General Hoffman, Commissary-General of prisoners, stating in substance that all prisoners of war who were or had been in close confine- ment or irons, whether under charges or sentencc-s, had been ordered to City Point for exchange. I forwarded c\\e substance of thai dispatch to Lieutenant-Colonel Mulford, Assistant Agent of Exchange, and presumed it probable that he had communicated it to Colonel Kobert Ould. A day or two after, an offender, who was neither a prisoner of war nor a political prisoner, was executed, after a rair and impartial trial, and in accordance with the laws of war and the usage of civilized nations. It was in explanation of this class of cases I told General Ord to speak to General Longstreet. "Reference to my letter of February IGth will show my understanding on the subject of releasing political or citizen prisoners. " 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. Such authority is vested in the President of the United States alone^ " General Ord could only have meant that T would not refuse an interview on any subject upon which I have a right to act, which, of course, would be such as are purely of a military WINTER QUARTERS. 579 character and on the subject of exchange, which has been en- trusted to me. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, • . Your obedient servant, (Signed) U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General.'' This last effort for peace having failed, like the first, there as n( close. was nothing left to the South but to fight the war out to its 580 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. XII. THE LAST STRUGGLE^ February — April, 1865. I. GE^ERAL LEE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. "When the New Year dawned, matters in the South were in a desperate condition. The people had lost confidence in the President, in the Congress, and in everything but the army ; the supply of food was almost exhausted ; the army was starv- ing, and all classes were reduced to poverty and want ; the Federals held possession of the greater portion of the Southern territory, and were closing in upon the principal armies of the Confederacy. Everywhere ruin threatened the cause. The loss of confidence in the Government was natural enough. It had done nothinGT to merit trust, for its course had been a series of blunders from its very inauguration, and now, when the danger which threatened the country was so great, the President and Congress were involved in a disgraceful quarrel, each charging the other with being responsible for the state of affairs, and neither doing anything to encourage the people. In this hour of darkness the country turned to General Lee, as its last hope. During the entire period between June 1862 GENERAL LEE COMiLANDER-IN-CHIEF. 581 and April 1865, he was the only public man whose wisdom was believed in throughout the country, and whose integrity was never impeached ; and now men came to the conclusion that if the cause was not already lost. General Lee was the only per- son capable of saving it. For several years there had been a growing desire to see iiini at the head of all the armies of tlie South, for since the fall of Vicksburg, it had been the chief wish of the people to take the control of the armies away fi'om the President, in whose military capacity they had no confi- dence. Now the demand was made too powerfully to be resisted. The Legislature of Virginia passed a resolution de- claring that " the appointment of General Robert E Lee to the command of all the armies of the Confederate States would promote their efficiency and operate powerfully to reanimate the spirits of the armies, as well as of the people of the several States, and to inspire increased confidence in the finil success of our cause." This resolution was communicated to the President, who replied : ' ' The opinion expressed by the General Assembly in regard to General R. E. Lee, has my full concurrence. Vir- ginia cannot have a higher regard for him, or greater confidence in his character and ability, than is entertained by me When General Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia, he was in command of all the armies of the Confederate States by my order of assignment. He continued in this general command, as well as in the immediate command of the Army of Northern Virginia, as long as I would resist his opinion that it was necessary for him to be relieved from one of these two duties. Ready as he has ever shown himself to be to perform any service that I desired him to render to his country, he left it to me to choose between his withdrawal from the command of the army in the field, and relieving him of the general com- mand of all the armies of the Confederate States. It waa nuh 582 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. when satisfied of this necessity that I came to the conclusion to relieve him from the general command, believing that the safety of the Capital and the success of our cause depended, in a great measure, oh then retaining him in the command in the field of the Army of Northern Virginia. On several subsequent occa- sions, the desire on my part to enlarge the sphere of General Lee's usefulness, has led to renewed considerations of the subject, and he has always expressed his inability to assume command of other armies than those now confided to him, unless relieved of the immediate command in the field of that now opposed to General Grant." President Davis was right. General Lee had always shunned prominence. With a soldier's modesty, he had never sought to dirust himself forward, and had been satisfied to do his duty in whatever position he was placed by tlie lawful authority of the country. Besides this, he was wai'mly attached to the President, and this friendship made him blind to Mr. Davis' faults. Mr. Davis was the Constitutional President of the Confederacy, and General Lee felt it his duty to sustain him in that position, and while his personal friendship prompted him to defend the individual, his sense of duty made him quick to condemn any attack upon the oflficial. The kindly relations existing between them were never disturbed during the war, and to the last each possessed the other's perfect confidence. The position, however, which General Lee held in the spring of 1862, was not wliat the people now designed for him. Then he was acting " under the direction of the President : " now it was proposed to place the oflfice of Commander-in-Chief beyond the control of the President. The truth is, the people and Congress wished to make General Lee a military dictator, as the last hope of saving the cause, and it is not likely, when it is remembered how extremely jealous of his power was Mr. Davis, that such a step was viewed with any favor by the GENERAL LEE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 583 Executive, even though tlie choice of the nation fell apon one 80 universiiUy beloved as General Lee. It is certain that when the Bill creating the office of Commander-in-Chief was put upon its final passage in the House of Representatives, in secret session, fourteen members, friends of the President, voted against it.* However this may be, the Bill was passed, and approved by the Executive, and on the 5th day of February 1865, a general order from the Adjutant-General's Office, directed General Lee to enter upon his new duties. General Lee had not sous^ht the hi^-h rank now bestowed upon him, and it came to him so unmistakably the act of the nation, that he felt he had no right to refuse it. Much regret has been expressed that he did not make a greater use of the dictatorial power thus confided to him. Whether, in the then hopeless condition of affairs, he could have done more than prolong the war, even had he taken the whole power of the Government into his own hands, as the people and army desired, is very doubtful. The cause of the South was doomed already, and no human power could have saved it at that late day. General Lee's choice was made in view of the obligations rest- ing upon him, and with a sincere desire to promote the interests of his country. If he erred he but proved himself human, and those who regret the decision he made will always respect it, and honor the patriotism which induced it. * " When the rote came to be taken upon the proposition to put Lee in command of all the Confederate armies, Senator Henry of Tennessee, long the constant and intelligent friend of President Davis — indeed the leader of his party in the Confederate Senate — felt constrained to vote for this im- portant change in the Administration of the Southern Confederacy. On the occasion of a social visit to the family of the President, he was called to task fey Mrs. Davis, who bitterly inveighed against the purpose of Congress to diminish the power of her husband. She spoke with a spirit so extraordinary, that her words were well remembered. 'If I were Mr. Davis,' she said, 'I would die or be imng befure I would submit to the iiumiliafion.'" — The Los? Cause, p. G56. 584 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. General Lee entered upon his new command on the 9th of February 1865, and issued the following general order to the armies of the Confederacy : " Headquarters Confederate Armt, February 9, 18G5. «' GENERAL ORDEK, No. 1. "In obedience to General Order No. 3, Adjutant and In- spector-General's office, 6th February, 1865, 1 assume conunand of the military forces of the Confederate States. Deeply im- pressed with the difficulties and responsibility of the position, and humbly invoking the guidance of Almighty God, I rely for success upon the courage and fortitude of the army, sustained by the patriotism and firmness of the people, confident that their united efforts, under the blessing of Heaven, will secure peace and independence. " The Headquarters of the Army, to which all special reports and communications will be addressed, will be, for the present, with the Army of Northern Virginia. The stated and regular returns and reports of each army and department will be for- warded, as heretofore, to the office of the Adjutant and In- spector-General. E. E. Lee, General." It is my purpose to confine the remaining portion of this na- rative exclusively to the campaign conducted by General Lee in Virginia, and to pass over the events in the other departments now under his command. FORT STEADMAN. 58f FORT STEADMAN. By the middle of March, General Lee's army numbered about thirty-three thousand men. The troops had been half starved during the winter, they were badly clothed, and poorly provided against the weather. Yet they were cheerful and wil- ling to stand by their commander to the last, and it was a common saying with them, that, though their lot was a hard one, they could stand it "as long as General Lee." The d-is- position of the army was as follows : The left wing was north and south of the James, and was commanded by General Long- street, who had returned to duty during the winter; the centre was at Petersbm-g, under General Gordon ; and the right ex- tended froia Petersburg to Hatcher's Run, and was in charge of General A. P. Hill. The cavalry, whose horses were scarcely fit for service, guarded both flanks. The line thus occupied was forty miles in length, and in order to cover it the army was posted more like a skirmish line than a line of battle. The labor required of the men was incessant. The thirty-three thou- sand had to do picket and guard duty, and cover their ground, alternating from one duty to another without rest. There were no reserves to relieve the worn-out men from these arduous labors. The demonstrations of the enemy kept the troops shifting about from point to point along-the line, adding greatly to their fatigue, and when a body of men was moved to re- enforce some threatened locality, the position from which it was taken was left defenceless. The men knew that there was to be no change in this until the campaign began, and then they 74 586 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. saw nothins: before them but defeat and still more sufFerino'. It was a great trial to which their firmness was thus subjected, and only their stern patriotism, and their love for General Lee kept them true to their duty, for hope had completely departed from them. General Lee was deeply impressed with the danger which thi'eatened the cause of the South, but he was calm and cheer- ful, doing what he could to raise the drooping spirits of his countrymen. He believed that there was yet a chance for an honorable peace, if not for independence, if the people would prove true to themselves and to the cause. The situation in which he found himself was critical. Grant was before him with a powerful army, and Sheridan had reached the White House ready to join the Army of the Potomac with his magnificent cavalry. The criminal folly of President Davis had opened the way for General Sherman,.* who after marching from Atlanta to the sea, was moving from Savannah towards the James, forcing back the handful of men under the great soldier who had been prevented by the personal hostility of Mr. Davis from serving his country when it was possible to check Sherman. By the 23rd of March, Sherman had reached Golds - borough, North Carolina, and had possession, or was within easy reach of Lee's most important lines of communication with his Southern sources of suppl}'. Goldsborough is only one hun- dred and fifty miles from Petersburg, and Sherman was steadily * Mr. Davis not only ruined the cause in the southwest by his interference with the army, but also by his incautious declarations. General Grant saye : " During this time Jefferson Davis made a speech in Macon, Georgia, which was reported in the papers of the South, and soon became known to the whole country, disclosing the plans of the enemy, thus enabling General Sherman to fully rpeet them. He exhibited the weakness of supposing that an army that had been beaten and fearfully decimated in a vain attempt at the defensive could successfully undertake the offensive against the army that had so often defeated it." — General Oranft Report, p. 23. FORT STEADMAN. 587 advancino;. The combined strenG^th of Lee and Johnston was scarcely fifty thousand men, while that of Grant and Sherman was near a quarter of a million, and it was evident that without some speedy change of position on the part of tlie Confederates, the converging Federal columns would crush them. Disagreeable as it was, General Lee now saw that he must abandon Richmond and Petersburg and retire towards the mountains. His duty was to defend the cause of the Confed- racy to the last, and, desperate as was the task, he resolved to perform it faithfully. It has been said that he had made up his mind to surrender before he left Petcrsburo;. This is not true. He was too thorough a soldier to abandon his colors v/hile a hope remained ; too sincere a Christian to butcher his troops for the gratification of any feeling of vanity. His intention was to present an unbroken front to the enemy to the last moment, and for himself he preferred death on the field to a surrender.* The plan adopted by General Lee was as follows : to evacu- ate the line then held by his army, retreat rapidh^ toAvards Danville, unite his army with that of General Johnston, and occupy a strong position in the interior. He determined upon this course early in March, before General Sherman had ad- vanced so {av into North Carolina, and measures were at once set on foot for its execution. General Johnston was instructed to retire before Sherman, and manoeuvre his left so as to bring it into communication with Lee's right ; ponton-trains were collected to enable the army to pass over the streams flowing between Petersburg and the new position; and orders were given to collect a large supply of provisions at Amelia Court House. The shortest route from Petersburg to Amelia Court House is by a road known as the Cox road, which runs due west from the city, following the general course of the Appomattox River. • ♦ The Lost Cause, p. 680. 588 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. It was by tliis road that General Lee determined to vvlthdrav*'; but in order to do so it was necessary to compel General Grant to make a change in his position. The Federal left, the reader will remember, had been extended to Hatcher's Run, very near the Boydton plank road, and this situation brought it so near the Cox road, that the withdrawal of the Confederates by the latter road would be a very dangerous operation. This being the case, General Lee resolved to deal Grant a sudden blow, which should make him draw back his left. The most natural way of accomplishing this was to attack the Federal right, and tliis General Lee prepared to do. The Federal position was very strong, and it was hard to find a weak point in it. "A cordon of redoubts of a powerful pro- file and armed with the heaviest metal, studded this line. In- fantry parapets, amply manned, stretched from work to work. Covering the fronts of approach were labyrinthine acres of abatis, while all the appliances of ditches, entanglements, and checaux-de-frhe lent their aid to make defence sure and assault folly." * It was a bold venture to attack such a line, but the necessities of the Southern army required it. The point chosen for attack, was Fort Steadraan, a strong work buik on a " considerable salient " of the enemy's line, and only about one hundred and fifty yards from the Southern breast- works. General Lee's design was to surprise and capture this work, 2;ain the hiijh ground in its rear, take the neighborins^ works, and seize the City Point Hailroad, the principal line of communication of the Federal army. The assault was to be made by two divisions of Gordon's corps, and all the rest of the troops that could be collected, near twenty thousand in number, were to be held in readiness to support the movement. If Grant tried to recover his lost ground by an immediate attack, General Lee would be ready to meet him ; but if he moved towards City Point to * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 675. • FORT STEADMAN. 589 recover his communications, the Southern army was at once to abandon Petershurof and retire by the Cox Road. In any event General Lee believed that Grant would draw in his left to re- inforce his right, which was his weaker wing, and that the Cox road would thus be opened. AVe shall see that this brilliant plan was not carried out as General Lee designed. The 25th of March was appointed for the attack, and the army held in readiness to depart from Petersburg, if the movement was successful. In the gray light of dawn on the 25th, Gordon's two divisions noiselessly emerged from their works, In columns of attack, and dashing across the narrow space which separated the two armies, tore away the abatis, and rushed into Fort Steadman, cora- pletly surprising the garrison, and carrying the work. In- stantly the guns of the captured fort were turned on the adja- cent Federal works, and in a short time a brigade of the enemy was put to flight, and batteries Nine, Ten, and Eleven, on the flanks of Fort Steadman were abandoned by the Federals, and occupied by the Confederates. In this brilliant charge, nine pieces of artillery, eight mortars, about five hundred prisonei'S, and a brigadier-general were captured. It now remained to Carry the other works in the neighbor- hood, and gain possession of the railroad. Goidon had opened the battle bravely, but he was not sustained. Tlie force on his right which attacked Fort Haskell made but a feeble demonstra- tion, which was quickly repulsed by the enemy. Many of the men could not be induced to advance at all, and even Gordon's troops became demoralized. No effort was made to advance beyond the first line of works to carry the crest in their rear, (which might have been accomplished at first,) but the men huddled into the breastworks, and would not go beyond. The Federals recov- ered from their surprise, and poured a heavy fire of artillery into the works they had lost, at the same time throwing forward a 590 LITE OF GENERAL LEE. strong column of infantry to drive the Confederates from them. The Southern line was broken and beaten back, and the enemy re-occupied their works. Two thousand Confederates surrend- ered on the spot, and a large number were killed and wounded, making the Southern loss amount to over three thousand, while that of the enemy was in all about twenty-five hundred.* General Meade followed up the repulse of the Confederates by advancing the 6th corps, which, after a stubborn fight, suc- ceeded in capturing the Southern picket line in its front. The Confederate plan failed through the misbehavior of the troops at a moment when the most brilliant results were within the grasp of General Lee. The army suffei'ed a heavy loss, which was a great disaster to it at that time, when men were so much needed, and General Grant clung with his left to his advanced position on Hatcher's Run, still endangering the retreat of the Southern army. • "Headquarters Armv Contederate States, March 25, 1865, —11.20 P. M. "Hon. J. C. Bbeckeuridge, Secretakt of Wab: " At daylight this morning, General Gordon assaulted and carried the en- emy's works at Hare's Hill, capturing nine pieces of artillery, eight mortars, and between five and six hundred prisoners, amongst them one brigadier-gen- eral and a number of officers of lower grade. Tlie lines were swept for a dis- tance of four or five hundred yards to the right and left, and two efforts made to recover the captured works were handsomely repulsed. But it was found that the inclosed works in rear, commanding the enemy's main line, could only be taken at a great sacrifice, and our troops were withdrawn to their original po- sition. It being impracticable to bring off the captured guns, owing to the na- ture of the ground, tlicy were disabled and left. Our loss, as reported, is not heavy. Among tlic wounded, are Brigadier-General Terry, flesh wound, and Brigadier-General Phil. Cooke, in the arm. " All the troops engaged, including two brigades under Brigadier-General .Ransom, behaved most handsomely. The conduct of the sharp-shooters of Gordon's corps, who led the assault, deserves the highest commendation. This afternoon, there was skirmishing on the right, between the picket lines, with varied success. At dark tlie enemy held a considerable ijortion of the line farthest in advance of our main work. (Signed) E. E. Lee." GRANT MOVES TO THE LEFT. 591 III. GRANT MOVES TO TEE LEFT. In the early spring of 1865, General Grant received an im- portant addition to his army. Convinced that there was no further use for an army in the Valley, he withdrew Sheridan's infantry, which he united with his own troops in front of Peters- burg. He then instructed General Sheridan to make a raid with his cavalry towards Lynchburg, for the purpose of cutting all the Confederate communications which were beyond the reach of General Sherman. Sheridan left Winchester on the 27th of February, taking with him his splendid cavalry, ten thousand strong. Early, with his miniature army, — twelve hundred men, — made a feeble effort to check the enemy's advance, but Sheridan, baffling an effort of the Confederates to burn the bridij;e over the middle fork of the Shenandoah River, crossed the stream on the 1st of March, and entered Staunton on the next day. Pushing on he encountered Early at Waynesboro, scattering his command, capturing more than half of it (nine hundred in all)) and forc- ing General Early himself to take refuge in the woods. On the 3rd, Sheridan reached Charlottesville, where he halted to await the arrival of his trains, taking care, in the meantime, to destroy such portions of the Virginia Central and Orange and Alexandria railroads as were within his reach. General Grant's instructions to him, were to occupy Lynch- burg, break up the James River Canal and the South Side Railroad, and then march rapidly across the State towards Danville, and unite his column with the army of General Sher- 592 LIFE OF GEXETIAL LEE. man, As soon as his trains joined him at Charlottesville, Sheri dan proceeded to carry out these instructions; but upon reach- ing the James, between Eichmond and Lynchburg, found the river too much swollen to be crossed, and the l^ridges all de- stroyed. This completely prevented him from reaching Lynch- burg, and left him but one of two alternatives, — either to go back to the Valley, or to attempt to join Grant. With charac- teristic boldness he chose the latter. Moving to the canal, he destroyed itfor several miles in the neighbourhood of Columbia, and then, passing around Eichmond, reached the White Uouse on the 19th of March, where he was joined by an infantry force which had been sent to him, and furnished with supplies. Having rested and refitted his command, he left the White House on the 24th, marched to the James, crossed that river at Jones' Landing, and on the 26th joined General Grant be- fore Petersburg. Though this expedition had fixiled to accomplish the original designs of General Grant, it resulted in a far better state of af- fairs- than the Federal Commander had looked for. It placed ten thousand cavalry in his hands, and contributed to his final success, more than any other element in his entire combina- tion. Apart from this. General Sheridan performed his work of destruction very thoroughly. He destroyed almost every lock on the canal, and cut the embankment in many important places, and the railroads along his route were completely ruined. The Federal army under General Grant's personal direction, now numbered about one hundred and seventy thousand men, and General Grant resolved to commence his operations at once. His first Intention was to defer his advance until Gen- eral Sherman crossed the Eoanoake Elver ; but, fearing that Sheiman's approach would induce General Lee to withdraw GRANT MOVES TO THE LEFT. 593 from Petersburg, he detennined to attack at once, and appoint- ed the 29th of March for the comtnencement of his advmce. His plan was to repeat his movement to his left, but this time in a wiser and better manner ; for, instead of endeavor- ing, as in former efforts, to turn Lee's right with detached por- tions of his army, he determined to throw the greater part of his whole force against that flank. His plan was prepared pre- vious to the assault on Fort Steadman, and was stated as fol- lows, in his instructions to his corps commanders : " On the 29th instant, the armies operating against Rich- mond will be moved by our left for the double purpose of turn- ing the enemy out of his present position around Petersburg, and to insure the success of the cavalry under General Sheri- dan, which will start at the same time, in its efforts to reach and destroy the South Side and Danville railroads. Two corps of the Array of the Potomac will be moved at first In two col- umns, taking the two roads crossing Hatcher's Run nearest where the present line held by us strikes that stream, both moving towards Dinwiddle Court House. " The cavalry under General Sheridan, joined by the division now under General Davies, will move at the same time by the Weldon road and the Jerusalem plank road, turning west from the latter before ci'ossing the Nottoway, and west with the whole column before reaching Stony Creek. General Sheridan will then move independently, and under other instructions which will be given him. All dismounted cavalry belonging to the Army of the Potomac, and the dismounted cavalry from the middle military division not required for guarding property belonging to their arm of service, will report to Brigadier- General Benham, to be added to the defences of City Point. Major-General Parke will be left in command of all the army left for holding the lines about Petersburg and City Point, sub- ject, of course, to orders from the commander of the Army of 75 594 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the Potomac. The 9tli army corps will be left intact to hold the present line of works so long as the wliole line now occnpied by us is held. If, however, the troops to the left of the 9th corps ai*e withdrawn, then the left of the corps may be thrown back so as to occupy the position held by tlie army prior to the capture of the Weldon road. All troops to the left of the 9th corps will be held in readiness to move at the sliortest notice, by such route as may be designated when the order is given. " General Ord will detach three divisions, two white and one colored, or so much of them as he can, and hold his present lines, and march for the present left of the Army of the Poto- mac. In the absence of further orders, or until further orders are given, the white divisions will follow the left column of the Army of the Potomac, and the colored division the right col- umn. During the movement, Major-General Weitzel will be left in command of all the forces remaining behind from the Army of the James. " The movement of troops from the Army of the James will commence on the night of the 27th instant. General Ord will leave behind the minimum number of cavalry necessary for picket duty, in the absence of the main army. A cavalry expedition from General Ord's command will also be started from Suffolk, to leave there on Saturday, the Ist of April, under Colonel Sumner, for the purpose of cutting the railroad about Hicksford. This, if accomplished, will have to be a sur- prise, and therefore from three to five hundred men will bo sufficieAt. They should, however, be supported by all the infantry that can be spared from Norfolk and Poi'tsmouth, as far out as to where the cavalry crosses the Blackwater. The crossing should probably be at Union. Should Colonel Sumner succeed in reaching the Weldon road, lie will be instructed to do all tlie damage possible to the triangle of roads between iiicksford, Weldon, and Gaston. The railroad bridge at GRANT MOVES TO THE LEFT. 595 Weldon being fitted up for the passage of carriages, It might be practicable to destroy any accumulation of supplies the enemy may have collected south of tlie Roanoke. All the troops will move witli four days' rations in haversacks, and eight days' in wagons. To avoid as much hauling as possible, and to give the Army of the James the same number of days* supply with the Army of the Potomac, General Ord will direct his commissary and quartermaster to have sufficient supplies delivered at the terminus of the road to fill up in passino-. Sixty rounds of ammunition per man will be taken in wao-ons, and as much grain as the transportation on hand will carry, after taking the specified amount of other supplies. The densely-wooded country in which the army has to operate, making the use of much artillery impracticable, the amount taken with the army will be reduced to six or eight guns to each division, at the option of the army commanders. *' All necessary preparations for carrying these directions into operation mny be commenced at once. The reserves of the 9th corps should be massed as much as possible. Whilst I would not now order an unconditional attnck on the enemy's line by them, they should be ready, and should make the attack if the enemy weakens his line in their front, without waiting for orders. In case they carry the line, then the whole of the 9th corps could follow up, so as to join or cooperate with the bal- ance of the army. To prepare for this, the 9th corps will have rations issued to them, same as the balance of the army. Gen- eral Weitzel will keep vigilant watch upon his front, and if found at all practicable to break through at any point, he will do so. A success north of the James should be followed up with great promptness. An attack will not be feasible unless it is found that the enemy has detached largely. In that case it may be regarded as evident that the enemy are relying upon their local reserves, principally, for the defence of Riclunond. 596 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Preparations may be made for abandoning all the line north of the James, except enclosed works, — only to be abandoned, however, after a break is made in the lines of the enemy. " By these instructions a large part of the armies operating against Richmond is left behind. The enemy, knowing tliis, may, as an only chance, strip their lines to the merest skeleton, in the hope of advantage not being taken of it, wiiilst they hurl everything against the moving column, and return. It cannot be impressed too strongly upon commanders of troops left in the trenches not to allow this to occur without taking advantage of it. The very fact of the enemy coming out to attack, if he does so, might be regarded as almost conclusive evidence of such a weakening of his lines. I would have it particularly enjoined upon corps commanders that, in case of an attack from the enemy, those not attacked are not to wait for orders from the commanding officer of the army to which tliey belong, but that they will move promptly, and notify the com- mander of their action. I would also enjoin the same action on the part of division commanders when other parts of their corps are engaged. In 'like manner, I would urge the impor- tance of following up a repulse of the enemy."* On the 27th of INIarch, Sheridan's cavalry were moved to the left, and on the same day General Ord, Avho had succeeded Butler in the command of the Army of the James, crossed from Deep Bottom to the South Side, with three divisions of infantry and one of cavalry, and relieved the 2d and 5th corp-a in the trenches on the left of the Federal line, thus enabling those troops to take part in the turning movement. The col- umn designed for this operation numbered twenty-five thousand men, and was to be supported by the remainder of the army. That part of the Confederate line — the right — against which * I have tliouglit it best to state General Grant's plan of r perations in full, and in his own words. GRANT MOVES TO THE LEFT. 597 this effort was directed, extended tor several miles beyond Pe- tersburi: in a soutlnvesterly direction. Crossing Hatcher's Run at the Ijoydton plank road, it ran westward for some distance, paralk'l with the stream, and along the White Oak road, covering the South Side Raih-oad, which was now the chief dependence of the army for food. Four miles west of the rio-lit of this line was a detached, though important chain of works, protecting the Five Forks, the point of intersection of several roads with the White Oak road. The importance of this posi- tion lay in the fact that it was the key to the whole country in the rear of the Southern line. The Federal army began its advance at daylight on the 29th of March. Hatcher's Run was crossed without much opposi- tion, being made by the Confederates, and the enemy moved northward towards the Confederate line. Owing to the dif- ficult character of the country the advance was slow. No material resistance was offered them until the 5th corps reached the vicinity of the Quaker road, when the leading division was hotly attacked by a Confederate force, and for a time held in check. The assailants were repulsed, however, and the 5th corps continued to move on until checked by the works on the White Oak road. The 2nd corps, moving on the right of the 5th, halted at nightfall in the thick woods near the main line of the Confederates. Sheridan, operating still farther to the left, succeeded, after a slight encounter, in occupying Din- widdle Court House, six miles southwest of the bivouac of the 2nd and 5th corps, where he went into camp for the night. General Grant now altered that part of his plan- of operations which concerned the cavalry, and directed General Sheridan to sus])end the movement against the South Side Railroad which had been ordered for the next morning, and, in place of it, en- deavor to gain the Confederate " right rear," while the infantry eouirht to carry the intrenched lines opposed to them. General Grant had hK>pcu to conceal his movement until hft 598 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. was ready to strike the final blow, but he had scarcely beg in it before it was detected and understood by general Lee. The position in which the Confederate commander was placed by the manoeuvre of his adversary was desperate, but it did not dis- hearten him. The defence of his line of forty miles already taxed his army to such an extent that it was with difficulty that the position could be covered, and to take troops from any point for the reenforcement of another was to expose the point thus weakened to almost certain capture. Nevertheless it was the only resource left to General Lee, and he resolved to strip his lines to the greatest possible extent, mass a strong force on his right, and demolish the turning column of the enemy, as he had done before with success. General Longstreet reported the enemy in force in his front, and as it might be the design of the Federals to attack his left wing also. General Lee deemed it most prudent not to weaken General Longstreet, and ordered him to watch the enemy closely in his front, and if he had rea- son to believe that Grant intended no attack north of the James, to march at once to Petersburg with all the troops he could spare. To meet the danger which threatened his right. General Lee collected from the lines of Petersburg the divisions of Pickett, Bushrod Johnson, and a part of Gordon's corps, and hurried to the right, to the assistance of the force holding that part of the line. This gave him on his right a column of seven- teen thousand men. He left behind, to guard the nine miles of intrenchments around Petersburg, about seven thousand men, and in order to cover this line these men were posted nearly five yards apart. But in spite of this, on the night of the 29th, an energetic assault of the enemy in front of General Gordon's position was repulsed.* " Headqcarters, March 30, 1SG5. "Genkral J C. liKECKESniuoE, Secretary of War. "■ General Gordon reports tliat the enemy, at 11, p. m., yesterday, advanced against a part of liis line, defended by Brig.-General Lewis, but was repulsed GRANT MOVES TO THE LEFT. 599 By the morning of the 30th only a part of the Confederate reenforcemcnts had reached the right wing, but the danger whicli threatened it was temporarily averted by a severe storm which set in on the night of the 29th, and continued without abating through the 30th, rendering the roads impassable for artillery and cavalry. Taking advantage of this delay, General Lee hurried his infantry westward, and by the next morning had his forces well in hand. On the morning of the 31st the condition of the roads was still so unfavorable that General Grant was not willinir to com- • . ... mence operations, and before he could change his intention General Lee decided the matter for him. At ten o'clock Lee threw forward the force he had collected on his right, and made a spirited attack on the 5th Federal corps. The divisions of Ayres and Crawford were tlirown into confusion and driven back, and the Confederates pressed on rapidly. Had the forma- tion usually adopted in these turning movements been practised by the enemy in this case, success would have crowned General Lee's attack ; but General Warren, profiting by the experience of the past, had disposed his corps in masses en echelon, which disposition enabled them to meet attack from any direction, and promptly reenforce any part of their position.* Tiiis skilful arrangement now proved the salvation of the 5th corps, for the retreating troops rallied upon Griffin's division, posted in a con- siderable clearing, which held its ground. The Federal troops were re-formed, and the Confederate advance checked. A siurited engagement ensued, in which the Southern troops were forced back to their line on the "White Oak road. In this counter-attack the 2d corps assisted, and two of its divisions attempted later in the day to carry the works at the intersection The fire of artillery and mortars continued for several hours with considerable activity. No damage on our lines reported. R. E. Lee." * Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, p. 589, 600 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. of the Boydton and White Oak roads, but were repulsed with considerable loss. "While this engagement was going on, General Sheridan, being anxious to get possession of Five Forks, sent Devin's division to seize the position, at the same time moving Crook's division to his left to engage the Confederate cavahy which were at Chamberlain's Creek, a short distance west of Dinwiddie Court House. Devin succeeded in driving off the small South- ern force present, and occupied Five Forks. Bj this time General Lee had drawn off his troops from the attack upon Warren, and now sent Pickett's and Bushrod Johnson's divisions of infantry to diive the Federal cavalry from Five Forks. Advancing along the AVhite Oak road, these two divisions fell upon the cavalry, and drove them in confusion back to Dinwiddie Court House, and following up this success by a sharp attack on Sheridan's whole line succeeded in break- ing it, and partly isolating his right; but in executing this movement they exposed their flank and rear to that part of Sheridan's force at the Court House, and were themselves com- pelled to relinquish their advantage, and fall back. Another effort was made to carry the Federal line, but was unsuccessful, and before it could be renewed, darkness put an end to the fight- injj. Niiiht found Shdridan still holdinix his ground, but so hard pressed that, without reenforcements he could not venture upon a renewal of the engagement the next day. He at once made known his situation to General Grant, who deemed it so peril- ous that he stopped the movements of the rest of the army to send the 5th corps to Sheridan's assistance. There v>'as no necessity for this, however, as General Lee withdrew his force after dark, being unwilling to leave the troops in such an expo- sed position during the night. General Sheridan discovered this about midnight, and at day break on the 1st of April, ad- vanced his whole command towards Five Forks. On the way FIVE FORKS AND PETERSBUKG. 601 he was joined by the 5th corps, which had been marching all nisht to his assistance. IV. FIVE FORKS AND PETERSBURG. The critical condition in which General Lee found himself when Grant advanced against his right, left him no aUernative but to weaken the lines of Petersburg, as I have described. He had either to submit to having his communications seized and his retreat endangered, if not prevented, or to weaken his centre to such an extent as to rendr. There was still a chance for escape, and it was his duty to endeavor to avail himself of it. THE SURRENDER. 625 VII. THE SURRENDER. Having decided that the moment for the surrender of his army had not yet arrived, General Lee prepared to continue his , retreat. As soon as the Confederates had crossed the Appomattox, the railroad and stage road bridges were fired. Gordon, on the morning of the 7th, left one brigade to guard the crossing until the bridges were destroyed, and moved towards Farmville with the rest of his command. At the same time the 2d Federal corps arrived, and making a sharp attack drove off the brigade left by Gordon, and saved the stage road bridge entire, and also the High Bridge, with the exception of two spans which were burned. The enemy then dashed forward towards the Confederate wagon train, drove off the guard and captured a number of the wagons. Gordon at once moved back a part of his force, compelled the enemy to withdraw, and captured two hundred prisoners. Tiie Confederates continued their retreat during the 7th with but little molestation, except the frequent dashes of the enemy's cavahy upon the wagon train. The enemy followed closely, and early in the morning occupied Farmville. The 2d Federal corps was pushed forward, and about noon General Humphreys found his advance checked by the main body of Lee's army, which was strongly intrenched in a commanding position four or five miles north of Farmville, covering the stage and plank roads to Lynchburg. Lee had halted here to rest his army, and hold his pursuers in check until nightfall. Humphreys found the works too strong to be attacked in front, and made an at 79 626 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. tempt to take them in flank ; but, upon finding he was con- fronting Lee's whole army, he sent for reenforcements. While jiwaiting their arrival, he attacked the Southern left, and was repulsed with a loss of over six hundred in killed and wounded. When the Federal reenforcements came up, night had fallen, and the enemy decided to suspend the attack until morning. Upon occupying Farmville, General Grant dispatched a messenger to General Lee with the followini^ communication : " April 7, 1865. *' Generai,: " The result 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 further effusion of blood by asking of you the surrender of that portion of the Confederate States army known as the Army of North- ern Virginia. U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General. General R. E. Lee." This document was handed to General Lee thai night. He at once sent the following reply : " April 7, 1865. " General : ' "I have received your note of this date. Though not enter- taining the opinion you express on the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia, I re- ciprocate your desire- to avoid useless effusion of blood, and therefore, before considering your proposition, ask the terma yt»u will offer on condition of its surrender. R. E. Lee, General, *' Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant." THE SURRENDER. 627 During the night the Confederates resumed their retreat towards Lynchburg, and the movement liad been in progress for some hours when General Grant received General Lee's, letter. lie immediately replied : " April 8, 1865. "General: " Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of same date, asking the condition on which I will accept the surrender of the army of Northern Virginia, is just received. In reply, I would say that peace being my great desire, there is but one condition I would insist upon, namely : that the men and officers surren- dered shall be disqualified for taking up arms again against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged. I will meet you, or will designate officers to meet any officers you may name for the same purpose, at any point agreeable to you, for the purpose of arranging definitely the terms upon which the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia will be re- ceived. U. S. Grant, Lieutenant^ General. General R. E. Lee." To this General Lee responded as follows : " April 8, 1866. " 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 prop- osition. To be frank, I do not think the emergency has ai-isen to call for the surrender of this army ; but, as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of all, I desired to know whether your proposals would lead to that end. I cannot, therefore, meet you with a view to surrender the Army of 628 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Northern Virginia : but, as far as your proposal may affect the Confederate States' forces under my command, and tend to the restoration of peace, I should be pleased to meet you at 10 A. M. to-morrow, on the old stage road to Richmond, between the picket lines of the two armies. Jx. E. Lee, General. Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant." On the 9th General Grant wrote : « April 9, 1865. "General: " Your note of yesterday is received. I have no authority to treat on the subject of peace ; the meeting proposed 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 entert:uns the same feeling. The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood. By the South laying down their arms they will hasten that most desirable event, save thousands of huiiian lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet destroyed. Seriously hoping that all our difficulties may be settled without the loss of another life, I subscribe myself, &c., U. S. Grant, Lieutenhnt- General. General R. E. Lee." On the night of the 7th the Confederate army fell back from its intrenched line, and marched rapidly towards Lynchburg. At dark on the 8th the head of the cohnun reached Appomattox Court House. The army was now moving on a narrow neck of land between the Appomattox and the James rivers. Lynchburg was only twenty-four miles distant, but there was danger that the enemy might throw their cavaliy in advance of THE SURRENDER. 629 the Confederates, and thus close up the outlet. The march had been conducted durini>; the 8tli with singular freedom from fi'dit- ing. Scarcely a gun had been fired the whole day, and the men began to think they might reach Lynchburg after all. Sudilcnly, however, heavy firing was heard in front. Then an order was received from General Lee to cut down all the extra artillery and disband the commands. The dream of security in which the army liad for a moment indulged was abandoned, and the men awoke to the knowledge that their retreat was cut off. It was indeed the case. Sheridan had marched hard dunncr the 7th and 8th, and tow-ards dark on the 8th had reached Ap- pomattox Station, on the South Side Railroad, five miles south of Appomattox Court House, and had captured four trains of cars, loaded with supplies, en route from Lynchburg to Lee's army. Then planting his command across the Confederate line of retreat he prepared to hold his position, knowing that the Army of the James would join him in the morning, while the Army of tiie Potomac would push forward in the rear of the Southern forces. All that now remained to General Lee was to cut his way through Sheridan's lines, and he ordered General Gordon to do so at all hazards at sunrise. The Army of Northern Virginia had now been reduced to eight thousand men with mu:«kets in their hands. Gordon's corps, about two thousand strong, was thrown out in front, while Longstreet's shattered command held the rear. Between these two weak lines was the remnant of the wagon-train, and hud- dled around the vehicles were several thousand un irmed strag- glers, who had been rendered too weak, by hunger and fatigue, to carry their muskets. The cavalry, about three thousand strong, were almost unfit for service by reason of the sufferings of both men and horses. Yet this little skeleton army was 630 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. about to attempt to cut its way through the powerful lines of General Sheridan. At sunris^e on the 9th, Gordon moved forward to attack the enemy, and upon reconnoitering the Federal position, discovered that it was held by dismounted cavalry. Making a sharp attack he drove Sheridan's troopers back upon Ord's infantry which had now come up, and this force being brought forward, Gordon was himself forced back. Finiiing that he could not hold his ground, Gordon sent word to General Lee that the enemy were driving him back. When the message reached the Confederate Commander, that officer found that he could no longer hope to reach Lynchburg. His last resource had been taken from him and further resistance would merely sacrifice the army. The time had come to sur- render. General Lee at once sent a flag of truce to General Sheridan asking for a suspension of hostilities, with a view to a surrender. At the same time he dispatched the following note to General Grant : April 9, 18G5. " General : ^ " I received your note this morning on the picket line, whither I had come to meet you and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in your proposition of yesterday with ref- erence to the surrender of this army. " I now request an interview in accordance with the offer contained in your letter of yesterday for that purpose. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, R. E. Lee, General.'" " To Lieut. -General Grant, '• Commanding A.rmies of the United States." The desired interview was granted by General Grant, who replied : TEi3 StJRRENDER. o31 April 9, 1865. * CJeneral R. E. Lee, commanding Confederate States Akmies : " Your note of this date is but this moment, 11.59 a. m. received. " In consequence of my having passed from the Richmond and Lynchburg road to the Farmville and Lynchburg road, I am at this writing, about four miles west of AVaher's Church, and will push forward to the front for the purpose of meeting you. ♦ ' Notice sent to me on this road where you wish the interview to take place, Avill meet me : Very respectfully your obedient servant, U.S. Grant, Lieutenant-General" The meeting of the two commanders was held at the house of Mr. Wilmer McLean, in the village of Appomattox Court House. There, sitting at a deal table, they drew up their fa- mous agreement, the one proposing, and the other accepting the conditions upon which the Army of Northern Virginia passed into the domain of history, General Lee was calm and dignified. " His demeanor," says a Federal officer, who wit- nessed the scene, " was that of a thoroughly possessed gentle- man, who had a very disagreeable duty to perform, but was de- termined to get through it as well and as soon as possible." The agreement was embodied in the two following papers : Appomattox Court House, Va., April 9, 1865. " General : " Li accordance with the substance of my letter to you of the 8th instant, I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, to wit : Rolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate, one copy to be given to an officer to be designated by me, and the other to be 632 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against 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 ])vo[)- erty, to be parked and stacked, and turned over by the officers appointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to his home, not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they may reside. U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General.'* " General R. E. Lee. IIbadquarters Army of Northern Virginia, April 9, 18G5. " General : "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 instant, they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipu- lations into effect. R. E. Lee, General.'* " Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant. For the adjustment of the details of the surrender, General Lee appointed as commissioners, Lieutenant-General Long- street, jSIajor-General Gordon, and Brigadier-General Pendle- ton, while General Grant designated for the same purpose, Major-Generals Gibbon, Griffin, and Merritt. These Commis- sioners met the next day, and drew up the following agree- ment : THE SURRENDER. 63^ Appomattox Coort House, April 10, I860. Agreement entered into this dt/ij in rcguch transportation as may be agreed upon as neces- sary for the transportation of the private baggage of officers will be allowed to accompany the officers, to be turned over at the end of the trij) to the nearest United States Quartermaster, re- ceipts being taken for the same. " 4th. Couriers and mounted men of the artillery and cav- alry, whose horses are their own private property, will be allowed to retain them. " 5th. The surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia shall be construed to include all the forces operating with that army on the 8th instant, the date of the commencement of the negotiations for surrender, except such bodies of cavalry as actually made tiieir escape previous to the surrender, and except also such pieces of artillery as were more than twenty miles from Appomattox Court House at the time of surrender on the 9th instant. (Signed,) .John Gibbon, Maj.-Gen. Vols. J. Longstreet, Lieut.- Gen. Charles Griffin, Brevet Maj.-Gen. J. B. Gordon, Maj.-Gen. U. S. Vols. W. N. Pendleton, Brig.-Gen. and W. Mekkitt, Brevet Maj.-Gen. Chief of ArVy." 80 d34 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. The terms accorded by General Grant were generous and noble. Whatever cause he may have given to the Southern people at any former period to think harshly of him, he more, than atoned for it in tliis act, and they should never forget or cease to appreciate the manly spirit with which he refused to take advantage of tlieir distresses and helplessness, as so many of his countrymen demanded. General Grant may well be proud of it, for It was the greatest act of his life. I must now return to the army. When the flag of truce ap- peared on Gordon's line, a feeling of surprise and curiosity to know what it meant pervaded the ranks. Soon It was told from man to man that the army was to be surrendered to the enemy. General Lee had been seen riding to the rear, dressed with more care than usual, and with his sword, which he rarely wore, buckled on. Later It was stated authoritatively that the service of the army was at an end. The emotions of the men are hard to describe. There was a feeling of relief that the long, unequal strusffle was over, minded with an agonized regret for the fail- ure of the cause they had so nobly upheld. The troops were very silent, in their grief, and they moved about and spoke to each other with that hushed, subdued air which men wear when in the presence of death. Soon General Lee was seen returning to his quarters from his interview with General Grant. The emotion of the men could be no longer controlled. Whole lines of battle broke ranks, and rushing up to him, crowded around their beloved commander, sobbing out words of comfort and affection, striv- ing with " a refinement of unselfishness and tenderness which he alone could fully appreciate, to lighten his burden, and mitigate his pain," and struggling with each other to take him once more by the hand. General Lee, usually so thoroughly master of himself, was completely overcome. With tears pouring down both cheeks, he exclaimed with deep emotion, " Men, we have TUE SURRENDER. 635 fought through the war together. I have done the best that I could for you." Nothing more was said ; nothing more was needed. The next day General Lee took a formal leave of the army in the following noble address : " Headquarters Army ov Northern Virginia, April 10, 1865. *' After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources. *' I need not tell the survivors of so many hard fought bat- tles, who have remained steadfxst to the last, that I have consented to this result from no distrust of them; but feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the loss that would have attended the continuation of the contest, I have determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen.', " By the terms of agreement, officers and men can return to their homes, and remain there until exchanged. " You will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed ; and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you His blessing and protection. " With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your countrj^ and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you an affec- tionate farewell. E. E. Lee, General." The victors were considerate and generous in all things. They Issued food liberally to the starving troops of the van- t)3B LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. quished army, and carefully refrained from anything that might seem to insult the fallen greatness which they could but admire. On the 12th of April the Army of Northern Virginia formed by divisions for the last time. Marching to a spot near Appo- mattox Court House, the troops parked their artillery, stacked their muskets, deposited their accoutrements, and laid down forever the colors they loved so well. About seven thousand five hundred men with arms surrendered, but there were present, and included in the capitulation nearly eighteen thou- sand unarmed stragglers. Two thousand cavalry under Fitz- hugh Lee and Rosser had effected their escape previous to the closing in of Sheridan's lines, but these afterwards surrendered and were included within the terms granted to the rest of the army. The surrender was received by INI aj or- General Gibbon, of the Federal army, General Grant generously remaining at his quarters. The Confederate officers and men were paroled, the army was disbanded, and the survivors turned their ftices homeward. The great Army of Northern Virginia that had been so long the admiration of the world was now a thing of the past. General Lee, accompanied by his Staff, had already departed for Richmond, and on the afternoon of the 12th, reached it. Passing through the city, he rode towards his residence. On the way he was recognized, and a crowd of citizens and Fed- eral soldiers at once surrounded him, greeting him with loud cheers, in which the Federals joined right heartily. Riding rapidly to escape them, he reached his house. As he dis- mounted, the crowd pressed upon him, and the cheers grew louder. It was the greeting of a conqueror rather than that of the conquered. . After acknowledging the compliment, and shaking hands with those who were immediately around him, he escaped into his home, which had been scrupulously respected and protected by the Federals. CLOSING YEARS. 637 VIII. CLOSING YEARS. After the surrender of his army, General Lee remained quietly at his home in E-ichmond, endeavoring to secure the rest of which he stood so much in need. He was not allowed to remain undisturbed, however. The city was full of visitors from all parts of the country, and throngs of Confederate soldiers on parole were passing through daily, on their way to their homes. Many of these called on the General to pay their re- spects, and the majority were received by him ; and it was only when his house was overrun with curious sightseers that he decided to refuse to receive miscellaneous visitors. Many Federal officers and soldiers called upon him during the passage of the Northern armies through the city, and were received by him with kindness and dignity. Many persons were surprised at the calmness and cheerfulness exhibited by General Lee after his surrender. Said one who saw him about this time: "He was not at all cast down. He was as cheerful and as amiable to those around him as if he had been the victor in the great struggle." Those who knew the General best, however, were not at all surprised by his manner. They knew that his tranquillity and cheerfulness proceeded from an intelligent conviction, that throughout the entire war he had done his whole duty, and that events had been shaped by an Arm strohgerthan his. Thus convinced, he never repined. He met adversity with the same self-command he had displayed in the midst of success, and with true Christian piety bowed in submission to the will of God. Yet, it must not be supposed that ^e was unmoved by the sufferings of his countrymen. Hi^ 638 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. whole soul went out to them with love; and only God can know with what grief tliat soul was wrung by the knowledge of those misfortunes which he was powerless to repair. From the moment of his surrender, General Lee endeavored, at) far as lay in his power, to promote the return of peace and good will between the two sections of the country. He had no thought of further resistance, for his judgment assured him that with the loss of its best array the South was powerless to pro- long the war. To all who sought his advice he recommended a prompt and sincere submission to the laws of the United States. Return to your homes, was nis counsel, and seek to recover for the South her material j^rosperity, and do what lies in your power to promote the growth of friendly relations between the North and the South. It was hoped by many, and urged upon him by some, that he would take a prominent part in the settlement of the difficulties, and exert himself actively in favor of such measures as should commend themselves to his judgment. His great influence over the people of the South, it was believed, would enable him to bring them almost as a unit to the support of whatever measures he should urge upon them. He declined to take any part in public affairs, however, and wisely. His education and habits were those of a soldier, and political life was distasteful to him. He was aware of his influence over the Southern people, and valued their attachment to him as his most precious possession ; he made no secret of his views upon public affairs, and every man, woman and child in the South was fully aware of his opinions and wishes ; but his judgment convinced him that he could do the SoutJi no real service by taking part in the political strife of the day. While his own people would follow him with implicit confidence, neither their readiness to submit to the Federal authority nor his efforts would avert from the South ore particle of the humiliation designed for her by her con- CLOSING YEAliS. 639 querors. Yet wlien liis advice ^vas asked, he gave it proni[)tly and without reserve. " It is the duty of every citizen," lie said, " in the present condition of the country, to do all In his power to aid in the restoration of peace and harmony, and in no way to oj)pose the policy of the State or general government directed *:o that object." Only once did he allow himself to be drawn into political questions, and that was in 1868, when General Rosecrans visited the White Sulphur Springs,>wdiere General Lee was a guest. But this time he confined himself to a simple statement of the course he thought best calculated to brimr about the complete restoration of harmony between the sections. In common Avith the majority of the people of the Soutli, General Lee suffered considerable pecuniary loss by tlie war; and at its close applied himself, with his customary energy, to securing some position wliich would afford him a support for himself and his family. In August, 1865, he was ofi'ered the Presidency of Washington College, in the town of Lexington, Vir- ginia, and he accepted the position. It was one peculiarly agree- able to him. It removed him entirely from public affairs, and at the same time called forth his energy and executive ability to a considerable extent. It was an institution with which Wash- ington had closely identified liimself, and it was eminentty fitting that the son of Wash in Eton's most trusted friend shoul(l preside over it. As soon as his arrangements could be made. General Lee repaired to Lexington, and on the 2d of October, 1865, publicly entered upon his new duties. The inaugural ceremonies are thus described in a letter by a gentleman who was present : '' General Robert E. Lee was to-day installed President of Washington College. There was no pomp or jwirade. The ex- ercises of installation were the simplest possible — an exact and barren compliance with the required formula of taking the oath by the new President, and nothing more. This was in 640 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. accordance with the special request of General Lee. Il was jjroposed to have the installation take place in the college chapel, to send invitations far and wide, to have a band of music to play enlivening airs, to have young girls, robed in white and bearing chaplets of flowers, to sing songs of welcome, to have congratulatory speeches, to make it a holiday. That this pro- posed ])rogranime was not carried out was a source of severe dis- a])pointment to many. But General Lee had expressed his wishes contrary to the choice and determination of the college trustees and the multitude, and his wishes were complied with. " The installation took place at nine a. m., in a recitation room of the college. In this room were seated the faculty and the students, the ministers of the town churches, a magistrate and the county clerk, the last two officials being necessary to the ceremonial. General Lee was inducted into the room by the Board of Trustees. At his entrance and introduction, all .*n the room rose, bowed and then became seated. Prayer by Rev. Dr. White, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, direct!;- fol- lowed. To me it was a noticeable fact, and perhaps worthy of record, that he prayed for the President of the LTnited States. Altogether, it was a most fitting and impressive ])rayer. . " The ])rayer ended, Juilge Brockenbrough, chairman of the Board of Trustees, stated the object of their coming together, to install General Lee as President of Washington College. He felt the sei'ious dignity of the occasion, but it was a seriousness and dignity that should be mingled with heartfelt joy and glad- ness. Passing a brief eulogy upon General Lee, and congratu- lating the board and college, and its present and future students, on having obtained one so loved and great and worthy to preside over the college, he said he could say a great deal more, had it not been voted against speech-making. During the delivery of these few words, — and they came, despite of the prohibitory voting, very near culminating to the dignity of a set as well as CLOSING YEARS. 641 eloquent speech, — General Lee remained standing, his arms quietly folded, and calmly and steadfastly looking into the eyes of the speaker. Justice \yilliam White, at the instance of Judge Brockenbrough, now administered the oath of office to General liCe. For the benefit of those curious to know the nature of this new oath, to which General Lee has just subscribed, and as it is brief, I will giv^e it entire. It is as follows : "'I do swear, that I will, to the best of my skill and judg- ment, faithfully and truly discharge the duties required of me by an act entitled, " An Act for the incorporating the rector and trustees of Liberty Hall Academy," without favor, affection, or partiality, so help me, God.' " To this oath General Lee at once affixed his sio-nature, with the accompanying usual jurat of the swearing magistrate appended. * * The document, in the form stated, was handed to the county clerk for safe and perpetual custodianship, and at the same time the keys of the college were given up by the rector into the keeping of the new President. A congratulatory shaking of hands followed, and wound up the day's brief but pleasing, impressive and memorable ceremonial. President Lee and those of the trustees present, with the faculty, now passed into the room set apart for the former's use — a good-sized room --newly but very tastefully furnished. " General Lee was dressed in a plain but elegant suit of gray. His appearance indicated the enjoyment of good health — better, I should say, than when he surrendered his army at Appomat- tox Court House, the first and only occasion, before the present, of my having seen him." From the moment of his instalment. General Lee devoted himself to the affiiirs of the college with energy. The institu- tion was considerably straitened in its finances, having suf- fered much from the effiscts of the war, and considerable skill was ne^'ded to place them on a sound footing. The efforts of 81 642 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the General were unceasing;, and were crowned with success. His connection with the college brought to it throngs of students from all parts of the country, for parents wisely thought they could do their sons no greater service than by placing them under the guidance of their beloved leader. The students on their part regarded their President with an enthusiastic devo- tion, and never in the whole history of the institution liad there' been found so little necessity for enforcing discipline. The writer, who was familiar with the college in its ante helium days, has been assured that the change in this respect was most marked. Previous to the war, the college had been* almost strictly a Presbyterian school ; bnt under the new regime its sectarian character was laid aside. The standard of scholarship was elevated, and a more practical character imparted to it. The finances improved rapidly, and were soon in a flourishing condition. Tlie tuition fees of the students afforded a handsome revenue, and donations were received from various parts of the country, and from Europe. Some of the most resolute oppo- nents of General Lee during the war, contributed liberally to the support of the college, and solely because of his connection with it. It was his fortune to be exempted entirely from the bitter- ness with which the people of the North regarded the leaders of the Confederate cause. His high character, his spotless record during the terrible struggle, and the simple dignity with Mdiich he rose above his misfortunes, won for him the unqualified admi- ration of his former foes ; and surely no higher praise can be accorded to any man than this. When a few reckless partisans sought to charge him with acts of cruelty and injustice during the war, there was an emphatic protest from the respectable portion of the Northern people against any such course. Their feeding is, perhaps, well illustrated by the remark of a colored barber to a Southern gentleman in Philadelphia, at the close of CLOSING YEARS. 643 the war, " I wish," said the barber, " I had Jeff. Davis, or Beauregard, or Benjamin, or Wigfall where you are sitting, I wouhl never let them leave this chair alive'." "What would you ce to it. He was a devout Christian, and for many years had been a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Referring to this phase of his character, a Northern writer has said, " He came nearer the ideal of the soldier and Christian general than any man we can think of." As a soldier. General Lee will take rank amongst the great masters of modern warfare. It is not my purpose to compare him here with any of the other great captains of history, with whom he will always be classed. I ask the reader's attention to the following tribute from the pen of a distinguished general officer of the United States army, who fought with him in Mexico, and against him during the late war. It is the tribute of a gallant and generous foe, and is all the more valuable for that reason : " There was no period of his life, from his youth at West Point, throughout his career in military service, that Lee was not filling with the highest distinction the position he occupied. As a cadet, he was graduated with the highest honors. As a captain of engineers in the war with Mexico, his rank by no means measures the importance of his services. He M'as the trusted, confidential staff officer of the general-in-chief. Scott always made the most ample and generous acknowledgment of his merits. They were varied and important, for he was always as ready in action as in counsel. His personal courage, indeed, was of that habitual and imperturbable kind that seemed too much a part of his nature to be the subject of any special com- mendation. * * * * "His more recent career is too well known to need recapitu- CLOSING YEARS. 656 lation. * * It may, however, be said, without derogating from his great merits, that he shone more in defensive than in aggres- sive war. * * The invasion of Pennsylvania cuhninated in disaster at Gettysburg. Indeed, to his militiiry reputation this battle, and his conduct of it, arc the most serious detractions that his career affords. * * * It has been said, we believe, by General Lee himself, that at Gettysburg he yielded to the urgency and enthusiasm of his officers and men. This, too, ex- hibits a trait in his character. There was an amiability, a bon- homie, about him that was not, perhaps, consistent with the sternness and inflexibility that war sometimes demands in a leader. We cannot conceive of Joseph E. Johnston or Stonewall Jackson — to compare him only with his Confederate contempor- aries — yielding their better judgment to the enthusiasm of those around them. To be thus infectious to the feelings of others was an amiable trait of character which Lee possessed amid all the strength of his genius and resolution. His best fought fields were on the Peninsula, and at Chancellorsville and Fred- ericksburg, and the long, desperate, brilliant, unequal struggle, the successes of which will fill the soldier with admiration and wonder, though to the popular eye they are merged in the fall of Richmond and the capitulation of his army. As a great master of defensive warfare, Lee will probably not be ranked inferior to any general known in history. Whether those for whom he fought will rank him ultimately above Johnston and Jackson, or how he will stand on the page of history, in com- parison with his great opponents, we have neither ability nor inclination to discuss. It is not our aim to-day to criticise, nor to broach political questions, but to pay our tribute of re- spect and honor to a great man, who fought fairly and nobly on the side he took, sincerely believing it to be, according to his light, the side to which ])atriotism and honor sumraonetl him." NOTES. 657 NOTES. The following correspondence occurred between General Lee and the Federal Authorities in communicating the views and intentions of the Southern Government. " Hbadquahters Department of Virginia, July 21, 1862. "To MAjoR-GENERAt G. B. McClellan, commanding Army of thb Potomac : " General : It has come to my knowledge that many of our citizens, engaged in peaceful avocations, have been arrested and imprisoned because they refused to take the oath of allegiance to the United States, while others, by hard and harsh treatment, have been compelled to take an oath not to bear arms against that Government. " 1 have learned that about one hundred of the latter class have recently been released from Fortress Monroe. This Government refuses to admit the right of the Authorities of the United States to arrest our citizens and extort from them their parole not to render military service to their country, under the penalty of incurring punishment in case they fall into the hands of your forces. 1 am directed by the Secretary of War to inform you that such oaths will not be regarded as obligatory, and persons who take them will be required to render military service. Should your Government treat the rendition of such service by these 83 G58 LIFE OF GKNKKiVL, LEE. persons as a breach of parole, and punish it accordingl}-, this Government will resort to retaliatory measures, as the only means of comjjelling the observance of the rules of civilized warfare. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, (Signed), K. E. Lee, General Commanding J" " Headquarters of Army Unitkd States, Washington, August 13, 18C2. "To Major-General George B. McClellan, commanding Army op the Potomac : "General: I have just received from the Adjutant-Gen- eral's office your letter of July 30th, inclosing a letter from General R. E. Lee, of July 21st. " The letters of General Dix and Major Moore will furnish you with the proper information for a reply tjt> Gen. Lee's com- plaints in regard to the treatment of prisoners at Fortress Mon- roe. The Government of the United States has never authorized any extortion of oaths of allegiance or militaiy paroles, and has forbidden any measures to be resorted to tending to that end. " Instead of extorting oaths of allegiance and parole, it has refused the applications of several thousand prisoners to be permitted to take them and return to their homes in the rebel States. "At the same time, this Government claims and will exercise the right to arrest, imprison, or place beyond its military lines any persons suspected of giving aid and information to its enemies, or of any other treasonable act ; and if persons so arrested voluntarily take the oath of allegiance, or give their military parol^, and afterwards violate their plighted faith, they will be punished ac- cording to the laws and usages of war. You will assure Gen. Lee that no unseemly threats of retaliation on his part will deter this Government from exercising Its lawful rights over both per NOTES. 6') J sons and property, of whatever name or character. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, (Signed,) H. W. Halleck, Gen.-in-Chief U. S. Army. " Headquarters of the Army U. S., Washington, August 7, 18()2» " To Gen. K. E. Lee, commanding Confederate States Army : '* General: Your letter of July 6th was received at the Adjutant-General's office on the lith, but supposing from its endorsement that it required no further reply, it was filed without being shown to the President or Secretary of War. I learn to- day, for the first time, that said letter had been received, and hasten to reply. " No authentic information has been received in relation to the execution of either John Owen or Mumford, but measures will be Immediately taken to ascertain the facts of those alleged executions, of which you will be duly Informed. " I need hardly assure you. General, that so far as the United States Authorities are concerned, this contest will be carried on in strict accordance with the laws and usages of modern war- fare, and that all excesses will be duly punished. " In regard to the burning of bridges within our lines by per- sons in disguise as peaceful citizens, I refer you to my letter of the 22nd of January last to General Price. I think you will find the views there expressed as not materially differing from those stated in your letter. In regard to retajiation by taking the lives of innocent persons, I know of no modern authority which justifies it, except In the extreme case of a war with any uncivilized foe, which has himself first established such a barbar- ous rule. The United States will never countenance such a proceeding, unless forced to do so by the barbarous conduct of an enemy who first applies such a rule to our citizens. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief, U. S. Army,** 660 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. "Headquarters Army or the " C. S." Near Ricumond, Aug. 2, 18G2. " 'o THE General Commanding the Armt of the U. S., Washington: " General : On the 29th of June last I was instructed by the Secretary of War to inquire of Major-General McCIellan as to the truth of alleged murders committed on our citizens by officers of the United States army. The cases of Wm. B- Muniford, reported to have been murdered at New Orleans, by order of JMajor-General B. F. Butler, and Colonel John Owen, reported to have been murdered in Missouri, by order of Major- General Pope, were those referred to. I had the honor to be informed by Major-General McCIellan that he had referred these inquiries to his Government for a reply. No answer has as ye^ been received. " The President of the Confederate States has since beet eredibly informed that numerous other officers of the army of the United States within the Confederacy, have been guilty o- felonies and capital offignces which are punishable by all laws, human and divine. I am directed by him to bring to your notice a few of those best authenticated. Newspapers received from the United States announce as a fact that Major-General Hun- ter has armed slaves for the murder of their masters, and has thus done all in his power to inaugurate a servile war, which is more than that of the savage, inasmuch as it superadds other horrors to the indiscriminate slaughter of all ages, sexes, and conditions. " Brigadier-General Phelps is reported to have initiated in New Orleans, the example set by Major-General Hunter, on the coast of South Carolina. Brigadier-General G. N. Fitch is stated, in the same journals, to have murdered, in cold blood, two peaceful citizens, because one of his men, while invading ^)ur country, was killed by some unknown person while defend- ing his home. *' 1 am instructed by the President of the Confederate State? NOTES. LiGl to repeat the inquiry relative to the cases of Mumford and Owens, and to ask whether the statements relative to the action of Generals Hunter, Phelps, and Fitch, are admitted to be true, and whether the conduct of these generals is sanctioned b}- tlieir Government. " 1 am further directed by his Excellency, the President, to give notice that, in the event of not receiving a reply to these inquiries within fifteen days from the delivery of this letter, it will be assumed that the alleged facts are true, and are sanc- rionca by the Government of the United States. In such event, on that Government will rest the responsibility of the retribution or retaliatory measures which shall be adopted tr put an end to the merciless atrocities which now characteriza the war against the Confederate States. I am, most respectfully, your obedient servant, (Signed) E. E. Lee, General Commanding." " Headquarters Army of the " C. S." Near Eichmond, Aug. 2, 1862. " To THE General Commanding TJ. S. Army, Washington, D. C. : "General: In obedience to the order of His Excellency, the President of the Confederate States, I have the honor to make to you the following communication : " On the 22d July last, a cartel for a general exchange of prisoners of war was signed between Major- General D. H. Hill, in behalf of the Confedei-ate States, and Major-General John A. Dix, in behalf of the United States. ' ' By the terms of the cartel it is stipulated that all prison- ers of war hereafter taken shall be discharged on j)arole till exchanged. " Scarcely had that cartel been signed when the military authorities of the United States commenced a practice changing the whole character of the war, from such as becomes civilized nations into a campaifrn of indiscriminate robbery and murder. 662 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. ' ' The general order issued by the Secretary of War of the United States, in the city of Washington, on the very day the cartel was signed in Virginia, directs the military commanders of the United States to take the private property of our people for the convenience and use of their armies, without compensa- tion. "The general order issued by Major-General Pope, on the 23d day of July, the day after signing of the cartel, directs the murder of our peaceful inhabitants as spies, if found quietly tilling the farms in his rear, even outside of his lines, and one of his Brigadier-Generals, Steinwehr, has seized upon innocent and peaceful inhabitants to be held as hostages, to the end that they may be murdered in cold blood if any of his soldiers are killed by some unknown persons whom he designates as ' Bush- whackers.' " We find ourselves driven by our enemies by steady progress towards a practice which we abhor, and which we are vainly struggling to avoid. Under these circumstances, this Government has issued the accompanying general order, which I am directed by the President to transmit to you, recognizing Major-General Pope and his commissioned officers to be in the position which they have chosen for themselves, — that of rob- bers and murderers, and not that of public enemies, entitled, if captured, to be treated as prisoners of war. " The President also instructs me to inform you that we re- nounce our riglit of retaliation on the innocent, and will con- tinue to treat the private enlisted soldiers of General Pope's army as prisoners of war ; but if, after notice to your Govern- ment that we confine repressive measures to the punishment of commissioned officers, who are wilHng participants in those crimes, the savage practice threatened in the order alluded to be persisted in, we shall be reluctantly forced to the last resort of accepting the war on the terms chosen by our enemies, until the NOTES. (j(j;j mce of av outraged humanity shall compel a respect for the recognized usages of war. " While the President considers that the facts referred to would justify a refusal on our part to execute the cartel by which we have agreed to liberate an excess of prisoners of war in our hands, a sacred regard for plighted faith which shrinks from the semblance of breaking a promise, precludes a resort to such an extremity ; nor is it his desire to extend to any other forces of the United States the punishment merited by General Pope, and such commissioned officers as chdose to participate in the execution of his infamous order. " I have the honor to be very respectfully your obedient servant, (Signed) R. E. Lee, General Commanding." " Headquarters of the Army, Washington, Aug. 9, 18G2. " General R. E. Lee, commanding Confederate States Armies : " General : Your two communications of the 2d instant. with enclosures, are received. As these papers are couched in language exceedingly insulting to the Government of the United States, I must respectfully decline to receive them. They are returned herewith. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief U. S. Army." B The assertion made concerning the superiority of the Federal cavalry over that of the Confederates needs an explanation, and I have concluded to present it here rather than in the body of 664 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the work, so that I may not interrupt the thread of the narra tive. When the war began, the Southern Government was de- cidedly reluctant to employ cavalry in its army, and it was not until the necessity of this branch of the service had been forced upon it that it consented to authorize the enlistment of cavalry. No encourao-ement was ever held out to this arm of the service. A narrow policy influenced the Government throughout the war. The men were required to provide their own horses. The popular idea seems to be that this is the best way to secure good horses. The experience of the war proved the contrary. The Government of a country will always provide better horses than can be purchased by individuals, one reason being that it has more ready money for this purpose, and a wider field to select from. Besides this, the war proved that the ownei's of horses were unwilling to risk them in a fight. ]\Ien are always more willing to place the property of other persons in danger than to hazard their own. The reader will readily agree with me that it is suicidal in a Government to fail to remove, at any cost, the cause of any hesitation on the part of so important a branch of the service. The horses of the Confederacy were, owing to the miserable mismanagement of the Quartermaster's Depart- ment, almost always half starved. In this condition they were required to perform the most arduous service, which so greatly weakened them that it was impossible for the cavalry command- ers of the Southern army to keep their troops in a good state of discipline. The Federal cavalry had an abundance of for- age, and were thus enabled to keep their horses so well fed that their drills were but exercise for them, and in battle they had the advantage which a disciplined force always enjoys over undisciplined troops. Another cause was the manner in which the troops were armed. At the outset of the war the Southern cavalry wer? NOTES. (J65 anned with the sabre. This, unfortunately, was soon super- seded by the pistol, and finally by the gun, muiiket, or any other species of fire-arms the men could procure. Tlie Government failed to provide a sufficiency of sabres — the true weapon of the cavalry — and neglected, or refused to arm the men with the light carbine, such as was used in the Federal service. Tiie result was that the Southern horsemen were not cavalry in the strict sense of the terra. Tiiey were part cavalry, but princi- pally mounted infmtry, employing their horses to carry them into the fight, and then dismounting and using their heavy mus- kets or rifles. Their pistols were only good at close quarters, and even then the superiority of the sabre showed itself. So far as the men themselves were concerned, no better material ever existed. They were brave and reckless' in attack, full of fire and enthusiasm, and capable of enduring, as they often did with cheerful courage, the severest hardships. In this respect the Federal troops never surpassed them. The real cause of the deficiency of the Southern cavalry was the neglect with which this part of the service was treated by the Government. In this connection the following letter from Major-General W. H. F. Lee, written near the close of the war, is both inter- esting and valuable. " RiCHSiOND, November, 29, 1864. " Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23d instant. As to the requirements and princi- ples to be observed in the reorganization of the cavalry, and to-day comply as succinctly as possible with your wishes relative to my ideas on the subject. *' The cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia is composed of the best material for troopers in the world. They are intel- ligent men, naturally excellent riders, and mounted on good horses, and require only, to make them more efficient, organ- ization. First, more horse feed ; second, to be more thoroughly 84 666 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. and constantly drilled mounted ; third, to be better armed. Aa far as my observation extends, the cavalry are well drilled on foot and with the sabre, as far as laid down in the cavalry tactics, but could not be perfected in the mounted drill f jr the reason that the horses, from want of a sufficient supply of food, cannot stand the required work. The enemy, on the contrary, being supplied in greater abundance, their mounted drills are mere exercise for the horses ; and, in this respect only (save in numbers,) is their cavalry superiors to ours. Here is the advantage. Badly drilled squadrons charge, the men scatter in every direction; opposing squadrons, well drilled, moving in compact mass, fall upon the isolated fragments and overwhelm them in detail. Experience teaches the proper arm for cavalry to be — a pistol, (Colt's navy size the best,) a breech-loading carbine, (Sharp's preferred,) and a sabre. The Government has never been able to supply the demand for cavalry arms ; they ought to be imported. Our most efficient arms have been captured from the enemy, but of course not in sufficient quanti- ties to meet the demand. " The Government ought to furnish horses, at least to meri- torious troopers who are no longer capable of furnishing their own ; and next, to all cavalry serving out of their own States. Existing orders now require permanently dismounted men to be transferred to infantry, which is manifestly unjust to the deserv- ing, well-trained trooper, whose circumstances are reduced, in many instances, by the enemy's incursions and depredations. Cases exist, however, sometimes requiring the transfer of ciiv- alrymen to infantry organizations; for such men, soldiers, particularly distinguished for feats of courage, should be ex- changed as an equivalent. The military axiom, that in all well disciplined, drilled commands, one soldier is as good as another, approxi?nates to a nearer degree of truth with reference to infantry than cavalry ; for whilst the former admit of a higher NOTES. 667 state of discipline, the latter fight more detached and scattered, and individual dash has a greater influence. It generally requires, too, more courage to go into a fight on horseback than on foot. Should this principle be observed, the infantry soldier would have an incentive to deeds of valor, viz : the reward of putting him on horseback — and the cavalry be composed of men who would ride up to and over almost anything. " There should be prompt and just legislation to provide l)ay- ment for all horses killed or permanently disabled in the line of dutv, whether in action or otherwise, as Ions: as the owner- ship remains with individuals. The regimental quartermaster ought to have the authority, with the approval of the Colonel, and upon the necessary certificates, to pay all such accounts in his regiment. " Now soldiers are paid for horses only when killed in battle, and the accounts have to. pass through so many hands, that an unnecessary delay is produced even in that payment. A courier riding his horse a given number of miles in a given time, bear- ing important despatches, breaks his horse down and has to abandon him, receives nothing, although he is ordered to make the time. A soldier has his horse permanently disabled by a wound, probably necessitating his being left in the enemy's hands, receives nothing, and, unless he can purchase another, is transferred to infantry. " I have written very hastily, but I think you will see what is really wanting. Whilst cavalry cannot play the important part in large combats, owing to the improved range of arms, nature of country, &c., it formerly has done in European wars, still the demand for it everywhere is very great, and unless Congress takes the matter in hand, and legislates more liberally on the subject, the enemy next spring will ride rough-shod over the whole St«te. I am, sir, your obedient servant, W. F. Lee. Major- General.'' Gfi*^ LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. C The system of furloughs is given at length in the following order. "Headquarters Armt of Northern Virginia, August 16, 1863. •♦GENERAL ORDERS, No. 84. " In order to allow as many of our brave soldiers to visit their ftimllies and friends as can be done consistently with the good of the service, and at the same time give some reward for meritorious conduct, a system of furloughs is hereby instituted in this army. " These furloughs will be granted, in the first instance, at the rate of two for every one hundred men present for duty ; sub- sequently, at the rate of one for every one hundred men present for duty. " This system will be continued as long as the exigencies of the service will permit. Should the effect not be found prejudi- cial, commanders of regiments and battalions will forward on each occasion, the most urgent and meritorious cases from those recommended by the company officers, for the approval of their superior commander. " The time will be regulated according to the following table : "Virginia, 15 days; North Carolina, 18 days; South Car- olina, 20 days ; Georgia and Tennessee, 24 days ; Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, 30 days. " Furloughs will be granted equally to soldiers from States and districts with which communication is cut off, but in no case will these furloughs carry permission to go within the enemy's NOTES. 669 lines or pass through them. The time for such cases will be regulated by the number of days allowed for the State in the above list which they intend to visit. ♦' The men furloughcd will be authorized to brins back straor- glers and recruits who may come in their way. By command of Generaj R. E. Lee, W. H. Taylor, A. A. G." D That it was Colonel Dahlgren's intention to commit the atrocities mentioned, admits of no doubt. The followino- ad- dress to his command, which was found upon bis person, will prove this. It was written on a sheet of paper, having in printed letters on the upper corner — . " Headquarters Third Division Cavalht Corps. " Officers and Men : " You have been selected from brigades and regiments as a picked command to attempt a desperate undertaking — an un- dertaking which, if successful, will write your names on the hearts of your countrymen in letters that can never be erased, and which will cause the prayers of our fellow soldiers now confined in loathsome prisons to follow you and yours wherever you may go. *' We hope to release the prisoners from Belle It*land first, and having seen them fairly started we will cross the James River into Richmond, destroying the bridges after us, and ex- horting the released prisoners to destroy and bum the hateful city, and do not allow the rebel leader Davis and his traitorous crew to escape. The prisoners must render greal aasietance. as 670 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. you cannot leave your ranks too far or become too much scat- tered, or you will be lost. " Do not aow any personal gain to lead you off, which would only bring you to an ignominious death at the hands of citizens. Keep well together, and obey orders strictly, and all will be well, but on no account scatter too far; for in union there is strength. " With strict obedience to orders, and fearlessness in the execution, you will be sure to succeed. " We will join the main force on the other side of the city, or perhaps meet them inside. " Many of you may fail; but if there is any man here not willing to sacrifice his life in such a great and glorious under- taking, or who does not feel capable of meeting the enemy in such a desperate fight as will follow, let him step out, and he may go hence to the arms of his sweetheart, and read of the braves who swept through the city of Richmond. " We want no man who cannot feel sure of success in such a holy cause. " We will have a desperate fight; but stand up to it when it does come, and all will be well. " Ask the blessing of the Almighty, and do not fear the eixmy. U. Dahlgren, Colonel Commanding.^* Besides this address were the following " special orders and instructions," which were written upon a similar sheet of paper, giving an outline of the whole plan of the enemy ; ''Guides — Pioneers (with oakum, turpentine, and torpe- does) — Signal OflScer — Quartermaster — Commissary : " Scouts and pickets — Men in rebel uniform : ' ' These will remain on the north bank and move down with NOTES. ()71 the force on the south bank, not getting ahead of them ; and if the communication can be kept up without giving alarm, it mast be done ; but everything depends upon a surpri.se, and no one must allowed to pass ahead of the column. Information must be gathered in regard to the crossings of the river, so that should we be repulsed on the south side we will know where to recross at the nearest point. All mills must be burned, and the canal dedroyed ; and also everything which can be used by the rebels must be destroyed, including the boats on the river. Should a iferry-boat be seized and can be worked, have it moved down. Keep the force on the south side posted of anv important move- ment of the enemy, and in case of danger some of the scouts must swim the river and bring us information. As we approach the city, the party must take great care that they do not get ahead of the other party on the south side, and must conceal themselves and watch our movements. We will try and secure the bridge to the city (one mile below Belle Isle,) and release the prisoners at the same time. If we do not succeed, they must then dash down, and we will try and carrj' the bridge from each side. " When necessary, the men must be filed through the woods and along the river bank. The bridges once secured, and the prisoners loose and over the river, the bridges will be secured and the city destroyed. The men must keep together and well in hand, and once in the city it must be destroyed, and Jeff. Davis and Cabinet Tidied. "Pioneers will go along with combustible material. The officer must use his discretion about the time of assisting us. Horses and cattle, which we do not need immediately, must be shot rather than left. Everything on the canal, and elsewhere, of service to the rebels, must be destroyed. As Gen. Custa) may follow me, be careful not to give a false alarm. 672 LIFE or GENERAL LEE. * ' The sii^nal-officer must be prepared to communicate at night hy rockets, and in other things pertaining to his department. " The quartermasters arid commissaries must be on the lookout for their departments, and see that there are no delays on their account. " The engineer-ojfficer will follow to survey the road as we pass over it, &c. " The pioneers must be prepared to construct a bridge or destroy one. They must have plenty of oakum and turpentine for burning, which will be rolled in soaked balls and given to the men to burn when we get in the city. Torpedoes will only be used by the pioneers for destroying the main biidges, &c. They must be prepared to destroy railroads. Men will branch off to the right, with a few pioneers, and destroy the bridges and railroads south of Richmond, and then join us at the city. They must be well prepared with torpedoes, &c. The line of Falling Creek is probably the best to work along, or, as they approach the city, Goode's Creek ; so that no reenforcements can come up on any cars. No one must be allowed to pass ahead for fear of communicating news. Rejoin the command with all haste, and, if cut off, cross the river above Richmond, and rejoin us. Mep will stop at Bellona Arsenal and totally destroy it, and anything else but hospitals ; then follow on and rejoin the command at Richmond with all haste, and, if cut off, cross the river and rejoin us. As Gen. Custar may follow me, be careful and not give a false alarm." In addition to the above, the private note book of Colonel Dahlgren contained the following memoranda, some of which seem to have been written with great haste. " Pleasanton will govern details. '* Will have details from other commands (four thousand). *' Michigan men have started. NOTES. 673 *' Cclonel J. H. Devereaux has torpedoes. << Hanover Junction (B. T. Johnson). " Maryland Line. [Here follows a statement of the composition and numbers of Johnson's command]. " Chapln's Farm — seven miles below Richmond. "One brigade (Ilunton's relieved "Wise, sent to Charles- town]. "River can be forded half a mile above the city. No works on South Side. Hospitals near them. River fordable. Canal can be crossed. " Fifty men to remain on north banli, and keep in commu- nication, if possible. To destroy mills, canal, and burn every- thing of value to the rebels. Seize any large ferry boats, and note all crossings, in case we have to return that way. Keep us posted of any important movement of the rebels, and, as we approach the city, communicate with us, and do not give the alarm before they see us in possession of Belle Isle and the bridge. If engaged there, or unsuccessful, they must assist in securing the bridges until we cross. If the ferry boat can be taken and worked, bring it down. Everything that cannot be secured or made use of must be destroyed. Great care must be taken not to be seen or any alarm given. The men must be filed along off the road or along the main bank. When we enter the city the officer must use his discretion as to when to assist in crossinGT the bridsfes. " The prisoners once loosed and the bridges crossed, the city must be destroyed, burning the public buildings, &c. " Prisoners to go with party. " Spike the heavy guns outside. " Pioneers must be ready to repair, destroy, &c. Turpen- tine will be provided. The pioneers must be ready to destroy 85 674 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the Iliclimond brigades, after we have all crossed, and to destroy the railroad near Frederick's Hall, (station, artillery, &c.) » « • « « « " Fifteen men to halt .at Bellona Arsenal, while the column goes on, and destroy It. Have some prisoners. Then rejoin us at R; leaving a portion to watch If anything follows, under a good officer. ' ' Win be notified that Custar may come. " ]\laln column, four hundred. " One hundred men will take the bridge after the scouts, and dash through the streets and open the way to the front, or, if It Is open, destroy everything In the way. " While they are en the big bridges, one hundred men will take Belle Isle, after the scouts Instructing the prisoners to gut the city. The reserve (two hundred) will see this fairly done and everything over, and then fullow, destroying the bridges after them, and then destroy the city; going up the principal streets and destroying everything before them, but not scatter- ing too much, and always having a part well in hand. " Jeff Davis and Cabinet must be killed on the spot." The proof afforded by these papers will not admit of a doubt »f the murderous intention of the Federal commander. The cct, and they deserved success so fjxr as it can be deserved by heroic valor and fortitude. More may have been required of tlieai than they were able to perform, but my admiration of their noble qualities, and confidence in their ability to cope successfully with the enemy, has suffered jio abatement from the issue of this protracted and sanguinary conflict. " Owing to the strength of the enemy's position and the re- duction of our ammunition, a renewal of the engagement could not be hazarded, and the difficulty of procuring supplies ren- dered it impossible to continue longer where we were. Such of the wounded as were in condition to be removed, and part of the arms collected on the field, were ordered to Williamsport. The army remained at Gettysburg during the fourth, and at night began to retire by the road to Fairfield, carrying with it about four thousand prisoners. Nearly two thousand had previously been paroled, but the enemy's numerous wounded that had fal- len into our hands after the first and second day's engagements were left behind. "Little progress was made that night, owing to a severe Btorm which greatly embarrassed our movements. The rear of the column did not leave its position near Gettysburg until after daylight on the fifth. ' ' Tiie march was continued during that day without inter- ruption by the enemy, except an unimportant demonstration upon our rear in the afternoon, when near Fairfield, which was easily checked. Part of our train moved by the road through Fairfield, and the rest by the way of Cashtown, guarded by General Imboden. In passing through the mountains, in ad- vance of the column, the great length of the trains exposed them to attack by the enemy's cavalry, which captured a num-t ber of wagons and ambulances, but they succeeded in reaching Williarasport without serious loss. NOTES. 695 " They were attacked at that place on the 6lh by the enemy's cavah-y, which was galhintly repulsed by General Imboden. The attacking force was subsequently encountered and driven off by General Stuart, and pursued for several miles in the di- rection of Boonsboro. The army, after an arduous march, rendered more difficult by the rains, reached Hugerstovvn on the afternoon of the Gth and morning of the 7th July, " The Potomac was found to be so much swollen by the rains that had fallen, almost incessantly since our entrance into Maryland, as to be unfordable. Our communications with the south side were thus interrupted, and it was difficult to procure either ammunition or subsistence, the latter difficulty being enhanced by the high waters impeding the working of the neigh- boring mills. The trains with the wounded and prisoners were compelled to await at Williamsport the subsiding of the river and the construction of boats, as the ponton-bridge left at Fall- ing Waters had been partially destroyed. The enemy had not yet made his appearance ; but as he was in condition to obtain large ree n force me nts, and our situation, for the reasons above mentioned, was becoming daily more embarrassing, it was deemed advisable to recross the river. Part of the ponton-bridge was recovered, and new boats built, so that by the 13th a good bridijc was thrown over the river at Falling Waters. "The enemy in force reached our front on the 12th. A position had been previously selected to cover the Potomac from Williamsport to Falling Waters, and an attack was awaited during that and the succeeding day. This did not take ])lnce, though the two armies were in close proximity, the enemy being occupied in fortifying his own lines. Our preparations licing comi)leted, and the river, though still deep, being pronounced fordable, the army commenced to withdraw to the south side on the night of the 13th. ♦* Evvell'd corps forded the river at Williamsport, those of 696 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Longstreet and Hill crossed upon the bridge. Owing to the condition of the roads the troops did not reach the bridge until after daylight on the 14th, and the crossing was not completed until 1 P. M., when the bridge was removed. The enemy of- fered no serious interruption, and the movement was attended with no loss of material except a few disabled wagons, and two pieces of artillery, which the horses were unable to move through the deep mud. Before fresh horses could be sent back for them the rear of the column had passed. "During the slow and tedious march to the bridge, in the midst of a violent storm of rain, some of the men lay down by the way to rest. Otficers sent back for them failed to find many in the obscuriry of the niglit, and these, with some strag- glers, fell into the hands of the enemy. " Brigadier-General Pettigrew was mortally wounded in an attack made by a small body of cavalry, which was unfortun- ately mistaken for our own and permitted to enter our lines. He was brought to Bunker Hill, where he expired a few days afterwards. He was a brave and accomplished officer and gentleman, and his loss will be deeply felt by the country and the army. " The following day the army marched to Bunker Hill, in the vicinity of which it encamped for several days. The day after its arrival, a large force of the enemy's cavalry, which had crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, advanced towards Mart- insburg. It was attacked by General Fitz Lee, near Kearneys- ville, and defeated with heavy loss, leaving its dead and many of its wounded on the field. <' Owino: to the swollen condition of the Shenandoah River, the plan ^of operations which had been contemplated when we recrossed the Potomac could not be put in execution, and be- fore the waters had subsided the movements of the enemy induced me to cross the Blue Ridge and take position south of the Rappahannock ; which was accordingly done. NOTES. G97 ** As soon as the reports of the commanding officers shall be received, a more detailed account of these operations will be given, and occasion will then be taken to speak more particularly of the conspicuous gallantry and good conduct of both officers and men. " It is not yet in my power to give a correct statement of our casualties, which were severe, including many brave men, and an unusual proportion of distinguished and valuable officers. Among them, I regret to mention the following general offi- cers : JNIajor- Generals Hood, Pender and Trimble severely, and Major- General Heth slightly wounded. " General Pender has since died. This lamented officer has borne a distinguished part in every engagement of this army, and was wounded on several occasions while leading: his com- mand with conspicuous gallantry and ability . The confidence and admiration inspired by his courage and capacity as an officer were only equalled by the esteem and respect entertained by all with whom he was associated, for the noble qualities of his modest and unassumins: character. Briijadicr-Generals Barks- dale and Garnett were killed, and Brigadier-General Semmea mortally wounded while leading their troops with the courage that alwaj-s distinguished them. These brave officers and pa- triotic gentlemen fell in the faithful discharge of duty, leaving the army to mourn their loss and emulate theii noble examples. " Brigadier-Generals Kemper, Armistead, Scales, G. T. Anderson, Hampton, J. M. Jones and Jenkins, were also wounded. Brigadier-General Archer was taken prisoner. Gen- eral Pcttlgrew, though wounded at Gettysburg, cootinued in command until he was mortally wounded near Falling "Waters. "The loss of the enemy is unknown, but from observatlor.s * on the field, and his subsequent movements, it is supposed tl»--*t he suffered severely. Respectfully submitted, OQ R. E. Lee, General,^ G98 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. II Everything in connection with the career of General Lee having now a peculiar interest to the people of the country, the writer has decided to retain here the report published in the official documents of tlie Congress of the United States, of tlie examination of General Lee by the Committee on Reconstruction with reference to the state of affairs in the South. The General was summoned to Wasliington for this purpose early in 1866, and upon his appearance before the Committee, the following examination took place. The manner of the General during the examination was calm and dignified, and he answered all questions put to him ])romptly and with a courtesy which nothing that was done to annoy him could ruffle. As he had taken no part in the political affairs of the South since the close of the war, he was not able to afford the Committee- much satisfaction upon that point; and indeed it is hard to discover any good reason on their ])art for drawing him from his retirement. Gexeral Lee's Testimony. General Robert E. Lee, sworn and examined by Mr. Howard. Question — Where is your present residence ? Answer — jexington, Yirginia. Q. How long have you resided in Lexington ? A. Since the first of October last, nearly five months. Q. Are you acquainted with the state of feeling among what we call secessionists, in Virginia, at present, toward the Government of the United States ? A. 1 do not know that I NOTES. G99 am. I have been living very retired, and have had but little communication with politicians ; I know nothing more than from my own observation, and from such facts as have come to my knowledge. Q. From your observation what is your opinion of tlie feel- ing of loyalty towards the Government of the United States among the secession portion of the people of that State at this time? A. So ftir as has come to my knowledge I do not know of a single person who either feels or contemplates any resist- ance to the Government of the United States, or, indeed, any opposition to it. No word has reached me to either purport. Q. From what you have observed among them is it your opinion that they are friendly toward the Government of the United States, and that they will cooperate to sustain and up- hold the Government for the future? A. I believe that they entirely acquiesce in the Government of the United States, and, so f:u- as I have heard any one express an oj^nion, they are for cooperating with President Johnson in his policy. Q. In his policy in regard to what? A. His policy in regard to the restoration of the whole country. I have heard persons with whom I have conversed express great confidence in the wisdom of his policy of restoration, and they seem to look forward to it as a hope of restoration. Q. IIow do they feel in regard to that portion of the people of the United States wko have been forward and zealous in the prosecution of the war against the rebellion? A. AVell, I don't know. I have heard nobody express any opinion in regard to it. As I said before, I have not had much communication with poli- ticians in the country, if there are any. Every one seems to be enn-anfed in his own affairs and endeavoring to restore the civil Government of the State. I have heard no expressions of a sentiment towards any particular portion of the country. Q. How do the secessionists feel in regard to the payment 700 LITE OF GENERiVL LEE. of the debt of the United States, cbntracLed in the prosecution of the war? A. I have never heard any one speak on the sub- ject. I suppose thej must expect to pay the taxes levied by the Government. I have heard them speak in reference to the payment of taxes, and of their effoi'ts to raise money to pay the taxes, which I suppose are for their share of the debt. I have never heard any one speak in opposition to the payment of the taxes, or resistance to their payment. Their whole effort has been to try and raise the money for the payment of their taxes. Q. From your knowledge of the state of the public feeling in Virginia, is it your opinion that the people would, if the question were left to them, repudiate and reject that debt? A. I never heard any one speak on the subject, but from my knowl- edge of the people, I believe they would be in favor of the pay inent of all just debts. Q. Do they in your opinion regard that as a just debt? A. I do not know what their opinion is on the subject of that par- ticular debt. I have never heard any opinion expressed contrary to it. Indeed, as I said in the beginning, I have had very little discussion or intercourse with the people. I believe the people will pay the debts they are called upon to pay. I say that from my knowledge of the people generally. Q. Would they pay that debt, or their portion of it, with as much alacrity as people ordinarily pay their taxes to their Government? A. I do not know thi^t they would make any distinction between the two. The taxes laid by the Govern- ment, so far as I know, they are prepared to pay to the best of their ability. I never heard them make any distinction. Q. What is the feeling of that portion of the people of Vir- ginia in regard to the payment of the so-called Confederate debt? A. I believe, so far as my opinion goes, — I have no facts to go upon, but merely base my opinion on the knowledge I have of the people, — that they would be willing to pay the Confederate debt, too. NOTES. 701 Q. You tliink they would? A. I think they woukl if they had the power and ability to do so. I have never heard of any one of the State with whom I have conversed speak of repudia- ting any debt. Q. I suppose the Confederate is almost entirely valueless even in the markets in Virginia? A. Entirely so far as I know. I believe the people generally look upon it as lost entirely. 1 never heard any question on the subject. Q. Do you recollect the terms of the Confederate bonds — when they were made payable? A. I think I have a general recollection that they were made payable six months after a declaration of peace. Q. Six months after the ratification of a treaty of peace be- tween the United States and the Confederate Government ? A. I think they ran that way. Q. So that the bonds are not due yet by their terms ? A. I suppose, unless it is considered that there is a peace now, they are not due. Q. How do the people in Virginia, secessionists more pai'- ticularly, feel towards the freedmen ? A. Every one with whom I associate express the kindest feelings towards the freedmen. They wish to see them get on in the world and particularly to take up some occupation for a living and to turn their hands to some Avork. I know that efforts have been made among the farmers near where I live to induce them to engage for the year at regular wages. Q. Do you think there is a willingness on the part of their old masters to give .them fair living wages for thei? labor? A. I believe :<■ is so. The farmers generally prefer those servants who have been living with them before. I have heard them express their preference for the men whom they know, who had lived with them before, and their wish to get them to return to work. 702 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Q. Are you aware of the existence of any combination among the whites to keep down tlie wages of the blacks ? A. I am not. I have heard that in several counties the land owners have met in order to establish a uniform rate of wages, but I never heard, nor do I know, of any combination to keep down wages or establish any rate whicli they did not think fair. The means of paying wages in Virginia are very limited. Now and then there is a difference of opinion as to how much each person is able to pay. Q. IIow do they feel in regard to the education of the blacks ? Is there a general willingness to have them educated ? A. "Where I am and have been the people have exhibited a willingness that the blacks should be educated, and they express an opinion that it would be better for the blacks and for the whites. Q. General, you are very competent to judge of the capacity of black men for acquiring knowledge. I want your opinion on that capacity as compared with the capacity of white men? A. I do not know that I am particularly qualified to speak on that subject, as you seem to intimate, but I do not think the black man is as capable of acquiring knowledge as the white man. There are some more apt than others. I have known some to acquire knowledge and skill in their trade or profession. I have had servants of my own who learned to read and write very well. Q. Do they show a capacity to obtain knowledge of math- ematics and the exact sciences? A. I have no knowledge on that subject^ I am merely acquainted with those who have learned the common rudiments of education. Q. General, are you aware of the existence among the blacks of Virginia, anywhere within the limits of the State, of combinations having in view the disturbance of the peace or any improper and unlawful acts ? A. I am not. I have seen no NOTES. 703 evidence of it, and have heard of none. Wherever I have been, they are quiet and orderly, not disposed to work, or, rather, not disposed to any continuous engagement to work, but just very short jobs to provide them with the immediate means of subsistence. Q. Has the colored race generally as great love of money and property as the wliite race possesses? A. I do not think it has. The blacks with whota I am acquainted look more to the present time than to the future. Q. Does that absence of a lust of money and property arise more from the nature of the negro than from his former servile condition? A. AYell, it may be in some measure attributed to his former condition. They are an amiable, sociable race. They ^ike their ease and comfort, and I think look more to their pres- ent than their future condition. Q. In the event of a war between the United States and any foreign power, such as England or France, if there should be held out to the secession portion of the people of Virginia or the other recently rebel States a fair prospect of gaining their inde- pendence and shaking off the Government of the United States, is it or is it not your opinion that they would avail themselves of that opportunity ? A. I cannot speak Avith any certainty on that point. I do not know how f:ir they might be actuated by their feelings. I have nothing whatever to base the opinion upon. So far as I know, they contemplate nothing of the kind now. AA'hat may happen in the future I cannot say. Q. Do you not frequently hear in your intercourse with se- cessionists in Virginia expressions of a hope that such a war may break out? A. I cannot say that I have; on the contrary, I have heard persons — I do not know whether you would call them secessionists or not, I mean those people in Virginia with whom I associate — express the hope that the country may not be led into a war. 704 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Q. In such an event do you not think that class of people whom I call secessionists would join the common enemy? A. It is possible ; it depends upon the feelings of the individual. Q. If it is a fair question, — you may answer or not as you choose, — what in such .an event might be your own clioice? A. I have no disposition now to do it, and I never have had. Q. And you cannot foresee that such would be your inclina- tion in such an evQnt? A. No, I can only judge from the past ; I do not know what circumstances it may produce. I cannot pretend to foresee events. So far as I know the feeling of the people of Virginia, they wish for peace. Q. During the civil war was it not contemplated by the Government of the Confederacy to form an alliance with some foreign nation if possible? A. I believe it was their wish to do so if they could. It was their wish to have the Confederate Gov- ernment recognized as an independent Government. I have no doubt that if it could have made favorable treaties it would have done so, but I know nothing of the policy of the Govern- ment. I had no hand or part in it. I merely express my own opinion. Q. The question I am about to put to you, you may an- swer or not, as you choose. Did you take an oath of fidelity or allegiance to the Confederate Government? A. I do not recollect having done so, but it is possible that when I was commissioned I did. I do not recollect whether it was required. If it was required I took it, or if it had been required I would have taken it, but I do not recollect whether it was or not. By Mr. Blow. Q. In reference to the effect of President Johnson's policy, if it were adopted, would there be anything like a return of the old feeling? I ask that because you used the expression " ac- quiescing in the result." A. I believe it would take time for NOTES. 705 the feelings of the people to be of that cordial nature to the Government that they were formerly. Q. Do you think their preference for that policy arises from a desire to have peace and good feeling in the country, or from the probability of their regaining political power? A. So far as I know the desire of the people of the South, it is for the res- toration of their civil government, and they look upon the policy of President Johnson as the one which would most clearly and most surely reestablish it. Q. Do you see any change among the poorer classes in Vir- ginia in reference to their industry? Are they as much or more interested in developing their raatex'ial prosperity than they were? A. I have not observed any change. Everyone now has to attend to his business for his support. Q. The poorer classes are generally hard at work, are theyr A. So far as I know, they are ; I know nothing to the contrary. Q. Is there any difference in their relations to the colored people ? Is their prejudice increased or diminished ? A. I have noticed no change. So fir as I know the feelings of all the people of Virginia, they are kind to the colored people. I have never heard any blame attributed to them as to the present con- dition of things or any responsibility. Q. There are very few colored laborers employed, I sup- pose? A. Those who own farms have employed more or less — on6 or two colored laborers. Some are so poor that they have to work themselves. Q. Can capitalists and working men from the North go into any portion of Virginia with which you are familiar and go to work among the people? A. I do not know of anything to prevent their peace and pleasure there. It would depend very much on their conduct. If they confined themselves to their own business, and did not interfere to provoke controversiea with their neighbors, I do not believe they would be molested. 89 706 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Q. There is no desire to keep out labor and capital? A. Not that I know of. On the contrary, they are very anxious to get capital into the State. Q. You see nothing of a disposition to prevent such a thing? A. I have seen nothing, and do not know of anything, as I said before. The manner in which they would be received would depend entirely upon the individuals themselves. They might make themselves obnoxious, as you can understand. By Mr. Howard. Q. Is there not a general dislike of Northern men among seccessionists ? A. I suppose they would prefer not to asso- ciate with them. I do not know that they would select them as associates. Q. Do they avoid and ostracize some socially? A. They might avoid them. They would not select them as associates unless there was some reason. I do not know that they would associate with them until they became acquainted. I think it probable they would not admit them into their social circles. By Mr. Blow. Q. What is the position of the colored men in Virginia with reference to the persons they work for? Do you think they would prefer to work for Northern or Southern men? A. I think it very probable they would prefer the Northern men, although I have no facts to go upon. Q. That having been stated very frequently in reference to the Cotton States, does it result from bad treatment on the part of the resident population, or from the idea that they will be more fairly treated by the new comers? What is your ob- servation in that respect in regard to Virginians? A. I have no means of forming an opinion ; I do not know any case in Virgin'a. I know of numbers of the blacks engamng with their NOTES. 707 did masters, and I know of many to prefer to go off and look for new homes. Whether it is from any dislike of their former masters, or from any desire to change, or they feel more free ami independent, I don't know. Q. What is your opinion in regard to the material interests of V'^irglnia ? Do you think they will be equal to what they were before the rebellion, under the changed aspect of affairs? A. It will take a long time for them to reach their former stand- ard. I think that after some years they will reach it, and I hope exceed it, but it cannot be immediately, in my opinion. Q. It will take a number of years? A. It will take a number of years, I think. Q. On the whole, the condition of things in Virginia is hopeful, both in regai'd to its material interests and the future peace of the country ? A. I have heard great hope expressed, and there is a great cheerfulness and willingness to labor. Q. Do you think that that is the main idea with them, or that they merely look to it, as you say, as the best means of restoring the civil government and the peace and prosperity of their respective States? A. As to the first point you make, I do not know that I ever heard any person speak upon it. I never heard the points separated. I have heard them speak generally as to the effect of the policy of President Johnson. The feeling is, so far as I know now, that there is not that equality extended to the Southern States which is enjoyed by the North. Q. You do not feel down there that while you accept the result we are as jjenerous as we ought to be under the circum- stances? A. They think that the North can afford to be gen- erous. Q. That is the feeling down there? A. Yes; and they think it is the best policy — those who reflect upon the subject and are able to judge. 708 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. Q. I understand it to be your opinion that generosity and liberality towards the entire South would be the surest means of regaining their good opinion? A. Yes, and the speediest. Bij Mr. Howard. ; Q. I understand you to say generally that you had no ap- prehension of any combination among the leading secessionists to renew the war or anything of the kind? A. I have no reason in the world to think so. Q. Have you heard that subject talked over among any of the politicians ? A. No, sir, I have not. I have not heard that matter even suggested. Q. Let me put another hypothetical state of things. Sup- pose the Executive Government of the United States should be held by a President, who, like Mr. Buchanan, rejected the right of coercion, and suppose a Congress should exist here entertain- ing the same political opinions, thus presenting to the once rebel States the opportunity to again secede from the Union, would they or would they not, in your opinion, avail themselves of that opportunity, or some of them? A. I suppose it would depend upon the circumstances existing at the time. If their feelings should remain embittered and their affections alienated from the rest of the States, I think It very probable they might do so, provided they thought It was to their Interest. Q. Do you not think that at the present time there is a deep seated feeling of dislike toward the Government of the United States on the part of the masses of the secessionists? A. I do not know that there Is any deep seated dislike. I think it is probable that there may be some animosity still ex- isting among the people of the South. Q. Is there not a deep seated feeling of disappointment and chagrin at the result of the war? A. I think, that at the time, they were disappointed at the result of the war. NOTES. 709 Q. Do you mean to be understood as saying there is not a condition of discontent against the Government of the United States among the secessionists generally? A. I know of none. Q. Are you prepared to say they respect the Government of the United States and the loyal people of the United States so much at the present time as to perform their duties as citizens of the United States and of the States faithfully and well? A. I believe that they will perform all the duties that they are re- quired to perform. I think that is the general feeling so far as I know. Q. Suppose this policy of President Johnson should be all you anticipate and that you should also realize all that you ex- pect in the improvement of the material interests, do you think that the result of that will be the gradual restoration of the old feeling? A. That will be the natural result I think, and I see no other way in which that result can be brought about. The friends of the policy in the South adopt it because they see in it the means of repairing the. political position, which they lost in the recent contest. Q. Do you think it would be practicable to convict a man in Virginia of treason for having taken part in this rebellion against the Government, by a Virginia jury, without picking it with direct reference to a verdict of guilty ? A. On that point I have no knowledge, and I do not know what they would con- sider treason against the United States, if you refer to past acts. Mr. Howard. — Yes, sir. A. I have no knowledge what their views on that subject in the past are. Q. You understand my question? Suppose a jury was em- panelled in your own neighborhood, taken by lot, would it be possible to convict, for instance, Jeff. Davis, for having levied war upon the United States, and thus having committed the 710 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. crime of treason? A. I think it is very probable that they would not consider he had committed treason. Q. Suppose the jury should be clearly and plainly instructed by the Court that such an act of war upon the part of i\Ir. Davis or any other leading man constituted in itself the crime of treason under the Constitution of the United States, would the jury be likely to heed that Instruction, and, if the facts were plainly before them, commit the offender? A. I do not know, sir, what they would do on that question. Q. They do not generally suppose that it was treason against the United States, do they ? A. I do not think that they so consider it. Q. In what light would they view it ; what would be the ex- cuse or justification ? how would they escape in their own mind? I refer to the past. I am referring to the past and the feelings they would have? A. So far as I know, they look upon the action of the State in withdrawing itself from the Government of the United States as carrying the individuals of the State along with it ; that the State was responsible for the act, not the individuals, and that the ordinance of secession, so called, or those acts of the State which recognized a condition of war be- tween the State and the General Government, stood as their justification for their bearing arms against the Government of the United States. Yes, sir ; I think they would consider the act of the State as legitimate ; that they were merely using the reserved rights, which they had a right to do. Q. State, if you please, and if you are disinclined to answer the question you need not do so, what your own personal views on that question are. A. That was my view, that the act of Virginia, in withdrawing herself from the United States, carried me along as a citizen of Virginia, and that her laws and her acts were binding on me. Q. All that you felt to be your jus- tification in taking the course you did? A. Yes, sir. NOTES. 711 Q. I have been told, General, that you have remarked to some of your friends in conversation that you were rather wheedled or cheated into that course by politicians. A. I do not recollect making any such remark. I do not think 1 ever made it. Q. If there is any other matter about which you wish to speak on this occasion, do so freely. A. Only in reference to that last question you put me. I may have said and may hai'c be- lieved that the positions of the two sections which they held to each other was brought about by the politicians of the country ; that the great masses of the people, if they understood the real question, would have avoided it, but not that I had been individ- ually wheedled by the politicians. Q. That is probably the origin of the whole thing? A. I may have said that, but I do not recollect it ; but I did believe at the time that it was an unnecessary condition of affairs, and might have been avoided if forbearance and wisdom had been practised on both sides. Q. You say you do not recollect having sworn allegiance and fidelity to the Confederate Government ? A. I do not recollect it, nor do I know that it was ever required. I was regularly commissioned in the army of the Confederate States, but I do not really recollect that an oath was required. If it was re- quired I have no doubt I took it, or if it had been required I would have taken it. Q. Is there any other matter which you desire to state to the committee? A. No sir. I am ready to answer any question which you think proper to put to me. Q. How would an amendment to the Constitution be received by the secessionists or by the people at large, allowing the col- ored people or certain classes of them to exercise the right of voting at elections ? A. I think, so far as I can form an opinion, in such an event, they would object. 712 Llit: OF GENERAL LEE. Q. They would object to such an arrangement? A. Yes sir. Q. Suppose an amendment nevertheless be adopted conferring upon the blacks the right of suffrage, would that, in your opi- nion, lead to scenes of violence or breaches of the peace between the two races in Virginia? A. I think it would excite unfriend- ly feelings between the two races. I cannot pretend to say to what extend it would go, but that would be the result. Q. Are you acquainted with the proposed amendment now pending in the United States Senate? A. No, sir, I am not; I scarcely ever read a paper. (The substance of the proposed amendment was explained to the witness by Mr. Conklin.) So far as I can see, 1 do not think that the State of Virginia would object to it. Q. Would she consent under any circumstances to allow the black people to vote, even if she were to gain a larger number of representatives in Congress? A. That would depend upon her interests. If she had the right of determining that, I do not see why she would object if it wei'e to her interest to admit those people to vote ; that might overrule any other objections that she had to it. Q. What in your opinion would be the practical result? Do you think that Virginia will consent to allow the negroes to vote? A. I think that at present she would accept the smaller representation. I do not know what the future may develop. If it shall be plain to her that these persons will vote properly and understandingly she might admit them to vote. By Mr. Blow. Q. Do you not think it would turn a good deal in the Cot- ton States upon the value of the labor of the black people, upon the amount which they produced? A. In a good many States in the South, and in a good many counties in Virginia, if the NOTES. 713 black people were allowed to vote, it would, I think, exclude representation that is proper. Intelligent people would not be elected, and rather than suffer that injury they would not let them vote at all. Q. Do you not think that the question as to whether any Southern States would allow the colored people the right of suffrage in order to increase representation, would depend a good deal on the amount which the colored people might con- tribute to the wealth of the State, in order to secure two things, first the larger representation, and second the influence derived from these persons voting? A. I think they would determine the question more in reference to their opinion as to the manner in which these votes would be exercised, whether they consider those people qualified to vote. My own opinion is that at this time they cannot vote intelligently, and that giving them the right of suffrage would open the door to a good deal of dema- goguism and lead to embarrassments in various ways. What the future may prove, how intelligent they may become, with what eyes they may look upon the interests of the State In which they may reside, I cannot say more than you can. Q. Is there any sympathy felt in the South with the schemes of emigration to Mexico? A. I believe that the mass of the people have not any sympathy with them. There are indi- viduals who think their interests would be benefited and indeed that their prospects at home are so poor now that it is like losing their lives to remain. That feeling was stronger at the first cessation of hostilites than it is at this lime. It seems to be subsiding. By Mr, Howard, Q. I will put one question to you, which you may respond to or not as you please. I wish to inquire whether you had any knowledge, while you were in command at Richmond, of 90 714 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. the cruelties practised toward the Union prisoners at Libby Prison and on Belle Isle? A. I never knew that any cruelty was practised, and I have no reason to believe that it was prac- tised. I can believe, and have reason to believe, that privations may have been experienced by the prisoners, because I know that provisions and shelter could not be provided for them. Q. Were you not aware that the prisoners were dying from cold and starvation? A. I was not. Mr. Howard — I desire that you will speak your mind fully and freely on this subject, for it is useless to conceal from you the fact that there seems to have been created a sad feeling in the hearts of the people at the North. A. As regards myself, I never had any control over the prisoners, except those that were captured on the field of battle, when it was then my busi- ness to send them to Richmond to the proper officer who was then the provost-marshal-general. In regard to their disposi- tion afterwards I had no control. I never gave any order about it. It was entirely in the hands of the War Department. Q. And not in your hands? A. And not in mine. Q. Did these scenes come to your knowledge at all? A. Never. No report was ever made to me about them. There was no call for any to be made to me. I did hear, it was mere hearsay, that statements had been made to the War Depart- ment, and that everything had been done to relieve them that could be done, even finally so far as to offer to send them to some other points. Charleston was one point named, if they would be received by the United States authorities and taken to then- homes ; but whether this is true or not I do not know. It was merely a report that I heard. Q. Were you in the same ignorance of the scenes at Ander- Bonville and Salisbury? A. I never knew the commandant at Anderson vllle until I saw by the papers, after the cessation of NOTES. 715 hostilities, that Captain Wirz had been arrested on that ac- count, nor do I know now who commanded at Salisbury. Q. And of course you know nothing of the scenes of cruel- ty, about which complaints have been made at those places? A. Nothing in the world, as I said before. I suppoj^e they suffered from the want of ability on the part of the Confederate States to supply their wants. At the very beginning of the war I knew that there was suffering of prisoners on botii sides, but as far as I could I did everything In my power to relieve them, and to establish the cartel which was established. Bij Mr. Blow. Q. It has been frequently asserted that the Confederate soldiers feel more kindly towards the Government of the United States than other persons or other people of the South. What are your observations on that point? A. From the Confeder- ate soldiers I have heard no expression of any other opinion. They looked upon the war as a necessary evil and went through it. I have seen them relieve the wants of Federal soldiers on the field. The orders always were that the whole field should be treated alike. Parties were sent out to take the Federal wounded as well as the Confederate, and the surgeons were told to treat the one as they did the other. These orders given by me were respected on every field. Q. Do you think that the good feeling on their part toward the rest of the people has continued since the close of the war ? A. I know nothing to the contrary. I made several efforts to exchange the prisoners after the cartel was suspended. I do not know to this day which side took the initiative. I know that there were constant complaints on both sides. I merely know it from public rumors. I offered to General Grant around Richmond that we should ourselves exchange all the prisoners in our hands. There was a communication from the Christian 716 LIFE OF GENERAL, LEE. Commission, I think, which reached me at Petersburg, and made an application to me for a passport to visit all the prison- ers South. My letter to them I suppose they have. I told them that I had not that authority ; that it could only be ob- tained from the War Department at Richmond, but that neither they nor I could relieve the suffering of the prisoners ; that the only thing to be done for them was to exchange them ; and to show that I would do whatever was in my power, I offered them to send to City Point all the prisoners in Virginia and North Carolina over which my command extended, provided they re- turned an equal number of mine, man for man. I reported this to the War Department, and received an answer that they would place at my command all the prisoners at the South if the proposed proposition was accepted. I heard nothing more on the subject. Q. Has there been any considerable change in the number of the negro population in Virginia during the last four years ? A. I suppose it has diminished, but I don't know. Q. Diminished in consequence of more negroes going South than was made up by the natural increase? A. My general opinion is that the number has diminished, and for the reason you gave. Q. Do you suppose that the masses of the negroes in Vir- ginia, at the present time are able to work, — that there are not many helpless ones among them? A. There are helpless ones certainly, but I do not know to what extent. Q. What is your opinion about its being an advantage to Virginia to keep them thei'e at all ? Do you not think that Vir- ginia would be better off if the colored population were to go to Alabama, Louisiana and other Southern States ? A. I think it would be for the benefit of Virginia if she could get rid of them. That is no new opinion with me. I have always NOTES. 717 thouglit so and have always been in favor of emancipation, — gradual emancipation. Q. As a question of labor alone, do you not think that the labor which would flow into Virginia, if the negroes leave it for the Cotton States, would be more advantageous to the State and to its future prosperity ? A. I think it would be for the bene- fit of Virginia, and I believe everybody there would be willing to aid it. Q. Do you not tliink that the State of Virginia is absolute- ly injured and its future impaired by the presence of the black population there? A. I think it is. Q. Do you not think it is peculiarly adapted to the quality of labor which would flow into it, from its great natural re- sources, in case it was more attractive by the absence of the colored race ? A. I do. INDEX., Aldie, cavalry figbt at, 378. Amelia Court House — see General R. E. Lee. Antietam — see Sharpsburg. Ap23omattox Coui't House, surrender at, 63G. Appomattox River — see General R. E. Lee ; also Lieutenant-Gen- eral U. S. Grant. Army of Northern Virginia, its or- ganization, 56 ; character of the army, 61 ; sufferings on the Peninsula, 85 ; conduct in Ma- ryland, 237 ; injured by strag- gling, 241 ; reorganization in fall of 1862, 279 ; division into corps cfarm^e, 279 ; lack of discipline, 279 ; sufferings of the men, 280 ; generous con- duct of the army in Pennsyl- vania, 381 ; sufferings in the ■winter of 1863-64, 431 ; deser- tions, 431-572 ; sufferings from want of food, 431 ; disappoint- ment in the New Year's dinner, 567 ; sufferings and heroism of the army on the last retreat, 617; surrender of the army, 636. 718 Beauregard, General Guatave T , takes command at INIanassas Junction, 37 ; defeats McDow- ell at Manassas, 40 ; takes com- mand of the forces south of the James River, 496 ; defeats Butler at Drewry's Bluff, 499 ; plan of battle ruined by Gen- eral Whiting, 500. Benjamin, Judah P., predictions of peace injurious to the South, 51. Bethel, battle of, 39. Blackburn's Ford, fight at, 40. Boonsboro, — see South Mountain. Brandy Station, battle of, 372. Brown, John, outbreak at Harper's Ferry, 24 ; he is capturerown Rebel- lion at Harper's Ferry, 25; re- turns to Texas, 26 ; views with regard to secession, 28; urged to remain in the Federal service, 29 ; offered the command of the United States army, 29 resigns his commission, 30 letter to General Scott. 30 letter to his sister, 31; n«)air3 to Richmond, 32 ; appointed to the chief command of the Vir- 724 INDEX. ginia forces, 32; reception by the Convention, 33 ; speech be- fore the Convention, 35 ; organ- izes the Virginia forces, 35 ; commissioned General in the Confederate Army, 3G ; his willingness to serve in a^y ca- pacity, 36 ; sends troops to Western Virginia, 40 ; takes command of the army in West- em Virginia, 45 ; moves towards Cheat JMountain, 45 ; plan of attack on t^heat Mountiun,46; failure of the movement, 47 ; criticism upon the Cheat Moun- tain affair, 47 ; heaves for Sewell Mountiiin, 47 ; awaits attack from Rosecranz, 47 ; sent to the Southern coast, 48 ; forti fle^• the exposed paints along the coast, 49 ; made Commanding General of the Annies of the Confederacy, 49; opinion of the discipline of his army, 56 ; advises the evacuation of York- town, 86; present at the battle of Urewry's Bluff, 95; takes command of the Army of North- em Virginia, 106; rel-ieved of the chief command of the Con- federate States Armies, 106 ; exertions to bring troops to Richmond, 106; order respect- ing passports, 107 ; his apjmint- ment not a popular measure at first, 107 ; views regarding the situation of affairs at Richmond, 1 08 ; strength of his array. 112; sends Stuart to reconnoitre the Federal position, 113; congrat- ulatory order relating to Stuart's reconnaissance, 1 19 ; resolves to attack McClellan, 121 ; hia plan of operations, 122 ; brings Jackson's army to Richmond, 122 ; confidential order, stating plan of campaign, 123; attacks McClellan at Meclianicsville, 129; battle of Cold Harbor, 134 ; remarks on the division of the army, 134 ; dispatch to the President, 143 ; his plan to in- tercept McCleilan's retreat, 145 ; battle of Savage Station, 149 ; accompanies Longstrect's divi- sion to Frazi^r's Farm, 154 ; battle of Frazier's Farm, 155 ; plan of attack at Malvern Hill, 159; battle of Malvern Hill, 160 ; fails to follow up McClel- lan to Harrison's Landing, 162 ; explanation of the escape of the Federal army, 165 ; order relat- ing to the campaign, 167 ; anxious to draw McClellan away from James River, 171 ; com- municates the Confederate or- der of retaliation to the Federal Government, 189 ; also, 639 ; sends Jackson's corps to Gor- donsville, 194 ; moves his array to the Rapidan, 200 ; plan to defeat Pope's army, 201 ; fol- lows Pope to the Rappahannock, 202 ; plan of operations against General Pope's army, 207 ; suc- cess of the movements, 220 ; second battle of Manassas, 222 ; battle of Ox Hill, 227 ; letter to General Pope, 229; letter to President Davis, 230; injured by a fall, 232; resolves to in- vade Maryland, 235; influence over the troops, 238 ; proclama- INDEX. 725 tion to the people of ^laryland, 239 ; his plan of the campaign, 241 ; remarks concerning strag- gling, 2-11 ; resolves to capture Harper's Ferry, 242 ; capture of Harper's Ferry, 245 ; his plan of the campaign altered by un- toward events, 253 ; conlidential order to General D. II. Hill, 251 ; battle of South Mountain, 254 ; battle of Shai-psburg, 2G0 ; retires into Virginia, 272 ; or- der relating to the Rlaiyland cam[>aign, 274 ; efforts to pro- cure shoes and clotliing for the army, 276 ; advocates making Confederate notes a legal ten- der, 281; orders General Lor- ing to the Valley, 283 ; declines to send troops to James River, 283 ; official report of cavalry tight near Shepherdstown, 285; letter of instructions to General Stuart concerning the Pennsyl- vania expedition, 286 ; dispatch announcing Stuart's return, 294 ; moves to CulpepperCourt House to meet McClellan, 297 ; confi- dent of his ability to baffle Mc- Clellan, 298; opinion of the cavalry, 298 ; statement respect- ing the condition of the army horses, 298; detects Burnside's movement to Fredericksburg, 301; dispatch to the War De- partment, 302 ; moves to Fred- ericksburg, 303 ; fortifies his position, 301 ; agrees to refrain from occupying Fredericksburg unless the Federals attempt to do so, 305 ; advises the removal of non-combatants from the city, 305 ; opi.noa of the peopla of Fredericksburg, 306 ; battle of Fredericksburg, 308 ; ap- pearance during the battle, 315 ; dispatch to the War Depart- ment, 319 ; decides not to attack Burnside, 319 ; dispatches to the War Department, 321, 322; address to the army at the close of the year 1862, 325 ; appeal to the Government to provide shoes for the troops, 326 ; his mode of living, 327 ; efforts to procure better artillery, 329^ urges the Government to im- press breadstulls, 329 ; detects liurnside's " mud march," 333 ; advises the Government to ap- I)eal to the people to supply the army with food, 334 ; proposes to invite the cooperation of State authorities in raisingtroops 334; announces the opening of the spring campaign, 335 ; prepares to meet Hooker, 340 ; sends' Jackson's corps to Chancellors- vilie, 344 ; arrives on the field, 345 ; accepts Jackson's plan of battle, 347 ; attacks Hooker's front to cover Jackson's flank march, 347 ; grii'f upon being informed of the wounding of General Jackson, 354 ; note to Genenl Jackson, 355; resolves to drive Hooker across the Rap- paiiannock, 357 ; dispatch to President Davis, 358 ; plan to dispose of Sedgwick, 360 ; bat- tle of Salem Heights, 361 ; dis- patches to President Davis, 362, 363 ; forces Hooker to retreat across the river, 363 ; order an« 72(j INDEX. nouncing the death of General Jackson, 304 ; address to the army, 3G5 ; urges tlie Govern- ment to bring the cavalry along the Atlantic coast to Virginia, SCO ; opposes sending troops from liis army to Mississippi, 309 ; visits Richmond, and ar- ranges the ])lan fur the second invasion of the North, 3(59 ; moves towards the Potomac, 371 ; dispatch announcing Stu- art's victory at Brandy Station, 373 ; dispatches announcing Ewell's victories, 376 ; orders his army to respect the i)er.>ons and property of citizens of the United States, 381 ; address to the army, 382; efforts to keep open his communications, 384 ; moves to Gettysburg, and his object in doing so, 383 ; decides not to follow up the success of the first day at Gettysburg, 391 ; reasons for fighting th'^ battle, 393; battle of July 2d, 395; decides to renew the attack on the 3d of July, 399 ; plan of battle, 400 ; rallies the troops after the repulse of the attack U[)on Cemetery Ridge, 403 ; his noble words to General Wilcox, 404 ; decides to retreat to Vir- ginia, 405; effects his retreat to the Potomac successfully, 407 ; letter to General Cooper con- cerning Federal statements re- specting the campaign, 409 ; aildress to the army, 410; retires to the Rappahannock, 412 ; his firm hold on the confi- dence of the army and people, 412; order concerning Fast Day, 413; grants furloughs to the troops, 414; forces Meade back to Centreville, 415; re- tires to the Rappahannock, 422 ; goes into winter quarters be- hind the Rapidan, 424 ; detects Meade's movement upon Mine Run, 426 ; address to the army, 426 ; dispatches to the War Department, 429-430; efforts to procure food for the army, 432 ; appeal to the troops to endure their sufferings with for- titude, 434 ; his fare, 434 ; offers furloughs to such troops as can procure recruits, 441 ; calls for more cavalry, 442 ; orders the observance of Fast Day, 442 ; declines the present of a house from the citizens of Richmond, 443 ; prepares for the spring campaign, 447 ; plan to defeat the army of General Grant, 453; attacks Grant in the Wilder- ness, 455 ; narrow escape dur- ing the battle, 457 ; dispatch to the War Department, 458 ; de- cides to assume the offensive, 459 ; touching instance of the devotion of his army, 461 ; dan- gerous position during the bat- tle, 462 ; dispatches to the Government, 463 ; moves to Spittsylvania Court House and baffles Grant, 466 ; dispatches to the Government, 466-468- 471-474-475; foils Grant at the Nortli Anna River, 476 ; dis- patches to the War Department, 477—478 ; confronts Grant on the Chickahominy, 481 ; the sec- INDEX. 727 ond battle of Cold Harbor. 482; dispati-iies to the Government, 484-487; requires (Jcneral Grant to ask permission to bury Lis dead, 489 ; sends Early's corps to Lynchburg, 492 ; moves to the Jame.< River, 502 ; disj)atches to the War Depart- ment, 502-503-504 ; inability to prevent Grant from cro-^sing the James River, 504 ; marches to the relief of Petersburg, 508 ; dispatches to the President, 609 ; letter to Lieut-General Anderson, 508 ; foils Grant's eflbrt to turn his right, 511; dispatches to the Government, 611-512-513-514-515; baffles the attempt to carry the works at Deep Dottom, 518; the mine explosion, 519 ; battle at Deep Bottom, 523 ; v'ews respecting the Weldon Railroad, 524 ; ef- forts to retain possession of it, 525 ; dispatches to the Govern- ment, 527-528-529; loss of I'ort Harrison, 530; dispatches to the Government, 530-531 ; corre!-~i)ondence with General Grant concerning prisoners placed under fire, 532 ; defeats another attempt to turn his right, 538 ; dispatches to the Government, 539-540 ; further movements on the right, 541 ; dispati-hes to the War Depart- ment, 541-543 ; directs General Early to invade Marxland, 544 ; bis expectations from this move- ment, 544; reinforces Early in the V:dley, 548 ; reasons for this Btep, 548, dispatch to the War Department, 556 ; letter to General Early, 566 ; urges the Government to collect reserves of provisions, 568 ; declares that tlie conscription is dimin- ishing his army, 571 ; views as to desertion, 572; rebuked by the Presii,!ent, 573 ; views con- cerning the arming of the slaves, 574 ; correspondence with General Grant respecting negotiations for peace, 577 ; the only pul)lic man possessing the conlidence of the nation, 580 ; desire to make him dictator, 581 ; Mr. Davis' statements of- Gen. Lee's views respecting the office of Commanding-General, 581 ; friemlship for the Presi- dent 582 ; made Commander-in- Chief of the armies of the Con- federacy, 583 ; order upon as- suming the comm \nd, 584 ; opinion as to the condition of the South in February 1865, 586 ; determines to retreat southward, 587 ; plan of ope- rations, 587 ; attack on Fort Steadman 588 ; dispatcli to the Government, 590; plan to dc^ feat Grant's attempt against his right, 598 ; dispatch to t le War Department, 598 ; critical sit^ia- tion of the army, 601 ; indigna- tion at the conduct of the troops at Five Forks, 603 ; battles of Five Forks and Petersburg. 604 ; evacuates Richmond and IVters- burg, 608 ; plan of O[)erations during the retreat, 616 ; failure of the plan, 617 ; retreats towards Lynchburg, 618; suf- 728 INDEX. ferlngs of the army, 618 ; opin- ion as to a surrender of the army, 624 ; correspondence with General Grant respecting the surrender of the army, 626- 627; surrender at Appomattox Court House, 686 ; interview with General Grant, 631; list meeting with the troops, 634 ; address to the army, 635 ; re- turns to Richmond, 636 ; his re- ception there, 637 ; report of the second campaign in North- ern Virginia, 664 ; report of the Gettysburg, campaign, 668 ; in- auguration as President of Washington College, 680; evi- dence before the Congressional Committee, 682. Lee, i\Iajor-General, William Henry Fitzhugh, takes part in Stuart's reconnoisance, 113; letter from, concerning Confederate States Cavalry, 647. Lee, Major-General, FItz, takes part in Stuart's reconnoisance, 113. Lincoln, President Abraham, inter- ference with General McClellan, 61) ; appoints corps commanders for Army of the Potomac, 70 ; letter to General McDovvell, 110. Longstreet, Lieut-General James, at- tacks McClellan at Seven Pines, 99 ; conduct in battl'es around Richmond — see Peninsular cam- paign ; made Lieutenant-Gen- eral, 279 ; sent to the South Side, 334; sent to East Tennessee, 414; wounded in the Wilder- ness, 460 ; appointed a commis- sioner to arrange the details *of 92 the surrender at Appomattox Court House, 633. Loring, Major-General W. insub- ordinate conduct of, 283. Magruder, Major-General John B., sent to the Peninsula, 77 ; oper- ations there in 18G1, 78; forti- fies his position, 79 ; heroic de- fence on 5th, and 6th April 1862, 81 ; reenforced by General Johnston, 83. For part in bat- tles around Richmond — see Peninsular campaign. Malvern Ilill — see Peninsular cam- paign. Mansssas, battle of, 40 ; effect upon the South, 52 ; capture of by Jackson, 210; second battle of 218. Maryland, campaign in — see Gen- eral R. E. Lee, also Major-Gen- eral G. B. McClellan; Mary- landers treated as friends, 237 ; address to people of the State 239 ; explanation of the conduct of the people, 240 ; Confeder- ates leave the State, 272. Maryland Heights — see Harper's Ferry. McClellan, Major-General George B., appo'nted to command the department of the Ohio, 42; invades Western Virginia, 42; defeats Garnett at Rich Moun- tain, 42 ; transferred to the Ar- my of the Potomac, 63 ; estimate of his character, 63 ; reorgan- izes the Army of the Potomac, 64 ; remains inactive during the fall of l^'Bl, 66 ; his views on INDEX. 729 the situation, 67 ; plan of cpera- tions, 67 ; advances to Manas- sas, 73 : returns to Washington, 73 ; plan for canif)aign on the Peninsula, 7o ; error in choos- ing]; the move to the Peninsula, 76 ; the transfer to the Penin- sula, 76 ; plan of oj)erations against Yorktown. 80; attacks Alagruiler on the 5th and 6th April, and is repulsed, 81 ; lays siege to Yorktown, 83 ; calls for McDowelPs corps, 84 ; his plan for a flank movement, 84; pur- sues the Confederate States' army up the Peninsula, 88 ; dis- patch to the War Department, 89,- battle of Williamsburg, 90; reaches the Chickahominy, 96 ; defeats the Confederates at Han- over Court House, 97 ; throws his left wing across the Chicka- hominy, 97; defeated at Seven Pines, 98 ; lays siege to Rich- mond, 109 ; advances his picket line, .Tune 25th, 126; faults of his position, 126 ; dlsi)atch to the War Department, 128 ; bat- tle of Mechanicsville, 130; withdraws from Beaver Dam Creek to Cold Harbor, 133; battle of Cold Harbor, 137; re- tires across the Chickahominy, 143 ; battle of Savage Station, 149 ; the retreat to the James River, 150; battle of Fraizler's Farm, 153; battle of Malvern Hill, 158; retires to Harrison's Landing, 161 ; plm for a cam- paign on James River, 170; oc- cupies Coggln's Point, 172 ; evacuates the Peninsula, 174 ; assigned to command deA»n, Cfiloncl L. 15., appointed Commissary General of the Con- ((■(U'rate .States, 58; his history, 5y ; Incompetent to discliarge Ills duties, 68 ; sustained by tlie l*tesi(h'nt, 50; opposes General Lee's plan to procure food for the army, doi ; criminal niis- niiuia^^cment of t!i& alFairs of his dcpaitment, 4;52 ; hated by the Souflt and sustained by the Pres- ident, 441 : starves the army, 6(^8; i-ondltlon of the Commis- sariat in December 1804,569; resit^ns iiis office, 57o. Overland cam{)aig:i, the — see Gen- eial II. E. Lee, also Lieutenant- General U. S. Grant. Peninsula, the — description of, 77. Peninsular (-ampaign, Magrudersent to the Peninsula, 77 ; his move- ments during the fall and winter of 18()1, 78; lines of defence constructed by him, 78 ; strength oi Magruder's army, 7i) ; Fed- eral army advances from Fort Monroe, 80 ; reconnoii:sanees of the 5t!i and Gth April, 1802, 81 ; the s ege of Yorktown, 83; fight at Dam No 1,84; suffer- ings of the Confederate tT'oops, 85 ; weakness of the Confeder- ate position on the Pem'nsula, 8() ; evacuation of Yorktown, 87; McClellan pursues, 88; battle of Williamsburg, 'JO; bat- tle of Eltham's Landing, 92 ; the retreat to the Chickahoininy, 92 ; James River lefl defence- less, 93 ; destruction /f the steamer Virginia, 93 ; United States' gmiboats ascend James River, 93 ; battle of Drewry's Bluir,95; Confederate and Fed- eral armies on the Chickahomi- ny, 90 ; battle of ILanover Court House, 97 ; Feder.d left wing crosses the Chickahoininy, 97 ; battle of Seven Pines, 98 ; Gen- eral Lee takes command of the army, lOO ; positions of the armies, 11 1-112; Stuart's re- connoissance, 113; Jaclcson or- dcre;e Royal Octavo viiluine of over IHJO pages, enihcllislied and illustrated with 260 Fine En- gi:ivin}:;s, liy the best artists of Eiighiiid and Aineric:i, and tin niched tu Subscribeis, Elegantly Bound »a Fine Morocco Cloth ...at $4.75 per copy. 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Covering so vast a territory, calling forth such unparelleled energies, bringing into the field such tremendous forces, illustrated by so many battles and sieges, and eliciting such displays of heroism and courage, it has exhibited us as the most remarkable military people since the Ancient Romans. la one large royal octavo volume of nearly 1500 pages, embellished and illustrated with numerous fine Engravings, by the best artists, and furnished to Subscribers, Elegantly Bound in Fine Morocco Cloth at i.b.hO per Copy. " " Pine Leather, (Library Style.) at S6.50 " " Half Calf at 88.00 " AGENTS WANTED. Address, NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO, Philadelphia, Pa. ; Chicago, HI. ; Cincinnati, 0. ; St. Louis, Mo. ; or Atlanta, Ga. '^'This very interesting and valuable Work will be sent to any address, postuye jjaidf on receipt of l*rice. SEXUAL SCIENCE; MANHOOD, WOMANHOOD, THEIR MUTUAL TnTER-HELATIONS ; LOVE, ITS LAWS, POWER, ETC. By Prof. O. S. Fowler. 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OF BEARING AND NURSING. — This portion being a complete encyclopedia for pro- spective mothers, showing how to render confinement easy, and manage infants; everj' young wife requires its instructions as nfTicting her embryo. OF SEXUAL RESTORA'l'IOX. — This is a very important part of the work; because almost all men and women, if not iliseased, are run down. The laws of sexual recuperation are here, for the first time, unfolded, and the whole subject thoroughly and scientificully treated; giving the cause and cure of female ailments, seminal losses, sexual impotence, etc. And Tells how to promote sexual vigor, the prime duty of every man and woman. How to make a right choice of husband or wife ; what persoas are suited to each other. How to judge a man or woman's sexual condition by visible tigns. How young husbands sliould treat their brides ; how to increase their love and avoid shocking them. How to avoid an improper marriage, and how to avoid female ailments. How to increase the joys of wedded life, and how to increase female passion. How to regulate intercourse between man and wite, avd how to make it healthful to both ; iiriioinncc i f tliis lnw is tlie cause otnenrly all tlie woes of nianiage. How to have fine and healthy children, and how to transmit mental and physical qualities to offspring. How to avoid the evils attending pregnancy, and how to make child-bearing healthful and d'^sirable. How to prevent self-abuse among the young, and how to recognize the signs of self-abuse and cure it. How intercourse out of wedlock is injurious ; a warning to young men. How to restore and perpetuate female beauty, and how to promote the growth of the fi^male bust. How to be virtuous, happy, healthful and useful, by a rigid compliance with the laws of sexual science. There is scarcely a question concerning the most serious duties of life which is not fully and satisfactorily answered in this book. Such a work has long been needed, and will be found invaluable to every man ami womnn who has arrived at years of discretion. It should be read especially by the married, and by those who have the care of children, and it will carry happiness with it wherever it goes, by diff'using knowledge on those subjects concern- ing which it has, until now, been almost impossible to obtain reliable information. The book is pure and elevated in tone; eloquent in its denunciations of vice ; and forcible in its warnings against the secret sins which are practiced with impunity even in the family circle. In one hafge royal octavo volume of 9.30 pages, embellished and illustrated with numerous Engravings, and furnished to Subscribers, Bound in Extra Fine Cloth - at S3.75 per Copy. Bound in Fine Leather, (Library Style.) at $4.50 " AGENTS WANTED. Address, NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO., Philadelplua, Pa. ; Chicago, HI. ; St Louis, Mo. ; or Atlanta, Ga.