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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/4098-8.txt b/4098-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c0a135f --- /dev/null +++ b/4098-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5938 @@ +Project Gutenberg's On the Trail of Grant and Lee, by Frederick Trevor Hill + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: On the Trail of Grant and Lee + +Author: Frederick Trevor Hill + + +Release Date: May, 2003 [Etext #4098] +The actual date this file first posted = 11/27/01 +Last Updated: July 8, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE *** + + + + +Produced by William Fishburne and Jenny Francisco + + + + + + + + +ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE + +By Frederick Trevor Hill + + +To Howard Ogden Wood, Jr. + + + + +Forward + + +During the early years of the Civil War someone tauntingly asked Mr. +Charles Francis Adams, the United States Minister to England, what he +thought of the brilliant victories which the confederate armies were +then gaining in the field. "I think they have been won by my fellow +countrymen," was the quiet answer. + +Almost half a century has passed since that reproof was uttered, but +its full force is only just beginning to be understood. For nearly fifty +years the story of the Civil War has been twisted to suit local pride or +prejudice in various parts of the Union, with the result that much which +passes for American history is not history at all, and whatever else it +may be, it is certainly not American. + +Assuredly, the day has now arrived when such historical "make-believes" +should be discountenanced, both in the North and in the South. Americans +of the present and the coming generations are entitled to take a common +pride in whatever lent nobility to the fraternal strife of the sixties, +and to gather equal inspiration from every achievement that reflected +credit on American manhood during those years when the existence of the +Union was at stake. Until this is rendered possible by the elimination +of error and falsehood, the sacrifices of the Civil War will, to a large +extent, have been endured in vain. + +In some respects this result has already been realized. Lincoln is no +longer a local hero. He is a national heritage. To distort or belittle +the characters of other men who strove to the end that their land "might +have a new birth of freedom," is to deprive the younger generations of +part of their birthright. They are entitled to the facts from which +to form a just estimate of the lives of all such men, regardless of +uniforms. + +It is in this spirit that the strangely interwoven trials of Grant and +Lee are followed in these pages. Both were Americans, and widely as they +differed in opinions, tastes and sympathies, each exhibited qualities +of mind and character which should appeal to all their fellow countrymen +and make them proud of the land that gave them birth. Neither man, in +his life, posed before the public as a hero, and the writer has made no +attempt to place either of them on a pedestal. Theirs is a very human +story, requiring neither color nor concealment, but illustrating a +high development of those traits that make for manhood and national +greatness. + +The writer hereby acknowledges his indebtedness to all those historians +whose scholarly research has made it possible to trace the careers of +these two great commanders with confidence in the accuracy of the facts +presented. Where equally high authorities have differed he has been +guided by those who, in his judgment, have displayed the most scrupulous +impartiality, and wherever possible he has availed himself of official +records and documents. + +The generous service rendered by Mr. Samuel Palmer Griffin in testing +the vast record upon which these pages are based, his exhaustive +research and scientific analysis of the facts, have given whatever of +authority may be claimed for the text, and of this the writer hereby +makes grateful acknowledgment. To Mr. Arthur Becher he is likewise +indebted for his careful studies at West Point and elsewhere which have +resulted in illustrations conforming to history. + +Frederick Trevor Hill. + +New York, September, 1911. + + + + + +Contents + + + + +Chapter + + I.--Three Civil Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 + II.--Washington and Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 + III.--Lee at West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 + IV.--The Boyhood of Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 + V.--Grant at West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 + VI.--Lieutenant Grant Under Fire . . . . . . . . 35 + VII.--Captain Lee at the Front . . . . . . . . . . 44 + VIII.--Colonel Lee After the Mexican War . . . . . 52 + IX.--Captain Grant in a Hard Fight . . . . . . . 59 + X.--Grant's Difficulties in Securing a Command . 67 + XI.--Lee at the Parting of the Ways . . . . . . . 75 + XII.--Opening Moves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 + XIII.--Grant's First Success . . . . . . . . . . . 93 + XIV.--The Battle of Shiloh . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 + XV.--Lee in the Saddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 + XVI.--A Game of Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 + XVII.--Lee and the Invasion of Maryland . . . . . . 133 + XVIII.--The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg . . . . 141 + XIX.--Lee Against Burnside and Hooker . . . . . . 148 + XX.--In the Hour of Triumph . . . . . . . . . . . 163 + XXI.--Grant at Vicksburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 + XXII.--The Battle of Gettysburg . . . . . . . . . . 180 + XXIII.--In the Face of Disaster . . . . . . . . . . 193 + XXIV.--The Rescue of Two Armies . . . . . . . . . . 201 + XXV.--Lieutenant-General Grant . . . . . . . . . . 213 + XXVI.--A Duel to the Death . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 + XXVII.--Check and Countercheck . . . . . . . . . . . 238 + XXVIII.--The Beginning of the End . . . . . . . . . . 248 + XXIX.--At Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 + XXX.--The Surrender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 + XXXI.--Lee's Years of Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 + XXXII.--The Head of the Nation . . . . . . . . . . . 294 + + + + + +List of Illustrations + + + + Illustrations in Color + + + Grant running the gauntlet of the Mexicans at Monterey + in riding to the relief of his comrades . . Frontispiece + September 23, 1846. + + Lee with Mrs. Lewis (Nellie Custis) applying to General + Andrew Jackson to aid in securing his cadetship at + West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 + 1825. + + Grant on his horse, "York," making exhibition jump in + the Riding Academy at West Point . . . . . . . . . . 32 + June, 1843. + + Lee sending the Rockbridge battery into action for the + second time at Antietam or Sharpsburg . . . . . . . 144 + September 17, 1862. + + Lee rallying his troops at the Battle of the + Wilderness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 + May 6, 1864. + + Grant at the entrenchments before Petersburg . . . . . 260 + March, 1865. + + + Illustrations in the Text + + + Signature of Grant on reporting at West Point . . . . 25 + (From the original records of the U. S. Military + Academy.) + + First signature of Grant as U. S. Grant . . . . . . . 27 + (From the original records of the U.S. Military + Academy.) + + Grant's letter demanding unconditional surrender of + forces at Fort Donnelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 + + Diagram map (not drawn to scale) showing strategy of + the opening of the Battle of Chancellorsville, May + 1 and 2, 1863 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 + + Diagram map (not drawn to scale) showing Grant's series + of movements by the left flank from the Wilderness + to Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 + + Facsimile of telegraphic message drafted by Lieutenant- + General Grant, announcing Lee's surrender, May 9, + 1865 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 + + Lee's letter of August 3, 1866, acknowledging receipt of + the extension of his furlough . . . . . . . . . . . 283 + + + + + +Chapter I. -- Three Civil Wars + + +England was an uncomfortable place to live in during the reign of +Charles the First. Almost from the moment that that ill-fated monarch +ascended the throne he began quarreling with Parliament; and when he +decided to dismiss its members and make himself the supreme ruler of +the land, he practically forced his subjects into a revolution. +Twelve feverish years followed--years of discontent, indignation and +passion--which arrayed the Cavaliers, who supported the King, against +the Roundheads, who upheld Parliament, and finally flung them at each +other's throats to drench the soil of England with their blood. + +Meanwhile, the gathering storm of civil war caused many a resident of +the British Isles to seek peace and security across the seas, and among +those who turned toward America were Mathew Grant and Richard Lee. It is +not probable that either of these men had ever heard of the other, for +they came from widely separated parts of the kingdom and were even more +effectually divided by the walls of caste. There is no positive proof +that Mathew Grant (whose people probably came from Scotland) was a +Roundhead, but he was a man of humble origin who would naturally have +favored the Parliamentary or popular party, while Richard Lee, whose +ancestors had fought at Hastings and in the Crusades, is known to have +been an ardent Cavalier, devoted to the King. But whether their opinions +on politics differed or agreed, it was apparently the conflict between +the King and Parliament that drove them from England. In any event +they arrived in America at almost the same moment; Grant reaching +Massachusetts in 1630, the year after King Charles dismissed his +Parliament, and Lee visiting Virginia about this time to prepare for his +permanent residence in the Dominion which began when actual hostilities +opened in the mother land. + +The trails of Grant and Lee, therefore, first approach each other from +out of the smoke of a civil war. This is a strangely significant fact, +but it might be regarded merely as a curious coincidence were it not for +other and stranger events which seem to suggest that the hand of Fate +was guiding the destinies of these two men. + +Mathew Grant originally settled in Massachusetts but he soon moved to +Connecticut, where he became clerk of the town of Windsor and official +surveyor of the whole colony--a position which he held for many years. +Meanwhile Richard Lee became the Colonial Secretary and a member of +the King's Privy Council in Virginia, and thenceforward the name of his +family is closely associated with the history of that colony. + +Lee bore the title of colonel, but it was to statesmanship and not to +military achievements that he and his early descendants owed their fame; +while the family of Grant, the surveyor, sought glory at the cannon's +mouth, two of its members fighting and dying for their country as +officers in the French and Indian war of 1756. In that very year, +however, a military genius was born to the Virginia family in the person +of Harry Lee, whose brilliant cavalry exploits were to make him known to +history as "Light Horse Harry." But before his great career began, the +house of Grant was represented in the Revolution, for Captain Noah Grant +of Connecticut drew his sword in defense of the colonies at the outbreak +of hostilities, taking part in the battle of Bunker Hill; and from that +time forward he and "Light Horse Harry" served in the Continental army +under Washington until Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. + +Here the trails of the two families, AGAIN DRAWN TOGETHER BY A CIVIL +STRIFE, merge for an historic moment and then cross; that of the +Grants turning toward the West, and that of the Lees keeping within the +confines of Virginia. + +It was in 1799 that Captain Noah Grant migrated to Ohio, and during the +same year Henry Lee delivered the memorial address upon the death of +Washington, coining the immortal phrase "first in war, first in peace +and first in the hearts of his countrymen." + +Ulysses Grant, the Commander of the Union forces in the Civil War, was +the grandson of Captain Grant, who served with "Light Horse Harry" Lee +during the Revolution; and Robert Lee, the Confederate General, was +"Light Horse Harry's" son. + +Thus, for the THIRD time in two and a half centuries, a civil conflict +between men of the English-speaking race blazed the trails of Grant and +Lee. + + + + +Chapter II. -- Washington and Lee + + +"Wakefield," Westmoreland County, Virginia, was the birthplace of +Washington, and at Stratford in the same county and state, only a few +miles from Wakefield, Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807. +Seventy-five years had intervened between those events but, except in +the matter of population, Westmoreland County remained much the same as +it had been during Washington's youth. Indians, it is true, no longer +lurked in he surrounding forests or paddled the broad Potomac in their +frail canoes, but the life had much of the same freedom and charm which +had endeared it to Washington. All the streams and woods and haunts +which he had known and loved were known and loved by Lee, not only for +their own sake, but because they were associated with the memory of the +great Commander-in-Chief who had been his father's dearest friend. + +It would have been surprising, under such circumstances, if Washington +had not been Lee's hero, but he was more than a hero to the boy. From +his father's lips he had learned to know him, not merely as a famous +personage of history, but as a man and a leader of men. Indeed, his +influence and example were those of a living presence in the household +of "Light Horse Harry;" and thus to young Lee he early became the ideal +of manhood upon which, consciously or unconsciously, he molded his own +character and life. But quite apart from this, the careers of these two +great Virginians were astonishingly alike. + +Washington's father had been married twice, and so had Lee's; each was +a son of the second marriage, and each had a number of brothers and +sisters. Washington lost his father when he was only eleven years old, +and Lee was exactly the same age when his father died. Mrs. Washington +had almost the entire care of her son during his early years, and Lee +was under the sole guidance of his mother until he had almost grown to +manhood. Washington repaid his mother's devotion by caring for her +and her affairs with notable fidelity, and Lee's tenderness and +consideration for his mother were such that she was accustomed to remark +that he was both a son and a daughter to her. + +Washington's ancestors were notable, if not distinguished, people in +England; while Lee could trace his descent, through his father, to +Lancelot Lee, who fought at the battle of Hastings, and through his +mother to Robert the Bruce of Scotland. Neither man, however, prided +himself in the least on his ancestry. Indeed, neither of them knew +anything of his family history until his own achievements brought the +facts to light. + +Washington was a born and bred country boy and so was Lee. Both +delighted in outdoor life, loving horses and animals of all kinds and +each was noted for his skillful riding in a region which was famous +for its horsemanship. There was, however, a vast difference between +Washington's education and that of Lee. The Virginian schools were +very rudimentary in Washington's day; but Lee attended two excellent +institutions of learning, where he had every opportunity, and of this +he availed himself, displaying much the same thoroughness that +characterized Washington's work, and the same manly modesty about any +success that he achieved. + +By reason of his father's death and other circumstances Washington was +burdened with responsibility long before he arrived at manhood, making +him far more reserved and serious-minded than most school boys. This was +precisely the case with Lee, for his father's death, the ill health of +his mother and the care of younger children virtually made him the head +of the family, so that he became unusually mature and self-contained +at an early age. Neither boy, however, held aloof from the sports and +pastimes of his schoolmates and both were regarded as quiet, manly +fellows, with no nonsense about them, and with those qualities of +leadership that made each in turn the great military leader of his age. + +Never has history recorded a stranger similarity in the circumstances +surrounding the youth of two famous men, but the facts which linked +their careers in later years are even stranger still. + + + + +Chapter III. -- Lee at West Point + + +As his school days drew to a close, it became necessary for Lee to +determine his future calling. But the choice of a career, often so +perplexing to young men, presented no difficulty to "Light Horse +Harry's" son. He had apparently always intended to become a soldier +and no other thought had seemingly ever occurred to any member of his +family. Appointments to the United States Military Academy were far more +a matter of favor than they are to-day, and young Lee, accompanied by +Mrs. Lewis (better known as Nellie Custis, the belle of Mount Vernon +and Washington's favorite grandchild), sought the assistance of General +Andrew Jackson. Rough "Old Hickory" was not the easiest sort of person +to approach with a request of any kind and, doubtless, his young visitor +had grave misgivings as to the manner in which his application would be +received. But Jackson, the hero of the battle of New Orleans in the +War of 1812, only needed to be told that his caller was "Light Horse +Harry's" son to proffer assistance; and in his nineteenth year, the boy +left home for the first time in his life to enroll himself as a cadet at +West Point. + +Very few young men enter that institution so well prepared for military +life as was Lee, for he had been accustomed to responsibility and had +thoroughly mastered the art of self-control many years before he stepped +within its walls. He was neither a prig nor a "grind," but he regarded +his cadetship as part of the life work which he had voluntarily chosen, +and he had no inclination to let pleasure interfere with it. With his +comrades he was companionable, entering into all their pastimes with +zest and spirit, but he let it be understood, without much talk, that +attention to duty was a principle with him and his serious purpose soon +won respect. + +Rigid discipline was then, as it is to-day, strictly enforced at West +Point, and demerits were freely inflicted upon cadets for even the +slightest infraction of the rules. Indeed, the regulations were so +severe that it was almost impossible for a cadet to avoid making at +least a few slips at some time during his career. But Lee accomplished +the impossible, for not once throughout his entire four years did he +incur even a single demerit--a record that still remains practically +unique in the history of West Point. This and his good scholarship won +him high rank; first, as cadet officer of his class, and finally, as +adjutant of the whole battalion, the most coveted honor of the +Academy, from which he graduated in 1829, standing second in a class of +forty-six. + +Men of the highest rating at West Point may choose whatever arm of +the service they prefer, and Lee, selecting the Engineer Corps, was +appointed a second lieutenant and assigned to fortification work at +Hampton Roads, in his twenty-second year. The work there was not hard +but it was dull. There was absolutely no opportunity to distinguish +oneself in any way, and time hung heavy on most of the officers' hands. +But Lee was in his native state and not far from his home, where he +spent most of his spare time until his mother died. Camp and garrison +life had very little charm for him, but he was socially inclined and, +renewing his acquaintance with his boyhood friends, he was soon in +demand at all the dances and country houses at which the young people of +the neighborhood assembled. + +Among the many homes that welcomed him at this time was that of Mr. +George Washington Parke Custis (Washington's adopted grandson), whose +beautiful estate known as "Arlington" lay within a short distance of +Alexandria, where Lee had lived for many years. Here he had, during +his school days, met the daughter of the house and, their boy-and-girl +friendship culminating in an engagement shortly after his return from +West Point, he and Mary Custis were married in his twenty-fifth year. +Lee thus became related by marriage to Washington, and another link was +formed in the strange chain of circumstances which unite their careers. + +A more ideal marriage than that of these two young people cannot be +imagined. Simple in their tastes and of home-loving dispositions, they +would have been well content to settle down quietly to country life in +their beloved Virginia, surrounded by their family and friends. But the +duties of an army officer did not admit of this, and after a few years' +service as assistant to the chief engineer of the army in Washington, +Lee was ordered to take charge of the improvements of the Mississippi +River at St. Louis, where, in the face of violent opposition from the +inhabitants, he performed such valuable service that in 1839 he was +offered the position of instructor at West Point. This, however, he +declined, and in 1842 he was entrusted with the task of improving the +defenses of New York harbor and moved with his family to Fort Hamilton, +where he remained for several years. Meanwhile, he had been +successively promoted to a first lieutenancy and a captaincy, and in his +thirty-eighth year he was appointed one of the visitors to West Point, +whose duty it was to inspect the Academy and report at stated intervals +on its condition. This appointment, insignificant in itself, is notable +because it marks the point at which the trails of Grant and Lee first +approach each other, for at the time that Captain Lee was serving as an +official visitor, Ulysses Grant was attempting to secure an assistant +professorship at West Point. + + + + +Chapter IV. -- The Boyhood of Grant + + +Deerfield, Ohio, was not a place of any importance when Captain Noah +Grant of Bunker Hill fame arrived there from the East. Indeed, it was +not then much more than a spot on the map and it has ever won any great +renown. Yet in this tiny Ohio village there lived at one and the same +time Owen Brown, the father of John Brown, who virtually began the +Civil War, and Jesse Grant, the father of Ulysses Grant, who practically +brought it to a close. + +It is certainly strange that these two men should, with all the world to +choose from, have chanced upon the same obscure little village, but it +is still stranger that one of them should have become the employer of +the other and that they should both have lived in the very same house. +Such, however, is the fact, for when Jesse Grant first began to earn his +living as a tanner, he worked for and boarded with Owen Brown, little +dreaming that his son and his employer's son would some day shake the +world. + +It was not at Deerfield, however, but at Point Pleasant, Ohio, that +Jesse Grant's distinguished son was born on April 27, 1822, in a cottage +not much larger than the cabin in which Abraham Lincoln first saw the +light. Mr. and Mrs. Grant and other members of their family differed +among themselves as to what the boy should be called, but they settled +the question by each writing his or her favorite name on a slip of paper +and then depositing all the slips in a hat, with the understanding that +the child should receive the first two names drawn from that receptacle. +This resulted in the selection of Hiram and Ulysses, and the boy +was accordingly called Hiram Ulysses Grant until the United States +government re-christened him in a curious fashion many years later. To +his immediate family, however, he was always known as Ulysses, which +his playmates soon twisted into the nickname "Useless," more or less +good-naturedly applied. + +Grant's father moved to Georgetown, Ohio, soon after his son's birth, +and there his boyhood days were passed. The place was not at that +time much more than a frontier village and its inhabitants were mostly +pioneers--not the adventurous, exploring pioneers who discover new +countries, but the hardy advance-guard of civilization, who clear the +forests and transform the wilderness into farming land. Naturally, there +was no culture and very little education among these people. They were +a sturdy, self-respecting, hard-working lot, of whom every man was the +equal of every other, and to whom riches and poverty were alike unknown. +In a community of this sort there was, of course, no pampering of the +children, and if there had been, Grant's parents would probably have +been the last to indulge in it. His father, Jesse Grant, was a stern and +very busy man who had neither the time nor the inclination to coddle the +boy, and his mother, absorbed in her household duties and the care of a +numerous family, gave him only such attention as was necessary to +keep him in good health. Young Ulysses was, therefore, left to his +own devices almost as soon as he could toddle, and he quickly became +self-reliant to a degree that alarmed the neighbors. Indeed, some of +them rushed into the house one morning shouting that the boy was out +in the barn swinging himself on the farm horses' tails and in +momentary danger of being kicked to pieces; but Mrs. Grant received the +announcement with perfect calmness, feeling sure that Ulysses would +not amuse himself in that way unless he knew the animals thoroughly +understood what he was doing. + +Certainly this confidence in the boy's judgment was entirely justified +as far as horses were concerned, for they were the joy of his life +and he was never so happy as when playing or working in or about the +stables. Indeed, he was not nine years old when he began to handle a +team in the fields. From that time forward he welcomed every duty that +involved riding, driving or caring for horses, and shirked every other +sort of work about the farm and tannery. Fortunately, there was plenty +of employment for him in the line of carting materials or driving the +hay wagons and harrows, and his father, finding that he could be trusted +with such duties, allowed him, before he reached his teens, to drive a +'bus or stage between Georgetown and the neighboring villages entirely +by himself. In fact, he was given such free use of the horses that when +it became necessary for him to help in the tannery, he would take a team +and do odd jobs for the neighbors until he earned enough, with the aid +of the horses, to hire a boy to take his place in the hated tan-yard. + +This and other work was, of course, only done out of school hours, for +his parents sent him as early as possible to a local "subscription" +school, which he attended regularly for many years. "Spare the rod and +spoil the child" was one of the maxims of the school, and the first duty +of the boys on assembling each morning was to gather a good-sized bundle +of beech-wood switches, of which the schoolmaster made such vigorous use +that before the sessions ended the supply was generally exhausted. Grant +received his fair share of this discipline, but as he never resented it, +he doubtless got no more of it than he deserved and it probably did him +good. + +Among his schoolmates he had the reputation of talking less than any +of the other boys and of knowing more about horses than all of them put +together. An opportunity to prove this came when he was about eleven, +for a circus appeared in the village with a trick pony, and during the +performance the clown offered five dollars to any boy who could ride +him. Several of Ulysses' friends immediately volunteered, but he sat +quietly watching the fun while one after another of the boys fell victim +to the pony's powers. Finally, when the little animal's triumph seemed +complete, Grant stepped into the ring and sprang upon his back. A +tremendous tussle for the mastery immediately ensued, but though he +reared and shied and kicked, the tricky little beast was utterly unable +to throw its fearless young rider, and amid the shouts of the audience +the clown at last stopped the contest and paid Ulysses the promised +reward. + +From that time forward his superiority as a horseman was firmly +established, and as he grew older and his father allowed him to take +longer and longer trips with the teams, he came to be the most widely +traveled boy in the village. Indeed, he was only about fifteen when he +covered nearly a hundred and fifty miles in the course of one of his +journeys, taking as good care of his horses as he did of himself, and +transacting the business entrusted to him with entire satisfaction +to all concerned. These long, and often lonely, trips increased his +independence and so encouraged his habit of silence that many of the +village people began to think him a dunce. + +His father, however, was unmistakably proud of the quiet boy who did +what he was told to do without talking about it, and though he rarely +displayed his feelings, the whole village knew that he thought "Useless" +was a wonder and smiled at his parental pride. But the smile almost +turned to a laugh when it became known that he proposed to send the boy +to West Point, for the last cadet appointed from Georgetown had failed +in his examinations before he had been a year at the Academy, and few +of the neighbors believed that Ulysses would survive as long. Certainly, +the boy himself had never aspired to a cadetship, and when his father +suddenly remarked to him one morning that he was likely to obtain the +appointment, he receive the announcement with uncomprehending surprise. + +"What appointment?" he asked + +"To West Point," replied his father. "I have applied for it." + +"But I won't go!" gasped the astonished youth. + +"I think you will," was the quiet but firm response, and Grant, who had +been taught obedience almost from his cradle, decided that if his father +thought so, he did, too. + +But, though the young man yielded to his parent's wishes, he had no +desire to become a soldier and entirely agreed with the opinion of the +village that he had neither the ability nor the education to acquit +himself with credit. In fact, the whole idea of military life was +so distasteful to him that he almost hoped he would not fulfill the +physical and other requirements for admission. Indeed, the only thought +that reconciled him to the attempt was that it necessitated a trip from +Ohio to New York, which gratified his longing to see more of the world. +This was so consoling that it was almost with a gay heart that he set +out of the Hudson in the middle of May, 1839. + +For a boy who had lived all his life in an inland village on the +outskirts of civilization the journey was absolutely adventurous, for +although he was then in his eighteenth year, he had never even as much +as seen a railroad and his experiences on the cars, canal boats and +steamers were all delightfully surprising. Therefore, long as the +journey was, it was far too short for him, and on May 25th he reached +his destination. Two lonely and homesick weeks followed, and then, much +to his astonishment and somewhat to his regret, he received word that he +had passed the examination for admission and was a full-fledged member +of the cadet corps of West Point. + + + + +Chapter V. -- Grant at West Point + + +Grant's father had obtained his son's appointment to the Academy through +the intervention of a member of Congress, who, remembering that the boy +was known as Ulysses and that his mother's name before her marriage was +Simpson, had written to the Secretary of War at Washington, requesting +a cadetship for U. S. Grant. This mistake in his initials was not +discovered until the young man presented himself at West Point, but when +he explained that his name was Hiram Ulysses Grant and not U. S. Grant, +the officials would not correct the error. The Secretary of War had +appointed U. S. Grant to the Academy and U. S. Grant was the only person +they would officially recognize without further orders. They, therefore, +intimated that he could either enroll himself as U. S. Grant or stay out +of the Academy, making it quite plain that they cared very little +which course he adopted. Confronted with this situation, he signed the +enlistment paper as U. S. Grant and the document, bearing his name, +which thus became his, can be seen to-day among the records at West +Point. This re-christening, of course, supplied his comrades with +endless suggestions for nicknames and they immediately interpreted his +new initials to suit themselves. "United States," "Under Sized" and +"Uncle Sam" all seemed to be appropriate, but the last was the favorite +until the day arrived when a more significant meaning was found in +"Unconditional Surrender" Grant. + +The restrictions and discipline of West Point bore much more harshly +on country-bred boys in those years than they do to-day when so many +schools prepare students for military duties. But to a green lad +like Grant, who had been exceptionally independent all his life, the +preliminary training was positive torture. It was then that his habitual +silence stood him in good stead, for a talkative, argumentative boy +could never have survived the breaking-in process which eventually +transformed him from a slouchy bumpkin into a smart, soldier-like young +fellow who made the most of his not excessive inches. Still, he hated +almost every moment of his first year and ardently hoped that the bill +for abolishing the Academy, which was under discussion in Congress, +would become a law and enable him to return home without disgrace. But +no such law was passed and more experience convinced him that West Point +was a very valuable institution which should be strengthened rather than +abolished. He had not reached this conclusion, however, at the time of +his first furlough, and when he returned to his more and found that +his father had procured a fine horse for his exclusive use during +his holiday, it was hard to tear himself away and resume his duties. +Nevertheless, he did so; and, considering the fact that he was not fond +of studying, he made fair progress, especially in mathematics, never +reaching the head of his class, but never quite sinking to the bottom. +Indeed, if he had not been careless in the matter of incurring demerits +from small infractions of the rules, he might have attained respectable, +if not high rank in the corps, for he was a clean living, clean spoken +boy, without a vicious trait of any kind. Even as it was, he became a +sergeant, but inattention to details of discipline finally cost him his +promotion and reduced him again to the ranks. At no time, however, did +he acquire any real love for the military profession. His sole ambition +was to pass the examinations and retire from the service as soon as he +could obtain a professorship at some good school or college. At this, +he might easily have succeeded with his unmistakable talent for +mathematics, and it is even conceivable that he might have qualified as +a drawing master or an architect, if not as an artist, for he was +fond of sketching and some of his works in this line which have been +preserved shows a surprisingly artistic touch. + +Graduation day at the Academy brought no distinguished honors to Grant, +where he stood twenty-first in a class of thirty-nine, but it did win +him one small triumph. As almost everyone knows, the West Point cadets +are trained for all arms of the service, sometimes doing duty as +infantry, sometimes as artillery and at other times acting as engineers +or cavalry; and during the closing week of the year, they give public +exhibitions of their proficiency before the official visitors. On this +particular occasion the cavalry drill was held in the great riding hall, +and after the whole corps had completed their evolutions and were +formed in line ready to be dismissed, the commanding officer ordered +an extraordinarily high hurdle to be placed in position, and while the +great throng of spectators were wondering what this meant they heard the +sharp command, "Cadet Grant." + +A young man of slight stature, not weighing more than a hundred and +twenty pounds, and mounted on a powerful chestnut horse, sprang from the +ranks with a quick salute, dashed to the further end of the hall and, +swinging his mount about, faced the hurdle. There was a moment's pause +and then the rider, putting spurs to his steed, rushed him straight at +the obstruction and, lifting him in masterly fashion, cleared the bar as +though he and the animal were one. A thunder of applause followed as the +horseman quietly resumed his place in the ranks, and after the corps had +been dismissed Grant was sought out and congratulated on his remarkable +feat. But his response was characteristic of the boy that was, and the +man that was to be. "Yes, 'York' is a wonderfully good horse," was all +he said. + +A lieutenancy in the engineers or cavalry was more than a man of low +standing in the Academy could expect, and Grant was assigned to the +Fourth Infantry, with orders to report for duty at Jefferson Barracks, +St. Louis, Missouri, at the end of a short leave of absence. The +prospect of active service, far from his native state, was anything but +pleasing to the new officer; but he had come home with a bad cough, +and had he not been ordered to the South, it is highly probable that he +would have fallen a victim to consumption, of which two of his uncles +had already died. The air of Camp Salubrity, Louisiana, where his +regiment was quartered, and the healthy, outdoor life, however, quickly +checked the disease, and at the end of two years he had acquired a +constitution of iron. + +Meanwhile, he had met Miss Julia Dent, the sister of one of his +classmates whose home was near St. Louis, and had written to the +Professor of Mathematics at West Point, requesting his aid in securing +an appointment there as his assistant, to which application he received +a most encouraging reply. Doubtless, his courtship of Miss Dent made him +doubly anxious to realize his long-cherished plan of settling down +to the quiet life of a professor. But all hope of this was completely +shattered by the orders of the Fourth Infantry which directed it to +proceed at once to Texas. Long before the regiment marched, however, he +was engaged to "the girl he left behind him" and, although his dream +of an instructorship at West Point had vanished, he probably did not +altogether abandon his ambition for a career at teaching. But Fate had +other plans for him as he journeyed toward Mexico, where the war clouds +were gathering. Lee was moving in the same direction and their trails +were soon to merge at the siege of Vera Cruz. + + + + +Chapter VI. -- Lieutenant Grant Under Fire + + +The movement of the United States troops towards Mexico did not take the +country by surprise. It was the direct result of the action of Congress +admitting Texas to the Union. Ever since it had won its independence +from Mexico, Texas had been seeking to become part of the United States; +but there had been violent objection in the North to the admission of +any new slave state, and this opposition had effectually prevented its +annexation. At the last election (1844), however, a majority of the +voters apparently favored the admission of Texas, which was accordingly +received into the Union, and the long-standing dispute which it had +waged with Mexico as to its proper boundaries was assumed by the United +States. + +Texas claimed to own far more territory than Mexico was willing to +concede, but the facts might easily have been ascertained had the United +States government desired to avoid a war. Unfortunately, it had no +such desire, and General Zachary Taylor was soon ordered to occupy the +disputed territory with about 3,000 men. This force, of which Grant's +regiment formed a part, was called the Army of Observation, but it might +better have been called the Army of Provocation, for it was obviously +intended to provoke an attack on the part of Mexico and to give the +United States an excuse for declaring war and settling the boundary +question to suit itself. + +Probably, there were not many in the army who thought much about the +rights or the wrongs of the impending war. There had been no fighting in +the United States for more than thirty years, and most of the officers +were more interested in seeing real service in the field than they +were in discussing the justice or injustice of the cause. Grant was as +anxious for glory as any of his comrades, but he cherished no illusions +as to the merits of the dispute in which his country was involved. With +the clear vision of the silent man who reads and thinks for himself, +he saw through the thinly disguised pretenses of the politicians and, +recognizing that force was being used against a weaker nation in order +to add more slave states to the Union, he formed a very positive +opinion that the war was unjustifiable. But though he was forced to this +disagreeable conclusion, the young Lieutenant was not the sort of man to +criticize his country once she was attacked, or to shirk his duty as +a soldier because he did not agree with his superiors on questions of +national policy. He thought and said what he liked in private, but he +kept his mouth closed in public, feeling that his duties as an officer +were quite sufficient without assuming responsibilities which belonged +to the authorities in Washington. + +War was inevitable almost from the moment that Texas was annexed, but +with full knowledge of this fact neither the President nor Congress made +any effective preparations for meeting the impending crisis, and when +hostilities actually began, General Taylor was directed to advance under +conditions which virtually required him to fight his way to safety. +Indeed, he was practically cut off from all hope of reënforcement as +soon as the first shot was fired, for his orders obliged him to move +into the interior of the country, and had his opponents been properly +commanded, they could have overwhelmed him and annihilated his whole +force. The very audacity of the little American army, however, seemed +to paralyze the Mexicans who practically made no resistance until Taylor +reached a place called Palo Alto, which in Spanish means "Tall Trees." + +Meanwhile Grant had been made regimental quartermaster, charged with +the duty of seeing that the troops were furnished with proper food and +caring for all property and supplies. Heartily as he disliked this task, +which was not only dull and difficult, but also bade fair to prevent him +from taking active part in the prospective battles, he set to work with +the utmost energy. By the time the enemy began to dispute the road, +he had overcome the immense difficulty of supplying troops on a march +through a tropical country and was prepared to take part in any fighting +that occurred. But the Mexicans gathered at TALL TREES on May 8, 1846, +were not prepared for a serious encounter. They fired at the invaders, +but their short-range cannon loaded with solid shot rarely reached the +Americans, and when a ball did come rolling towards them on the ground, +the troops merely stepped to one side and allowed the missile to pass +harmlessly through their opened ranks. After the American artillery +reached the field, however, the enemy was driven from its position +and the next day the advance was resumed to Resaca de la Palma, where +stronger opposition was encountered. + +Grant was on the right wing of the army as it pressed forward through +dense undergrowth to drive the Mexicans from the coverts in which +they had taken shelter. It was impossible to give any exact orders +in advancing through this jungle, and the men under Grant's command +struggled forward until they reached a clearing where they caught sight +of a small body of Mexicans. The young Lieutenant instantly ordered a +charge and, dashing across the open ground, captured the party only to +discover that they were merely stragglers left behind by other American +troops who had already charged over the same ground. No one appreciated +the humor of this exploit more than Grant. It reminded him, he said, of +the soldier who boasted that he had been in a charge and had cut off the +leg of one of the enemy's officers. "Why didn't you cut off his head?" +inquired his commander. "Oh, somebody had done that already," replied +the valiant hero. + +Slight as the fighting was at Resaca, it completely satisfied the +Mexicans, and for over three months they left the Americans severely +alone. Meanwhile, General Taylor received reënforcements and in August, +1846, he proceeded against the town of Monterey, which the enemy had +fortified with considerable skill and where they were evidently prepared +to make a desperate resistance. Grant was again quartermaster, and +the terrific heat which forced the army to do its marching at night or +during the early hours of the morning, greatly increased his labors and +severely tested his patience. Almost all the transportation animals were +mules, and as very few of them were trained for the work, they were hard +to load and even harder to handle after their burdens were adjusted. +One refractory animal would often stampede all the rest, scattering +provisions and ammunition in their tracks, driving the teamsters to the +point of frenzy and generally hurling confusion through the camp. Even +Grant, who never uttered an oath in his life, was often sorely tried by +these exasperating experiences, but he kept command of his temper and by +his quiet persistence brought order out of chaos in spite of beasts and +men. + +His disappointment was bitter, however, when the attack on Monterey +began and he found himself left without any assignment in the field. +Lieutenant Meade, destined at a later date to command the Union forces +at Gettysburg, was one of the officers entrusted with the preliminary +reconnoissance against the city, and when the fighting actually +commenced on September 21st, 1846, the deserted Quartermaster mounted +his horse and rode to the scene of the action, determined to see +something of the battle even if he could not take part in it. He arrived +at the moment when his regiment was ordered to charge against what was +known as the Black Fort, and dashed forward with his men into the very +jaws of death. Certainly "someone had blundered," for the charge which +had been intended merely as a feint was carried too far and scores +of men were mowed down under the terrible fire of the enemy's guns. +Temporary shelter was at last reached, however, and under cover of it +the Adjutant borrowed Grant's horse; but he fell soon after the charge +was renewed and the Colonel, noticing the impetuous Quartermaster, +promptly appointed him to take the fallen officer's place. By this time +the troops had fought their way into the town and the enemy, posted in +the Plaza or Principal Square, commanded every approach to it. As long +as the Americans kept in the side streets they were comparatively safe, +but the moment they showed themselves in any of the avenues leading to +the Plaza, they encountered a hail of bullets. This was serious enough; +but at the end of two days the situation became critical, for the +ammunition began to run low, and it was realized that, if the Mexicans +discovered this, they would sweep down and cut their defenseless +opponents to pieces. Face to face with this predicament, the Colonel +on September 23rd, called for a volunteer to carry a dispatch to +Headquarters, and Grant instantly responded. + +To reach his destination it was necessary to run the gantlet of the +enemy, for every opening from the Plaza was completely exposed to their +fire. But trusting in the fleetness of his horse, the young lieutenant +leaped into the saddle and, swinging himself down, Indian fashion, on +one side of his steed so as to shield himself behind its body, he dashed +away on his perilous mission. A roar of muskets greeted him at every +corner, but he flashed safely by, leaping a high wall which lay across +his path and then, speeding straight for the east end of the town, +reached the commanding General and reported the peril of his friends. + +Meanwhile the Americans began one of the most curious advances ever +made by an army, for General Worth, finding that he could not force his +troops through the streets leading to the Plaza without great loss of +life, ordered them to enter the houses and break down the intervening +walls, so that they could pass from one adjoining house to another under +cover, directly to the heart of the city. This tunneling maneuver was +executed with great skill, and when the walls of the houses nearest the +Plaza were reached and masses of men stood ready to pour through the +openings into the Square, its astonished defenders gave up the fight and +promptly surrendered the city. + + + + +Chapter VII. -- Captain Lee at the Front + + +Astonishing as General Taylor's success had been, the authorities at +Washington decided, largely for political reasons, to appoint a new +commander, and three months after the battle of Monterey, General +Winfield Scott, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States army, was +ordered to the seat of the war. + +It would be impossible to imagine two officers more utterly different +than Taylor and Scott, but each in his own way exerted a profound +influence upon the careers of Grant and Lee. Taylor was a rough, +uncultivated man, fearless, shrewd and entirely capable, but with +nothing to suggest the soldier in his appearance, dress or dignity. On +the contrary, he usually appeared sitting slouchily on some woe-begone +old animal, his long legs dangling on one side of the saddle, the +bridle rein looped over his arm and a straw hat on his head, more like +a ploughman than an officer of high rank. Indeed, he seldom donned a +uniform of any description, and his only known appearance in full dress +occurred during an official meeting with an admiral, when, out of regard +for naval etiquette, he attired himself in his finest array. But this +effort at politeness was not calculated to encourage him, for the +admiral, knowing his host's objection to uniforms, had been careful to +leave his on his ship and appeared in civilian attire. + +Scott, on the other hand, was a fussy and rather pompous individual, +who delighted in brass buttons and gold lace and invariably presented +a magnificent appearance. But, like Taylor, he was an excellent officer +and thoroughly competent to handle an army in the field. He was, +moreover, entirely familiar with the material of which the American +army was composed, and his first move on assuming command was to order +practically all the regular United States troops and their officers to +join him near Vera Cruz, leaving Taylor virtually nothing but volunteer +regiments. The Fourth Infantry accordingly parted with its old commander +and reported to Scott, where it was assigned to the division of General +Worth, and for the first time Grant met many of the men with and against +whom he was to be thrown during the Civil War. + +It was certainly a remarkable body of officers that Scott gathered about +him at the outset of his campaign, for it included such men as Stonewall +Jackson, Jefferson Davis, McClellan, Joseph Johnson, Jubal Early, A. P. +Hill, Meade, Beauregard, Hooker, Longstreet, Hancock, Thomas and, last +but not least, Ulysses Grant and Robert Lee. Lee had arrived in Mexico +soon after the battle of Monterey, but he had no opportunity for +distinction until the spring of 1847, when preparations were begun +for the siege of Vera Cruz. He had, however, already demonstrated his +ability as an engineer, and with Lieutenant Beauregard who, fourteen +years later, commanded the attack on Fort Sumter, he was entrusted +with posting the American batteries at Vera Cruz. This he did to such +advantage that they made short work of the city which fell into the +invaders' hands, March 29, 1847, after a week's siege. Scott was quick +to recognize the merit of officers, and Lee was straightway attached to +his personal staff, with the result that when the army began its forward +movement most of the difficult and delicate work was confided to his +care. + +Scott's object was the capture of the City of Mexico, the capital of the +Republic, and against this stronghold he moved with energy and skill. +At Cerro Gordo the Mexicans opposed him with considerable force, but +maneuvers, suggested by Lee, enabled him to outflank the enemy and drive +them, without much trouble, from his path. Again at Contreras a check +occurred, part of the army having advanced over a well-nigh impassable +country and lost touch with the Commander-in-Chief. One after another +seven officers were dispatched to carry the necessary orders, but all +returned without effecting their purpose. But at midnight, in the midst +of a torrential storm Lee arrived from the front, having overcome all +difficulties--an achievement which Scott subsequently described as "the +greatest feat of physical and moral courage performed by any individual +in my knowledge, pending the campaign." + +But Lee was more than merely brave and daring. He was thorough. When +work was entrusted to his care he performed it personally, never relying +on others further than was absolutely necessary, and never resting +satisfied until he was certain that he had accomplished his task. On one +of his most important reconnoissances he rode into the interior of the +country at night to locate the position of the enemy, and after he had +proceeded a considerable distance his guide informed him that if he +went any further he would be a prisoner, for the whole Mexican army lay +directly in his path. He, accordingly, advanced more cautiously, but the +guide again begged him to halt, declaring that he could already see the +enemies' tents lying on the hillside below. Peering through the darkness +in the direction indicated, Lee discovered what appeared to be an +encampment of many thousand men, and for the moment he was tempted to +accept his companion's conclusion that this was the main force of the +Mexicans. Second thoughts, however, convinced him that he ought not to +make a report based upon the eyes of the guide, and, despite the +man's frightened protests, he decided to stay where he was and see +the situation for himself by daylight. But, before the morning fairly +dawned, it was apparent that the supposed army of Mexicans was nothing +but a huge flock of sheep and, galloping back with the news that the +road was clear, he led a troop of cavalry forward and located the enemy +posted many miles away in an entirely different position. + +The Mexicans stubbornly, though unsuccessfully, resisted the American +army as it pushed toward their capital, and in the battles which ensued +Lee was so active that his gallant conduct was praised in almost every +dispatch of his Chief, who subsequently attributed much of his success +"to the skill and valor of Robert E. Lee," whom he did not hesitate to +describe as "the greatest military genius in America." Continuous praise +from such a source would have been more than sufficient to turn the +average officer's head, but Lee continued to perform his duties without +showing the least sign of vanity or conceit. Quiet, thoughtful, quick +to take advantage of any opportunity, but greedy of neither honors nor +personal distinction of any kind, he won the admiration of his comrades +as well as the confidence of his superiors, and his promotion, first +to the rank of major and then to that of lieutenant-colonel, was +universally approved. + +Meanwhile, Grant had been acquitting himself with high credit in all the +work which fell to his share. He was in no position to render service of +anything like the importance of Lee's, but he did what he was ordered to +do and did it well, being brevetted a first lieutenant for conspicuous +gallantry at the battle of Molino del Rey, September 8, 1847. Again, +on September 13, in the fighting around Chapultepec, where Lee, though +wounded, remained in the saddle until he fell fainting from his horse, +Grant gained considerable distinction by his quick action in relieving a +dangerous pressure on part of the American lines by posting a small gun +in the belfry of a church and galling the enemy with his deadly accurate +fire. It was characteristic of the man that when complimented upon +this achievement and told that a second gun would be sent to him, Grant +merely saluted. He might, with truth, have informed his commanding +officer that the belfry could not accommodate another gun, but it was +not his habit to talk when there was no need of it, or to question the +wisdom of his superior officer. He, therefore, quietly accepted the +praise and the superfluous gun and, returning to his post, resumed +his excellent service. This and other similar conduct won him further +promotion, and on September 14, 1847, when the Americans marched +triumphantly into the Mexican capital, he was brevetted a captain. + +The war practically ended with this event and within a year Grant was +married to Miss Julia Dent and stationed at Sackett's Harbor, New York, +while Lee was assigned to the defenses of Baltimore, not far from his +old home. + + + + +Chapter VIII. -- Colonel Lee After the Mexican War + + +It is probable that Lee would have been well content to remain +indefinitely at Baltimore, for his duties there enabled him to be more +with his family than had been possible for some years. To his boys and +girls he was both a companion and a friend and in their company he took +the keenest delight. In fact, he and his wife made their home the center +of attraction for all the young people of the neighborhood, and no +happier household existed within the confines of their beloved Virginia. + +It was not to be expected, however, that an officer of Lee's reputation +would be allowed to remain long in obscurity, and in 1852, he was +appointed Superintendent at West Point. A wiser selection for this +important post could scarcely have been made, for Colonel Lee, then +in his forty-sixth year, possessed rare qualifications for the duties +entrusted to his charge. He was not only a man whose splendid presence, +magnificent physique and distinguished record were certain to win the +admiration and respect of young men, but he combined in his character +and temperament all the qualities of a tactful teacher and an inspiring +leader. Quiet and dignified, but extremely sympathetic, he governed +the cadets without seeming to command them and, as at his own home, he +exerted a peculiarly happy influence upon all with whom he came into +personal contact. Among the cadets during his service at West Point were +J. E. B. Stuart, who was to prove himself one of the greatest cavalry +leaders that this country has ever produced, and his elder son, Custis +Lee, who, improving on his father's almost perfect record, graduated +first in his class. + +About this time certain important changes were effected in the +organization of the regular army, and the popular Superintendent of West +Point was immediately appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the newly formed +Second Cavalry, with orders to proceed to Texas and protect the settlers +against the attacks of hostile Indians. It was with keen regret that +Lee received this assignment, for, though intended as a promotion, it +removed him from the corps of engineers to which he had always been +attached and obliged him to break all his home ties for what was +practically police duty in the wilderness. Nevertheless, no thought of +resigning from the army apparently crossed his mind. He soon joined +his regiment in Texas, where, for almost three years, he patrolled the +country, ruling the Indians by diplomacy or force, as occasion required, +practically living in the saddle and experiencing all the discomforts +and privations of garrison life at an outpost of civilization. + +Almost his only relaxation during this lonely and exhausting service was +his correspondence with his wife and children, and his letters to them, +written in rough camps and on the march, show that his thoughts were +constantly with his home and loved ones. "It has been said that our +letters are good representations of our minds," he wrote his youngest +daughter from Texas in 1857; and certainly Lee's correspondence, +exhibiting as it does, consideration for others, modesty, +conscientiousness, affection and a spirit of fun, affords an admirable +reflection of the writer. + +"Did I tell you that 'Jim Nooks,' Mrs. Waite's cat, was dead?" he wrote +one of his girls. "He died of apoplexy. I foretold his end. Coffee +and cream for breakfast, pound cake for lunch, turtle and oysters for +dinner, buttered toast for tea and Mexican rats, taken raw, for supper! +He grew enormously and ended in a spasm. His beauty could not save +him.... But I saw 'cats as is cats' at Sarassa.... The entrance of +Madame [his hostess] was foreshadowed by the coming in of her stately +cats with visages grim and tails erect, who preceded, surrounded and +followed her. They are of French breed and education, and when the +claret and water were poured out for my refreshment they jumped on the +table for a sit-to.... I had to leave the wild-cat on the Rio Grande; +he was too savage and had grown as large as a small sized dog. He would +pounce on a kid as Tom Tita [his daughter's cat] would on a mouse and +would whistle like a tiger when you approached him." + +But it was not always in this chatty fashion that he wrote, for in 1856, +when the question of slavery was being fiercely discussed throughout +the country, he expressed his views on the subject with a moderation and +broadmindedness exceedingly rare in those excited times. + +"In this enlightened age," he wrote his wife, "there are few, I believe, +but will acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and +political evil in any country. I think it, however, a greater evil to +the white than to the black race; and while my feelings are strongly +interested in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are stronger for +the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in +Africa--morally, socially and physically. The painful discipline they +are undergoing is necessary for their instruction as a race and I hope +it will prepare and lead them to better things. How long this subjection +may be necessary is known and ordered by a wise and merciful Providence. +Their emancipation will sooner result from a mild and melting influence +than from the storms and contests of fiery controversy. This influence +though slow is sure." + +Such were the views of Robert Lee on this great question of the day, and +even as he wrote the country was beginning to notice a country lawyer +named Abraham Lincoln, who was expressing almost identically the same +opinions in no uncertain terms. + +But the calm advice of Lincoln and Lee did not appeal to the hot-heads +who were for abolishing slavery instantly at any and every cost. In +October, 1859, when Lee was on a short visit to Arlington, John Brown, +whose father had once lived with Grant's father, attempted to take +the whole matter into his already blood-stained hands. It is a strange +coincidence that Lee should have chanced to be in Virginia just at this +particular crisis, and still stranger that the errand which had called +him home should have related to the emancipation of slaves. But the +facts were that Mr. Custis, his father-in-law, had died a few weeks +previously, leaving him as the executor of his will, which provided, +among other things, for the gradual emancipation of all his slaves. +Lee had accordingly obtained leave of absence to make a flying trip to +Virginia for the purpose of undertaking this duty, and he was actually +making arrangements to carry out Mr. Custis's wishes in respect to his +slaves when the news of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry reached +Arlington. Word of this reckless attempt to free the slaves by force +reached him in the form of a dispatch from the Secretary of War, +ordering him to take immediate charge of the United States marines who +were being hurried to the scene of action. He instantly obeyed and, +with Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart as his second in command, hastened to +Harper's Ferry and, directing his troops to storm the engine-house where +Brown and his followers had taken refuge, effected their capture almost +without striking a blow. Then, after delivering his prisoners to the +proper authorities, he completed his work at Arlington and returned to +Texas and the rough life of guarding the frontier line. + +From this duty he was recalled to Washington in March, 1861, when the +Southern States were rapidly forming the Confederacy, the whole country +was in wild confusion and the nation was facing the prospect of a +terrific civil war. + + + + +Chapter IX. -- Captain Grant in a Hard Fight + + +Meanwhile, what had become of Grant? The War Department did not know +and apparently did not care. Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War, +responded to his father's anxious inquiry that Captain U. S. Grant +had resigned from the army in July, 1854, but that he had no official +knowledge as to why he had taken this action. Mr. Grant, however, soon +learned the facts from other sources, and in his bitter disappointment +was heard to exclaim that "West Point had ruined one of his boys for +him." + +It was natural enough that the stern and proud old gentleman should have +blamed West Point for the heart-breaking failure of his favorite son, +but, as a matter of fact, West Point was in no way responsible for what +had occurred. Neither during his cadetship at the Academy nor for some +years after his graduation from that institution had Ulysses Grant +touched wine or stimulants in any form. He had, indeed, tried to learn +to smoke during his West Point days but had merely succeeded in making +himself ill. During his hard campaigning in Mexico, however, he had +learned not only to smoke, but to drink, though it was not until some +years after the war closed that he began to indulge to excess. As a +matter of fact, he ought never to have touched a drop of any intoxicant, +for a very little was always too much for him, and the result was that +he soon came to be known in the army as a drinking man. Had he been at +home, surrounded by his wife and children and busily engaged, perhaps +he might not have yielded to his weakness. But his orders carried him +to lonely posts on the Pacific, many hundreds of miles away from his +family, with no duties worthy of the name, and the habit grew on him +until the exasperated Colonel of his regiment at last gave him the +choice of resigning or being court-martialed for conduct unbecoming an +officer and a gentleman. Face to face with this ugly alternative, he +chose resignation, and the army, officially, knew him no more. + +It was not only social and professional disgrace, but financial ruin +which confronted the broken officer as he bade good-bye to his regiment +at its desolate quarters in California, after fifteen years of service +to the army. He was absolutely without money and, at the age of +thirty-two, it was by no means easy for him to begin life all over again +and earn his own living at a new calling. His fellow officers provided +him with enough cash for his immediate wants, and with their help he +managed to find his way back to Sackett's Harbor, New York, where there +was a little money owing him. But he failed to collect this and remained +hopelessly stranded until another officer came to his rescue and +provided him with sufficient funds to take him to his home. This friend +in time of need was Simon B. Buckner, whom he was to meet again under +strange and dramatic circumstances. + +It was hardly to be expected, under such conditions, that stern +old Jesse Grant would welcome the home-coming of his eldest son. +Nevertheless, he helped him on his way to his wife and children, and, +sick at heart and broken in health, the young man joined his family and +began a desperate struggle to earn his own living. Mrs. Grant's father +was a slave owner and a sympathizer with the South in the growing +trouble between that section of the country and the North. But the +quarrel had not yet reached the breaking point, and although he did not +approve of his son-in-law's northern views and heartily disapproved of +his conduct, he gave him a start as a farmer and then left him to work +out his own salvation. + +Farming was the only occupation at which Grant could hope to make a +living, but he soon found that he did not know enough about this to make +a success of it, and gradually fell back on his youthful experience as +a teamster, hauling wood to the city where he sold it to the railroad +or to anyone that would buy. At this he was fairly successful and, +encouraged by his wife who stood bravely by him, he built a house with +his own hands, which, although it was not much more than a log cabin, +was sufficiently large to shelter his small family. All this time he +was making a hard fight to conquer his drinking habits, but the vice had +taken a terrible hold on him and he could not easily shake it off. It +was only a matter of time, therefore, before his experiment at farming +failed and with the aid of his father-in-law he entered business as +a real estate broker in St. Louis. But for this calling he had no +qualification whatsoever, and after a disheartening experience in +attempting to secure the post of county engineer, he accepted his +father's suggestion that he join his brothers in the leather business +in Galena, Illinois, and retired there with his family in the spring of +1860. + +The position which his father had made for him was not much more than +a clerkship and the work was dull for a man who had been accustomed to +active, outdoor life; but he was received with tact and kindness, no +reference was made to his past record of failure and all this helped +him to continue the successful struggle which he was making to regain +control of himself and his habits. + +Indeed, from the time he began his residence in Galena he already had +the battle well in hand and he fought it out with such grim resolution +that before a year had passed his victory was complete. Scarcely anyone +in the little town knew of this silent struggle for self-mastery. +Indeed, very few people knew anything at all about the newcomer, save +that he was a quiet, hard-working man who occasionally appeared on the +streets wearing a blue army overcoat which had seen rough service. This +weather-stained garment, however, forced Grant to break his habitual +silence, for he fully shared General Taylor's prejudice against a +uniform and felt obliged to apologize for wearing even part of one. So +one day he explained to a neighbor that he wore the coat because it was +made of good material and he thought he ought to use it as long as it +lasted. That was all the citizens of Galena then learned of the record +of the man who had served with high honor in well-nigh every battle +of the Mexican War. Had it depended upon him, their information would +probably have begun and ended there. + +During all this time the feeling between the North and the South was +growing more and more bitter, but Galena was a town divided against +itself on the slavery question. Grant himself was a Democrat. If he +was not in favor of slavery, he certainly was not opposed to it, for he +favored Douglas and not Lincoln in the contest for the Presidency, and +Douglas was strongly against any interference with slavery. Indeed, it +is a curious coincidence that at or about the time when Lee's family was +ceasing to own slaves, Grant's family acquired some. Such, however, is +the fact, for on the death of her father, Mrs. Grant inherited several +Negroes and there is some evidence that Grant himself sold or attempted +to sell them. + +But, though he was at that time no champion of the black race, Grant was +always a strong Union man, opposed heart and soul to secession. Indeed, +when news of the attack upon Fort Sumter arrived in Galena, he arrayed +himself with the defenders of the flag gathered at a mass meeting held +in the town to form a company in response to the President's call for +75,000 volunteers. Moreover, this meeting had no sooner been called +to order than someone proposed him as chairman, and to his utter +astonishment, he found himself pushed from the rear of the room to the +front and from the front to the platform. Probably few in the audience +knew who or what he was, and his embarrassment was such that for a +few minutes no words came to his lips. Finally, however, he managed to +announce the object of the meeting, warning those who intended to enlist +that they would be engaged in serious business involving hard work +and privation, expressing his willingness to aid in forming the Galena +Company and ending with a simple statement of his own intention to +reënter the army. + +There was nothing eloquent about his short speech but it had the tone +of a man who knew what he was talking about, and the audience, availing +itself of his military experience, immediately voted to entrust the +organization and drilling of the volunteers to his care, and from that +moment he never again entered his father's place of business. + + + + +Chapter X. -- Grant's Difficulties in Securing a Command + + +The command of the local company was, of course, offered to Grant as +soon as it was formed, but he declined, believing himself qualified for +somewhat higher rank than a captaincy of volunteers. Nevertheless, he +did all he could to prepare the recruits for active service in the field +and when they were ordered to Springfield, the capital of Illinois, he +journeyed there to see them properly mustered into the service of the +state. + +Springfield was a hubbub of noise and a rallying point for well-meaning +incompetence when he arrived upon the scene. New officers in new +uniforms swaggered in every public meeting place, bands of music played +martial airs at every street corner and volunteers sky-larked and +paraded in all sorts of impossible uniforms and with every form of +theatric display. But system and order were absolutely lacking, and the +adjutant-general's office, littered with blanks and well-nigh knee deep +with papers, was the most helpless spot in the welter of confusion. All +the material for a respectable army was at hand, but how to form it +into an effective force was more than anyone seemed to know. The mass of +military forms and blanks intended for that purpose was mere waste paper +in the hands of the amiable but ignorant insurance agent who bore +the title of adjutant-general, and no one of the patriotic mob had +sufficient knowledge to instruct him in his duties. In the midst of all +this hopeless confusion, however, someone suggested that a man by the +name of Grant, who had come down with the Galena Company, had been in +the army and ought to know about such things. The Governor accordingly +sought out "the man from Galena" just as he was starting for his home, +with the result that he was soon at a desk in the adjutant's office, +filling out the necessary papers at three dollars a day, while the brand +new captains, colonels and generals posed in the foreground to the tune +of popular applause. + +From this time forward order gradually took the place of chaos and the +political generals and comic-opera soldiers were slowly shifted from the +scene. But scarcely anyone noticed the silent man, hard at work in his +shirt sleeves in a corner of the adjutant's room, and such inquiries as +were made concerning him elicited the information that he was a cast-off +of the regular army, with a dubious reputation for sobriety, who had +been hired as a clerk. But the Governor of Illinois was an intelligent +man, and he was well aware of the service which the ex-Captain of +regulars was performing for the State, and on the completion of his work +in the adjutant's office Grant was given a nominal title and assigned to +visit the various regiments at their encampments to see that they were +properly mustered in. He, accordingly, straightway set to work at +this task, and his brisk, business-like manner of handling it made +an impression upon those with whom he came in contact, for one of the +temporary camps became known as Camp Grant. + +Meanwhile, seeing his duties coming to an end without much hope +of further employment, he wrote the following letter to the +Adjutant-General of the United States Army at Washington: + + +"Sir: + +"Having served for fifteen years in the regular army, including four +years at West Point, and feeling it the duty of every one who has been +educated at the Government expense to offer their services for the +support of that Government, I have the honor, very respectfully, to +tender my services until the close of the war in such capacity as may be +offered. I would say in view of my present age and length of service, +I feel myself competent to command a regiment, if the President, in his +judgment, should see fit to entrust one to me. Since the first call of +the President I have been serving on the staff of the Governor of this +State, rendering such aid as I could in the organization of our State +militia, and am still engaged in that capacity. A letter addressed to me +at Springfield, Ill., will reach me." + + +But the authorities at Washington took no notice whatsoever of +this modest letter, which was evidently tossed aside and completely +forgotten. Indeed, it was so completely buried in the files of the +War Department that it disappeared for years and, when it was at last +discovered, the war was a thing of the past. + +This silent rebuff was enough to discourage any sensitive man and Grant +felt it keenly, but he did not entirely despair of accomplishing +his end. He tried to gain an interview with General Frémont who was +stationed in a neighboring state and, failing in this, sought out +McClellan, his comrade in the Mexican War, who had been made a +major-general and was then in the vicinity of Covington, Kentucky, where +Grant had gone to visit his parents. But McClellan either would not or +could not see him. Indeed, he had about reached the conclusion that his +quest was hopeless, when he happened to meet a friend who offered to +tell the Governor of Ohio that he wished to reenter the army, with +the result that before long he was tendered the colonelcy of an Ohio +regiment. In the meantime, however, he had unexpectedly received a +telegram from the Governor of Illinois, appointing him to the command of +the 21st Illinois regiment, and this he had instantly accepted. Had he +known the exact circumstances under which this post was offered him, +perhaps he might not have acted so promptly, but he knew enough to make +him aware that the appointment was not altogether complimentary and it +is quite likely that he would have accepted it in any event. + +The facts were, however, that the Colonel of the 21st Regiment had +proved to be an ignorant and bombastic adventurer, who had appeared +before his troops clothed in a ridiculous costume and armed like a +pirate king, and there was such dissatisfaction among both the officers +and men that a new commander was urgently demanded. Of this Grant +already knew something, but he was not advised that the regiment had +become so utterly demoralized by its incompetent leader that it was +nothing less than a dangerous and unruly mob, of which the Governor +could not induce any self-respecting officer to take charge. He had, +indeed, offered the command to at least half a dozen other men before +he tendered it to Grant, and he must have been intensely relieved to +receive his prompt acceptance. + +The new Colonel did not wait to procure a new uniform before reporting +for duty, but, hastening to the Fair Grounds close to Springfield where +his troops were stationed, ordered them to assemble for inspection. +But incompetent leadership had played havoc with the discipline of the +regiment, and the men shambled from their tents without any attempt at +military formation, more from curiosity than in obedience to orders. + +The new Colonel stepped to the front, wearing a rusty suit of civilian's +clothes, his trousers tucked into his dusty boots, a battered hat on his +head, a bandanna handkerchief tied around his waist in place of a sash +and carrying a stick in place of a sword. Altogether he presented a +most unimpressive figure and it would not have been surprising if a wild +guffaw of laughter had greeted him, but the troops, studying his strong, +calm face, contented themselves with calling for a speech. Then they +waited in silence for his response and they did not have to wait long. + +"Men!" he commanded sharply. "Go to your quarters!" + +The regiment fairly gasped its astonishment. It had never heard a speech +like that before and, taken completely by surprise, it moved quietly +from the field. + +Sentries were instantly posted, camp limits established and preparations +made for enforcing strict discipline. It was not to be supposed that +such prompt reforms would pass unchallenged, but arrests followed the +first signs of disobedience and punishment swiftly followed the arrests. + +"For every minute I'm kept here I'll have an ounce of your blood!" +threatened a dangerous offender whom the Colonel had ordered to be tied +up. + +"Gag that man!" was the quiet response. "And when his time is up I'll +cut him loose myself." + +Before night, all was quiet in the camp of the 21st Regiment of Illinois +Volunteers. + +Grant was in command. + + + + +Chapter XI. -- Lee at the Parting of the Ways + + +While Grant was thus striving to reënter the army, Lee was having a +struggle of a very different sort. Summoned from his distant post in +Texas, where only an occasional rumble of the coming tempest reached +his ears, he suddenly found himself in the center of the storm which +threatened to wreck the Republic. In the far South seven states had +already seceded; in Washington, Congressmen, Senators, and members +of the Cabinet were abandoning their posts; in the army and navy his +friends were daily tendering their resignations; and his own state, +divided between love for the Union and sympathy with its neighbors, was +hovering on the brink of secession. + +The issue in Lee's mind was not the existence of slavery. He had long +been in favor of emancipation, and Virginia had more than once come +so close to abolishing slavery by law that its disappearance from her +borders was practically assured within a very short period. All his own +slaves he had long since freed and he was gradually emancipating his +father-in-law's, according to the directions of Mr. Custis's will. But +the right of each state to govern itself without interference from the +Federal Government seemed to Lee essential to the freedom of the people. +He recognized, however, that secession was revolution and, calmly and +conscientiously examining the question, he concluded that, if force were +used to compel any state to remain in the Union, resistance would +be justifiable. Most Virginians reached this decision impulsively, +light-heartedly, defiantly or vindictively, and more or less angrily, +according to their temperaments and the spirit of the times, but not so +Lee. He unaffectedly prayed God for guidance in the struggle between his +patriotism and his devotion to a principle which he deemed essential to +liberty and justice. He loved his country as only a man in close touch +with its history and with a deep reverence for its great founder, +Washington, could love it; he had fought for its flag; he wore its +uniform; he had been educated at its expense; and General Scott, the +Commander of the army, a devoted Union man, was his warm personal +friend. Patriotism, personal pride, loyalty and even gratitude, +therefore, urged him toward the support of the Union, and only his +adherence to a principle and the claims of his kinsmen and friends +forbade. + +For a time Virginia resisted every effort to induce her to cast her lot +with the Confederacy. Indeed she actually voted against secession when +the question was first presented. But when Fort Sumter resisted attack +on April 12, 1861, and the President called upon the various states +to furnish troops to enforce the national authority, practically all +affection for the Union disappeared and by a decisive vote Virginia +determined to uphold the Southern cause. + +At that crisis President Lincoln made a strong effort to induce Lee to +support the Union, for he actually offered him the command of the United +States Army which was about to take the field. The full force of this +remarkable tribute to his professional skill was not lost upon Lee. +He had devoted his whole life to the army, and to be a successor of +Washington in the command of that army meant more to him than perhaps +to any other soldier in the land. Certainly, if he had consulted his own +ambition or been influenced by any but the most unselfish motives, he +would have accepted the call as the highest honor in the gift of the +nation. But to do so he would have been obliged to surrender his private +principles and desert his native state, and it is impossible to imagine +that a man of his character would, even for an instant, consider such +a course. Gravely and sadly he declined the mighty office, and two days +later he tendered his resignation from the service he had honored for +almost six and thirty years. + +For this and his subsequent action Lee has been called a traitor and +severely criticized for well-nigh fifty years. But, when a nation has +been divided against itself upon a great issue of government, millions +upon one side and millions upon the other, and half a century has +intervened, it is high time that justice be given to the man who did +what he thought right and honorably fought for a principle which he +could have surrendered only at the expense of his conscience and his +honor. Lee was a traitor to the United States in the same sense that +Washington was a traitor to England. No more and no less. England takes +pride to-day in having given Washington to the world. Americans deprive +their country of one of her claims to greatness when they fail to honor +the character and the genius of Robert Lee. + +It was in a letter to his old commander, Scott, that Lee announced his +momentous decision, and its tone well indicated what the parting cost +him. + + +"Arlington, Va., April 20, 1861. + +"General: + +"Since my interview with you on the 18th inst., 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 at once but for the struggle it has cost me to +separate myself from a service to which I have devoted the best years +of my life and all the ability I possessed. During the whole of that +time...I have experienced nothing but kindness from my superiors and +a most cordial friendship from my comrades. To no one, General, have +I been as much indebted as to yourself for uniform kindness and +consideration.... Save in the defense of my native State, I never desire +again to draw my sword." + + +Lee was fully aware of the serious nature of the conflict in which +the country was about to engage. Americans were to be pitted against +Americans and he knew what that meant. Wise men, both North and South, +were prophesying that the war would not last more than ninety days, +and foolish ones were bragging of their own powers and questioning the +courage of their opponents, quite oblivious of the adage that when Greek +meets Greek there comes a tug of war. But Lee did not concern himself +with such childish exhibitions of judgment and temper. + +"Do not put your faith in rumors of adjustment," he wrote his wife +before serious fighting had begun. "I see no prospect of it. It cannot +be while passions on both sides are so infuriated. MAKE YOUR PLANS FOR +SEVERAL YEARS OF WAR. I agree with you that the inflammatory articles +in the papers do us much harm. I object particularly to those in the +Southern papers, as I wish them to take a firm, dignified course, +free from bravado and boasting. The times are indeed calamitous. The +brightness of God's countenance seems turned from us. It may not always +be so dark and He may in time pardon our sins and take us under his +protection." + +Up to this time his son Custis, who had graduated first in his class +at West Point, was still in the service of the United States as a +lieutenant in the Engineers and of him Lee wrote to his wife in the same +comradely spirit that he had always shown toward his boys. "Tell Custis +he must consult his own judgment, reason and conscience, as to the +course he may take. The present is a momentous question which every man +must settle for himself, and upon principle. I do not wish him to be +guided by my wishes or example. If I have done wrong let him do better." + +Virginia was not slow in recognizing that she had within her borders the +soldiers whom the chief general of the United States described as +the greatest military genius in America, and within three days of his +resignation from the old army, Lee was tendered the command of all the +Virginia troops. Convinced that the brunt of the heavy fighting would +fall on his native state, to whose defense he had dedicated his sword, +he accepted the offer and thus there came to the aid of the Confederacy +one of the few really great commanders that the world has ever seen. + + + + +Chapter XII. -- Opening Moves + + +It was to no very agreeable task that Lee was assigned at the outset of +his command. The forces of the Confederacy were even less prepared to +take the field than those of the United States, and for three months +Lee was hard at work organizing and equipping the army for effective +service. This important but dull duty prevented him from taking any +active part in the first great battle of the War at Bull Run (July 21, +1861), but it was his rare judgment in massing the troops where +they could readily reënforce each other that enabled the Confederate +commanders on that occasion to form the junction which resulted in the +overwhelming defeat of the Union army. This fact was well recognized by +the authorities and, when the situation in western Virginia assumed a +threatening aspect, he was ordered there with the highest hopes that he +would repeat the success of Bull Run and speedily expel the Union forces +from that part of the state. + +A more unpromising field of operation than western Virginia could +scarcely have been selected for the new commander. The people of that +region generally favored the Union, and the Federal troops had already +obtained possession of the strongest positions, while some of the +Confederate commanders were quarreling with each other and otherwise +working at cross purposes. For a time, therefore, Lee had to devote +himself to smoothing over the differences which had arisen among his +jealous subordinates, but when he at last began an aggressive movement, +bad weather and a lack of coöperation between the various parts of his +small army defeated his designs, and in October, 1861, the three-months' +campaign came to an inglorious close. + +This complete failure was a bitter disappointment to the Confederate +hopes and Lee was severely blamed for the result. Indeed, for the +time being he was regarded as an overrated individual who had had his +opportunity and had proved unequal to the task of conducting military +operations on a large scale. It was not easy to suffer this unjust +criticism to pass unnoticed, but the discipline of the army life had +taught Lee to control his tongue, and he made no protest even when he +found himself removed from the front to superintend the fortifying +of the coast. A small-minded man would probably have retired in sulky +silence under such circumstances, but Lee entered upon his new duties +with cheerful energy, and in four months he devised such skillful +defenses for Charleston, Savannah and other points on the Confederate +coast line, that they were enabled to defy all assaults of the Union +army and navy until almost the close of the war. This invaluable service +attracted no public attention, but it was fully appreciated by the +Confederate authorities, who in no wise shared the popular opinion +concerning Lee's talents. On the contrary, President Jefferson Davis, +himself a graduate of West Point, continued to have the highest regard +for his ability, and in March, 1862, he reappointed him as his chief +military adviser at Richmond. + +It was about this time that the roar of cannon in the West attracted the +attention of the country, making it realize for the first time how far +flung was the battle line of the contending armies; and on hard-fought +fields, hundreds and hundreds of miles away from Washington and +Richmond, the mud-splashed figure of Grant began to loom through heavy +clouds of smoke. + +It was by no brilliant achievement that Grant regained his standing in +the army. The unruly 21st Illinois had been sufficiently disciplined +within a fortnight after he assumed command to take some pride in +itself as an organization and when its short term of service expired, +it responded to the eloquence of McClernand and Logan, two visiting +orators, by reënlisting almost to a man. Then the Colonel set to work in +earnest to make his regiment ready for the field, drilling and hardening +the men for their duties and waiting for an opportunity to show that +this was a fighting force with no nonsense about it. The opportunity +came sooner than he expected, for about two weeks after he had assumed +command, his regiment was ordered to northern Missouri, and a railroad +official called at his camp to inquire how many cars he would need +for the transportation of his men. "I don't want any," was the bluff +response; and, to the astonishment of the local authorities who, at +that period of the war, never dreamed of moving troops except by rail +or river, the energetic Colonel assembled his regiment in marching order +and started it at a brisk pace straight across country. + +But, though he had moved with such commendable promptness, Grant was not +nearly so confident as his actions seemed to imply. In fact, before he +reached his destination, he heartily wished himself back again, and by +the time he arrived at the point where the enemy was expected his +nerves were completely unstrung. It was not the fright of cowardice that +unmanned him, but rather the terror of responsibility. Again and again +he had braved death in battle but now, for the first time, the safety of +an entire regiment depended solely upon him as he approached the summit +of the hill from which he expected to catch sight of his opponents he +dreaded to fight them, lest he prove unequal to the emergency. But, +while he was tormenting himself with this over-anxiety, he suddenly +remembered that his opponent was just as new at his duties as he was and +probably quite as nervous, and from that moment his confidence gradually +returned. As a matter of fact, Colonel Harris, who commanded the +Confederate force, displayed far more prudence than valor, for, on +hearing of the advance of the Union troops, he speedily retreated and +the 21st Illinois encountered no opposition whatever. But the march +taught Grant a lesson he never forgot and, thereafter, in the hour of +peril, he invariably consoled himself by remembering that his opponents +were not free from danger and the more he made them look to their own +safety the less time they would have for worrying him. + +It was in July, 1861, when Grant entered Missouri, and about a month +later the astonishing news reached his headquarters that President +Lincoln had appointed him a Brigadier General of Volunteers. The +explanation of this unexpected honor was that the Illinois Congressmen +had included his name with seven others on a list of possible +brigadiers, and the President had appointed four of them without +further evidence of their qualifications. Under such circumstances, the +promotion was not much of an honor, but it placed Grant in immediate +command of an important district involving the control of an army of +quite respectable size. + +For a time the new General was exclusively occupied with perfecting the +organization of his increased command, but to this hard, dull work he +devoted himself in a manner that astonished some of the other brigadiers +whose ideas of the position involved a showy staff of officers and a +deal of picturesque posing in resplendent uniforms. But Grant had no +patience with such foolery. He had work to do and when his headquarters +were established at Cairo, Illinois, he took charge of them himself, +keeping his eyes on all the details like any careful business man. In +fact he was, as far as appearances were concerned, a man of business, +for he seldom wore a uniform and worked at his desk all day in his shirt +sleeves, behind ramparts of maps and papers, with no regard whatever for +military ceremony or display. + +A month of this arduous preparation found his force ready for active +duty and about this time he became convinced that the Confederates +intended to seize Paducah, an important position in Kentucky at the +mouth of the Tennessee River, just beyond the limits of his command. +He, accordingly, telegraphed his superiors for permission to occupy the +place. No reply came to this request and a more timid man would have +hesitated to move without orders. But Grant saw the danger and, assuming +the responsibility, landed his troops in the town just in time to +prevent its capture by the Confederates. Paducah was in sympathy with +the South, and on entering it the Union commander issued an address to +the inhabitants which attracted far more attention than the occupation +of the town, for it contained nothing of the silly brag and bluster so +common then in military proclamations on both sides. On the contrary, +it was so modest and sensible, and yet so firm, that Lincoln, on reading +it, is said to have remarked: "The man who can write like that is fitted +to command." + +Paducah was destined to be the last of Grant's bloodless victories, +for in November, 1861, he was ordered to threaten the Confederates near +Belmont, Missouri, as a feint to keep them from reënforcing another +point where a real assault was planned. The maneuver was conducted with +great energy and promised to be completely successful, but after Grant's +raw troops had made their first onslaught and had driven their opponents +from the field, they became disorderly and before he could control them +the enemy reappeared in overwhelming numbers and compelled them to fight +their way back to the river steamers which had carried them to the scene +of action. This they succeeded in doing, but such was their haste to +escape capture that they actually tumbled on board the boats and pushed +off from the shore without waiting for their commander. By this time the +Confederates were rapidly approaching with the intention of sweeping the +decks of the crowded steamboats before they could get out of range, +and Grant was apparently cut off from all chance of escape. Directly +in front of him lay the precipitous river bank, while below only +one transport was within hail and that had already started from its +moorings. Its captain, however, caught sight of him as he came galloping +through a corn field and instantly pushed his vessel as close to the +shore as he dared, at the same time throwing out a single plank about +fifteen feet in length to serve as an emergency gangway. To force a +horse down the cliff-like bank of the river and up the narrow plank to +the steamer's deck, was a daring feat, but the officer who was riding +for his life had not forgotten the skill which had marked him at West +Point and, compelling his mount to slide on its haunches down the +slippery mud precipice, he trotted coolly up the dangerous incline to +safety. + +The battle of Belmont (November 7, 1861), as this baptism of fire was +called, is said to have caused more mourning than almost any other +engagement of the war, for up to that time there had been but little +loss of life and its list of killed and wounded, mounting into the +hundreds, made a painfully deep impression. In this respect, it was +decidedly ominous of Grant's future record, but it accomplished his +purpose in detaining the Confederates and he was soon to prove his +willingness to accept defeats as necessary incidents to any successful +campaign and to fight on undismayed. + + + + +Chapter XIII. -- Grant's First Success + + +Up to this time the war in the West had been largely an affair of +skirmishes. A body of Union troops would find itself confronting a +Confederate force, one of the two commanders would attack and a fight +would follow; or the Confederates would march into a town and their +opponents would attempt to drive them out of it, not because it was +of any particular value, but because the other side held it. +"See-a-head-and-hit-it" strategy governed the day and no plan worthy +of the name had been adopted for conducting the war on scientific +principles. + +But Grant had studied the maps to some purpose in his office at Cairo +and he realized that the possession of the Mississippi River was the +key to the situation in the West. As long as the Confederates controlled +that great waterway which afforded them free access to the ocean +and fairly divided the Eastern from the Western States, they might +reasonably hope to defy their opponents to the end of time. But, if they +lost it, one part of the Confederacy would be almost completely cut off +from the rest. Doubtless, other men saw this just as clearly and quite +as soon as Grant did; but having once grasped an idea he never lost +sight of it, and while others were diverted by minor matters, he +concentrated his whole attention on what he believed to be the vital +object of all campaigning in the West. + +The Tennessee River and the Cumberland River both flow into the Ohio, +not far from where that river empties into the Mississippi. They, +therefore, formed the principal means of water communication with the +Mississippi for the State of Tennessee, and the Confederates had created +forts to protect them at points well within supporting distance of each +other. Fort Henry, guarding the Tennessee River, and Fort Donelson, +commanding the Cumberland River, were both in Grant's district, and in +January, 1862, he wrote to General Halleck, his superior officer in St. +Louis, calling attention to the importance of these posts and offering +suggestions for their capture. But Halleck did not take any notice of +this communication and Grant thereupon resolved to go to St. Louis and +present his plans in person. This was the first time he had been in the +city since the great change in his circumstances and those who had known +him only a few years before as a poverty-stricken farmer and wagoner +could scarcely believe that he was the same man. He had, as yet, done +nothing very remarkable, but he held an important command, his name was +well and favorably known and he had already begun to pay off his old +debts. All this enabled his father and mother to regain something of the +pride they had once felt for their eldest son, and his former friends +were glad to welcome him and claim his acquaintance. + +Pleasant as this was, the trip to St. Louis was a bitter disappointment +in other respects, for Halleck not only rejected his subordinate's +proposition for the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, but +dismissed him without even listening to the details of his plan. Most +officers would have been completely discouraged by such treatment, but +Grant had been accustomed to disappointments for many years and did not +readily despair. Meeting Flag-Officer Foote who had charge of a fleet +of gun boats near Cairo, he explained his idea and finding him not only +sympathetic, but enthusiastic, he and Foote each sent a telegram to +Halleck assuring him that Fort Henry could be taken if he would only +give his consent. These messages brought no immediate response, but +Grant continued to request permission to advance until, on the 1st of +February, 1862, the necessary order was obtained and within twenty-four +hours the persistent officer had his expedition well upon its way. + +His force consisted of some 15,000 men and seven gun boats, and Halleck +promised him reënforcements, sending a capable officer to see that they +were promptly forwarded. This officer was Brigadier General Sherman who +thus, for the first time, came in touch with the man with whom he was +destined to bring the war to a close. Four days after the troops started +they were ready to attack and the gun-boats at once proceeded to +shell the fort, with the result that its garrison almost immediately +surrendered (February 6, 1862), practically all of its defenders having +retreated to Fort Donelson as soon as they saw that their position was +seriously threatened. + +Grant promptly notified his Chief of this easy conquest, at the same +time adding that he would take Fort Donelson within forty-eight hours, +but he soon had reason to regret this boast--one of the few of which +he was ever guilty. Indeed, his troops had scarcely started on their +journey when rapid progress became impossible, for the rain descended +in torrents, rendering the roads impassable for wagons and cannon, and +almost impracticable for infantry or cavalry. Moreover, many of the men +had foolishly thrown away their blankets and overcoats during the march +from Fort Henry and their suffering under the freezing winter blasts was +exceedingly severe, especially as camp fires were not permitted for +fear that their smoke would attract the gunners in the fort. Under these +circumstances the advance was seriously delayed, and it was February +14, 1862--six days after he had prophesied that he would take the +place--before Grant had his army in position. By this time, however, +the gun-boats had arrived and he determined to attack at once, although +Halleck had advised him to wait for reënforcements to occupy Fort Henry, +lest the Confederates should recapture it while his back was turned. +There was, of course, a chance of this, but Grant felt sure that if he +delayed the Confederates would seize the opportunity to strengthen +Fort Donelson, and then 50,000 men would not be able to accomplish what +15,000 might immediately effect. He, accordingly, directed Foote +to bombard the fort at once from the river front and try to run its +batteries. Desperate as this attempt appeared his orders were instantly +obeyed, the fearless naval officer forcing his little vessels into the +very jaws of death under a terrific fire, to which he responded with a +hail of shot and shell. + +Grant watched this spectacular combat with intense interest, waiting for +a favorable moment to order an advance of his troops, but to his bitter +disappointment one after another of Foote's vessels succumbed to the +deadly fire of the water batteries and drifted helplessly back with the +current. Indeed, the flagship was struck more than sixty times and Foote +himself was so severely wounded that he could not report in person, +but requested that the General come on board his ship for a conference, +which disclosed the fact that the fleet was in no condition to continue +the combat and must retire for repairs. + +There was nothing for Grant to do, therefore, but prepare for a siege, +and with a heavy heart he returned from the battered gun-boat to give +the necessary orders. He had scarcely set his foot on shore, however, +before a staff officer dashed up with the startling intelligence that +the Confederates had sallied forth and attacked a division of the army +commanded by General McClernand and that his troops were fleeing in a +panic which threatened to involve the entire army. Grant knew McClernand +well. He was one of the Congressmen who had made speeches to the 21st +Illinois and, realizing that the man was almost wholly ignorant of +military matters and utterly incapable of handling such a situation, he +leaped on his horse and, spurring his way across the frozen ground to +the sound of the firing, confronted the huddled and beaten division just +in the nick of time. Meanwhile, General Lew Wallace--afterwards famous +as the author "Ben Hur"--had arrived and thrown forward a brigade to +cover the confused retreat, so that for the moment the Confederate +advance was held in check. But despite this, McClernand's men continued +to give way, muttering that their ammunition was exhausted. There were +tons of ammunition close at hand, as the officers ought to have known +had they understood their duties, but even when assured of this the +panic-stricken soldiers refused to return to the field. They were in no +condition to resist attack, they declared, and the enemy was evidently +intending to make a long fight of it, as the haversacks of those who had +fallen contained at least three days' rations. This excuse was overheard +by Grant and instantly riveted his attention. + +"Let me see some of those haversacks," he commanded sharply, and one +glance at their contents convinced him that the Confederates were not +attempting to crush his army, but were trying to break through his lines +and escape. If they intended to stay and defend the fortress, they would +not carry haversacks at all; but if they contemplated a retreat, they +would not only take them, but fill them with enough provisions to last +for several days. In reaching this conclusion Grant was greatly aided +by his knowledge of the men opposing him. He had served in Mexico with +General Pillow, the second in command at Fort Donelson, and, knowing him +to be a timid man, felt certain that nothing but desperation would ever +induce him to risk an attack. He also knew that Floyd, his immediate +superior, who had recently been the United States Secretary of War, +had excellent reasons for avoiding capture and, putting all these facts +together, he instantly rose to the occasion. + +"Fill your cartridge boxes, quick, and get into line," was his order to +the men as he dashed down the wavering lines. "The enemy is trying to +escape and he must not be permitted to do so!" + +The word flew through the disordered ranks, transforming them as it +passed, and at the same time orders were issued for the entire left +wing to advance and attack without a moment's delay. This unexpected +onslaught quickly threw the Confederates back into the fortress, but +before they again reached the shelter of its walls the Union forces had +carried all the outer defenses and had virtually locked the door behind +their retreating adversaries. + +From that moment the capture of the imprisoned garrison was only +a question of time, and within twenty-four hours Grant received a +communication from the Confederate commander asking for a truce to +consider the terms of surrender. To his utter astonishment, however, +this suggestion did not come from either General Floyd or General +Pillow but from Simon Buckner, his old friend at West Point, who had so +generously aided him when he reached New York, penniless and disgraced +after his resignation from the army. This was an embarrassing situation, +indeed, but while he would have done anything he could for Buckner +personally, Grant realized that he must not allow gratitude or +friendship to interfere with his duty. He, therefore, promptly answered +the proposal for a truce in these words: + + +"No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be +accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." + + +[NOTE from Brett: The full letter is also shown in Grant's handwriting +which leaves something to be desired. I will do my best to transcribe it +below: + +Hd Qrs. Army in the Field Camp Fort Donelson, Feb. 16th 1862 + +Cmdr. S. B. Buckner Confed. Army. + +Sir, + +Yours of this inst. proposing armistice, and appointment of +Commissioners to settle terms of Capitulation is just received. No terms +except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. + +I propose to move immediately upon your works. + +I am Sir, very respectfully, your obt. svt. [obedient servant], U. S. +Grant Brig. Gen.] + + +But no more fighting was necessary, for Buckner yielded as gracefully as +he could, and on February 16, 1862, he and the entire garrison of +about 15,000 men became prisoners of war. Generals Pillow and Floyd, it +appeared, had fled with some 4,000 men the night before, leaving Buckner +in charge and as Grant's force had by that time been increased to 27,000 +men, further resistance would have been useless. + +The capture of these two forts gave the Union forces command of the +Tennessee and the Cumberland Rivers, and to that extent cleared the way +for the control of the Mississippi. It was the first real success which +had greeted the Union cause and it raised Grant to a Major-Generalship +of Volunteers, gave him a national reputation and supplied a better +interpretation of his initial than West Point had provided, for from the +date of his letter to Buckner he was known as "Unconditional Surrender" +Grant. + + + + +Chapter XIV. -- The Battle of Shiloh + + +Grant did not waste any time in rejoicing over his success. The capture +of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson was an important achievement but it was +only one step toward the control of the Mississippi River, which was the +main object of the campaign. The next step in that direction was +toward Corinth a strategically important point in Mississippi, and he +immediately concentrated his attention upon getting the army in position +to attack that stronghold. Some of his fellow commanders, however, were +extremely cautious and he had to labor for days before he could persuade +General Buell, who was stationed at Nashville, Tennessee, with a large +army, to advance his troops to a point where they could be of service. +But in the midst of this work he was suddenly interrupted by an order +which removed him from his command and virtually placed him under arrest +on charges of disregarding instructions and of being absent from his +department without permission. + +These astonishing accusations were caused by his failure to answer +dispatches from Headquarters which had never reached him, and by his +visit to General Buell which had obliged him to travel beyond the +strict limits of his command. The whole matter was soon explained by the +discovery that a Confederate had been tampering with the dispatches in +the telegraph office, but it was exceedingly annoying to Grant to find +himself publicly condemned without a hearing. Nevertheless, it supplied +a very fair test of his character, for he neither lost his temper +nor displayed any excitement whatsoever. On the contrary, he remained +perfectly calm in the face of grave provocation, replying firmly but +respectfully to the harsh criticisms of his superiors, and behaving +generally with a dignity and composure that won the silent approval of +all observers. + +Of course, as soon as the facts were known he was restored to his +command with an ample apology, but his preparations for the advance +against Corinth had been seriously interrupted and it was some time +before he again had the work in hand. Nevertheless, within five weeks +of the surrender of Fort Donelson, he was headed toward Mississippi +with over 30,000 men, having arranged with General Buell to follow and +support him with his army of 40,000, the combined forces being amply +sufficient to overpower the Confederates who were guarding Corinth. This +vast superiority, however, probably served to put Grant off his guard, +for on March 16, 1862, his advance under General Sherman reached +Pittsburg Landing, not far from Corinth, and encamped there without +taking the precaution to intrench. Sherman reported on April 5th that +he had no fear of being attacked and Grant, who had been injured the day +before by the fall of his horse and was still on crutches, remained some +distance in the rear, feeling confident that there would be no serious +fighting for several days. + +But the Union commander, who had studied his opponents with such good +results at Fort Donelson, made a terrible mistake in failing to do so on +this occasion, for he knew, or ought to have known, that General Albert +Sidney Johnston and General Beauregard, the Confederate commanders +were bold and energetic officers who were well advised of the military +situation and ready to take advantage of every opportunity. Indeed, +their sharp eyes had already noted the gap between Grant's and Buell's +armies and at the moment Sherman was penning his dispatch to his +superior, informing him that all was well, a force of 40,000 men was +preparing to crush his unprotected advance guard before Buell could +reach the field. + +It was Sunday morning, April 6, 1862, when the ominous sound of firing +in the direction of Shiloh Church smote Grant's ears. For a few moments +he could not believe that it indicated a serious attack, but the roar +of heavy guns soon convinced him that a desperate battle had begun and, +directing his orderlies to lift him into the saddle, he dashed to the +nearest boat landing and proceeded to the front with all possible speed. +Before he reached the ground, however, the Confederates had driven the +Union outposts from the field in frightful disorder and were hurling +themselves with ferocious energy upon those who still held fast. The +surprise had been well-nigh complete and the first rush of the gray +infantry carried everything before it, leaving the foremost Union camp +in their hands. Indeed, for a time the Federal army was not much more +than a disorganized mob, completely bewildered by the shock of battle, +and thousands of men blindly sought refuge in the rear, heedless of +their officers who, with a few exceptions, strove valiantly to organize +an effective defense. + +The tumult and confusion were at their worst when Grant reached the +field and it seemed almost hopeless to check the panic and prevent +the destruction of his entire army. But in the midst of the maddening +turmoil and wild scenes of disaster he kept his head and, dashing from +one end of the line to the other, ordered regiments into position with +a force and energy that compelled obedience. There was no time to +formulate any plan of battle. Each officer had to do whatever he thought +best to hold back the Confederates in his immediate front, and for hours +the fight was conducted practically without orders. But Grant supplied +his gallant subordinates with something far more important than orders +at that crisis. Undismayed by the chaos about him he remained cool and +inspired them with confidence. Not for one instant would he admit the +possibility of defeat, and under his strong hand the huddled lines were +quickly reformed, the onrush of the Confederates was gradually checked +and a desperate conflict begun for every inch of ground. + +For a time the victorious gray-coats continued to push their opponents +back and another line of tents fell into their hands. But their advance +was stubbornly contested and knowing that Buell was at hand, Grant +fought hard for delay, using every effort to encourage his men to stand +fast and present the boldest possible front to the foe. Meanwhile, +however, Sherman was wounded, and when darkness put an end to the +furious combat the shattered Union army was on the verge of collapse. So +perilous, indeed, was the situation that when Buell arrived on the field +his first inquiry was as to what preparations Grant had made to effect +a retreat. But the silent commander instantly shook his head and +announced, to the intense astonishment of his questioner, that he did +not intend to retreat but to attack at daylight the next morning with +every man at his disposal, leaving no reserves. + +Such was Grant at one of the darkest moments of his career. Behind him +lay the battered remnants of regiments, screening a welter of confusion +and fear; before him stretched the blood-soaked field of Shiloh held +by the confident Confederate host; while at his elbow stood anxious +officers, well satisfied to have saved the army from destruction and +ready to point out a convenient line of retreat. All his surroundings, +in fact, were calculated to discourage him and the intense pain of his +injured leg, which allowed him neither rest nor sleep, was a severe +strain upon his nerves. Yet he would not yield to weakness of any kind. +He was responsible for the position in which the Union army found itself +and he determined to retrieve its fortunes. Therefore, all night long +while reënforcements were steadily arriving, he developed his plans for +assuming the offensive, and at break of day his troops hurled themselves +against the opposing lines with dauntless energy. + +Meanwhile the Confederates had sustained an irreparable loss, for Albert +Sidney Johnston, their brilliant leader, had fallen. Moreover, they +had no reserves to meet the Union reënforcements. Nevertheless, they +received the vigorous onslaught with splendid courage and another +terrible day of carnage followed. Again and again Grant exposed himself +with reckless daring, narrowly escaping death from a bullet which +carried away the scabbard of his sword as he reconnoitered in advance +of his men, but despite his utmost efforts the gray lines held fast, and +for hours no apparent advantage was gained. Then, little by little, the +heavy Union battalions began to push them back until all the lost ground +was recovered, but the Confederates conducted their retreat in good +order and finally reached a point of safety, leaving very few prisoners +in their pursuers' hands. + +Grant had saved his army from destruction and had even driven his +adversary from the field, but at a fearful cost, for no less than +10,000 Union soldiers were killed or wounded in the two days' desperate +fighting at Shiloh and almost 3,000 had been captured. The Confederates, +it is true, had lost nearly 10,000 men, but their army, which should +have been crushed by the combined efforts of Grant and Buell, was still +in possession of Corinth and had come dangerously near to annihilating +half of the Union forces. + +The results of the battle were, therefore, received at Washington +with surprise and indignation; the country at large, horrified at the +frightful slaughter, denounced it as a useless butchery; Halleck hastily +assumed charge of all the forces in the field and from that time forward +Grant, though nominally the second in command, was deprived of all power +and virtually reduced to the rôle of a mere spectator. Indeed, serious +efforts were made to have him dismissed from the service, but Lincoln +after carefully considering the charges, refused to act. "I can't spare +this man," was his comment. "He FIGHTS." + +Lincoln intended to imply by that remark that there were generals in the +army who did not fight, and Halleck was certainly one of them, for he +took thirty-one days to march the distance that the Confederates had +covered in three. Indeed, he displayed such extraordinary caution that +with an army of 100,000 at his back he inched his way toward Corinth, +erecting intrenchments at every halt, only to find, after a month, that +he had been frightened by shadows and dummy guns and that the city had +been abandoned by the Confederates. No commander responsible for such +a ridiculous performance could retain the confidence of an army in the +field, and Sherman assured Grant that Halleck would not long survive +the fiasco. This advice was sorely needed, for Grant had grown tired of +being constantly humiliated and had already requested Halleck to +relieve him from duty when Sherman persuaded him to remain and wait for +something to happen. + +Something happened sooner then either man expected, for Halleck was +suddenly "kicked up stairs" by his appointment to the chief command with +headquarters in Washington, and on July 11, 1862, about three months +after the battle of Shiloh, Grant found himself again at the head of a +powerful army. + + + + +Chapter XV. -- Lee in the Saddle + + +While Grant was earning a reputation as a fighting general in the West, +Lee had been at a desk in Richmond attending to his duties as chief +military adviser to the Confederate President, which prevented him from +taking active part in any operations in the field. As a matter of fact, +however, there had been no important engagements in the East, for "On to +Richmond!" had become the war cry of the North, and all the energies of +the Federal government had been centered on preparations for the capture +of the Southern capital. Indeed, if Richmond had been the treasure house +and last refuge of the Confederacy, no greater efforts could have been +made to secure it, although it was by no means essential to either the +North or the South and the war would have continued no matter which flag +floated above its roofs. Nevertheless, the idea of marching into the +enemy's capital appealed to the popular imagination and this undoubtedly +dictated much of the early strategy of the war. + +At all events, while the opening moves in the campaign for the +possession of the Mississippi were being made, a vast army was being +equipped near Washington for the express purpose of capturing Richmond. +The preparation of this force had been entrusted to General George B. +McClellan whose ability in organizing, drilling and disciplining the +troops had made him a popular hero and given him such a reputation as a +military genius that he was universally hailed as "the young Napoleon." +He had, indeed, created the most thoroughly equipped army ever seen in +America, and when he advanced toward Virginia in April, 1862, at the +head of over 100,000 men the supporters of the Union believed that the +doom of the Confederacy was already sealed. + +From this office in Richmond Lee watched these formidable preparations +for invading the South with no little apprehension. He knew that the +Confederates had only about 50,000 available troops with which to oppose +McClellan's great army and had the Union commander been aware of this he +might have moved straight against the city and swept its defenders from +his path. But McClellan always believed that he was outnumbered and on +this occasion he wildly exaggerated his opponents' strength. In fact, +he crept forward so cautiously that the Confederates, who had +almost resigned themselves to losing the city, hastened to bring +up reënforcements and erect defensive works of a really formidable +character. The best that was hoped for, however, was to delay the Union +army. To defeat it, or even to check its advance, seemed impossible, +and doubtless it would have proved so had it not been for the brilliant +exploits of the man who was destined to become Lee's "right hand." + +This man was General Thomas Jonathan Jackson, who had earned the +nickname of "Stonewall" at Bull Run and was at that time in command of +about 15,000 men guarding the fertile Shenandoah Valley, the "granary +of Virginia." Opposing this comparatively small army were several +strong Union forces which were considered amply sufficient to capture +or destroy it, and McClellan proceeded southward, with no misgivings +concerning Jackson. But the wily Confederate had no intention of +remaining idle and McClellan's back was scarcely turned before he +attacked and utterly routed his nearest opponents. A second, third and +even a fourth army was launched against him, but he twisted, turned and +doubled on his tracks with bewildering rapidity, cleverly luring his +opponents apart; and then, falling on each in turn with overwhelming +numbers, hurled them from his path with astonishing ease and suddenly +appeared before Washington threatening its capture. + +Astounded and alarmed at this unexpected peril, the Federal authorities +instantly ordered McDowell's corps of 40,000 men, which was on the +point of joining McClellan, to remain and defend the capital. This was +a serious blow to McClellan who had counted upon using these troops, +though even without them he greatly outnumbered the Confederates. But +the idea that he was opposed by an overwhelming force had taken such a +firm hold on his mind that he was almost afraid to move, and while he +was timidly feeling his way General Joseph Johnston, commanding the +defenses at Richmond, attacked his advance corps at Seven Pines, May +31, 1862. A fierce contest followed, during which Johnston was severely +wounded, and Jefferson Davis, who was on the field, promptly summoned +General Lee to the command. + +It was a serious situation which confronted Lee when he was thus +suddenly recalled to active duty, for McClellan's army outnumbered his +by at least 40,000 men and it was within six miles of Richmond, from +the roofs of whose houses the glow of the Union campfires was plainly +visible. Nevertheless, he determined to put on a bold front and attack +his opponent at his weakest point. But how to discover this was a +difficult problem and the situation did not admit of a moment's delay. +Under ordinary circumstances the information might have been secured +through spies, but there was no time for this and confronted by the +necessity for immediate action, Lee thought of "Jeb" Stuart, his son's +classmate at West Point, who had acted as aide in the capture of John +Brown. + +Stuart was only twenty-nine years old but he had already made a name for +himself as a general of cavalry, and Lee knew him well enough to feel +confident that, if there was any one in the army who could procure the +needed information, he was the man. He, accordingly, ordered him to take +1,200 troopers and a few field guns and ride straight at the right flank +of the Union army until he got near enough to learn how McClellan's +forces were posted at that point. + +This perilous errand was just the opportunity for which Stuart had been +waiting, and without the loss of a moment he set his horsemen in motion. +Directly in his path lay the Federal cavalry but within twenty-four +hours he had forced his way through them and carefully noted the exact +position of the Union troops. His mission was then accomplished, but by +this time the Federal camp was thoroughly aroused and, knowing that if +he attempted to retrace his steps his capture was almost certain, he +pushed rapidly forward and, passing around the right wing, proceeded to +circle the rear of McClellan's entire army. So speedily did he move that +the alarm of his approach was no sooner given in one quarter than he +appeared in another and thus, like a boy disturbing a row of hornets' +nests with a long stick, he flashed by the whole line, reached the Union +left, swung around it and reported to Lee with his command practically +intact. + +That a few squadrons of cavalry should have been able to ride around +his army of 100,000 men and escape unscathed astonished and annoyed +McClellan but he utterly failed to grasp the true purpose of this +brilliant exploit, and Lee took the utmost care to see that his +suspicions were not aroused. Stuart's information had convinced him that +the right wing of the Union army was badly exposed and might be attacked +with every prospect of success, but to insure this it was necessary +that McClellan's attention should be distracted from the real point of +danger. The Confederate commander thoroughly understood his opponent's +character and failings, for he had taken his measure during the Mexican +War and knowing his cautious nature, he spread the news that heavy +reënforcements had been forwarded to Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. +This he felt sure would confirm McClellan's belief that he had such +overwhelming numbers that he could afford to withdraw troops from +Richmond, and the ruse was entirely successful, for the Union commander +hesitated to advance, and the Federal authorities, hearing of Jackson's +supposed reënforcement, became increasingly alarmed for the safety of +Washington. + +Meanwhile, a courier had been secretly hurried to Jackson, ordering him +to rush his troops from the Shenandoah Valley and attack McClellan's +right wing from the rear while Lee assaulted it from the front. But the +Union right wing numbered fully 25,000 men and Jackson had only 15,000. +So to make the attack overwhelming it was necessary for Lee to withdraw +40,000 men from the defenses of Richmond, leaving the city practically +unprotected. Unquestionably, this was a most dangerous move, for had +McClellan suspected the truth he might have forced his way into the +capital without much difficulty. But here again Lee counted upon his +adversary's character, for he directed the troops that remained in the +trenches to keep up a continuous feint of attacking the Union left wing, +in the hope that this show of force would cause McClellan to look to his +safety in that quarter, which is precisely what he did. Indeed, he was +still busy reporting the threatening movements against his left, when +Lee and Jackson's combined force of 55,000 men fell upon his right with +fearful effect at Gaines' Mill (June 27, 1862). From that moment his +campaign for the capture of Richmond became a struggle to save his own +army from capture or destruction. + +The only safety lay in flight but at the moment of defeat and impending +disaster it was not easy to extricate the troops from their dangerous +position, and McClellan showed high skill in masking his line of +retreat. Lee did not, therefore, immediately discover the direction +in which he was moving and this delay probably prevented him from +annihilating the remnants of the Union army. Once on the trail, however, +he lost no time and, loosing "his dogs of war," they fell upon the +retreating columns again and again in the series of terrible conflicts +known as the "Seven Days' Battles." But the Union army was struggling +for its life and, like a stag at bay, it fought off its pursuers with +desperate courage, until finally at Malvern Hill (July 1, 1862), it +rolled them back with such slaughter that a bolder leader might have +been encouraged to advance again toward Richmond. As it was, however, +McClellan was well content to remove his shattered legions to a point of +safety at Harrison's Landing, leaving Lee in undisturbed possession of +the field dyed with the blood of well-nigh 30,000 men. + + + + +Chapter XVI. -- A Game of Strategy + + +While the remnants of McClellan's fine army were recuperating from the +rough handling they had received, Lee was developing a plan to remove +them still further from the vicinity of Richmond. Harrison's Landing +was too close to the Confederate capital for comfort and the breastworks +which the Union commander erected there were too formidable to be +attacked. But, though he could not hope to drive his adversary away +by force, Lee believed that he could lure him from his stronghold by +carrying the war into another part of Virginia. The opportunity to +do this was particularly favorable, for the Union forces in front of +Washington, consisting of about 45,000 men, had been placed under +the command of General John Pope. Pope had served with Grant in the +Mississippi campaign and had begun his career in the East by boasting of +the great things he was about to accomplish, referring contemptuously +to his opponents and otherwise advertising himself as a braggart and a +babbler. He had come, so he told his soldiers in a flamboyant address, +from an army which had seen only the backs of its enemies. He had +come to lead them to victories. He wanted to hear no more of "lines of +retreat" or backward movements of any kind. His headquarters were "in +the saddle" and his mission was to terrorize the foe. + +These absurd proclamations pretty thoroughly exposed Pope's character, +but he had been at West Point with General Longstreet, one of Lee's +ablest advisers, and that officer speedily acquainted his chief with the +full measure of his opponent's weaknesses. This was exceedingly useful +to Lee and when he discovered that McClellan and Pope were pulling at +different directions like balky circus horses, while Halleck with one +foot on each was in imminent peril of a fall, he determined to take +advantage of the situation and hasten the disaster. + +McClellan, having 90,000 men, wanted Pope to reënforce him with his +45,000, and thus insure a renewal of his campaign against Richmond. +But this, of course, did not suit Pope who wished McClellan's army to +reënforce him and march to victory under his banner. But while each of +the rivals was insisting that his plan should be adopted and Halleck, +who held the chief of command, was wobbling between them, trying to make +up his mind to favor one or the other, Lee took the whole matter out +of his hands and decided it for him. He did not want McClellan to be +reënforced; first, because he was the abler officer and, second, because +he had or soon would have more than sufficient men to capture Richmond +and might wake to a realization of this fact at any moment. From the +Confederate standpoint it was much safer to have Pope reënforced, for he +did not have the experience necessary to handle a large army. Therefore, +the more troops he had to mismanage the better. Moreover, Lee knew that +McClellan would cease to be dangerous as soon as he was obliged to +send any part of his forces away, for, as usual, he imagined that his +opponents already outnumbered him and that the withdrawal of even a +single regiment would place him practically at their mercy. + +Carefully bearing all these facts in mind and thinking that it was about +time to force Halleck to transfer some of McClellan's troops to Pope, +Lee ordered Jackson to attack the man who thus far had seen "only the +backs of his foes." But at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, which followed +(August 9, 1862), his enemies would not turn their backs and the fact +evidently alarmed him, for he immediately began shouting lustily for +help. Perhaps he called a little louder than was necessary in order to +get as many of his rival's men as possible under his own command, but +the result was that McClellan's army began rapidly melting away under +orders to hurry to the rescue. + +Lee's first object was, therefore, accomplished at one stroke and, +as fast as McClellan's troops moved northward, he withdrew the forces +guarding Richmond and rushed them by shorter routes to confront Pope, +whom he had determined to destroy before his reënforcements reached +the field. Indeed, a very neat trap had already been prepared for that +gentleman who was on the point of stepping into it when he intercepted +one of his adversary's letters which gave him sufficient warning to +escape by beating a hasty retreat across the Rappahannock River. This +was a perfectly proper movement under the circumstances, but in view of +his absurd ideas concerning retreats it opened him up to public ridicule +which was almost more than a man of his character could endure. He +was soon busy, therefore, complaining, explaining, and protesting his +readiness to recross the river at a moment's notice. + +But, while he was thus foolishly wearing out the telegraph lines between +his headquarters and Washington, Lee was putting into operation a plan +which would have been rash to the point of folly against a really able +soldier but which was perfectly justified against an incompetent. This +plan was to divide his army, which numbered less than 50,000 men, into +two parts, sending "Stonewall" Jackson with 25,000 to get behind the +Union forces, while he attracted their commander's attention at the +front. Of course, if Pope had discovered this audacious move, he could +easily have crushed the divided Confederate forces in turn before either +could have come to the other's rescue, for he had 70,000 at his command. +But the armies were not far from Manassas or Bull Run, where the first +important engagement of the war had been fought and Lee know every inch +of the ground. Moreover, he believed that all Pope's provisions and +supplies upon which he depended for feeding his army were behind him, +and that, if Jackson succeeded in seizing them and getting between the +Union army and Washington, Pope would lose his head and dash to the +rescue regardless of consequences. + +Great, therefore, as the risk was he determined to take it, and Jackson +circled away with his 25,000 men, leaving Lee with the same number +confronting an army of 70,000 which might have swept the field. But its +commander never dreamed of the opportunity which lay before him and he +remained utterly unsuspicious until the night of August 26, 1862, when +his flow of telegrams was suddenly checked and he was informed that +there was something the matter with the wires connecting him to +Washington. There was, indeed, something the matter with them, for +Jackson's men had cut them down and were at that moment greedily +devouring Pope's provisions, helping themselves to new uniforms and +shoes and leaving facetious letters complaining of the quality of the +supplies. + +For a while, however, the Union general had no suspicion of what was +happening, for he interpreted the interference with the telegraph wires +as the work of cavalry riders whom a comparatively small force could +quickly disperse. But when the troops dispatched for this purpose came +hurrying back with the news that Jackson's whole army was behind them, +he acted precisely as Lee had expected, and completely forgetting to +close the doors behind him, dashed madly after "Stonewall," whom he +regarded as safe as a cat in a bag. + +The door which he should have closed was Thoroughfare Gap, for that was +the only opening through which Lee could have led his men with any hope +of arriving in time to help his friends, and a few troops could have +blocked it with the utmost ease. But it was left unguarded and Pope had +scarcely turned his back to spring on Jackson before Lee slid through +the Gap and sprang on him. + +The contest that followed, called the Second Battle of Bull Run or +Manassas (August 30, 1862), was almost a repetition of the first, except +that in the earlier battle the Union soldiers had a fair chance and on +this occasion they had none at all. Indeed, Lee and Jackson had Pope so +situated that, despite the bravery of his men, they battered and +pounded him until he staggered from the field in a state of hysterical +confusion, wildly telegraphing that the enemy was badly crippled and +that everything would be well, and following up this by asking if the +capital would be safe, if his army should be destroyed. It is indeed +possible that his army would have been reduced to a mere mob, had it not +been for the proximity of the fortifications of Washington, into which +his exhausted regiments were safely tumbled on the 2nd of September, +1862. + +Thus, for the second time in two months, Lee calmly confronted the +wreck of an opposing host, which, at the outset, had outnumbered him and +confidently planned for his destruction. + + + + +Chapter XVII. -- Lee and the Invasion of Maryland + + +Lee's masterly defense of Richmond, and his complete triumph over +McClellan and Pope had, in three months, made him the idol of the +Confederacy. In all military matters his word was law, while the army +adored him and the people of the South as a whole regarded him with +a feeling akin to reverence. This was not entirely the result of his +achievements on the field. Jackson had displayed an equal genius for the +art of war and in the opinion of many experts he was entitled to more +credit than his chief. But Jackson was regarded with awe and curiosity +rather than affection. He was hailed as a great commander, while Lee was +recognized as a great man. + +It was not by spectacular efforts or assertiveness of any kind that Lee +had gained this hold upon his countrymen. He avoided everything that +even tended toward self-display. His army reports were not only models +of modesty, but generous acknowledgements of all he owed to his officers +and men. He addressed none but respectful words to his superiors +and indulged in no criticisms or complaints. He accepted the entire +responsibility for whatever reverses occurred to the forces under his +command and never attempted to place the blame on the shoulders of any +other man. In a word, he was so absolutely free from personal ambition +that the political schemers unconsciously stood abashed in his presence, +and citizens and soldiers alike instinctively saluted the mere mention +of his name. + +Never by any chance did he utter a word of abuse against the North. +Even when his beloved Arlington was seized, and the swords, pictures, +silverware and other precious mementos of Washington were carried off, +his protest was couched in quiet and dignified language, well calculated +to make those to whom it was addressed (and later every American) blush +with shame. Likewise in the heat of battle, when wild tongues were +loosed and each side accused the other of all that hate could suggest, +he never forgot that his opponents were Americans. "Drive those people +back," or "Don't let those people pass you," were the harshest words he +ever uttered of his foes. + +To him war was not a mere license to destroy human life. It was +a terrible weapon to be used scientifically, not with the idea of +slaughtering as many of the enemy as possible, but to protect the +State for whose defense he had drawn his sword. This was distinctly his +attitude as he watched Pope's defeated columns reeling from the field. +Neither by word nor deed did he exult over the fallen foe or indulge in +self-glorification at his expense. His sole thought was to utilize the +victory that the war would be speedily brought to a successful close; +and, spreading out his maps in the quiet of his tent, he proceeded to +study them with this idea. + +Almost directly in front of his victorious army stretched the +intrenchments of Washington but, although he knew something of the panic +into which that city had been thrown by the last battle, he had not +troops enough to risk assaulting fortifications to the defense of which +well-nigh every able-bodied man in the vicinity had been called. The +fall of Washington might perhaps have ended the war, but the loss of the +neighboring state of Maryland and an attack on some of the Pennsylvania +cities, such as Harrisburg and Philadelphia, promised to prove equally +effective. The chances of wresting Maryland from the Union seemed +particularly favorable, for it had come very close to casting its lot +with the Confederacy and thousands of its citizens were serving in +the Southern ranks. He, accordingly, made up his mind to march through +Maryland, arousing its people to the support of the Confederate cause, +and then carry the war into Pennsylvania where a decisive victory might +pave the way to an acknowledgment of the independence of the Southern +States and satisfactory terms of peace. + +Thus, four days after Pope's defeat at Manassas saw Lee's tattered +battle flags slanted toward the North, and on September 6, 1862, +the vanguard under "Stonewall" Jackson passed through the streets of +Frederick City, singing "Maryland, My Maryland!" This was the moment +which Whittier immortalized in his verses recording the dramatic meeting +between "Stonewall" and Barbara Frietchie [Note from Brett: The poem +is entitled "Barbara Frietchie" and there is some question as to the +accuracy of the details of the poem. In general, however, Whittier +retold the story (poetically) that he claims he heard ("from respectable +and trustworthy sources") and Barbara Frietchie was strongly against the +Confederacy and was not a fictional character. It is believed that +Ms. Frietchie, who was 95 at the time, was sick in bed on the day the +soldiers marched through, but did wave her flag when the Union army +marched through two days later. A Ms. Quantrill and her daughters, +however, did wave the Union flag as the Confederate soldiers marched +through the town, so there is some thought that the two got combined.]; +but, though no such event ever took place, the poet was correctly +informed as to the condition of Jackson's men, for they certainly were a +"famished rebel horde." Indeed, several thousand of them had to be left +behind because they could no longer march in their bare feet, and those +who had shoes were sorry-looking scarecrows whose one square meal had +been obtained at Pope's expense. For all practical purposes Maryland was +the enemy's country, but into this hostile region they advanced carrying +very little in the way of provisions except salt for the ears of corn +that they might pick up in the fields. + +The authorities at Washington watched Lee's movement with mingled +feelings of anxiety and relief. They were relieved because he was +evidently not aiming at the national capital. They were alarmed because +the real point of attack was unknown. Sixty thousand men, flushed with +triumph and under seemingly invincible leadership were headed somewhere, +and as the rumor spread that that "somewhere" was Harrisburg or +Philadelphia, the North stood aghast with consternation. + +Face to face with this desperate crisis, McClellan, who had been +practically removed from command, was restored to duty and given charge +of all the Union forces in the field. Had he been invested with supreme +authority, at least one grievous blunder might have been avoided, for as +he proceeded to the front, calling loudly as usual for reënforcements, +he advised the evacuation of Harper's Ferry, garrisoned by some 12,000 +men who were exposed to capture by Lee's advance on Frederick City. +But Halleck rejected this advice and on September 15, 1862, "Stonewall" +Jackson, with about 20,000 men, swooped down upon the defenseless post +and gobbled up almost the entire garrison with all its guns and stores. +To accomplish this, however, he was forced to separate himself from +Lee, and while McClellan, with over 87,000 men, was protesting that +his opponent had 120,000 and that it was impossible to win against such +odds, Lee's strength had been reduced to about 35,000 and his safety +absolutely depended upon his adversary's fears. It was hardly to be +hoped, however, that McClellan's imagination would cause him to see +three men for every one opposed to him, but such was the fact, and even +when one of Lee's confidential orders fell into his hands, revealing +the fact that Jackson's whole force was absent, he still thought himself +outnumbered. + +The discovery of this order was a serious blow to Lee, for it not only +exposed his immediate weakness, but actually disclosed his entire plan. +How it was lost has never been explained, for its importance was so +fully realized that one of the officers who received a copy pinned it +in the inside pocket of his coat, another memorized his copy and then +chewed it up and others took similar precautions to protect its secret. + +Some officer, however, must have been careless, for when the Union +troops halted at Frederick City, through which the Confederates had just +passed, a private in an Indiana regiment found it lying on the ground +wrapped around some cigars and, recognizing its value, carried it +straight to his superiors who promptly bore it to Headquarters. + +Had Lee remained ignorant of this discovery it is possible that +McClellan might have effected the capture of his army. But a civilian, +favoring the South who happened to be present when the paper reached +Headquarters, slipped through the Union lines and put the Confederate +commander on his guard. + +Lee had already noted that McClellan was moving toward him at unusual +speed for so cautious an officer and, this was readily explained by +the news that his plans were known and Jackson's absence discovered. He +accordingly posted his troops so that he could form a junction with +the rest of the army at the earliest possible moment and halted in the +vicinity of Sharpsburg near Antietam Creek. + + + + +Chapter XVIII. -- The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg + + +Had McClellan not absurdly overestimated the number of troops opposed to +him when his army neared Sharpsburg on the 15th of September, 1862, he +might have defeated Lee and possibly destroyed or captured his entire +force. Never before had a Union commander had such an opportunity +to deliver a crushing blow. He had more than 80,000 men under his +control--fully twice as many as his adversary; he had the Confederate +plan of campaign in his hands and such fighting as had occurred with +the exception of that at Harper's Ferry had been decidedly in his favor. +Moreover, Lee had recently met with a serious accident, his horse having +knocked him down and trampled on him, breaking the bones of one hand, +and otherwise injuring him so severely that he had been obliged to +superintend most of the posting of his army from an ambulance. By a +curious coincidence, too, "Stonewall" Jackson had been hurt in a similar +manner a few days previously, so that if the battle had begun promptly, +it is highly probable that he, too, would have been physically +handicapped, and it is certain that his troops could not have reached +the field in time to be of any assistance. + +To Lee's immense relief, however, McClellan made no serious attack +on either the 15th or 16th of September, but spent those two days +in putting his finishing touches on his preparations, and before he +completed them that Opportunity "which knocks but once at each man's +gate" had passed him by, never to return. + +The battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg began at dawn of the 17th, but by +that time Jackson had arrived and both he and Lee had so far recovered +from their injuries that they were able to be in the saddle and +personally direct the movements of their men. The Confederate position +had been skillfully selected for defense on the hills back of Antietam +Creek and McClellan's plan was to break through his opponent's line, +gain his rear and cut him off from retreat. But Lee, who had closely +watched the elaborate massing of the Union forces for this attempt, +was fully prepared for it and the first assault against his line was +repulsed with fearful slaughter. No subtle strategy or brilliant tactics +of any kind marked McClellan's conduct of the battle. Time and again +he hurled his heavy battalions against his opponent's left, center and +right in a desperate effort to pierce the wall of gray, and once or +twice his heroic veterans almost succeeded in battering their way +through. But at every crisis Lee rose to the emergency and moved his +regiments as a skillful chess player manipulates his pieces on the +board, now massing his troops at the danger point and now diverting +his adversary's attack by a swift counter-stroke delivered by men +unacquainted with defeat. Both his hands were heavily swathed in +bandages and far too painful to admit of his even touching the bridle +rein, but he had had himself lifted into the saddle and for fully +fourteen hours he remained mounted on "Traveller," his famous war horse, +watching every movement with the inspiring calmness of a commander born +to rule the storm. + +The situation was perilous and no one realized its dangers more keenly +than he, but not a trace of anxiety appeared upon his face. Only twice +was he betrayed into an expression of his feelings, once when he asked +General Hood where the splendid division was which he had commanded in +the morning and received the reply: "They are lying in the field where +you sent them," and again when he directed the Rockbridge battery to +go into action for a second time after three of its four guns had been +disabled. The captain of this battery had halted to make a report of +its condition and receive instructions, and Lee, gazing at the group of +begrimed and tattered privates behind the officer, ordered them to renew +their desperate work before he recognized that among them stood his +youngest son, Robert. + +Very few men in the Confederate commander's position would have suffered +a son to serve in the ranks. A word from him would, of course, have +made the boy an officer. But that was not Lee's way. To advance an +inexperienced lad over the heads of older men was, to his mind, unjust +and he would not do it even for his own flesh and blood. Nor had his son +himself expected it, for he had eagerly accepted his father's permission +to enter the ranks and had cheerfully performed his full duty, never +presuming on his relationship to the Commander-in-Chief or asking favors +of any kind. All this was known to Lee but this unexpected meeting at +a moment when privates were being mowed down like grass was a terrible +shock and strain. Nevertheless, it was characteristic of the man that no +change was made in the orders of the Rockbridge battery, which continued +on its way to the post of danger and, with young Lee, gallantly +performed the work he had called on it to do. + +By night the Confederates still held the field, but the struggle had +cost them nearly 11,000 men, reducing their force to less than 45,000, +while McClellan, despite even heavier losses, had more than 74,000 left. +Lee, accordingly, withdrew his army under cover of darkness to another +part of the field and again awaited attack. But McClellan neither +attacked nor attempted anything like a pursuit until his opponent +was safely out of reach, being well satisfied with having checked +the advance of his formidable foe and spoiled his plans. This he was +certainly entitled to claim, for Lee's campaign against Maryland and +Pennsylvania was effectually balked by his enforced retreat. + +Indeed, it is quite possible that had McClellan been adventurous he +might have ended the war at Antietam, for the day after the battle he +outnumbered his opponents at least two to one and possessed enormous +advantage in the way of equipment and supplies. But the Union commander, +though he possessed a genius for army organization and knew the art of +inspiring confidence in his men, was no match for Lee in the field, and +he probably realized this. At all events, he displayed no anxiety to +renew hostilities and when urged, and at last positively ordered to +advance, he argued, protested, offered excuses for delay and in fact did +everything but obey. + +Weeks thus slipped by and finally Lee himself became impatient to know +what his adversary was doing. He, accordingly, again summoned Stuart and +ordered him to repeat the experiment of riding around the opposing army. +News of this second, almost derisive defiance of McClellan soon reached +the North, for Stuart, swiftly circling his right flank, suddenly +appeared with 1,800 men at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, terrorizing the +country and destroying vast quantities of stores. Stern and indignant +orders from Washington warned the Union Commander that this time he must +not permit the daring troopers to escape. But only a few scouts were +captured, and once more Stuart sped safely back to his chief with full +information as to the strength and position of the Federal lines. + +Even this did not arouse McClellan, and two more weeks of inaction +passed before he again set his vast army in motion. But by this time, +the demand for his dismissal had become clamorous and, on November 5, +1862, President Lincoln reluctantly removed him from command. + + + + +Chapter XIX. -- Lee against Burnside and Hooker + + +Lincoln had good reason for hesitating to change commanders, for, +unsatisfactory as McClellan had proved, the President was by no means +sure that any of his other generals would do better. In fact, with +all his defects, there was much to be said in McClellan's favor. As an +organizer of troops or chief of staff he had displayed talents of the +highest possible order, transforming the armed mob which had flocked to +the defense of the Union at the opening of the war into a well-drilled +and disciplined army. That he had not accomplished much with this great +engine of war after it had been constructed, had not been wholly his +fault, for he had never been entirely free from interference at the +hands of incompetent superiors, and he had had the misfortune to be +pitted against a past master of the art of war. Moreover, he had been +called to the chief command at a moment of panic and peril and, if he +had not succeeded in defeating Lee, he had, at Antietam, given the +North the only semblance of victory which it could claim in all its +campaigning in the South. But that one taste of triumph had whetted the +public appetite for more. Despite McClellan's continuous talk about the +overpowering numbers of his foes, the supporters of the Union knew +that they outmatched the Confederacy in men, arms, ships, money, and +resources of every kind. They accordingly insisted that the immense army +which had lain idle in its camps for almost two months after the drawn +battle at Antietam should be set to work. + +In response to this popular demand, General Ambrose Burnside was +appointed to take McClellan's place, and a more utterly unfitted man for +prosecuting a successful campaign against Lee could scarcely have been +selected. He himself fully realized this. Indeed, he had already twice +refused the chief command on the ground that he did not feel competent +to conduct a great campaign. But the public, which had become disgusted +with boasters, admired his modesty, and his preparations for carrying +the war again into Virginia were followed with high hopes for his +success. The officers of the army, however, did not share the popular +confidence in their new chief and some of those highest in authority +gave him only a half-hearted support. + +But nothing could have saved Burnside's extraordinary campaign. Had he +been assigned to lead a forlorn hope, regardless of consequences, his +plan, if it can be called a plan, might have been justified, but under +the existing circumstances it was reckless to the point of madness. His +first moves, however, were characterized by an excess of caution and so +slowly did he advance that before he was fairly started for the South, +Lee blocked the road, concentrating his whole army on the hills behind +the City of Fredericksburg in a position practically defying attack. + +To attempt a direct assault against this fortress-like post was +suicidal, but apparently no thought of maneuvering crossed Burnside's +mind. His one idea was to brush aside the foe. But before he could even +reach him his army had to cross the Rappahannock, a formidable river, +and march over an open plain, absolutely at the mercy of its intrenched +opponents, who could, as one of their artillery officers expressed it, +"comb the ground" with their cannon. Nevertheless, into this death trap +the Union troops were plunged on the 13th of December, 1862, and they +advanced to destruction with a dash and courage that won the admiration +of friends and foes alike. The result was, of course, inevitable. No +human beings could withstand the storm of shot and shell which burst +upon them, and though some of the devoted columns actually reached the +foot of the Confederate breastworks, they could do no more, and over +12,000 men fell victims to the disastrous attack. + +For once, Lee was at an utter loss to comprehend his adversary's plan. +He could not believe that this wanton butchery of men was all there was +to the contest. To his mind such an awful sacrifice of human life +would never have been made unless for the purpose of paving the way for +another enterprise absolutely certain of success. But nothing more was +attempted and the battle of Fredericksburg, reflecting the conception of +a disordered brain rather than the trained intelligence of a graduate +of West Point, was added to the already long list of blunders which +prolonged the war. + +Burnside brought severe charges against several of his generals for +their failure to support his sorry tactics, and even went so far as to +demand their dismissal from the army. There was undoubtedly some ground +for his complaints, but such obviously incompetent leadership was enough +to demoralize any army, and not long after his crippled battalions +retreated behind the Rappahannock he was relieved of his command, +which was given to General Joseph Hooker, one of the officers he most +seriously accused. + +Hooker was familiarly known to the country as "Fighting Joe," a name he +had well earned on many a hard-fought field. He, like his predecessors, +was a graduate of West Point and his record, in many respects worthy of +the best traditions of that famous school, inspired the army with +the belief that it had, at last, found a leader who would pilot it to +victory. + +Certainly, the new commander was not troubled with Burnside's +self-distrust. His confidence in himself and in his plans was unbounded, +and there was no little justification for his hopes, for his campaign +was well thought out and he had a force of over 130,000 men under his +orders--fully 70,000 more than his adversary could bring into the field. + +Lee still lay intrenched on the hills behind Fredericksburg, and there +Hooker ordered General Sedgwick to hold him with part of the army +while he himself, with another and more powerful part, crossed the +Rappahannock River by a ford twenty-seven miles above. By this move he +hoped to get behind Lee and then crush him, as nut-crackers would crush +a nut, by closing in on him with a front and rear attack. + +This was not a strikingly original plan. It was in fact merely +a flanking movement on a huge scale, but compared to Burnside's +performance it was highly scientific and the vast superiority of the +Union forces almost insured its success. Hooker was certainly convinced +that he had at last solved the great problem of the war and that Lee was +practically in his power. Indeed, as his flanking army forded the river, +he issued an address of congratulation in which he informed his troops +that they had the Confederates in a position from which they must either +"ingloriously fly" or come out in the open where certain defeat awaited +them. But "Fighting Joe" was soon to learn the folly of crowing until +one is out of the woods, for as he emerged from the forests sheltering +the fords, he discovered that Lee's army had not remained tamely in its +intrenchments, but had quietly slipped away and planted itself squarely +across his path. + +For a moment the Union commander was fairly astounded. He had prophesied +that his adversary would fly from Fredericksburg, but he had not +expected him to move so soon or in this direction. Indeed, his +well-matured plans were based on the supposition that Lee would remain +where he wanted him to be until he was ready to spring his trap, quite +forgetting that though it is easy to catch birds after you have put salt +on their tails, it is rather difficult to make them wait while you salt +them. As a matter of fact, Lee had taken alarm the moment his cavalry +scouts reported his opponent's movement towards the fords and, realizing +that he would be caught if he remained where he was, he had rapidly +departed from Fredericksburg, leaving only enough force to occupy +Sedgwick's attention. Even then he was in a precarious position, for +Hooker's flanking army alone outnumbered him and the force threatening +Fredericksburg would certainly start in pursuit of him as soon as it +discovered that the bulk of his army had withdrawn from that city. All +this was equally clear to Hooker after his first gasp of astonishment, +and as he hurriedly ordered Sedgwick to attack Fredericksburg with part +of his forces and to send the rest as reënforcement against Lee, he +confidently believed that his foe had delivered himself into his hands. + +But Lee, though cornered, was not yet caught. He had to think and act +quickly but though he had only 45,000 men and Hooker had 70,000 on the +spot, his idea was not to escape but to attack. A close examination +of the opposing lines in front and at the Federal left disclosed no +weakness, but the right beyond Chancellorsville looked more hopeful. +Then a brilliant idea suddenly occurred to his mind. The Union commander +was evidently awaiting or meditating a direct attack and had no fear +except that his prey might escape him. Might it not be possible to keep +him busily occupied in front, while a force stole behind his right wing +and caught it between two fires? + +This was precisely what Hooker had been endeavoring to do to him, but +Lee was well aware that what was safe for a large army might be ruinous +for a small one and that his proposed maneuver would require him to +divide his small army into two smaller parts, both of which would be +annihilated if the move was discovered. But capture or destruction +stared him in the face any way, so, learning from a certain Colonel +Welford that a road used by him in former years for transporting +materials to a local furnace could be utilized to swing a considerable +force behind Hooker's right, he determined to take the desperate chance. + +The necessary orders were accordingly issued during the night of May 1, +1863, and by daylight the next morning Jackson started off on the +back trail with about 30,000 men, leaving Lee with only 15,000 to +face Hooker's overwhelming array. The success of the whole enterprise +depended upon the secrecy and speed with which it was conducted, but +Jackson had already proved his ability in such work and his men set off +at a brisk pace well screened by vigilant cavalry. It was not possible, +however, wholly to conceal the march, and not long after it began +several quite definite reports of its progress reached Hooker. But +though he duly warned his Corps Commanders to be on their guard against +a flank movement, he himself evidently interpreted it as the beginning +of a retreat. Indeed, by four o'clock in the afternoon of May 2nd +he became convinced that his victims were striving to escape, for he +advised Sedgwick, "We know that the enemy is fleeing, trying to save his +trains." But even as he dispatched this message Jackson was behind at +the Union right and his men were forming in line of battle under cover +of a heavy curtain of woods. + +Meanwhile, some of the division commanders at the threatened position +had become disquieted by the reports that a large body of Confederates +was marching somewhere, though just where no one seemed to know. Two +of them accordingly faced their men toward the rear in readiness for an +attack from that direction. But the assurances which reached them from +headquarters that the enemy was in full flight discouraged precautions +of this kind, and when Jackson crept up a neighboring hill to examine +the Union position, he found most of the troops had their backs turned +to the point of danger. In fact, the camp, as a whole presented a most +inviting spectacle, for the soldiers were scattered about it, playing +cards or preparing their evening meal, with their arms stacked in the +rear, little dreaming that one of their most dreaded foes was watching +them from a hilltop, behind which crouched thousands of his men. Every +detail of the scene was impressed on Jackson's memory when he quietly +slipped back into the woods, and for the next two hours he busied +himself posting his troops to the best advantage. + +It was six o'clock when the order to attack was given and most of the +Union soldiers were still at their suppers when deer, foxes, rabbits and +other animals, alarmed by a mass of men advancing through the forest, +began to tear through the camp as though fleeing from a prairie fire. +But before the startled soldiers could ask an explanation of this +strange stampede, the answer came in the form of a scattering musketry +fire and the fearsome yells of 26,000 charging men. + +The panic that followed beggars description. Regiments huddled against +regiments in helpless confusion; artillery, infantry and cavalry became +wedged in narrow roads and remained hopelessly jammed; officers and men +fought with one another; generals were swept aside or carried forward +on the human waves, hoarsely bellowing orders which no one heeded, while +into the welter the Confederates poured a deadly fire and rounded up +masses of bewildered prisoners. It was well-nigh dusk before even the +semblance of a line of defense could be formed to cover the disorganized +masses of men, but the gathering darkness increased the terror of the +hapless fugitives, who, stumbling and crashing their way to safety, +carried confusion in their wake. + +Meanwhile Lee, advised of what was happening at the Union right, +vigorously attacked Hooker's left, and a fierce conflict at that point +added to the general turmoil until the contending forces could no longer +distinguish each other, save by the flashing of their guns. The fighting +then ceased all along the line and both sides busied themselves with +preparations for renewing the struggle at the earliest possible +moment. Jackson, accompanied by some of his staff, instantly began a +reconnoissance of the Union position. He had just completed this and was +returning to his lines when some of his own pickets, mistaking his party +for Union cavalry, fired on them killing a captain and a sergeant. The +Confederate commander immediately turned his horse and sought safety at +another point, but he had not progressed far before he drew the fire of +another picket squad and fell desperately wounded. + +General A. P. Hill then assumed command, but fighting had scarcely been +resumed the next morning before he was wounded and Jeb Stuart took his +place. Meanwhile, Hooker had been injured and the next day Lee fiercely +assailed Sedgwick. For the best part of two days the battle raged with +varying success. But, little by little, the Confederates edged their +opponents toward the Rappahannock, and by the night of May 5th, 1863, +Hooker withdrew his exhausted forces across the river. + +The battle of Chancellorsville cost Lee over 12,000 men; but with a +force which never exceeded 60,000, he had not only extricated himself +from a perilous position, but had inflicted a crushing blow on an army +of 130,000, an achievement which has passed into history as one of the +most brilliant feats of modern warfare. + + + + +Chapter XX. -- In the Hour of Triumph + + +Great as Lee's reputation had been before the battle of +Chancellorsville, it was immensely increased by that unexpected triumph. +But no trace of vanity or self-gratulation of any kind marked his +reception of the chorus of praise that greeted him. On the contrary, he +modestly disclaimed the honors from the very first and insisted that to +Jackson belonged the credit of the day. "Could I have directed events," +he wrote the wounded General, "I should have chosen to have been +disabled in your stead. I congratulate you on the victory which is due +to your skill and energy." Indeed, when the news first reached him that +Jackson's left arm had been amputated, he sent him a cheery message, +saying, "You are better off than I am, for while you have only lost +your LEFT, I have lost my RIGHT arm." And when, at last, he learned that +"Stonewall" had passed away, he no longer thought of the victory but +only of his dead comrade and friend. "Any victory would be dear at such +a price," was his sorrowful comment on the day. + +Jackson was indeed Lee's "right arm" and his place among the great +captains of the world is well indicated by the fact that a study of his +campaign is to-day part of the education of all English and American +officers. Nevertheless, it was unquestionably Lee's genius that enabled +his great Lieutenant to accomplish what he did, and this Jackson himself +fully realized. "Better that ten Jacksons should fall than one Lee," was +his response to his commander's generous words. + +But though Lee had won an international reputation, anyone seeing him in +the field among his soldiers might well have imagined that he was wholly +unaware that the world was ringing with his fame. He steadily declined +all offers to provide comfortable quarters for his accommodation, +preferring to live in a simple tent and share with his men the +discomforts of the field. Indeed, his thoughts were constantly of +others, never of himself, and when gifts of fruit and other dainties for +his table were tendered him, he thanked the givers but suggested that +they were needed for the sick and wounded in the hospitals, where they +would be gratefully received. + +"...I should certainly have endeavored to throw the enemy north of the +Potomac," he wrote his wife, "but thousands of our men were barefooted, +thousands with fragments of shoes, and all without overcoats, +blankets or warm clothing. I could not bear to expose them to certain +suffering.... I am glad you have some socks for the army. Send them to +me.... Tell the girls to send all they can. I wish they could make some +shoes, too." + +Even the hardships of the dumb animals moved him to a ready sympathy, +and he was constantly planning to spare them in every possible way. + +"Our horses and mules suffer most," he wrote one of his daughters. "They +have to bear the cold and rain, tug through the mud and suffer all the +time with hunger." + +And again on another occasion he wrote his wife: + +"This morning the whole country is covered with a mantle of snow, +fully a foot deep.... Our poor horses were enveloped. We have dug them +out...but it will be terrible.... I fear our short rations for man and +horse will have to be curtailed." + +The whole army realized the great-hearted nature of its Chief, and its +confidence in his thought and care is well illustrated by a letter +which a private addressed to him, asking him if he knew upon what +short rations the men were living. If he did, the writer stated, their +privations were doubtless necessary and everyone would cheerfully accept +them, knowing that he had the comfort of his men continually in mind. + +War had no illusions for this simple, God-fearing man. He regarded it as +a terrible punishment for the shortcomings of mankind. For him it had no +glory. + +"The country here looks very green and pretty, notwithstanding the +ravages of war," he wrote his wife. "What a beautiful world God, in His +loving kindness to His creatures, has given us! What a shame that men +endowed with reason and knowledge of right should mar His gifts." + +The awful responsibility of his public duty was almost more than any man +could bear, but he had also to endure personal anxiety and sorrow of the +keenest kind. During his absence in the field one of his daughters died, +his wife was in failing health and his three sons were in the army daily +exposed to injury and death. Fitzhugh and Custis had been made generals, +and Robert had been promoted to a lieutenancy and assigned to his elder +brother's staff. Up to the battle of Chancellorsville they had escaped +unharmed, but while the contending armies lay watching each other on +either side of the Rappahannock, Fitzhugh was severely wounded in a +cavalry engagement and Lee's first thought was to comfort and reassure +the young man's wife. + +"I am so grieved," ...he wrote her, "to send Fitzhugh to you wounded.... +With his youth and strength to aid him, and your tender care to nurse +him, I trust he will soon be well again. I know that you will unite with +me in thanks to Almighty God, who has so often sheltered him in the hour +of danger." + +Then came the news that the young General had been captured by Federal +troops who surrounded the house to which he had been removed, and again +Lee sought, in the midst of all his cares, to cheer his daughter-in-law +who was herself becoming ill. + +"I can see no harm that can result from Fitzhugh's capture except his +detention.... He will be in the hands of old army officers and surgeons, +most of whom are men of principle and humanity. His wound, I understand, +has not been injured by his removal, but is doing well. Nothing would +do him more harm than for him to learn that you were sick and sad. How +could he get well? So cheer up and prove your fortitude.... You may +think of Fitzhugh and love him as much as you please, but do not grieve +over him or grow sad." + +But the young wife grew steadily worse and, when her life was despaired +of, Custis Lee offered to take his brother's place in prison, if the +authorities would allow him to visit his dying wife. But, when this +was refused and news of her death reached Lee, he refrained from all +bitterness. + +"...I grieve," he wrote his wife, "...as a father only can grieve for a +daughter, and my sorrow is heightened by the thought of the anguish her +death will cause our dear son, and the poignancy it will give to +the bars of his prison. May God in His mercy enable him to bear the +blow...." + +It was in the midst of such severe afflictions that Lee conducted some +of the most important moves of his campaign, and while family anxieties +were beginning to crowd on him, the condition of his army and the +political situation were already demanding another invasion of the +North. As far as spirit and discipline were concerned, his troops +were never more ready for active service and their numbers had been +so considerably increased during the weeks that followed the battle of +Chancellorsville that by the 1st of June, 1863, he could count on almost +70,000 fairly well-armed men, supported by over two hundred cannon. + +But the question of supplying food for this great array was every day +becoming more urgent, and the remark of the Commissary-General that +his Chief would soon have to seek his provisions in Pennsylvania was +significant of the situation. Lee thoroughly realized that the strength +of the Confederacy was waning and that unless some great success in the +field should soon force the Union to make terms, the end of the struggle +was in sight. Great victories had already been won, but always on +Southern soil, and the news that Grant was closing in on Vicksburg +demanded that a supreme effort be made to offset that impending disaster +in the West. + +If the Southern army could force its way into the North and there +repeat its triumphs, England and France would probably recognize the +Confederacy and the half-hearted supporters of the Union, already +murmuring against the war, would clamor for peace. With this idea Lee +devoted the month following the battle of Chancellorsville to recruiting +his strength and watching for some move on Hooker's part. But Hooker +remained quietly within his lines, so on June 3, 1863, his opponent, +concealing his purpose, moved rapidly and secretly toward Pennsylvania. + + + + +Chapter XXI. -- Grant at Vicksburg + + +While Lee had been disposing of McClellan, Pope and Burnside, Grant had +remained in comparative idleness near Corinth, Mississippi. He had, +it is true, been assigned to high command in the West when Halleck +was ordered to Washington, but the battle of Shiloh had prejudiced the +authorities against him and his troops were gradually transferred to +other commanders, leaving him with an army barely sufficient to guard +the territory it already held. This treatment seriously depressed him +and with plenty of time to brood over his troubles, he was in some +danger of lapsing into the bad habits which had once had such a fatal +hold upon him. But at this crisis his wife was by his side to steady and +encourage him, and the Confederates soon diverted his thoughts from +his own grievances by giving him plenty of work to keep them at arm's +length. Meanwhile, however, something much more disturbing occurred, for +he suddenly discovered that preparations were being made to place his +long-cherished campaign for the opening of the Mississippi River in +the hands of McClernand, the political General whose conduct at Fort +Donelson had demonstrated his ignorance of military affairs. + +That aroused Grant to action and hastily summoning Admiral Porter and +General Sherman to his aid, he started towards Vicksburg, Mississippi, +on November 2, 1862, determined to be the first in the field and thus +head off any attempt to displace him from the command. + +McClernand's project was accordingly nipped in the bud, for, of course, +he could not be authorized to conduct a campaign already undertaken by +a superior officer, and the troops which had been intended for him +were immediately forwarded to Grant. Doubtless, the President was not +displeased at this turn of affairs, for although McClernand was a +highly important person in the political world and had rendered valuable +services in raising troops, his defects as a general were widely +recognized, and there had been grave doubts as to the wisdom of +permitting him to attempt so difficult an undertaking as the capture of +Vicksburg. Within a few months, however, there were even graver doubts +as to the wisdom of having entrusted the enterprise to Grant, for by the +end of March, 1863, the general opinion was that no one could have +made a worse mess of it than he was making, and that it was hopeless to +expect anything as long as he was in authority. + +As a matter of fact, the immense difficulty of capturing a city such as +Vicksburg had not been realized until the work was actually undertaken. +It was practically a fortress commanding the Mississippi, and whoever +held it ruled the river. The Confederate leaders understood this very +thoroughly and they had accordingly fortified the place, which was +admirably adapted for defense, with great care and skill. In front of +it flowed the Mississippi, twisting and turning in such snake-like +conditions that it could be navigated only by boats of a certain length +and build, and on either side of the city stretched wide swamp lands and +bayous completely commanded by batteries well posted on the high ground +occupied by the town. All this was formidable enough in itself, but +shortly after Grant began his campaign, the river overflowed its banks +and the whole country for miles was under water which, while not deep +enough for steamers, was an absolute barrier to the approach of an army. + +Indeed, the capture of the city seemed hopeless from a military +standpoint, but Grant would not abandon the task. Finding traces of an +abandoned canal, he attempted to complete it in the hope of changing the +course of the river, or at least of diverting some of the water from the +overflowed land, but the effort was a stupendous failure almost from +the start. Then he ordered the levees of the Mississippi protecting two +great lakes to be cut, with the idea of flooding the adjacent streams +and providing a waterway for his ships. This gigantic enterprise was +actually put into operation, the dams were removed, and gun-boats were +forced on the swollen watercourses far into the interior until some of +them became hopelessly tangled in the submerged forests and their crews, +attacked by the Confederate sharpshooters, were glad to make their +escape. Week after week and month after month this exhausting work +continued, but, at the end of it all, Vicksburg was no nearer capture +than before. Indeed, the only result of the campaign was the loss of +thousands of men who died of malaria, yellow fever, smallpox, and all +the diseases which swamp lands breed. For this, of course, Grant was +severely criticized and the denunciations at last became so bitter that +an order removing him from the command was entrusted to an official who +was directed to deliver it, if, on investigation, the facts seemed to +warrant it. + +But the visiting official, after arriving at the front, soon learned +that the army had complete confidence in its commander and that it would +be a mistake to interfere with him. Indeed, by this time "the silent +General," who had neither answered the numerous complaints against him +nor paid the least attention to the storm of public indignation raging +beyond his camp, had abandoned his efforts to reach Vicksburg from the +front and was busily engaged in swinging his army behind it by a long +overland route in the face of appalling difficulties, but with a grim +resolution which forced all obstructions from his path. Meanwhile, the +gun-boats under Admiral Porter were ordered to attempt to run the +land batteries, and April 16, 1863, was selected as the date for their +perilous mission. Each vessel had been carefully protected by cotton +bales, and the crews stood ready with great wads of cotton to stop +leaks, while all lights were extinguished except one in the stern of +each ship to guide the one that followed. + +It was a black night when the Admiral started down the river in his +flagship, and for a while it was hoped that the fleet would slip by +the batteries under cover of darkness. The leading vessels did, indeed, +escape the lookouts of the first forts, but before long a warning rocket +shot into the sky and the river was instantly lit by immense bonfires +which had been prepared for just this emergency, and by the glare of +their flames the gunners poured shot and shell at the black hulls as +they sped swiftly by. Shot after shot found its mark, but still the +fleet continued on its course. Then, after the bonfires died down, +houses were set on fire to enable the artillerists to see their targets, +but before daylight the whole fleet had run the gauntlet and lay almost +uninjured below Vicksburg, ready to coöperate with Grant's advancing +army. + +By this time the Confederates must have realized that they were facing +defeat. Nevertheless, for fully a month they stubbornly contested every +foot of ground. But Grant, approaching the rear by his long, roundabout +marches, handled his veteran troops with rare good judgment, moving +swiftly and allowing his adversaries no rest, so that by the 17th of +May, 1863, General Pemberton, commanding the defenses of Vicksburg, was +forced to take refuge in the town. Grant immediately swung his army into +position, blocking every avenue of escape and began a close siege. The +prize for which he had been struggling for more than half a year was now +fairly within his grasp, but there was still a chance that it might slip +through his fingers, for close on his heels came General Joseph Johnston +with a powerful army intent upon rescuing General Pemberton and his +gallant garrison. + +If Johnston could come to Pemberton's relief or if Pemberton could break +through and unite with Johnston, they could together save Vicksburg. But +Grant had resolved that they should not join forces, and to the problem +confronting him he devoted himself body and mind. Constantly in the +saddle, watching every detail of the work as the attacking army slowly +dug its way toward the city and personally posting the troops holding +Johnston at bay, his quiet, determined face and mud-splashed uniform +became familiar sights to the soldiers, and his appearance on the lines +was invariably greeted with inspiring cheers. By July, the trenches of +the besieged and the besiegers were so close together that the opposing +pickets could take to each other, and the gun-boats threw shells night +and day into the town. Still Pemberton would not surrender and many of +the inhabitants of Vicksburg were forced to leave their houses and dig +caves in the cliffs upon which the city was built to protect themselves +and their families from the iron hail. + +It was only when food of every kind had been practically exhausted and +his garrison was threatened with starvation that Pemberton yielded. On +July 3, 1863, however, he realized that the end had come and raised +the white flag. Nearly twenty-four hours passed before the terms of +surrender were agreed upon, but Grant, who had served in the same +division with Pemberton in the Mexican War, was not inclined to exact +humiliating conditions upon his old acquaintance whose men had made +such a long and gallant fight. He, accordingly, offered to free all the +prisoners upon their signing a written promise not to take arms again +unless properly exchanged, and to allow all the officers to retain their +side arms and horses. These generous terms were finally accepted, and on +July 4, 1863, the Confederate army, numbering about 30,000, marched out +in the presence of their opponents and stacked their arms, receiving the +tribute of absolute silence from the 75,000 men who watched them from +the Union ranks. + +Four months before this event, Halleck, the Commander-in-Chief, had +advised Grant and other officers of his rank that there was a major +generalship in the Regular Army for the man who should first win a +decisive victory in the field. The captor of Vicksburg had certainly +earned this promotion, for with its fall the Mississippi River was +controlled by the Union and, in the words of Lincoln, "The Father of +Waters again ran unvexed to the sea." + + + + +Chapter XXII. -- The Battle of Gettysburg + +The news that Grant was slowly, but surely, tightening his grip upon +Vicksburg, and that nothing but an accident could prevent its capture, +was known to the whole country for fully a week before the surrender +occurred, but it neither encouraged the North nor discouraged the South. +To the minds of many people no victory in the West could save the +Union, for Lee was already in Pennsylvania, sweeping northward toward +Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and even threatening New York. Hooker, in +the field, and Halleck, in Washington, were squabbling as to what should +be done, and the Union army was groping blindly after the invaders +without any leadership worthy of the name. + +It was certainly a critical moment demanding absolute harmony on the +part of the Union leaders; but while the fate of the Union trembled in +the balance, Hooker and Halleck wrangled and contradicted each +other, apparently regardless of consequences, and the climax of this +disgraceful exhibition was a petulant telegram from Hooker (June 27, +1863) resigning his command. Had "Fighting Joe" been the greatest +general in the world this resignation, in the presence of the enemy, +would have ruined his reputation, and the moment President Lincoln +accepted it Hooker was a discredited man. + +To change commanders at such a crisis was a desperately perilous move, +but the President knew that the army had lost confidence in its leader +since the battle of Chancellorsville and the fact that he could even +think of resigning on the eve of a battle demonstrated his utter +unfitness for the task at hand. It was, therefore, with something of +relief that Lincoln ordered General Meade to take immediate charge +of all the troops in the field, and the new commander assumed the +responsibility in these words, "As a soldier I obey the order placing +me in command of this army and to the utmost of my ability will execute +it." + +At the moment he dispatched this manly and modest response to the +unexpected call to duty, Meade knew little of Hooker's plans and had +only a vague idea of where his troops were posted. Under such conditions +success in the coming battle was almost impossible, but he wasted no +time in complaints or excuses, but instantly began to move his forces +northward to incept the line of Lee's advance. Even up to this time, +however, the exact position of the Confederate army had not been +ascertained, for Lee had concealed his infantry behind his cavalry, +which effectually prevented his adversaries from getting near enough to +discover the direction of his march. + +Another "cavalry screen," however, covered the Union forces and though +Lee dispatched Stuart to break through and discover what lay behind it, +the daring officer for once failed to accomplish his purpose and Lee had +to proceed without the information he usually possessed. This was highly +advantageous to Meade, for his forces were badly scattered and had Lee +known that fact he might have crushed the various parts of the army +before they united, or at least have prevented some of them from +reaching the field in time. He soon learned, of course, that Meade had +taken Hooker's place, but if he had not heard the news directly, +he would have guessed that some great change had occurred in the +generalship of his opponents, for within twenty-four hours of his +appointment Meade had his army well in hand, and two days later the +rapid and skillful concentration of his force was clear to Lee's +experienced eyes. By this time both armies had passed beyond their +cavalry screens, and on the 30th of June, 1863, the advance of the +Confederate troops neared the little town of Gettysburg. + +But Lee was not yet ready to fight, for, although he was better prepared +than his adversary, he wanted to select the best possible ground before +joining battle. By a strange chance, however, it was not Lee but his +bare-footed followers who decided where the battle should be fought, for +as his advance-guard approached Gettysburg one of the brigade commanders +asked and received permission from his superior to enter the town and +procure shoes for his men. But Gettysburg was found to be occupied by +Union cavalry and the next day (July 1st) a larger force was ordered +forward to drive them away and "get the shoes." Meanwhile, the Union +cavalry had been reënforced and, to offset this, more Confederates were +ordered to the support of their comrades. Once more Union reënforcements +were hurried to the front, and again the Confederates responded to the +challenge, until over 50,000 men were engaged in a savage conflict, and +before noon the battle of Gettysburg, one of the greatest battles of +history, had begun. + +The men in gray, who thus unwittingly forced the fighting, were veterans +of many campaigns and they attacked with a fury that carried all before +them. The Union troops fought with courage, but General Reynolds, their +commander, one of the ablest officers in the army, was soon shot through +the head and instantly killed, and from that moment the Confederates +crowded them to the point of panic. Indeed, two of Meade's most +effective fighting corps were practically annihilated and the shattered +remnants of the defenders of Gettysburg were hurled through the town in +headlong flight toward what was known as Cemetery Hill, where their new +commander, General Hancock, found them huddled in confusion. + +Meade had displayed good judgment in selecting Hancock to take Reynolds' +place, for he was just the man to inspire confidence in the disheartened +soldiers and rise to the emergency that confronted him. But, though he +performed wonders in the way of restoring order and encouraging his +men to make a desperate resistance, it is more than probable that +the Confederates would have swept the field and gained the important +position of Cemetery Hill had they followed up their victory. +Fortunately for the Union cause, however, the pursuit was not continued +much beyond the limits of Gettysburg and, as though well satisfied to +have got the shoes they came for, the victors contented themselves with +the undisputed possession of the town. + +Neither Lee nor Meade took any part in this unexpected battle, but Lee +arrived during the afternoon while the Union troops were in full flight +for the hills and, seeing the opportunity of delivering a crushing +blow, advised Ewell, the commanding General, to pursue. His suggestion, +however, was disregarded, and being unwilling to interfere with another +officer in the midst of an engagement, he did not give a positive order, +with the result that Cemetery Hill was left in possession of the Federal +troops. Meanwhile Meade, having learned of the situation, was hurrying +to the scene of action, where he arrived late at night, half dead +with exhaustion and on the verge of nervous collapse from the fearful +responsibilities which had been heaped upon him during the previous +days. But the spirit of the man rose superior to his physical weakness +and, keeping his head in the whirlwind of hurry and confusion, he +issued orders rushing every available man to the front, made a careful +examination of the ground and chose an admirable position for defense. + +To this inspiring example the whole army made a magnificent response, +and before the 2nd of July dawned the widely scattered troops began +pouring in and silently moving into position for the desperate work +confronting them. Meade had determined to await an attack from Lee and +he had accordingly selected Cemetery Ridge as the position best adapted +for defense. This line of hills not only provided a natural breastwork, +but at the left and a little in front lay two hillocks knows as Round +Top and Little Round Top, which, when crowned by artillery, were perfect +fortresses of strength. Strange as it may seem, however, Round Top was +not immediately occupied by the Union troops and had it not been for the +quick eye and prompt action of General Warren, Little Round Top, the key +to the entire Union position, would have been similarly neglected. + +Lee was reasonably assured, at the end of the first day's fighting, that +his adversary had not succeeded in getting all his troops upon the field +and, realizing what an advantage this gave him, he determined to begin +the battle at daylight, before the Union reënforcements could arrive. +But for once, at least, the great commander received more objections +than obedience from his subordinates, General Longstreet, one of his +most trusted lieutenants, being the principal offender. Longstreet had, +up to this moment, made a splendid record in the campaigns and Lee had +such confidence in his skill that he seldom gave him a peremptory order, +finding that a suggestion carried all the weight of a command. But, on +this occasion, Longstreet did not agree with the Chief's plan of battle +and he accordingly took advantage of the discretion reposed in him to +postpone making an attack until he received a sharp and positive order +to put his force in action. By this time, the whole morning had passed +and every hour had brought more and more Union troops into the field, +so that by the afternoon Meade had over 90,000 men opposing Lee's 70,000 +veterans. + +There was nothing half-hearted about Longstreet once he was in motion +and the struggle for the possession of Little Round Top was as desperate +a conflict as was ever waged on any field. Again and again the gray +regiments hurled themselves into the very jaws of death to gain the +coveted vantage ground, and again and again the blue lines, torn, +battered and well-nigh crushed to earth, re-formed and hurled back +the assault. Dash and daring were met by courage and firmness, and +at nightfall, though the Confederates had gained some ground, their +opponents still held their original position. Both sides had paid +dearly, however, for whatever successes they had gained, the Union army +alone having lost at least 20,000 men [Note from Brett: While this is +possible, it is highly unlikely as the total casualties for the three +day battle from the Unionist side were 23,053 according to official +records. Current (circa 2000) estimates are that both sides lost about +9,000 soldiers on this day.]. Indeed, the Confederate attack had been +so formidable that Meade called a council of war at night to determine +whether the army should remain where it was for another day or retreat +to a still stronger position. The council, however, voted unanimously +to "stay and fight it out," and the next morning (July 3rd) saw the two +armies facing each other in much the same positions as they had occupied +the day before, the Unionists crowding the heights of Cemetery Ridge and +the Confederates holding the hills known as Seminary Ridge and clinging +to the bases of Round Top and Little Round Top, to which point the tide +of valor had carried them. + +A mile of valley and undulating slopes separated Cemetery Hill from +Seminary Ridge, and their crests were crowded with artillery when the +sun rose on July 3, 1863. But for a time the battle was confined to the +infantry, the Confederates continuing fierce assaults of the previous +evening. Then, suddenly, all their troops were withdrawn, firing ceased +and absolute silence ensued along their whole lines. At an utter loss to +understand this complete disappearance of the foe, the Union commanders +peered through their glasses at the silent and apparently deserted +heights of Seminary Ridge, growing more and more nervous as time wore +on. What was the explanation of this ominous silence? Was it possible +that Lee had retreated? Was he trying to lure them out of their position +and catch them in some giant ambuscade? Was he engaged in a flanking +movement such as had crumpled them to pieces at Chancellorsville? +Doubtless, more than one soldier shot an apprehensive glance toward the +rear during the strange hush as he remembered the terrifying appearance +of Jackson on that fearful day. + +But no Jackson stood at Lee's right hand, and suddenly two sharp reports +rang out from the opposing height. Then, in answer to this signal, came +the crash of a hundred and thirty cannon and instantly eighty Union guns +responded to the challenge with a roar which shook the earth, while +the air was filled with exploding shells and the ground was literally +ploughed with shot. For an hour and a half this terrific duel continued; +and then the Union chief of artillery, seeing that his supply of +ammunition was sinking, ordered the guns to cease firing and the +Confederates, believing that they had completely demolished the opposing +batteries, soon followed their example. Another awful silence ensued and +when the Union troops peered cautiously from behind the stone walls and +slopes which had completely protected them from the wild storm of shot +and shell, they saw a sight which filled them with admiration and awe. + +From the woods fringing the opposing heights 15,000 men [Note from +Brett: (circa 2000) just under 12,000 men] were sweeping in perfect +order with battle flags flying, bayonets glistening and guidons +fluttering as though on dress parade. Well to the front rode a gallant +officer with a cap perched jauntily over his right ear and his long +auburn hair hanging almost to his shoulders flying in the wind. This was +General Pickett, and he and the men behind him had almost a mile of open +ground to cross in the charge which was to bring them immortal fame. +For half the distance they moved triumphantly forward, unscathed by +the already thundering artillery, and then the Union cannon which had +apparently been silenced by the Confederate fire began to pour death and +destruction into their ranks. Whole rows of men were mowed down by the +awful cannonade, but their comrades pressed forward undismayed, halting +for a moment under cover of a ravine to re-form their ranks and then +springing on again with a heroism unsurpassed in the history of war. A +hail of bullets from the Union trenches fairly staggered them, yet +on and on they charged. Once they actually halted in the face of the +blazing breastworks, deliberately fired a volley and came on again +with a rush, seized some of the still smoking guns that had sought +to annihilate them and, beating back the gunners in a hand-to-hand +conflict, actually planted their battle flags on the crest of Cemetery +Ridge. Then the whole Union army seemed to leap from the ground and hurl +itself upon them. They reeled, turned, broke into fragments and fled, +leaving 5,000 dead and wounded in their trail. + +Such was Pickett's charge--a wave of human courage which recorded "the +high-water mark of the Rebellion." + + + + +Chapter XXIII. -- In the Face of Disaster + + +As the survivors of Pickett's heroic legion came streaming back toward +the Confederate lines Lee stood face to face with defeat for the first +time in his career. His long series of victories had not spoiled him and +the hour of triumph had always found him calm and thankful, rather than +elated and arrogant. But many a modest and generous winner has proved +himself a poor loser. It is the moment of adversity that tries men's +souls and revels the greatness or smallness of character, and subjected +to this test more than one commander in the war had been found wanting. +McClellan, staggering from his campaign against Richmond, blamed +almost everyone but himself for the result; Pope, scurrying toward the +fortifications of Washington, was as ready with excuses as he had been +with boasts; Burnside, reeling from the slaughter-pen of Fredericksburg, +had demanded the dismissal of his principal officers, and Hooker hurled +accusations right and left in explaining the Chancellorsville surprise. + +But Lee resorted neither to accusation nor excuse for the battle of +Gettysburg. With the tide of disaster sweeping relentlessly down upon +him, he hastened to assume entire responsibility for the result. "It is +all my fault," he exclaimed, as the exhausted and shattered troops were +seeking shelter from the iron hail, and then as calmly and firmly +as though no peril threatened, he strove to rally the disorganized +fugitives and present a bold front to the foe. It was no easy task, even +with a veteran army, to prevent a panic and restore order and confidence +in the midst of the uproar and confusion of defeat, but the quiet +dignity and perfect control of their commander steadied the men, and +at sight of him even the wounded raised themselves from the ground and +cheered. + +"All this will come right in the end," he assured the wavering troops, +as he passed among them. "We'll talk it over afterwards, but in the +meantime all good men must rally." + +Not a sign of excitement or alarm was to be detected in his face, as +he issued his orders and moved along the lines. "All this has been my +fault," he repeated soothingly to a discouraged officer. "It is I that +have lost this fight and you must help me out of it the best way you +can.... Don't whip your horse, Captain," he quietly remarked, as he +noted another officer belaboring his mount for shying at an exploding +shell.... "I've got just another foolish horse myself, and whipping does +no good." + +Nothing escaped his watchful eyes, nothing irritated him, and nothing +provoked him to hasty words or actions. Completely master of himself, he +rose superior to the whirling storm about him and, commanding order out +of chaos, held his shattered army under such perfect control that had +Meade rushed forward in pursuit he might have met with a decisive check. + +But Meade did not attempt to leave his intrenchments and the Confederate +army slowly and defiantly moved toward the South. The situation was +perilous--desperately perilous for Lee. His troops were in no condition +to fight after battling for three days, their ammunition was almost +exhausted, their food supply was low and they were retreating through a +hostile country with a victorious army behind them and a broad river in +their path. But not a man in the gray ranks detected even a shadow of +anxiety on his commander's face, and when the Potomac was reached and +it was discovered that the river was impassable owing to an unexpected +flood, the army faced about and awaited attack with sublime confidence +in the powers of its chief. + +Meanwhile Meade, who had been cautiously following his adversary, began +to receive telegrams and dispatches urging him to throw himself upon the +Confederates before they could recross the Potomac and thus end the war. +But this, in the opinion of the Union commander, was easier said than +done, and he continued to advance with the utmost deliberation while +Lee, momentarily expecting attack, ferried his sick and wounded across +the river and prepared for a desperate resistance. Absolute ruin now +stared him in the face, for no reënforcements of any kind could reach +him and a severe engagement would soon place him completely at his +opponent's mercy. Nevertheless, he presented a front so menacing and +unafraid that when Meade called his officers to a council of war all but +two voted against risking an attack. + +In the meantime the river began to fall, and without the loss of a +moment Lee commenced building a bridge across which his troops started +to safety on the night of July 13th, ten days after the battle. Even +then the situation was perilous in the extreme, for had Meade discovered +the movement in time he could undoubtedly have destroyed a large part of +the retreating forces, but when he appeared on the scene practically the +whole army was on the other side of the river and only a few stragglers +fell into his hands. + +Great as Lee's success had been he never appeared to better advantage +than during this masterly retreat, when, surrounded by difficulties and +confronted by overwhelming numbers, he held his army together and led it +to safety. Through the dust of defeat he loomed up greater as a man and +greater as a soldier than at any other moment of his career. + +Even the decisive victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg failed to offset +President Lincoln's bitter disappointment at Lee's miraculous escape, +and had it not been for his success on the field of battle, Meade +would undoubtedly have been removed from the chief command. As it was, +however, he retained his position and for months he lay comparatively +idle, watching his opponent who busied himself with filling the broken +ranks of his army for a renewal of the struggle. + +Meanwhile, the Confederate newspapers began a bitter criticism of Lee, +charging that he had displayed bad judgment and worse generalship +in attempting to invade the North. A man of different caliber would, +doubtless, have answered these attacks by exposing some of the officers +whose conduct was largely responsible for the failure of the campaign. +Indeed, the facts would have justified him in dismissing more than one +of his subordinates from the army in disgrace, and had he chosen to +speak the word he might easily have ruined the reputation of at least +one distinguished general. + +But no such selfish or vindictive thought ever crossed Lee's mind. +Keenly as he suffered from the abuse which was heaped upon him, he +endured it without a murmur and, when at last he felt obliged to notice +it, his reply took the form of a letter to the Confederate President +requesting his permission to resign. + +"The general remedy for the want of success in a military commander is +his removal," he wrote a month after the battle of Gettysburg. "I do not +know how far the expressions of discontent in the public journals extend +in the army. My brother officers have been too kind to report it and, so +far, the troops have been too generous to exhibit it. I, therefore, beg +you to take measures to supply my place, because if I cannot accomplish +what I myself desire, how can I fulfill the expectations of others? I +must confess, too that my eyesight is not good and that I am so dull +that in making use of the eyes of others I am frequently misled. +Everything, therefore, points to the advantages to be derived from a +new commander. A younger and abler man can readily be obtained--one that +would accomplish more than I can perform and all that I have wished. I +have no complaints to make of anyone but myself. I have received nothing +but kindness from those above me and the most considerate attention from +my comrades and companions in arms." + +This generous, dignified statement, modest to the point of +self-effacement, instantly hushed all discontent and, before it, even +the newspaper editors stood abashed. + +"Where am I to find the new commander who is to possess that greater +ability which you believe to be required?" wrote Jefferson Davis in +reply. "If Providence should kindly offer such a person I would +not hesitate to avail myself of his services. But my sight is not +sufficiently penetrating to discover such hidden merit, if it exists. To +ask me to substitute you by someone more fit to command is to demand an +impossibility." + +In the face of this graceful response Lee could no longer urge his +resignation, and after waiting for more than three months for Meade +to attack, he suddenly assumed the offensive and during the next five +months he and Meade maneuvered their armies as two chess experts handle +the pieces on the board. Again and again, Meade swung his powerful army +into a favorable position and, again and again, Lee responded with a +move which placed his opponent on the defensive. + +But while this game of check and countercheck was being played, the +North was becoming more and more impatient and events were rapidly +bringing another player to the fore. + + + + +Chapter XXIV. -- The Rescue of Two Armies + +The defeats and disappointments of the various campaigns in Virginia had +gradually convinced the authorities at Washington that too many people +were trying to direct the Union forces. With Lee there was practically +no interference; but the commanders who opposed him were subject to the +orders of the General-in-Chief at Washington, who was, to some extent, +controlled by the Secretary of War, whose superior was the President, +and after almost every engagement a Congressional Committee, known as +the "committee on the conduct of the war," held a solemn investigation +in which praise and blame were distributed with the best intentions and +worst possible results. All these offices and officials were accordingly +more or less responsible for everything that occurred, but not one of +them was ever wholly to blame. This mistake, however, was at last fully +realized and a careful search began for some one man to whom the supreme +command could be entrusted. But for a long time no one apparently +thought that the Western army contained any very promising material. +Nevertheless, Grant, Sheridan, Sherman and Rosecrans were then in that +army and, of these four; Rosecrans was regarded by many as the only real +possibility. + +Indeed, at the moment when Grant was closing in upon Vicksburg, and +Lee and Meade were struggling at Gettysburg, Rosecrans, who had been +entrusted with the important duty of conducting a campaign to drive the +Confederates out of Tennessee, was fully justifying the high opinions of +his admirers. Between June 24, 1863, and September 9th of that year +he certainly outmaneuvered his opponents, occupying the all-important +position of Chattanooga, and forcing the able Confederate General Bragg +to fall back with more speed than order. + +During all this time the North had been insisting that the army should +be placed in charge of some commander who could master Lee, and this +demand had found expression in a popular poem bearing the refrain +"Abraham Lincoln! Give us a Man!" To the minds of many people Rosecrans +had clearly demonstrated that he was "the Man," and it is possible that +his subsequent acts were prompted by over-eagerness to end his already +successful campaign with a startlingly brilliant feat of arms. At all +events, he determined not to rest satisfied with having driven the +Confederates from the field, but to capture or destroy their entire +force. + +With this idea he divided his army and rushed it by different routes +over the mountains in hot pursuit of the foe. But the trouble with this +program was that Bragg had not really retreated at all, having merely +moved his army aside waiting for an opportunity to strike. Indeed, +Rosecrans had barely plunged his troops into the various mountain passes +on their fruitless errand before the whole Confederate force loomed up, +threatening to destroy his widely-separated, pursuing columns, one by +one, before they could be united. + +This unexpected turn of affairs utterly unnerved the Union General, and +although he did manage by desperate exertions to collect his +scattered army, he completely lost his head when Bragg attacked him at +Chickamauga, Georgia, on the 19th of September, 1863, and before +the savage battle of that name had ended he retired from the field, +believing that his army had been totally destroyed. + +Such, undoubtedly, would have been its fate had not General Thomas and +his brave troops covered the retreat, by holding the whole Confederate +army in check for hours and even forcing it to yield portions of the +bloody field. From that day forward Thomas was known as "The Rock of +Chickamauga," but the heroic stand of his gallant men barely sufficed to +save the Union army, which reached the intrenchments of Chattanooga only +just in time, with the Confederates hot upon its trail. + +Had Bragg overtaken his flying opponent, he would doubtless have made an +end of him then and there, but it was not altogether with regret that he +saw him enter Chattanooga, for with the roads properly blocked he knew +the place would prove a perfect trap. He, accordingly, began a close +siege which instantly cut off all Rosecrans' communication with the +outside world, except by one road which was in such a wretched condition +as to be impossible for a retreating army. Indeed, the heavy autumn +rains soon rendered it impracticable even for provision wagons, and as +no supplies could reach the army by any other route, it was not long +before starvation began to stare the besieged garrison in the face. + +Meanwhile, Rosecrans, almost wild with anxiety and mortification, sent +dispatch after dispatch to Washington describing his condition and +imploring aid, but though he still had an effective army under his +command and plenty of ammunition, he made no attempt whatever to save +himself from his impending doom. Day by day the situation grew more and +more perilous; thousands upon thousands of horses and mules died for +lack of food and the men were so nearly reduced to starvation that they +greedily devoured the dry corn intended for the animals. + +All this time the authorities in Washington were straining every nerve +to rescue the beleaguered army. Sixteen thousand men under General +Hooker were rushed to its relief, provisions were forwarded within a +day's march of the town, awaiting the opening of new roads, and finally, +when the stream of frantic telegrams from the front showed that the army +had practically no leadership, hurried orders were forwarded to Grant, +authorizing him to remove Rosecrans, place Thomas temporarily in control +and take the field himself at the earliest possible moment. + +This unexpected summons found Grant in a serious condition, for some +weeks earlier his horse had fallen under him, crushing his leg so +severely that for a time it was feared he might be crippled for life, +and he was still on crutches suffering intense pain when the exciting +orders were placed in his hands. Nevertheless, he promptly started on +his desperate errand, traveling at first by rail and steamer and then +in an ambulance, until its jolting motion became unbearable when he had +himself lifted into the saddle with the grim determination of riding the +remainder of the way. Even for a man in perfect physical condition the +journey would have been distressing, for the roads, poor at their best, +were knee deep in mud and a wild storm of wind and rain was raging. Time +and again his escort had to lift the General from his horse and carry +him across dangerous washouts and unaffordable streams, but at the +earliest possible moment they were always ordered to swing him into the +saddle again. + +Thus, mile after mile and hour after hour, the little cavalcade crept +toward Chattanooga, Grant's face becoming more haggard and furrowed with +pain at every step, but showing a fixed determination to reach his goal +at any cost. On every side signs of the desperate plight of the besieged +garrison were only too apparent. Thousands of carcasses of starved +horses and mules lay beside the road amid broken-down wagons, abandoned +provisions and all the wreckage of a disorganized and demoralized army. + +But if the suffering officer noted these ominous evidences of disaster, +his face afforded no expression of his thought. Plastered with mud and +drenched to the skin, he rode steadily forward, speaking no word +and scarcely glancing to the right or left, and when at last the +excruciating journey came to an end, he hastened to interview Thomas and +hear his report, without even waiting to change his clothes or obtain +refreshment of any kind. + +It was not a very cheerful story which Thomas confided to his Chief +before the blazing headquarters' fire, but the dripping and exhausted +General listened to it with no indication of discouragement or dismay. +"What efforts have been made to open up other roads for provisioning the +army?" was the first question, and Thomas showed him a plan which he and +Rosecrans had worked out. Grant considered it in silence for a moment +and then nodded his approval. The only thing wrong with the plan was +that it had not been carried out, was his comment, and after a personal +inspection of the lines he gave the necessary authority for putting +it into immediate operation. Orders accordingly began flying right +and left, and within twenty-four hours the army was busily engaged in +gnawing a way out of the trap. + +Additional roads were essential for safety but to gain them the +Confederates had to be attacked and a heavy force was therefore ordered +to seize and hold a point known as Brown's Ferry. This relieved the +situation at once and meanwhile the new commander had hurried a special +messenger to Sherman, ordering him to drop everything else and march his +Vicksburg veterans toward Chattanooga without an instant's delay. The +advance of this strong reënforcement was promptly reported to Bragg, who +saw at a glance that unless it could be stopped there was every prospect +that his Chattanooga victims would escape. + +He accordingly determined upon a very bold but very dangerous move. +Not far away lay General Burnside and a small Union army, guarding the +important city of Knoxville, Tennessee, and against this the Confederate +commander dispatched a heavy force, in the hope that Grant would be +compelled to send Sherman to the rescue. + +But the effect of this news upon Grant was very different from Bragg's +expectations, for realizing that his adversary must have seriously +weakened himself in sending the expedition against Burnside, he ordered +Hooker, whose 16,000 men were already on hand, to make an immediate +attack with a force drawn from various parts of the army, and on +November 24, 1863, after a fierce engagement known as the battle of +Lookout Mountain, the Union troops drove their opponents from one of the +two important heights commanding Chattanooga. + +In this success Sherman had effectively cooperated by attacking and +holding the northern end of Missionary Ridge and Grant determined to +follow up his advantage by moving the very next morning against this +second and more formidable range of hills. Therefore, ordering Hooker to +attack the Confederate right on Missionary Ridge and get in their rear +at that point while Sherman assaulted their left, he held Thomas's +troops lying in their trenches at the front awaiting a favorable +opportunity to send them crashing through the center. + +The main field of battle was plainly visible to the silent commander as +he looked down upon it from a hill known as Orchard Knob, and he watched +the effect of the attacks on both wings of the Confederate line with +intense interest. Reënforcements were evidently being hurried to the +Confederate right and left and Hooker, delayed by the destruction of a +bridge, did not appear at the critical moment. Nevertheless, for some +time Sherman continued to advance, but as Grant saw him making slower +progress and noted the heavy massing of troops in his path, he ordered +Thomas's waiting columns to attack the center and carry the breastworks +at the foot of Missionary Ridge. + +With a blare of bugles, 20,000 blue-coated men seemed to leap from the +ground and 20,000 bayonets pointed at Missionary Ridge whose summits +began to blaze forth shot and shell. Death met them at every stride but +the charging troops covered the ground between them and the rifle pits +they had been ordered to take in one wild rush and tore over them like +an angry sea. Then, to the utter astonishment of all beholders, instead +of halting, they continued charging up the face of Missionary Ridge, +straight into the mouths of the murderous cannon. + +"By whose order is this?" Grant demanded sternly. + +"By their own, I fancy," answered Thomas. + +Incredible as this suggestion seemed, it offered the only possible +explanation of the scene. No officer would have dared to order troops to +such certain destruction as apparently awaited them on the fire-crowned +slopes of Missionary Ridge. Spellbound Grant followed the men as they +crept further and further up the height, expecting every instant to see +them hurled back as Pickett's heroes were at Gettysburg, when suddenly +wave upon wave of blue broke over the crest, the Union flags fluttered +all along the line and before this extraordinary charge the Confederates +broke and fled in disorder. + +Setting spur to his horse, Grant dashed across the hard-fought field and +up the formidable ridge, issuing orders for securing all that had been +gained. An opening wedge had now been inserted in Chattanooga's prison +doors, and by midnight the silent captain had thrown his whole weight +against them and they fell. Then calmly turning his attention to +Burnside, he ordered him to hold his position at every hazard until he +could come to the rescue and, setting part of his victorious veterans in +motion toward Knoxville, soon relieved its garrison from all danger. + +With the rescue of two Union armies to his credit Grant was generally +regarded as the most fitting candidate for the chief command of the +army, but by this time it was fully realized that the man who held that +position would have to be invested with far greater powers than any +Union general had thus far possessed. Halleck expressed himself as +only too anxious to resign; Congress passed a law reviving the grade of +lieutenant-general with powers which, up to that time, had never been +entrusted to anyone save Washington, and responded to the cry, "Abraham +Lincoln! Give us a MAN!" the President, on March 1st, 1864, nominated +Ulysses Grant as Commander-in-Chief of all the armies of the United +States. + + + + +Chapter XXV. -- Lieutenant-General Grant + +Until he arrived in Washington Lincoln had never met the man to whom he +had entrusted the supreme command of the army, and the new General was +a very different individual from those who had been previously appointed +to high rank. Some of his predecessors had possessed undoubted ability, +but most of them had soon acquired an exaggerated idea of their own +importance, surrounding themselves with showy staffs in gorgeous attire, +delighting in military pomp and etiquette of every kind, and generally +displaying a great weakness for popular admiration and applause. +Moreover, all of them, with the exception of Meade, had talked too much +for their own good and that of the army, so that many of their plans had +become known in Richmond almost as soon as they had been formed. Indeed, +they not only talked, but wrote too much, and in discussions with their +superiors and wrangling with their fellow officers more than one proved +far mightier with the pen than with the sword. All this, to a very large +extent, was the fault of the public, for it had made an idol of each new +General, deluging him with praise, flattering his vanity and fawning on +him until he came to regard the war as a sort of background for his own +greatness. Thus, for almost three years, the war was conducted more like +a great game than a grim business, and not until it began visibly to sap +the life blood and resources of the nation did the people, as a whole, +realize the awful task confronting them. + +Both sides had begun the conflict in much the same careless fashion, but +the South had immediately become the battle ground, and the horrors of +war actually seen and felt by its people quickly sobered even the most +irresponsible. But from the very first Lee had taken a serious view +of the whole situation. Every word he spoke or wrote concerning it +was distinctly tinged with solemnity, if not sadness, and his sense of +responsibility had a marked influence upon the whole Confederacy. It had +taken the North almost three years to respond in a similar spirit, but +by that time it was ready for a leader who knew what war really meant +and for whom it had no glory, and such a leader had undoubtedly been +found in Grant. + +In the evening of March 8, 1864, the new commander arrived in Washington +and made his way, without attracting any attention, to one of the +hotels. There was nothing in his presence or manner to indicate that +he was a person of any importance. Indeed, he presented a decidedly +commonplace appearance, for he walked with an awkward lurch and bore +himself in a slouchy fashion which made him even shorter than he was. +Moreover, his uniform was faded and travel-stained, his close-cropped +beard and hair were unkempt, and his attire was careless to the point +of slovenliness. There was, however, something in the man's clear-cut +features, firm mouth and chin and resolute blue eyes which suggested +strength, and while his face, as a whole, would not have attracted any +particular notice in a crowd, no one in glancing at it would have been +inclined to take any liberties with its owner. + +But though Grant had arrived unheralded and unrecognized at the national +capital, he had barely given his name to the hotel clerk before the +whole city was surging about him eager to catch a glimpse of the new +hero and cheer him to the echo. But however much notoriety of this sort +had pleased some of his predecessors, Grant soon showed that he wanted +no applauding mob to greet him in the streets, for he quickly escaped +to the seclusion of his own room. But the same public that had cheered +itself hoarse for McClellan, Pope and Hooker, and then hissed them all +in turn, had found another hero and was not to be cheated of its prey. +Indeed, the newcomer was not even allowed to eat his dinner in peace, +for a crowd of gaping and congratulating enthusiasts descended upon +him the moment he reappeared and soon drove him from the dining room in +sheer disgust. + +Possibly the fate of the fallen idols had warned Grant against making a +public exhibition of himself or encouraging the hysterical acclamations +of the crowd, but he was naturally a man of sound, common sense, +entirely free from conceit, and he had no idea of allowing the idle or +curious mob to amuse itself at his expense. He, therefore, quickly made +it plain that he had serious work to do and that he intended to do it +without nonsense of any kind. + +Ceremonies and forms with such a man would have been impossible, and +on March 9, 1864, President Lincoln handed him his commission as a +Lieutenant-General, with a few earnest words to which he made a modest +reply, and then, with the same calmness he had displayed in assuming the +colonelcy of the 21st Illinois, he turned to the duties involved in the +command of half a million men. + +From that time forward no more councils of war were held at the White +House and no more military secrets were disclosed to the Confederate +chiefs. "I do not know General Grant's plans, and I do not want to know +them!" exclaimed Lincoln with relief. But other people did want to know +them and the newspaper reporters and busybodies of all sorts incessantly +buzzed about him, employing every device from subtle flattery to masked +threats to discover his designs. But Grant knew "how to keep silent in +seven different languages" and no one could beguile him into opening +his lips. Neither had he time nor inclination to listen to other people +talk. His troops were spread over a thousand miles of territory, and +never before had they been under the absolute control of any one man. +With the Army of the Potomac he had had but little practical experience; +of the country in which its campaigns had been conducted he knew nothing +at first hand; with a few exceptions he had no personal acquaintance +with the officers under his immediate command, and there were countless +other difficulties which had to be overcome. He, therefore, had no +leisure for trifling and quickly sent all intruders about their business +while he attended to his own. + +The problem involved in a grand campaign was in many respects new to +him, but doing his own thinking in silence, instead of puzzling himself +with the contradictory opinions of other men, Grant reached a more +accurate conclusion in regard to the war than any of his predecessors. +In the first place, he saw that the various campaigns which had been +conducted in different parts of the country would have been far more +effective had they all formed part of one plan enabling the different +armies to coöperate with each other. He, accordingly, determined to +conduct the war on a gigantic scale, keeping the Confederates in the +West so busy that they would not be able to reënforce Lee and giving Lee +no chance to help them. In a word, he intended to substitute team play +for individual effort all along the line. + +Again, he saw the capture of Richmond, upon which the Army of the +Potomac had expended all its efforts, would be futile if Lee's army +remained undefeated in the field, and he resolved that Lee and not +Richmond should thereafter be the main object of the campaign. "Where +Lee's army goes, there you will go also," was the substance of his first +order to Meade who virtually became his Chief of Staff, and those who +were straining every nerve to discover his plan and expecting something +very brilliant or subtle never guessed that those nine words contained +the open secret of his whole campaign. + +Such, however, was the fact. "I never maneuver," he remarked to his +Chief of Staff; and Meade, who had spent the best part of a year in a +great series of maneuvers with Lee, listened to this confession with +astonishment and dismay, scarcely believing that his superior really +meant what he said. But Grant did mean it. No elaborate moves or +delicate strategy had been employed in any of his campaigns and he +had yet to meet with a serious defeat. To make his first experiment in +maneuvering against such an expert in the science of war as Lee, would +have been to foredoom himself to defeat. With a far smaller force then +either McClellan, Pope, Burnside, Hooker or Meade had possessed, the +Confederate leader had practically fought a drawn battle with them for +three years. His science had not, it is true, been able to overcome +their numbers, but their numbers had not overpowered him. This, as far +as anyone could see, might go on forever. + +But Grant knew that the North had long been tiring of the war and that +unless it were speedily closed the Union might be sacrificed in order +to obtain peace. Moreover, he saw that every day the war lasted cost an +enormous sum of money, and that the loss of life on the battle field was +nothing compared to that in the hospitals and prisons, where disease and +starvation were claiming scores of victims every hour. + +He, therefore, determined to fight and continue fighting until +he pounded his opponent to pieces, well knowing that almost every +able-bodied man in the South was already in the army and that there was +practically no one left to take the place of those who fell. + +This policy, in the minds of many people, proves that Grant was no +general, but merely a brute and a butcher. But history has never yet +revealed a military leader who, having the advantage of numbers, did not +make the most of it. Had Grant been waging war for war's sake, or been +so enamored with his profession as to care more for its fine points than +for the success of his cause, he might have evolved some more subtle and +less brutal plan. But he had no love for soldiering and no sentimental +ideas whatever about the war. Common sense, with which he was liberally +supplied, told him that the only excuse for fighting was to uphold +principles which were vital to the national life and the only way to +have those principles upheld was to defeat those who opposed them and to +do this he determined to use all the resources at his command. + +The two men whom Fate or Chance had been drawing together for over two +hundred years were utterly different in appearance and manner, but in +other respects they were singularly alike. Lee was, at the time of their +meeting, already in his 58th year, his hair and beard were almost white, +but his calm, handsome face, clear eyes and ruddy complexion, made him +appear younger than he was. His bearing also was that of a young man, +for his erect, soldierly carriage showed his height to full advantage; +his well-knit figure was almost slight for a man standing over six +feet, and, mounted on his favorite horse "Traveller," he was the ideal +soldier. Grant was barely forty-two years of age, short of stature, +careless in dress and generally indifferent to appearances. His face, +though strong, was somewhat coarse, his manners were not polished and +he had nothing of the cultivation or charm which Lee so unmistakably +possessed. + +But though Grant thus reflected his Roundhead ancestors and Lee his +Cavalier descent, the contrast between them was mainly external. Both +were modest and courageous; both were self-contained; each had his +tongue and temper under complete control; each was essentially an +American in his ideas and ideals; each fought for a principle in which +he sincerely believed, and neither took the least delight in war. Had +they met in times of peace, it is not probable that they would have +become intimate friends, but it is certain that each would have +respected, if not admired the other for his fine qualities, and this was +undoubtedly their attitude toward each other from the beginning of the +struggle. + + + + +Chapter XXVI. -- A Duel to the Death + +For nearly two months after Grant assumed command no important move +was attempted by either the Union or the Confederate forces except in +Mississippi. Both sides realized that a desperate struggle was impending +and each needed all the time it could gain to prepare for the coming +fray. Heavy reënforcements were hurried to Grant, until the Army of the +Potomac under his immediate command included over 120,000 men; a hundred +thousand more were assembled at Chattanooga in charge of Sherman; and +two other forces of considerable size were formed to coöperate with +Grant--one being entrusted to General Benjamin Butler and the other to +General Franz Sigel. + +To oppose this vast army Lee had less than 65,000 men in the Army of +Northern Virginia and the only other formidable Confederate force in +the field was that commanded by General Joseph Johnston, who, with some +53,000 men, was stationed in Georgia guarding the cotton states and +the far South. If these two armies could be captured or destroyed, +all organized resistance to the Union would be at an end, and Grant, +accordingly, determined to throw his entire weight upon them, sending +Sherman against Johnston, Butler against the City of Richmond and Sigel +against the rich Shenandoah Valley which supplied the Confederate armies +with food, while he himself attacked Lee with an overwhelming force. + +Never before had a Union general undertaken a campaign covering such a +vast extent of country and never before had such a united effort been +made to exhaust the armies and the resources of the South. With his own +forces threatened by superior numbers Lee would not be able to reënforce +Johnston with safety and, confronted by Sherman, Johnston would find it +impossible to send assistance to Lee. This promised to bring the war to +a speedy close, and the supporters of the Union redoubled their praises +of the Lieutenant-General as they began to understand his plan. Indeed, +the more he avoided publicity and applause and the more indifference +he showed for popular opinion, the more the newspapers and the general +public fawned upon him, and when, on May 3, 1864, he ordered his armies +to advance, the whole North was fairly aflame with enthusiasm. + +It was certainly a momentous occasion. Three years earlier Grant had +been utterly unknown to the country at large and the small group who +acknowledged his acquaintance had regarded him as a rather pitiful +failure, while the Government to whom he had offered his services had +ignored him altogether. Now, at his nod, hundreds of thousands of men +instantly sprang to arms and the most powerful armies that America +had ever seen moved forward in obedience to his will, Sherman marching +southward, Butler creeping toward Richmond, Sigel advancing into the +fertile Shenandoah Valley, and the Army of the Potomac crossing the +Rapidan River to renew its struggle with Lee. + +Lee had watched the elaborate preparations of his new antagonist with +keen interest and no little apprehension, for Grant's record as a +fighting man promised a duel to the death and the South had no more men. + +The situation was certainly serious but, anxious as he was, the +Confederate commander did not by any means despair. He was familiar with +every inch of the country through which Grant would have to advance and +the chances were that this would, sooner or later, give him not only +the advantage of position, but possibly the choice of weapons. With this +idea he allowed the Union forces to cross the Rapidan unopposed, hoping +that he would soon be able to drive them back and that the river would +then be as valuable as cavalry in hampering their retreat. Just beyond +the Rapidan lay the dense thickets and waste lands of scrub oak +and undergrowth known as the Wilderness, which had witnessed the +Chancellorsville surprise and virtually sealed the fate of Hooker's +army. If the Union forces advanced directly through this jungle, there +was more than a possibility that they might outflank their opponents +and gain the road to Richmond, but Lee scarcely dared hope that +his adversary would attempt so dangerous a route. Nevertheless, he +maneuvered to leave the trap undisturbed, and when he saw the Union +columns entering the forests he felt that they were actually being +delivered into his hands. Once in those tangled thickets he knew that +Grant's artillery and cavalry would be practically useless and without +them his superiority in numbers disappeared. Of course, it would be +impossible to conduct a scientific battle in such a region, for it +would virtually be fighting in the dark, but knowing that his men were +thoroughly familiar with the ground, Lee determined to hurl them upon +the advancing bluecoats, trusting to the gloom and the terrors of the +unknown to create confusion and panic in their ranks. + +But the men whom Grant commanded were no longer the inexperienced +volunteers who had been stampeded at Bull Run. They were veterans of +many campaigns and, though they staggered for a moment under the shock +of battle, they speedily rallied and fought with stubborn courage. The +conflict that followed was one of the most brutal recorded in the annals +of modern war. Whole regiments sprang at each other's throats, the men +fighting each other like animals; trees were cut down by the bullets +which tore through them from every direction; bursting shells set fire +to the woods, suffocating the wounded or burning them to death; wild +charges were made, ending in wilder stampedes or bloody repulses; the +crackle of flames rose high above the pandemonium of battle and dense +smoke-clouds drifted chokingly above this hideous carnival of death. +Thus for two days the armies staggered backward and forward with no +result save a horrible loss of life. Once the Union forces almost +succeeded in gaining a position which would have disposed of their +adversaries, but Lee saw the danger just in the nick of time and, +rushing a Texas brigade to the rescue, led the charge in person until +his troops recognized him and forced him to retire. + +It was May 7, 1864, when this blind slaughter known as the Battle of +the Wilderness ceased, but by that time nearly 18,000 Union soldiers and +12,000 Confederates lay upon the field. Lee could not claim a victory +but he still held his ground and he felt confident that Grant would fall +back behind the Rapidan River to recuperate his shattered forces. No +Union commander, thus far, had tarried long on Virginian soil after +such a baptism of blood, and when the news that Grant's columns were +retreating reached the Confederate commander he breathed a sigh of +thanksgiving and relief. + +To the veterans who had served under McClellan, Pope, Burnside and +Hooker, retreats were a wretchedly familiar experience, but they had not +been long on the road before they realized that they were not retreating +but were marching southward. As the truth of this dawned upon the +disheartened columns they burst into frantic cheers for Grant and +pressed forward with springy steps, shouting and singing for joy. + +A less able commander would have been fatally misled by Grant's apparent +retreat, but Lee knew that he might again attempt to swing around his +right flank and edge toward Richmond by way of Spotsylvania, and to +guard against this a body of troops had been ordered to block that road. +Therefore, by the time Grant began his great turning movement, Lee was +planted squarely across his path and another series of battles followed. +Here the Union commander was able to make some use of his cavalry +and artillery, but the Confederates offset this by fighting behind +intrenchments and they repulsed charge after charge with fearful +slaughter. Again, as at the Battle of the Wilderness, the gray line was +pierced, this time at a point known as the "Bloody Angle" or "Hell's +Half Acre," and twice Lee sprang forward to lead a desperate charge to +recover the lost ground. But each time the troops refused to advance +until their beloved leader retired to a point of safety, and when he +yielded they whirled forward, sweeping everything before them. + +These charges saved the battle of Spotsylvania for the Confederates. But +though Lee had again blocked his opponent, the fact that he had thrice +had to rally his troops at the peril of his life showed that he had +been harder pressed than in any of his other Virginia campaigns. +Nevertheless, when the last furious attack had been repulsed and Grant +began moving sullenly away, it seemed as though he had at last been +compelled to abandon the campaign. But the wearied Confederates had yet +to learn that their terrible opponent was a man who did not know when +he was beaten, for in spite of his awful losses he had written his +government May 11, 1864, "I propose to fight it out on this line if it +takes all summer," and his army, instead of retreating, continued to +move southward, crossing the North Anna River and circling once more +toward the left flank. + +Again Grant was on the road to Richmond, but in crossing the North Anna +River he left an opening between the two wings of his army and before he +could close it Lee threw his whole force into the breach and, completely +cutting off one part of the Union army from the other, held both firmly +in check. This masterly move might have brought Grant's campaign to a +disastrous end, but just as he was planning to take full advantage of +it, Lee fell ill and during his absence from the field Grant made his +first backward move, recrossing the North Anna River and, bringing the +two wings of his army together, rescued it from its perilous position. + +The moment he reached a point of safety, however, the persistent +commander recommenced his march by the left flank, sidling once more +toward Richmond until he reached Cold Harbor, only eight miles from the +Confederate capital. Here Lee once more interposed his battered forces, +strongly intrenching them in a position that fairly defied attack. With +any other adversary against him he would have concluded that the game +was won, for by all the rules of war the Union army was completely +balked and could not avoid a retreat. But Grant was a man of a different +caliber from any he had encountered heretofore. In spite of checks and +disasters and unheard-of slaughter he had pushed inexorably forward; +foiled in front he had merely turned aside to hew another bloody path. +To him defeat only seemed to mean delay, and apparently he could not be +shaken from his dogged purpose, no matter what the cost. At Cold Harbor, +however, the Confederate position was so strong that to assault it was +madness, and Lee could not believe that even his grim opponent would +resort to such a suicidal attempt. But retreat or attack offered no +choice to Grant's mind, and on June 2, 1864, the troops were fiercely +hurled against the Confederate works, only to be repulsed with fearful +slaughter. A few hours later orders were issued to renew the assault, +and then postponed for a day. + +That delay gave the soldiers an opportunity to understand the desperate +nature of the work that lay before them and, realizing that charging +against murderous batteries and trenches meant rushing into the jaws of +death, they offered a silent protest. Not a man refused to obey orders, +not one fell from his place in the line, but to their coats they sewed +strips of cloth bearing their names and addresses so that their bodies +might be identified upon the field. + +This dramatic spectacle might well have warned their commander of the +hopelessness of his attempt, but fixed in his resolve to thrust his +opponent from his path, he gave the fatal order to charge, and twenty +minutes later 3,000 of his best troops fell before the smoking trenches +and the balance reeled back aghast at the useless sacrifice. This +horrifying slaughter, which Grant himself confessed was a grievous +blunder, brought the first stage of his campaign to a close. In but +little over a month he had lost nearly 55,000 men--almost as many as +Lee had had in his entire army, and almost in sight of the spires of +Richmond his adversary held him securely at arm's length. + +A wave of horror, indignation and disappointment, swept over the North. +Another campaign had proved a failure. There were, however, two men who +did not agree with this conclusion. One was Grant, pouring over the maps +showing the movements of all his armies. The other was Lee, looking in +vain for reënforcements to fill the gaps in his fast thinning lines. + + + + +Chapter XXVII. -- Check and Countercheck + +The six-weeks' campaign in Virginia had been quite sufficient to check +all enthusiasm for Grant, but the fact that he was no longer a +popular hero did not trouble him at all. Indeed, he displayed the same +indifference to the storm of angry criticism that he had shown for the +salvos of applause. He had made no claims or boasts before he took the +field and he returned no answers to the accusations and complaints after +his apparent failures. Had he posed before the public as a hero or been +tempted to prophesy a speedy triumph for his army, the humiliation and +disappointment might have driven him to resign from the command. But +he had recognized the difficulty of his task from the outset, modestly +accepting it with no promise save that he would do his best, and he +silently resolved to pursue the campaign he had originally mapped out in +spite of all reverses. + +Certainly, he required all his calmness and steadfastness to overcome +his discouragement and disgust at the manner in which the coöperating +armies had been handled. In the Shenandoah Valley Sigel had proved +utterly incompetent and the Confederates, instead of having been driven +from that important storehouse, had tightened their hold upon it. +Moreover, Butler, who was supposed to threaten Richmond while Grant +fought Lee, had made a sorry mess of that part of the program. In fact +he had maneuvered in such a ridiculous fashion that he and about 35,000 +troops were soon cooped up by a far smaller force of Confederates who +held them as a cork holds the contents of a bottle; and last, but not +least, the Army of Potomac lay badly mutilated before the impassable +intrenchments of Lee. + +In one particular, however, Grant's expectations bade fair to be +realized, for Sherman was steadily pushing his way through Georgia, +driving Johnston before him, and inflicting terrible damage upon the +country through which he passed. As Grant watched this triumphant +advance he silently resolved upon another move. The north or front door +of Richmond was closed and firmly barred. There was nothing to be gained +by further battering at that portal. But the southern or rear door +had not yet been thoroughly tried and upon that he concluded to make +a determined assault. To do this it would be necessary to renew his +movement around his opponent's right flank by crossing the formidable +James River--a difficult feat at any time, but double difficult at that +moment, owing to the fact that Butler's "bottled" force might be crushed +by a Confederate attack while the hazardous passage of the river was +being effected. Nevertheless, he decided to risk this bold stroke, and +during the night of June 12, 1864, about ten days after the repulse at +Cold Harbor, the great movement was begun. + +Meanwhile Lee, confident that he had completely checked his opponent, +but disappointed that he had not forced him to retreat, determined to +drive him away by carrying the war into the North and threatening the +Federal capital. That he should have been able to attempt this in the +midst of a campaign deliberately planned to destroy him, affords some +of the indication of the brilliant generalship he had displayed. But +it does not fully reflect his masterful daring. At the outset of the +campaign the Union forces had outnumbered him two to one and its losses +had been offset by reënforcements, while every man that had fallen in +the Confederate ranks had left an empty space. It is highly probable, +therefore, that at the moment he resolved to turn the tables on his +adversary and transform the campaign against Richmond into a campaign +against Washington, he had not much more than one man to his opponent's +three. Nevertheless, in the face of these overwhelming numbers, he +maintained a bold front towards Grant and detached General Jubal Early +with 20,000 men to the Shenandoah Valley, with orders to clear that +region of Union troops, cross the Potomac River and then march straight +on Washington. + +It was at this moment that Grant began creeping cautiously away toward +the rear door of Richmond. To keep a vigilant enemy in entire ignorance +of such a tremendous move was, of course, impossible, but the system and +discipline which he had instilled into his army almost accomplished the +feat. Indeed, so rapidly and silently did the troops move, so perfect +were the arrangements for transporting their baggage and supplies, +so completely were the details of the whole undertaking ordered and +systematized, that over a hundred thousand men, infantry, cavalry, and +artillery, with their horses, hospital and wagon trains, and all the +paraphernalia of a vast army virtually faded away, and when Lee gazed +from his intrenchments on June 13, 1864, there was no sign of his +opponent and he did not discover where he had gone for fully four days. + +In the meantime, Grant had thrown his entire army across the James +River and was advancing, horse and foot, on Petersburg, the key to the +approach to Richmond from the south, and Butler, whose troops had been +extricated from their difficulties, was ordered to seize it. Petersburg +was at that moment wholly unprepared to resist a strong attack. Indeed, +there were only a handful of men guarding the fortification, the capture +of which would case the fall of Richmond, but Butler was not the man to +take advantage of this great opportunity. On the contrary, he delayed +his advance and otherwise displayed such wretched judgment that the +Confederates had time to rush reënforcements to the rescue, and when +Grant arrived on the scene the intrenchments were strongly occupied. +Notwithstanding this the Union commander ordered a vigorous assault, and +for three days the troops were hurled against the breastworks without +result. The last attack was made on June 18, 1864, but by this time +10,000 Union soldiers had been sacrificed and Lee had arrived in person +with strong support. Grant accordingly, abandoning his efforts to carry +the place by storm, began to close in upon it for a grimly sullen siege. + +Meanwhile, General Early, to whom Lee had entrusted his counter-move, +was sweeping away the Federal forces in the Shenandoah Valley with +resistless fury, and suddenly, to the intense surprise and mortification +of the whole North, advanced upon Washington, threatening it with +capture. Washington was almost as completely unprepared for resistance +as Petersburg had been, its defenses being manned by only a small force +mainly composed of raw recruits and invalid soldiers, while outside +the city there was but one body of troops near enough to oppose the +Confederate advance. That little army, however, was commanded by General +Lew Wallace, later the famous author of "Ben Hur," and he had the +intelligence to see that he might at least delay Early by offering +battle and that gaining time might prove as valuable as gaining a +victory. Accordingly, he threw himself across the Confederate's path +and, though roughly handled and at last driven from the field, he hung +on long enough to accomplish his purpose and although his adversary +attempted to make up for lost time by rapid marching he did not succeed. +This undoubtedly saved Washington from capture, for shortly after +Early appeared on the 7th Street Road leading to the capital, the +reënforcements which Grant had rushed forward reached the city, and +before any attack on the intrenchments was attempted they were fully +defended and practically unassailable. Seeing this, Early retreated with +the Union troops following in half-hearted pursuit. + +It was the 12th of July, 1864, when, with a sigh of intense relief, +Washington saw the backs of the retreating Confederates, but its +satisfaction at its escape was mingled with indignation against Grant +for having left it open to attack. Indeed, he was regarded by many +people as the greatest failure of all the Union commanders, for he had +lost more men in sixty days than McClellan had lost in all his campaigns +without getting any nearer to Richmond, and by the end of July another +lamentable failure was recorded against him. + +In the intrenchments facing Petersburg lay the 48th Pennsylvania +Volunteers, largely composed of miners from the coal regions of that +state. Late in June Colonel Pleasants of this regiment had submitted a +plan whereby his men were to dig a tunnel to a point directly under one +of the Confederate forts, plant a gunpowder mine there and blow a +breach in the defenses through which troops could be poured and the town +carried by assault. The scheme was plausible, provided the tunnel could +be bored and Grant gave his consent, with the result that within a month +an underground passage over 500 feet long was completed, a mine was +planted with four tons of powder and elaborate preparations made +for storming the Confederate works. Grant's orders were that all +obstructions in front of the Union lines should be removed to enable the +troops to charge the moment the explosion occurred, and that they +should be rushed forward without delay until they were all within the +Confederate lines. Accordingly, in the dead of night on July 29th, the +assaulting columns were moved into position and when everything was in +apparent readiness the signal was given to explode the mine. But though +the match was applied no explosion occurred, and in the awful hush that +followed Lieut. Jacob Douty and Sergeant Henry Rees volunteered to crawl +into the tunnel and see what was wrong. To enter the passage at that +moment was almost defying death, but the two men took their lives in +their hands and, creeping in, discovered that the fuse had smoldered +and gone out. They then relit it and made their escape just as a fearful +explosion rent the air and great masses of earth, stones and timbers, +intermingled with human bodies, leaped toward the sky. + +For a moment the waiting troops watched this terrifying spectacle +and then, as the cloud of wreckage apparently swerved toward them +threatening to descend and bury them beneath it, they fell back in great +confusion and some time elapsed before order was restored and the charge +begun. But Grant's orders to clear their path had not been obeyed, and +the charging troops had to climb over their own breastworks, causing +more delay and confusion. Finally, however, the leading brigades reached +the great excavation torn by the mine, and there they halted awaiting +further orders. But no orders came, for their terror-stricken commander +had sought safety in a bomb-proof and when his hiding place was +discovered the miserable cur merely mumbled something about "moving +forward" and remained cowering in his refuge. Meanwhile, other regiments +rushed forward, tumbling in upon one another, until the chasm was +choked with men upon whom the Confederates began to pour shot, shell and +canister. From that moment everything was lost and at last orders came +from Grant to rescue the struggling mass of men from the awful death +trap into which they had been plunged, but despite all exertions fully +4,000 were killed, wounded or captured. + +Again his subordinates had blundered terribly but Grant accepted the +responsibility and assumed the blame, waiting patiently for the hour, +then near at hand, when he would find commanders he could trust to carry +out his plans. + + + + +Chapter XXVIII. -- The Beginning of the End + +The right man to conduct the Shenandoah campaign was already in the Army +of the Potomac, but it was not until about a week after the failure of +the Petersburg mine that circumstances enabled Grant to place General +Philip Sheridan in charge of that important task. + +Sheridan, like Sherman, had served with Grant in the West and had +developed into a brilliant cavalry leader. Indeed, he was the only man +in the Northern armies whose record could be compared with that of Jeb +Stuart and many other great cavalry commanders in the South. But Grant +felt that Sheridan could handle an entire army as well as he had handled +the cavalry alone and he soon showed himself fully worthy of this +confidence, for from the moment he took over the command of the Union +forces in the Shenandoah Valley, the Confederates were compelled to +fight for it as they had never fought before. + +Up to this time, the war had been conducted with comparatively little +destruction of private property on either side. But the moment had +now arrived for harsher measures, for Sherman had occupied Atlanta on +September 2, 1864, and was preparing to march to the sea coast and cut +the Confederacy in two. If Grant's plan of depriving Lee of the fertile +valley to the north was to be put in operation, there was no time +to lose. Sheridan, accordingly, at once proceeded to attack the +Confederates with the utmost vigor, defeating them in two engagements +at Winchester and Fisher's Hill, and following up this success by laying +waste the fields and ruthlessly destroying all the stores of grain and +provisions which might prove useful to Lee's army. For a month or more +he continued to sweep through the country practically unchecked. But +on October 19.1864, during his absence, his army was surprised and +furiously attacked by General Early's men at Cedar Creek, and before +long they had the Union troops in a perilous position which threatened +to end in their destruction and the recapture of the entire valley. + +Sheridan was at Winchester on his way to the front from Washington when +the news of this impending disaster reached him and, mounting his horse, +he dashed straight across country for the scene of action. He was then, +however, fully twenty miles from the field and there seemed but little +chance of his reaching it any time to be of any service. Nevertheless, +he spurred forward at a breakneck pace and his splendid horse, +responding gamely, fairly flew over the ground, racing along mile after +mile at killing speed in a lather of foam and sweat, until the +battle field was reached just as the Union troops came reeling back, +panic-stricken, under cover of a thin line of troops who had at last +succeeded in making a stand. + +Instantly, the General was among the fugitives ordering them to turn and +follow him and inspired by his presence, they wheeled as he dashed down +their broken lines and, madly cheering, hurled themselves upon their +pursuers. Completely surprised by this unexpected recovery, the +Confederates faltered and the Union troops, gathering force as they +charged, rolled them back with irresistible fury and finally swept them +completely from the field. Indeed, Early's force was so badly shattered +and scattered by this overwhelming defeat that it virtually abandoned +the Valley and Sheridan continued his work of destruction almost +unopposed, until the whole region was so barren that, as he reported, a +crow flying across it would have to carry his own provisions or starve +to death. + +Meanwhile, Sherman had begun to march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, +where he intended to get in touch with the navy guarding the coast and +then sweep northward to Grant. Behind him lay the Confederate army, +formerly commanded by General Joseph Johnston but now led by General +Hood, a daring officer who was expected to retrieve Johnston's failure +by some brilliant feat of arms. Whether he would attempt this by +following Sherman and attacking him at the first favorable moment +or take advantage of his departure to turn north and play havoc with +Tennessee and the region thus exposed to attack, was uncertain. To meet +either of these moves Sherman sent a substantial part of his army to +General Thomas at Nashville, Tennessee, and swung off with the rest of +his troops toward the sea. Hood instantly advanced against Thomas, +and Grant at Petersburg, closely watching the movement saw a +great opportunity to dispose of one of the Confederate armies. He, +accordingly, ordered Thomas to attack with his whole strength as soon as +Hood reached Nashville, but although the Confederates reached that +point considerably weakened by a partial defeat inflicted on them by +a retreating Union column, Thomas delayed his assault. Days of anxious +waiting followed and then Grant hurried General Logan, one of his most +trusted officers, to the scene of action with orders to take over the +command, unless Thomas immediately obeyed his instructions. In the +meantime, however, Thomas, slow but sure, had completed his preparations +and, hurling himself upon Hood with a vastly superior force, pursued his +retreating columns (Dec. 16, 1864) until they were split into fragments, +never again to be reunited as a fighting force. + +It was not until this practical annihilation of Hood that the North +began to realize how far reaching and complete Grant's plans were. +But that event and the Shenandoah campaign made it clear that he +had determined that no army worthy of the name should be left to +the Confederacy when he finally closed in upon Lee, so that with his +destruction or surrender there should be no excuse for prolonging the +war. It was in furtherance of this plan that Sherman left ruin and +desolation behind him as he blazed his way up from the South. The +inhabitants of the region through which he was marching had, up to this +time, been living in perfect security and Sherman intended to make war +so hideous that they would have no desire to prolong the contest. He, +accordingly, tore up the railroads, heating the rails and then twisting +them about trees so that they could never be used again, burned public +buildings and private dwellings, allowed his army to live on whatever +food they could find in the houses, stores or barns, and generally made +it a terror to all who lay in the broad path he was sweeping towards +Petersburg. + +Grant then had Lee fairly caught. His only possible chances of +prolonging the contest lay in taking refuge in the mountains or joining +his forces with the remnants of Hood's army which had been gathered +together and again entrusted with other troops to the command of General +Joseph Johnston. Had it been possible to do this, nothing practical +would have been achieved, for he had less than 30,000 effective men and +Johnston's whole force did not amount to much more than 30,000, while +Grant, Sherman and Sheridan together had a quarter of a million men +under arms. From a military standpoint Lee knew that the situation was +hopeless, but until the authorities who had placed him in the field gave +up the cause he felt in duty bound to continue the fight to the bitter +end. Had the Union army been his only opponent, it is possible that +he might have succeeded in escaping the rings of steel which Grant was +daily riveting around him. But he had to fight hunger, and from the day +that Sheridan mastered the Shenandoah Valley and Sherman cut off all +supplies from the South starvation stared him in the face. + +Meanwhile, his troops, though almost reduced to skeletons and clothed +in rags, confidently believed that in spite of everything he would find +some way of leading them out of Grant's clutches and, inspired by this +implicit faith, they hurled themselves again and again upon the masses +of troops which were steadily closing around them. But though they +frequently checked the advancing columns and sometimes even threw them +back, inflicting heavy losses and taking many prisoners, the blue lines +soon crept forward again, closing up gap after gap with a resistless +tide of men. At last the road to the west leading toward the mountains +beyond Lynchburg alone remained open. But to avail himself of this +Lee knew that he would have to abandon Petersburg and Richmond and he +hesitated to take this step; while Grant, seeing the opening and fearing +that his opponent would take advantage of it, strained every nerve to +get his troops into a position where they could block the road. + +Such was the condition of affairs at the end of March, 1865, but neither +the starving soldiers in the Confederate trenches nor the people of +Richmond or Petersburg imagined that the end was desperately near. While +"Marse Robert," as Lee's men affectionately called him, was in command +they felt that no real danger could come nigh them, and their idol was +outwardly as calm as in the hour of his greatest triumph. + + + + +Chapter XXIX. -- At Bay + + +It would be impossible to imagine a more hopeless situation than +that which had confronted Lee for many months. To guard the line of +intrenchments stretching around Petersburg and Richmond for more than +thirty-five miles, he had less than 30,000 effective men, and starvation +and disease were daily thinning their impoverished ranks; the soldiers +were resorting to the corn intended for the horses, and the cavalry were +obliged to disperse through the country seeking fodder for their animals +in the wasted fields; the defenders of the trenches, barefooted and +in rags, lay exposed to the cold and wet, day and night; there were no +medicines for the sick and no great supply of ammunition for the guns. + +Perhaps no one but Lee fully realized to what desperate straits his +army had been reduced. Certainly his opponents were ignorant of the real +condition of affairs or they would have smashed his feeble defenses at +a blow, and the fact that he held over a hundred thousand troops at bay +for months with a skeleton army shows how skillfully he placed his men. + +But though his brilliant career threatened to end in defeat and +disaster, no thought of himself ever crossed Lee's mind. Regardless of +his own comfort and convenience, he devoted himself day and night to +relieving the suffering of his men, who jestingly called themselves +"Lee's Miserables," but grimly stuck to their posts with unshaken faith +in their beloved chief who, in the midst of confusion and helplessness, +remained calm and resourceful, never displaying irritation, never +blaming anyone for mistakes, but courageously attempting to make the +best of everything and finding time, in spite of all distractions, for +the courtesy and the thoughtfulness of a gentleman unafraid. + +His letters to his wife and children during these perilous days reveal +no anxiety save for the comfort of his men, and no haste except to +provide for their wants. At home his wife--confined to an invalid's +chair--was busily knitting socks for the soldiers, and to her he wrote +in the face of impending disaster: + + +..."After sending my note this morning I received from the express +office a bag of socks. You will have to send down your offerings as soon +as you can, and bring your work to a close, for I think General Grant +will move against us soon--within a week if nothing prevents--and no man +can tell what will be the result; but trusting to a merciful God, who +does not always give the battle to the strong, I pray we may not be +overwhelmed. I shall, however, endeavor to do my duty and fight to the +last. Should it be necessary to abandon our position to prevent being +surrounded, what will you do? You must consider the question and make up +your mind. It is a fearful condition and we must rely for guidance and +protection upon a kind Providence...." + + +Shortly after this letter was written Lee made a desperate effort to +force his adversary to loosen his grip but though the exhausted and +starved troops attacked with splendid courage, they could not pierce the +solid walls of infantry and fell back with heavy losses. Then Sheridan, +who had been steadily closing in from the Shenandoah, swung 10,000 +sabres into position and the fate of Petersburg was practically sealed. +But, face to face with this calamity, Lee calmly wrote his wife: + + +"I have received your note with a bag of socks. I return the bag and +receipt. I have put in the bag General Scott's autobiography which +I thought you might like to read. The General, of course, stands out +prominently and does not hide his light under a bushel, but he appears +the bold, sagacious, truthful man that he is. I enclose a note from +little Agnes. I shall be very glad to see her to-morrow but cannot +recommend pleasure trips now...." + + +At every point Grant was tightening his hold upon the imprisoned +garrison and difficulties were crowding fast upon their commander, but +he exhibited neither excitement nor alarm. Bending all his energies upon +preparations for a retreat, he carefully considered the best plan for +moving his troops and supplying their needs on the march, quietly giving +his orders to meet emergencies, but allowing no one to see even a shadow +of despair on his face. Concerning the gravity of the situation he +neither deceived himself nor attempted to deceive others who were +entitled to know it, and with absolute accuracy he prophesied the +movements of his adversary long before they were made. + +..."You may expect Sheridan to move up the Valley," he wrote the +Confederate Secretary of War.... "Grant, I think, is now preparing to +draw out by his left with the intent of enveloping me. He may wait till +his other columns approach nearer, or he may be preparing to anticipate +my withdrawal. I cannot tell yet.... Everything of value should be +removed from Richmond. It is of the first importance to save all the +powder. The cavalry and artillery of the army are still scattered for +want of provender and our supply and ammunition trains, which ought to +be with the army in case of a sudden movement, are absent collecting +provisions and forage. You will see to what straits we are reduced; but +I trust to work out." + +At last, on March 29th, 1865, Grant pushed forward 50,000 cavalry and +infantry to execute the very move which Lee had outlined and for which +he was as thoroughly prepared as it was possible to be with the men he +had on hand. But to check this advance which threatened to surround his +army and cut off his retreat, he had to withdraw the troops guarding the +defenses of Petersburg, abandoning some of the intrenchments altogether +and leaving nothing much more formidable than a skirmish line anywhere +along his front. Even then he could not stop the onrush of the Union +troops, which, under Sheridan, circled his right on April 1st and drove +back his men in the fierce engagement known as the battle of Five Forks. +With the news of this success Grant promptly ordered an assault against +the intrenchments and his troops tore through the almost defenseless +lines in several places, encountering little or no resistance. + +Petersburg was not yet taken, but Lee immediately saw that to protect +it further would be to sacrifice his entire army. He, therefore, sent a +dispatch to Richmond, advising the immediate evacuation of the city. "I +see no prospect of doing more than hold our position here till night. +I am not certain that I can do that," he wrote. But he did hold on till +the Confederate authorities had made their escape, and then on the night +of April 2nd he abandoned the capital which he had successfully defended +for four years and started on a hazardous retreat. + +The one chance of saving his army lay in reaching the mountains to the +west, before Grant could bar the road, but his men were in no condition +for swift marching and the provision train which he had ordered to meet +him at Amelia Court House failed to put in an appearance, necessitating +a halt. Every moment was precious and the delay was exasperating, but he +did his best to provide some sort of food for his famished men and again +sent them on their way. + +By this time, however, the Union troops were hot upon their trail and +soon their rear-guard was fighting desperately to hold the pursuit in +check. Now and again they shook themselves free, but the moment they +paused for food or rest they were overtaken and the running fight went +on. Then, little by little, the pursuing columns began to creep past +the crumbling rear-guard; cavalry pounced on the foragers searching the +countryside for food and captured the lumbering provision-wagons and the +railroad supply trains which had been ordered to meet the fleeting army, +while hundreds upon hundreds of starving men dropped from the ranks as +they neared the bypaths leading to their homes. + +Still some thousands held together, many begging piteously for food at +every house they passed and growing weaker with each step, but turning +again and again with a burst of their old spirit to beat back the +advance-guard of the forces that were slowly enfolding them. + +"There was as much gallantry displayed by some of the Confederates in +these little engagements as was displayed at any time during the war, +notwithstanding the sad defeats of the past week," wrote Grant many +years later, and it was this splendid courage in the face of hardship +and disaster that enabled the remnants of the once invincible army to +keep up their exhausting flight. As they neared Appomattox Court House, +however, the blue battalions were closing in on them from every side +like a pack of hounds in full cry of a long-hunted quarry and escape was +practically cut off. + +For five days Grant had been in the saddle personally conducting the +pursuit with restless energy, and he knew that he was now in a position +to strike a crushing blow, but instead of ordering a merciless attack, +he sent the following letter to Lee: + + +"Headquarters Armies of the U.S. "5 P.M. Apr. 7, 1865. + +"General R. E. Lee,--Commanding Confederate States Armies. + +"The results of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of +further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern 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 Northern Virginia. + +"U. S. Grant, + +"Lieut. General." + + +Meanwhile the retreating columns staggered along, their pace growing +slower and slower with every mile, and at last a courier arrived bearing +Lee's reply. + + +"General: + +"I have received your note of this day. Though not entertaining the +opinion you express on the hopelessness of further resistance on the +part of the Army of Northern Virginia I reciprocate your desire to +avoid useless effusion of blood and therefore, before considering your +proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender. + +"R. E. Lee, + +"General." + + +Grant promptly responded that peace being his great desire, there +was only one condition he would insist upon and that was that the +surrendered men and officers should not again take up arms against the +United States until properly exchanged. + +But Lee was not yet ready to yield and continuing to move forward with +his faithful veterans, he sent a dignified reply, declining to surrender +but suggesting a meeting between himself and Grant, with the idea of +seeing if some agreement could not be reached for making peace between +the two sections of the country. + +This was not the answer that Grant had hoped for, but he had too much +admiration for his gallant adversary to ride rough shod over him when he +held him completely in his power, and while he gave the necessary orders +to prepare for closing in, he sent another courteous note to Lee dated +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. today could lead to +no good. I will state, however, General, that I am equally anxious for +peace with yourself and the whole North entertains the same feeling. +The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood.... Seriously +hoping that all our difficulties may be settled without the loss of +another life, I subscribe myself, etc., + +"U. S. Grant, + +"Lt. General." + + +The courier bearing this message dashed off and disappeared and the +chase continued, masses of blue infantry pressing forward under cover of +darkness and overlapping the weary columns of gray that stumbled on +with lagging steps. Meanwhile, the morning of April 9th dawned and Lee +determined to make one more desperate effort at escape. Behind him an +overwhelming force was crowding and threatening to crush his rear-guard; +on either flank the blue-coated lines were edging closer and closer; but +in front there appeared to be only a thin screen of cavalry which might +be pierced; and beyond lay the mountains and safety. At this cavalry +then he hurled his horsemen with orders to cut their way through and +force an opening for the rest of the army, who vigorously supported the +attack. It was, indeed, a forlorn hope that was thus entrusted to the +faithful squadrons, but they responded with matchless dash and spirit, +tearing a wide gap through the opposing cavalry and capturing guns and +prisoners. Then they suddenly halted and surveyed the field with dumb +despair. Behind the parted screen of horsemen lay a solid wall of blue +infantry arrayed in line of battle and hopelessly blocking the road. +One glance was enough to show them what Grant's night march had +accomplished, and the baffled riders wheeled and reported the situation +to their chief. + +Lee listened calmly to the news which was not wholly unexpected. There +was still a chance that a portion of his force might escape, if he was +willing to let them attempt to fight their way out against awful odds, +but no thought of permitting such a sacrifice crossed his mind. + +"Then there is nothing left for me but to go and see Gen. Grant," he +observed to those around him. + +But desperate as their plight had been for days, his officers were +unprepared for this announcement. + +"Oh, General!" one of them protested, "What will history say of the +surrender of the army in the field?" + +"Yes," he replied. "I know they will say hard things of us; they will +not understand how we were overwhelmed by numbers. But that is not the +question, Colonel. The question is, is it right to surrender this army? +If it is right, then I will take all the responsibility." + +No response was offered by the little group and turning to one of his +staff, Lee quietly gave an order. A few moments later white flags were +fluttering at the head of the halted columns and an officer rode out +slowly from the lines bearing a note to Grant. + + + + +Chapter XXX. -- The Surrender + + +While Lee's messenger was making his way toward the Union lines, +Grant was riding rapidly to the front where his forces had foiled the +Confederate cavalry. For more than a week he had been constantly in the +saddle, moving from one point on his lines to another and begrudging +even the time for food and sleep in his efforts to hasten the pursuit. +But the tremendous physical and mental strain to which he had subjected +himself had already begun to tell upon him, and he had passed the +previous night under a surgeon's care endeavoring to put himself in fit +condition for the final struggle which Lee's refusal to surrender led +him to expect. The dawn of April 9th, however, found him suffering with +a raging headache, and well-nigh exhausted after his sleepless night he +rode forward feeling more like going to the hospital than taking active +command in the field. He had already advanced some distance and was +within two or three miles of Appomattox Court House, when an officer +overtook him and handed him these lines from Lee: + + +"Apr. 9, 1865. + +"General: + +"I received your note of this morning on the picket line whither I had +come to meet you and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in +your proposal of yesterday with reference to the surrender of this army. +I now ask an interview in accordance with the offer contained in your +letter of yesterday for that purpose. + +"R. E. Lee, + +"General." + + +The moment Grant's eyes rested on these words his headache disappeared, +and instantly writing the following reply, he put spurs to his horse and +galloped on: + + +"Apr. 9, 1865. + +"Your note of this date is but this moment (11:50 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 Walker'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 will meet me. + +"U. S. Grant, + +"Lt. General." + + +The troops under Sheridan were drawn up in line of battle when Grant +arrived on the scene and his officers, highly excited at the favorable +opportunity for attacking the Confederates, urged him to allow no +cessation of hostilities until the surrender was actually made. But +Grant would not listen to anything of this sort, and directing that he +be at once conducted to General Lee, followed an orderly who led him +toward a comfortable two-story, brick dwelling in Appomattox village +owned by a Mr. McLean who had placed it at the disposal of the +Confederate commander. + +Mounting the broad piazza steps, Grant entered the house, followed by +his principal generals and the members of his staff, and was ushered +into a room at the left of the hall, where Lee, accompanied by only one +officer, awaited him. + +As the two commanders shook hands the Union officers passed toward the +rear of the room and remained standing apart. Then Lee motioned Grant +to a chair placed beside a small marble-topped table, at the same time +seating himself near another table close at hand. Neither man exhibited +the slightest embarrassment and Grant, recalling that they had served +together during the Mexican War, reminded Lee of this fact, saying that +he remembered him very distinctly as General Scott's Chief of Staff but +did not suppose that an older and superior officer would remember him. +But Lee did remember him and in a few minutes he was chatting quietly +with his former comrade about the Mexican campaign and old army days. + +It would be impossible to imagine a greater contrast than that afforded +by the two men as they thus sat conversing. Lee wore a spotless gray +uniform, long cavalry boots, spurs and gauntlets, and carried the +beautiful sword given to him by Virginia, presenting altogether a most +impressive appearance; and his tall, splendidly proportioned figure and +grave dignified bearing heightened the effect. His well-trimmed hair and +beard were almost snow white, adding distinction to his calm, handsome +face without suggesting age, and his clear eyes and complexion and erect +carriage were remarkable for a man of fifty-eight. Grant was barely +forty-three, and his hair and beard were brown with a touch of gray, +but his face was worn and haggard from recent illness, and his thickset +figure and drooping shoulders were those of a man well advanced in +years. For uniform he wore the blouse of a private, to which the +shoulder straps of a lieutenant-general had been stitched; his trousers +were tucked into top boots worn without spurs; he carried no sword and +from head to foot he was splashed with mud. + +He, himself, was conscious of the strange contrast between his +appearance and that of his faultlessly attired opponent, for he +apologized for his unkempt condition, explaining that he had come +straight from active duty in the field, and then as the conversation +regarding Mexico continued he grew so pleasantly interested that the +object of the meeting almost passed from his mind, and it was Lee who +first recalled it to his attention. + +He then called for pencil and paper, and without having previously +mapped out any phrases in his mind, he began to draft an informal letter +to Lee, outlining the terms of surrender. Nothing could have been more +clear and simple than the agreement which he drafted, nor could the +document have been more free from anything tending to humiliate or +offend his adversary. It provided merely for the stacking of guns, the +parking of cannon and the proper enrollment of the Confederate troops, +all of whom were to remain unmolested as long as they obeyed the laws +and did not again take up arms against the Government, and it concluded +with the statement that the side arms of the officers were not to be +surrendered and that all such officers who owned their own horses should +be permitted to retain them. + +Lee watched the writing of this letter in silence, and when Grant handed +it to him he read it slowly, merely remarking as he returned it that the +provision allowing the officers to keep their horses would have a happy +effect, but that in the Confederate army the cavalry and artillerymen +likewise owned their own horses. That hint was quite sufficient for +Grant, who immediately agreed to make the concession apply to all the +soldiers, whether officers or privates, observing as he again handed the +paper to Lee that his men would probably find their horses useful in the +spring ploughing when they returned to their farms. Lee responded that +the concession would prove most gratifying to his soldiers, and, turning +to his secretary, dictated a short, simple reply to his opponent, +accepting his conditions. + +While these letters were being copied in ink, Grant introduced his +officers to Lee and strove to make the situation as easy as possible +for him. Indeed, throughout the whole interview he displayed the most +admirable spirit, tactfully conceding all that his adversary might +reasonably have asked, thus saving him from the embarrassment of making +any request and generally exhibiting a delicate courtesy and generosity +which astonished those who judged him merely by his rough exterior. But +Grant, though uncouth in appearance and unpolished in manners, was a +gentleman in the best sense of the word, and he rose to the occasion +with an ease and grace that left nothing to be desired. + +As soon as the letters were signed the Confederate commander shook his +late opponent's hand and turned to leave the room. The Union officers +followed him to the door as he departed but tactfully refrained from +accompanying him further and attended only by his secretary, he passed +down the broad steps of the piazza, gravely saluted the group of +officers gathered there who respectfully rose at his approach, mounted +his old favorite "Traveller" and rode slowly toward his own lines. + +By this time the news of the surrender had reached the Union army and +cannon began booming a salute in honor of the joyful tidings. But +Grant instantly stopped this and ordered that there should be no +demonstrations or exultation of any kind which would offend Lee's men. +In the same generous spirit he kept his men strictly within their own +lines when the Confederates stacked their guns and no one, except the +officers assigned to receive the arms, was permitted to witness this +final act of surrender[1]. He likewise declined to visit Richmond lest +his presence should be regarded as the triumphal entry of a conqueror +or smack of exulting over his fallen foes, and with fully a million +bayonets behind him ready to win him further glory, his foremost thought +was to end the war without the loss of another life. With this idea, on +the morning after the surrender, he sought another interview with Lee. + +[1]Since the first edition of this volume was published the writer +has been furnished, through the courtesy of Mr. Jefferson K. Cole of +Massachusetts, with documentary proof that the formal surrender of +what remained of Lee's infantry was made in the presence of the First +Division of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac, General Joshua +L. Chamberlain commanding. Therefore, although it is true that Grant +avoided all humiliation of the Confederates, it is evident that a small +portion of his troops did witness the final act of surrender, and the +statement in the text should be accordingly amended. + + + + +Chapter XXXI. -- Lee's Years of Peace + + +Desperate as their plight had been for many days, Lee's men had not +wholly abandoned the hope of escape, but when their beloved commander +returned from the Federal lines they saw by his face that the end +had come, and crowding around him, they pressed his hands, even the +strongest among them shedding bitter tears. For a time he was unable +to respond in words to this touching demonstration, but finally, with a +great effort, he mastered his emotion and bravely faced his comrades. + +"Men," he said, "we have fought through the war together; I have done my +best for you; my heart is too full to say more." + +Brief as these words were, all who heard them realized that Lee saw +no prospect of continuing the struggle and meant to say so. He was, of +course, well aware that the Confederates had many thousand men still in +the field, and that by separating into armed bands they could postpone +the end for a considerable period. But this to his mind was not war +and he had no sympathy with such methods and no belief that they could +result in anything but more bloodshed and harsher terms for the South. +A word from him would have been quite sufficient to encourage the other +commanders to hold out and prolong the cruelly hopeless contest, but he +had determined not to utter it. + +Grant was firmly convinced that this would be his attitude, but whether +he would actually advise the abandonment of the cause was another +question, and it was to suggest this course that the Union commander +sought him out on the morning after the surrender. This second interview +occurred between the lines of the respective armies and as the former +adversaries sat conversing on horseback, Grant tactfully introduced the +subject of ending the war. + +He knew, he told Lee, that no man possessed more influence with the +soldiers and the South in general than he did, and that if he felt +justified in advising submission his word would doubtless have all the +effect of law. But to this suggestion Lee gravely shook his head. +He frankly admitted that further resistance was useless, but he was +unwilling to pledge himself to give the proposed advice until he had +consulted with the Confederate President, and Grant did not urge him, +feeling certain that he would do what he thought right. Nor was this +confidence misplaced, for though Lee never positively advised a general +surrender, his opinions soon came to be known and in a short time all +the Confederate forces in the field yielded. + +But though peace was thus restored, the war had left two countries where +it had found one, and to the minds of many people they could never be +united again. It was then that Lee showed his true greatness, for from +the moment of his surrender he diligently strove by voice and pen and +example to create harmony between the North and South and to help in the +rebuilding of the nation. To those who asked his opinion as to whether +they should submit to the Federal authorities and take the required oath +of allegiance, he unhesitatingly replied, "If you intend to reside in +this country and wish to do your part in the restoration of your state +and in the government of the country, which I think is the duty of every +citizen, I know of no objection to your taking the oath." + +He denounced the assassination of Lincoln as a crime to be abhorred by +every American, discountenanced the idea of Southerners seeking refuge +in foreign lands, scrupulously obeyed every regulation of the military +authorities regarding paroled prisoners and exerted all the influence +at his command to induce his friends to work with him for the +reconciliation of the country. Even when it was proposed to indict and +try him for treason he displayed no resentment or bitterness. "I have no +wish to avoid any trial that the Government may order. I hope others may +go unmolested," was his only comment. But no such persecution was to +be permitted, for Grant interfered the moment he heard of it, insisting +that his honor and that of the nation forbade that Lee should be +disturbed in any way, and his indignant protest straightway brought the +authorities to their senses. + +In the meanwhile, innumerable propositions reached Lee, offering +him great monetary inducements to lend his name and fame to business +enterprises of various kinds, but although he had lost all his property +and was practically penniless, he would not consent to undertake +work that he did not feel competent to perform and would listen to no +suggestion of receiving compensation merely for the use of his name. His +desire was to identify himself with an institution of learning where he +could be of some public service, and at the same time gain the peaceful +home life of which he had dreamed for so many years. As soon as this was +understood offers came to him from the University of Virginia and the +University of the South at Suwannee, Tennessee, but he feared that his +association with a State institution like the University of Virginia +might create a feeling of hostility against it on the part of the +Federal Government, and the Vice-Chancellorship of the Tennessee +university would have required him to leave his native state. + +Finally, the Trustees of Washington College offered him the Presidency +of that institution and the fact that it bore the name of the first +President and had been endowed by him straightway appealed to his +imagination. At one time the college had been in a flourishing condition +but it had suffered severely from the war, much of its property having +been destroyed and only a handful of students remained when he was +invited to take charge of its tottering fortunes. Indeed, the Trustees +themselves were so impoverished that none of them possessed even a +decent suit of clothes in which to appear before Lee and submit their +proposition. Nevertheless, one of them borrowed a respectable outfit for +the occasion and presented the offer with much dignity and effect +and Lee, after modestly expressing some doubts as to whether he could +"discharge the duties to the satisfaction of the Trustees or to the +benefit of the country," accepted the office at a merely nominal salary, +closing his formal acceptance of Aug. 11, 1865, with these words: "I +think it the duty of every citizen 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 oppose the policy of the state or general +Government directed to that object." + +This was the key-note of his thought from this time forward. "Life is +indeed gliding away and I have nothing of good to show for mine that is +past," he wrote shortly after assuming his new duties. "I pray I may be +spared to accomplish something for the benefit of mankind and the honor +of God." + +It was no easy task to reëstablish an institution practically destitute +of resources in a poverty-stricken community struggling for a bare +subsistence after the ravages of war. But Lee devoted himself body and +soul to the work, living in the simplest possible fashion. Indeed, he +refused to accept an increase in his meager salary, which would have +provided him with some of the ordinary comforts of life, on the +ground that the institution needed every penny of its funds for its +development. But though the work was hard he took keen pleasure in +seeing it grow under his hands, and, little by little, the college +regained its prestige, while with the help of his daughters he made his +new home a place of beauty, planting flowers about the little house and +doing all in his power to make it attractive for his invalid wife. + +Thus, for five years he lived far removed from the turmoil of public +life, performing a constant public service by exerting a direct personal +influence upon the students who came under his charge, and by doing +everything in his power to reunite the nation. Suggestions were +constantly made to him to enter politics and had he cared to do so, he +could undoubtedly have been elected to the Governorship of Virginia. But +he steadily declined to consider this, declaring that it might injure +the state to have a man so closely identified with the war at its head +and that he could best help in restoring harmony to the country in the +capacity of a private citizen. + +During all this time he took an active interest in his sons, encouraging +them in their efforts to establish themselves and earn their own living, +visiting their farms and advising them in the comradely spirit which had +always characterized his relations with them. Indeed, every moment he +could spare from his collegiate duties was devoted to his family, +and his letters to his children, always cheerful and affectionate and +sometimes even humorously gay, expressed contentment and unselfishness +in every line. + +At times it required great self-restraint to avoid bitterness toward the +Government, but even when Congress refused his wife's petition for +the restoration of the mementos of Washington, taken from her home in +Arlington during the war, he refrained from making any public protest +and his private comment showed how completely he subordinated his +personal wishes to the good of the country. + +"In reference to certain articles which were taken from Arlington..." +he wrote, "Mrs. Lee is indebted...for the order from the present +Administration for their restoration to her. Congress, however, passed a +resolution forbidding their return. They were valuable to her as having +belonged to her great grandmother (Mrs. General Washington) and having +been bequeathed to her by her father. But as the country desires them +she must give them up. I hope their presence at the capital will keep +in the remembrance of all Americans the principles and virtues of +Washington." [These articles were restored to Lee's family by the order +of President McKinley in 1903.] + +Toward the individuals, however, who had looted his house and +appropriated its treasures to their own use, he felt rather differently. +But his rebuke to them was written rather more in sorrow than in anger +and it likewise reflects the regard for his country which was ever the +uppermost thought in his mind. + +"...A great many things formerly belonging to General Washington, +bequeathed to Mrs. Lee by her father, in the shape of books, furniture, +camp equipage, etc., were carried away by individuals and are now +scattered over the land," he wrote. "I hope the possessors appreciate +them and may imitate the example of their original owners whose conduct +must at times be brought to their recollection by these silent monitors. +In this way they will accomplish good to the country...." + +For his first four years at Washington College Lee accomplished his +arduous duties with scarcely a sign of fatigue, but from that time +forward his health began to fail and though he kept at his work, it told +so heavily upon him that his friends at last persuaded him to take a +vacation. He, accordingly, started south with his daughter in March, +1870. Had he permitted it, his journey would have been one continual +ovation, for this was the first time he had traveled any considerable +distance from his home since the war and people flocked to greet him +from all sides with bands and speeches and cart-loads of flowers +and fruits. Indeed, it was extremely difficult to escape the public +receptions, serenades and other honors thrust upon him, and though he +returned to his duties in somewhat better condition, he was soon obliged +to retire to Hot Springs, Virginia, for another rest, from which he +returned toward the end of the summer vacation apparently restored to +health. + +Meanwhile he had undertaken various other duties in addition to his +collegiate work and some two weeks after the reopening of the college he +attended a vestry meeting of the Episcopal Church. At this meeting the +subject of rebuilding the church and increasing the rector's salary was +under discussion and the session lasted for three hours, at the close +of which he volunteered to subscribe from his own meager funds the sum +needed to complete the proposed increase of the clergyman's salary. By +this time it was seven in the evening and he at once returned to his own +house, and finding his family ready for tea, stood at the head of the +table as he usually did to say grace. But no words came from his lips, +and with an expression of resignation on his face he quietly slipped +into his chair and sat there upright as though he had heard an order to +which he was endeavoring to respond by remaining at "attention." + +Physicians were immediately called who diagnosed the trouble as +hardening of the arteries combined with rheumatism of the heart, and +though their patient never quite lost consciousness, he gradually fell +asleep, and on October 12, 1870, passed quietly away. + +Three days later "Traveller," led by two old soldiers and followed by a +small but distinguished assemblage, accompanied his master to the grave +outside the little chapel which Lee had helped to build for the college +which soon thereafter changed its name to Washington and Lee University. + +Nothing could have been more grateful to Lee then to have his name thus +associated with that of the man whom he revered above all other men and +upon whom he had patterned his whole life, and in this graceful tribute +he had his heart's desire. + + + + +Chapter XXXII. -- The Head of the Nation + + +While Lee was passing the closing years of his life in tranquility, +Grant was entering upon a stormy career in politics. But before he had +any thought of the honors that lay before him he proved himself a +good friend to the South and a really great American. Toward his late +adversaries he maintained that the true policy was "to make friends of +enemies," and by word and deed he earnestly strove to accomplish that +result, never losing an opportunity to protect the people of the South +from humiliation and injustice. Indeed, if he and some of the other +Union commanders had been given complete authority directly after the +war, the South would have been spared much suffering and the nation +would have escaped some of the evils which inflict it to this day. But +Grant's service to the country, as a whole, was far greater than +that which he undertook on behalf of any particular section, for at a +critical moment he held the destiny of the nation in the hollow of his +hand and a word from him would have subjected the people to a military +control from which they might never have recovered. + +At the time of Lee's surrender the United States had probably the most +powerful and the most perfectly equipped army in the world. It was +absolutely at Grant's disposal and there were plenty of excuses for +employing it in the field, had he been ambitious for military glory. An +attack on the French in Mexico or the English in Canada would have been +regarded by many people as perfectly justified by their treatment of the +United States during the Civil War. But no idea of perpetuating his own +power or of making his country a military nation entered Grant's mind. +On the contrary, his first thought was to hasten by every possible means +the disbanding of the mighty army which hailed him as its chief. + +At the close of the war that army numbered over a million men. Six +months later only 183,000 remained in the service, and in eight months +more the whole force of volunteers had disappeared. No other great +commander in the history of the world ever strove thus to deprive +himself of power, or with a gigantic instrument of war under his control +thought only of peace. Grant was not the greatest military genius of +the ages, or even of his own time, but when, with a million bayonets +responsive to his nod, he uttered the benediction, "Let us have peace," +he took a place apart among those Americans whose fame will never die. + +One great triumphant pageant marked the success of the Union cause +when the returning armies were reviewed by the President in Washington, +cavalry, infantry and artillery by the tens of thousands passing +down Pennsylvania Avenue for two whole days, presenting a magnificent +spectacle never surpassed in the military annals of any land. But the +same spirit which had actuated Grant in refusing to visit Richmond +caused him to shun any part of this historic parade, and those who +expected to see him on a prancing horse at the head of his veteran +troops had little knowledge of his character. He had never made an +exhibition of himself at any time during the war, and though he was +present on this occasion, he kept in the background and few people +caught even a glimpse of him as the well-nigh endless ranks of blue +swept by in proud array. + +For a time the work of disbanding the army obliged him to remain at +Washington, but at the first opportunity he started west to revisit +Galena, Georgetown and the scenes of his boyhood days. But, if he hoped +to renew his acquaintance with old friends without public recognition +and acclaim he was speedily disillusioned, for the whole countryside +turned out to welcome him with processions, banners and triumphal +arches, hailing as a hero the man who had lived among them almost +unnoticed and somewhat despised. Many people had already declared that +he would be the next President of the United States, but when some +prophecy of this kind had been repeated to him, he had laughingly +replied that he did not want any political office, though he would like +to be Mayor of Galena long enough to have a sidewalk laid near his home, +and this rumor had reached the town. The first sight that greeted his +eyes, therefore, as he entered Galena was an arch bearing the words +"General, the sidewalk is laid!" and his fellow townsmen straightway +carried him off to inspect this improvement, at the same time showing +him a new house built and furnished by his neighbors for his use and in +which they begged that he would make himself at home. + +It was a proud moment for his father and mother when they saw the son +who had once disappointed them so deeply received with such marks of +affection and honored as the greatest man of his day, and their joy +was the most satisfying reward he was ever destined to obtain. But +gratifying as all these kindly attentions were the returning hero was +somewhat relieved to find that Georgetown, which had largely sympathized +with the Confederacy, offered him a less demonstrative welcome. +Nevertheless, even there curiosity and admiration combined to rob him of +all privacy, and he at last decided to avoid the public gaze by slipping +away for one of those long solitary drives which had been his delight +in boyhood days. But the residents of the village toward which he turned +received word of his coming and started a delegation out to meet him +half way. After journeying many miles, however, without seeing any signs +of the cavalcade they were expecting, the procession encountered a dusty +traveler driving a team in a light road wagon, and halting him asked if +he had heard anything of General Grant. "Yes," he reported, "he's on +the way," and clicking to his horses quickly disappeared from view. Then +someone suggested that perhaps the General might not be traveling on +horseback surrounded by his staff and that the dusty traveler who had +reported Grant as on the way looked somewhat like the man himself. But +the solitary stranger "who looked like Grant" was miles away before this +was realized, and when the procession started on his track he was safely +out of reach. Doubtless, the sight of this unpretentious man in citizen +attire was disappointing to many who expected to see a dashing hero in a +gorgeous uniform, but his dislike of all military parade soon came to be +widely known. His hosts at one village, however, were not well informed +of this, for they urged him to prolong his stay with them in order that +he might see and review the local troops which were to assemble in his +honor, but he quickly begged to be excused, remarking that he wished he +might never see a uniform again. + +Certainly there was nothing of the conquering hero or even of the +soldier about him when a little later in the course of his duty, he made +a tour of the South in order to report on its general condition, and in +many places he came and went entirely unnoticed. But though the mass of +the people did not know of his presence, he formed an unusually accurate +estimate of their views on public questions. "The citizens of the +Southern States,..." he reported, "are in earnest in wishing to do what +is required by the Government, not humiliating them as citizens, and if +such a course was pointed out they would pursue it in good faith." +Happy would it have been for the South and for the whole country if +this advice had been followed, but the President and Congress were soon +engaged in a violent struggle over the reconstruction of the seceded +states, and anger, rather than wisdom, ruled the day. In the course +of this quarrel Stanton, the Secretary of War, was removed and Grant, +temporarily appointed in his place (Aug. 12, 1867), held the office +for about five months, thus taking the first step in the long political +career which lay before him. + +Ten months later he was elected President of the United States and at +the end of his term (1872) he was reëlected by an overwhelming vote. +Those eight years were years of stress and strain, and his judgment +in surrounding himself with men unworthy of his confidence made bitter +enemies of many of those who had once supported him. He was, however, +intensely loyal by nature and having once made a friend he stuck to him +through thick and thin, making his cause his own and defending him, even +in the face of the facts, against any and all attack. He, accordingly, +assumed a heavy burden of blame that did not rightly rest upon his +shoulders, but in spite of this many people desired to see him again +elected to the presidency and they were sorely disappointed when he +refused to become a candidate. On the whole, he had deserved well of the +country and the people recognized that he had done much to uphold their +honor and dignity, even though he had been too often imposed upon by +unreliable and even dangerous friends. + +A long tour around the world followed his retirement from the Presidency +and his reception in the various countries was a magnificent tribute to +his record as a general and a ruler. Meanwhile, an effort was being made +by his friends to secure his nomination for a third Presidential term, +and shortly after he returned home (1880) he was persuaded to enter the +field again. At first he regarded the result with indifference, but as +time wore on he warmed with the enthusiasm of his friends and keenly +desired to secure the honor. But no man had ever been elected three +times to the Presidency and there was a deep-centered prejudice against +breaking this tradition. Grant's candidacy therefore encountered bitter +opposition, and though a large number of his friends held out for him to +the last and almost forced his nomination, General Garfield was finally +selected in his place. + +This virtually retired him from politics, and to occupy himself and make +a living he went into business with one of his sons who had associated +himself with certain bankers in Wall Street. Here, however, his +notoriously bad judgment of men and his utter ignorance of the business +world soon brought him to grief, for he and his son left the management +of their firm to the other partners who outrageously imposed upon them +for a time and then left them face to face with ruin and disgrace. + +The shock of this disaster fairly staggered Grant, but he bravely met +the situation and stripping himself of every vestige of his property, +including the swords that had been presented him and the gifts bestowed +by foreign nations, strove to pay his debts. But, though reduced to +penury, he was able to prove his entire innocence of the rascality of +his partners and the general verdict of the country acquitted him of any +dishonorable act. + +To earn sufficient money for his family in their dire necessity he then +began to write the story of his military life and campaigns, but in the +midst of this employment he was stricken with a most painful disease +which incapacitated him for work and left him well-nigh helpless. At +this crisis Congress came to his rescue by restoring him to his former +rank in the army, with sufficient pay to meet his immediate needs. +Then, to the amazement of his physicians, he rallied, and, though still +suffering intensely and greatly enfeebled, he at once recommenced work +upon his book. + +From that time forward his one thought was to live long enough to +complete this task, and to it he devoted himself with almost superhuman +courage and persistence, in the hope of being able to provide for +his wife and family after he had gone. Indeed, in this daily struggle +against disease and death he showed, not only all the qualities that +had made him invincible in the field, but also the higher qualities of +patience and unselfishness with which he had not been fully credited. +Uncomplaining and considerate of everyone but himself, he looked death +steadily in the face and wrote on day after day while the whole nation, +lost in admiration of his dauntless courage, watched at his bedside with +tender solicitude. + +At last, on July 23, 1885, the pencil slipped from his fingers. But +his heroic task was done and no monument which has been or ever will +be erected to his memory will serve as will those pages to insure him +immortality, for "Grant's Memoirs," modest as the man himself, have +become a part of the literature of the world. + + + + +Authorities + + +The following is a partial list of the authorities relied upon in the +text: + +Grant's Personal Memoirs; Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. +Lee (Captain R. E. Lee); Life of Robert E. Lee (Fitzhugh Lee); Robert +E. Lee--Memoirs of His Military and Personal History (Long); Military +History of U. S. Grant (Badeau); Grant in Peace (Badeau); R. E. Lee--The +Southerner (Page); Robert E. Lee (Trent); Robert E. Lee and the Southern +Confederacy (White); McClelland's Own Story; Stonewall Jackson and the +American Civil War (Henderson); The Story of the Civil War (Ropes); +The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (Davis); History of +the United States (1850-1877 Rhodes); The Campaign of Chancellorsville +(Bigelow); Personal Memoirs (Sheridan); Memoirs of General Sherman; +Reminiscences of Carl Shurz; From Manassas to Appomattox (Longstreet); +Abraham Lincoln--A History (Nicolay and Hay); The Army Under Pope +(Ropes); The Antietam and Fredericksburg (Palfrey); The Virginia +Campaign of 1864 and 1865 (Humphreys); Chncellorsville (Doubleday); Life +and Letters of Robert E. Lee (Jones); Ulysses S. Grant (Wister); Ulysses +S. Grant (Garland); Campaigning with Grant (Porter); Autobiography of O. +O. Howard. + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of On the Trail of Grant and Lee, by +Frederick Trevor Hill + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE *** + +***** This file should be named 4098-8.txt or 4098-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/9/4098/ + +Produced by William Fishburne and Jenny Francisco + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + diff --git a/4098-8.zip b/4098-8.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7787697 --- /dev/null +++ b/4098-8.zip diff --git a/4098-h.zip b/4098-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..db232e2 --- /dev/null +++ b/4098-h.zip diff --git a/4098-h/4098-h.htm b/4098-h/4098-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..53fe7ee --- /dev/null +++ b/4098-h/4098-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6667 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <title> + On the Trail of Grant and Lee, by Frederick Trevor Hill + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + .side { float: right; font-size: 75%; width: 25%; padding-left: 0.8em; + border-left: dashed thin; margin-left: 0.8em; text-align: left; + text-indent: 0; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; + font-weight: bold; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: solid 1px;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's On the Trail of Grant and Lee, by Frederick Trevor Hill + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: On the Trail of Grant and Lee + +Author: Frederick Trevor Hill + + +Release Date: May, 2003 [Etext #4098] +The actual date this file first posted = 11/27/01 +Last Updated: July 8, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE *** + + + + +Text file produced by William Fishburne and Jenny Francisco + +HTML file produced by David Widger + + + +</pre> + + <div style="height: 8em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h1> + ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE + </h1> + <h2> + By Frederick Trevor Hill + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h3> + To Howard Ogden Wood, Jr. + </h3> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Forward + </h2> + <p> + During the early years of the Civil War someone tauntingly asked Mr. + Charles Francis Adams, the United States Minister to England, what he + thought of the brilliant victories which the confederate armies were then + gaining in the field. "I think they have been won by my fellow + countrymen," was the quiet answer. + </p> + <p> + Almost half a century has passed since that reproof was uttered, but its + full force is only just beginning to be understood. For nearly fifty years + the story of the Civil War has been twisted to suit local pride or + prejudice in various parts of the Union, with the result that much which + passes for American history is not history at all, and whatever else it + may be, it is certainly not American. + </p> + <p> + Assuredly, the day has now arrived when such historical "make-believes" + should be discountenanced, both in the North and in the South. Americans + of the present and the coming generations are entitled to take a common + pride in whatever lent nobility to the fraternal strife of the sixties, + and to gather equal inspiration from every achievement that reflected + credit on American manhood during those years when the existence of the + Union was at stake. Until this is rendered possible by the elimination of + error and falsehood, the sacrifices of the Civil War will, to a large + extent, have been endured in vain. + </p> + <p> + In some respects this result has already been realized. Lincoln is no + longer a local hero. He is a national heritage. To distort or belittle the + characters of other men who strove to the end that their land "might have + a new birth of freedom," is to deprive the younger generations of part of + their birthright. They are entitled to the facts from which to form a just + estimate of the lives of all such men, regardless of uniforms. + </p> + <p> + It is in this spirit that the strangely interwoven trials of Grant and Lee + are followed in these pages. Both were Americans, and widely as they + differed in opinions, tastes and sympathies, each exhibited qualities of + mind and character which should appeal to all their fellow countrymen and + make them proud of the land that gave them birth. Neither man, in his + life, posed before the public as a hero, and the writer has made no + attempt to place either of them on a pedestal. Theirs is a very human + story, requiring neither color nor concealment, but illustrating a high + development of those traits that make for manhood and national greatness. + </p> + <p> + The writer hereby acknowledges his indebtedness to all those historians + whose scholarly research has made it possible to trace the careers of + these two great commanders with confidence in the accuracy of the facts + presented. Where equally high authorities have differed he has been guided + by those who, in his judgment, have displayed the most scrupulous + impartiality, and wherever possible he has availed himself of official + records and documents. + </p> + <p> + The generous service rendered by Mr. Samuel Palmer Griffin in testing the + vast record upon which these pages are based, his exhaustive research and + scientific analysis of the facts, have given whatever of authority may be + claimed for the text, and of this the writer hereby makes grateful + acknowledgment. To Mr. Arthur Becher he is likewise indebted for his + careful studies at West Point and elsewhere which have resulted in + illustrations conforming to history. + </p> + <p> + Frederick Trevor Hill. + </p> + <p> + New York, September, 1911. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + <b>CONTENTS</b> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0001"> Forward </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0002"> Chapter I. — Three Civil Wars </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0003"> Chapter II. — Washington and Lee </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0004"> Chapter III. — Lee at West Point </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0005"> Chapter IV. — The Boyhood of Grant </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0006"> Chapter V. — Grant at West Point </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0007"> Chapter VI. — Lieutenant Grant Under Fire + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0008"> Chapter VII. — Captain Lee at the Front + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0009"> Chapter VIII. — Colonel Lee After the + Mexican War </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0010"> Chapter IX. — Captain Grant in a Hard Fight + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0011"> Chapter X. — Grant's Difficulties in + Securing a Command </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0012"> Chapter XI. — Lee at the Parting of the + Ways </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0013"> Chapter XII. — Opening Moves </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0014"> Chapter XIII. — Grant's First Success </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0015"> Chapter XIV. — The Battle of Shiloh </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0016"> Chapter XV. — Lee in the Saddle </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0017"> Chapter XVI. — A Game of Strategy </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0018"> Chapter XVII. — Lee and the Invasion of + Maryland </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0019"> Chapter XVIII. — The Battle of Antietam or + Sharpsburg </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0020"> Chapter XIX. — Lee against Burnside and + Hooker </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0021"> Chapter XX. — In the Hour of Triumph </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0022"> Chapter XXI. — Grant at Vicksburg </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0023"> Chapter XXII. — The Battle of Gettysburg + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0024"> Chapter XXIII. — In the Face of Disaster + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0025"> Chapter XXIV. — The Rescue of Two Armies + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0026"> Chapter XXV. — Lieutenant-General Grant + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0027"> Chapter XXVI. — A Duel to the Death </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0028"> Chapter XXVII. — Check and Countercheck + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0029"> Chapter XXVIII. — The Beginning of the End + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0030"> Chapter XXIX. — At Bay </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0031"> Chapter XXX. — The Surrender </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0032"> Chapter XXXI. — Lee's Years of Peace </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2HCH0033"> Chapter XXXII. — The Head of the Nation + </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0036"> Authorities </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + List of Illustrations (not available in this edition) + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Illustrations in Color +</pre> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Grant running the gauntlet of the Mexicans at Monterey + in riding to the relief of his comrades . . Frontispiece + September 23, 1846. + + Lee with Mrs. Lewis (Nellie Custis) applying to General + Andrew Jackson to aid in securing his cadetship at + West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 + 1825. + + Grant on his horse, "York," making exhibition jump in + the Riding Academy at West Point . . . . . . . . . . 32 + June, 1843. + + Lee sending the Rockbridge battery into action for the + second time at Antietam or Sharpsburg . . . . . . . 144 + September 17, 1862. + + Lee rallying his troops at the Battle of the + Wilderness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 + May 6, 1864. + + Grant at the entrenchments before Petersburg . . . . . 260 + March, 1865. +</pre> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Illustrations in the Text +</pre> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Signature of Grant on reporting at West Point . . . . 25 + (From the original records of the U. S. Military + Academy.) + + First signature of Grant as U. S. Grant . . . . . . . 27 + (From the original records of the U.S. Military + Academy.) + + Grant's letter demanding unconditional surrender of + forces at Fort Donnelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 + + Diagram map (not drawn to scale) showing strategy of + the opening of the Battle of Chancellorsville, May + 1 and 2, 1863 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 + + Diagram map (not drawn to scale) showing Grant's series + of movements by the left flank from the Wilderness + to Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 + + Facsimile of telegraphic message drafted by Lieutenant- + General Grant, announcing Lee's surrender, May 9, + 1865 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 + + Lee's letter of August 3, 1866, acknowledging receipt of + the extension of his furlough . . . . . . . . . . . 283 +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter I. — Three Civil Wars + </h2> + <p> + England was an uncomfortable place to live in during the reign of Charles + the First. Almost from the moment that that ill-fated monarch ascended the + throne he began quarreling with Parliament; and when he decided to dismiss + its members and make himself the supreme ruler of the land, he practically + forced his subjects into a revolution. Twelve feverish years followed—years + of discontent, indignation and passion—which arrayed the Cavaliers, + who supported the King, against the Roundheads, who upheld Parliament, and + finally flung them at each other's throats to drench the soil of England + with their blood. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, the gathering storm of civil war caused many a resident of the + British Isles to seek peace and security across the seas, and among those + who turned toward America were Mathew Grant and Richard Lee. It is not + probable that either of these men had ever heard of the other, for they + came from widely separated parts of the kingdom and were even more + effectually divided by the walls of caste. There is no positive proof that + Mathew Grant (whose people probably came from Scotland) was a Roundhead, + but he was a man of humble origin who would naturally have favored the + Parliamentary or popular party, while Richard Lee, whose ancestors had + fought at Hastings and in the Crusades, is known to have been an ardent + Cavalier, devoted to the King. But whether their opinions on politics + differed or agreed, it was apparently the conflict between the King and + Parliament that drove them from England. In any event they arrived in + America at almost the same moment; Grant reaching Massachusetts in 1630, + the year after King Charles dismissed his Parliament, and Lee visiting + Virginia about this time to prepare for his permanent residence in the + Dominion which began when actual hostilities opened in the mother land. + </p> + <p> + The trails of Grant and Lee, therefore, first approach each other from out + of the smoke of a civil war. This is a strangely significant fact, but it + might be regarded merely as a curious coincidence were it not for other + and stranger events which seem to suggest that the hand of Fate was + guiding the destinies of these two men. + </p> + <p> + Mathew Grant originally settled in Massachusetts but he soon moved to + Connecticut, where he became clerk of the town of Windsor and official + surveyor of the whole colony—a position which he held for many + years. Meanwhile Richard Lee became the Colonial Secretary and a member of + the King's Privy Council in Virginia, and thenceforward the name of his + family is closely associated with the history of that colony. + </p> + <p> + Lee bore the title of colonel, but it was to statesmanship and not to + military achievements that he and his early descendants owed their fame; + while the family of Grant, the surveyor, sought glory at the cannon's + mouth, two of its members fighting and dying for their country as officers + in the French and Indian war of 1756. In that very year, however, a + military genius was born to the Virginia family in the person of Harry + Lee, whose brilliant cavalry exploits were to make him known to history as + "Light Horse Harry." But before his great career began, the house of Grant + was represented in the Revolution, for Captain Noah Grant of Connecticut + drew his sword in defense of the colonies at the outbreak of hostilities, + taking part in the battle of Bunker Hill; and from that time forward he + and "Light Horse Harry" served in the Continental army under Washington + until Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. + </p> + <p> + Here the trails of the two families, AGAIN DRAWN TOGETHER BY A CIVIL + STRIFE, merge for an historic moment and then cross; that of the Grants + turning toward the West, and that of the Lees keeping within the confines + of Virginia. + </p> + <p> + It was in 1799 that Captain Noah Grant migrated to Ohio, and during the + same year Henry Lee delivered the memorial address upon the death of + Washington, coining the immortal phrase "first in war, first in peace and + first in the hearts of his countrymen." + </p> + <p> + Ulysses Grant, the Commander of the Union forces in the Civil War, was the + grandson of Captain Grant, who served with "Light Horse Harry" Lee during + the Revolution; and Robert Lee, the Confederate General, was "Light Horse + Harry's" son. + </p> + <p> + Thus, for the THIRD time in two and a half centuries, a civil conflict + between men of the English-speaking race blazed the trails of Grant and + Lee. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter II. — Washington and Lee + </h2> + <p> + "Wakefield," Westmoreland County, Virginia, was the birthplace of + Washington, and at Stratford in the same county and state, only a few + miles from Wakefield, Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807. + Seventy-five years had intervened between those events but, except in the + matter of population, Westmoreland County remained much the same as it had + been during Washington's youth. Indians, it is true, no longer lurked in + he surrounding forests or paddled the broad Potomac in their frail canoes, + but the life had much of the same freedom and charm which had endeared it + to Washington. All the streams and woods and haunts which he had known and + loved were known and loved by Lee, not only for their own sake, but + because they were associated with the memory of the great + Commander-in-Chief who had been his father's dearest friend. + </p> + <p> + It would have been surprising, under such circumstances, if Washington had + not been Lee's hero, but he was more than a hero to the boy. From his + father's lips he had learned to know him, not merely as a famous personage + of history, but as a man and a leader of men. Indeed, his influence and + example were those of a living presence in the household of "Light Horse + Harry;" and thus to young Lee he early became the ideal of manhood upon + which, consciously or unconsciously, he molded his own character and life. + But quite apart from this, the careers of these two great Virginians were + astonishingly alike. + </p> + <p> + Washington's father had been married twice, and so had Lee's; each was a + son of the second marriage, and each had a number of brothers and sisters. + Washington lost his father when he was only eleven years old, and Lee was + exactly the same age when his father died. Mrs. Washington had almost the + entire care of her son during his early years, and Lee was under the sole + guidance of his mother until he had almost grown to manhood. Washington + repaid his mother's devotion by caring for her and her affairs with + notable fidelity, and Lee's tenderness and consideration for his mother + were such that she was accustomed to remark that he was both a son and a + daughter to her. + </p> + <p> + Washington's ancestors were notable, if not distinguished, people in + England; while Lee could trace his descent, through his father, to + Lancelot Lee, who fought at the battle of Hastings, and through his mother + to Robert the Bruce of Scotland. Neither man, however, prided himself in + the least on his ancestry. Indeed, neither of them knew anything of his + family history until his own achievements brought the facts to light. + </p> + <p> + Washington was a born and bred country boy and so was Lee. Both delighted + in outdoor life, loving horses and animals of all kinds and each was noted + for his skillful riding in a region which was famous for its horsemanship. + There was, however, a vast difference between Washington's education and + that of Lee. The Virginian schools were very rudimentary in Washington's + day; but Lee attended two excellent institutions of learning, where he had + every opportunity, and of this he availed himself, displaying much the + same thoroughness that characterized Washington's work, and the same manly + modesty about any success that he achieved. + </p> + <p> + By reason of his father's death and other circumstances Washington was + burdened with responsibility long before he arrived at manhood, making him + far more reserved and serious-minded than most school boys. This was + precisely the case with Lee, for his father's death, the ill health of his + mother and the care of younger children virtually made him the head of the + family, so that he became unusually mature and self-contained at an early + age. Neither boy, however, held aloof from the sports and pastimes of his + schoolmates and both were regarded as quiet, manly fellows, with no + nonsense about them, and with those qualities of leadership that made each + in turn the great military leader of his age. + </p> + <p> + Never has history recorded a stranger similarity in the circumstances + surrounding the youth of two famous men, but the facts which linked their + careers in later years are even stranger still. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter III. — Lee at West Point + </h2> + <p> + As his school days drew to a close, it became necessary for Lee to + determine his future calling. But the choice of a career, often so + perplexing to young men, presented no difficulty to "Light Horse Harry's" + son. He had apparently always intended to become a soldier and no other + thought had seemingly ever occurred to any member of his family. + Appointments to the United States Military Academy were far more a matter + of favor than they are to-day, and young Lee, accompanied by Mrs. Lewis + (better known as Nellie Custis, the belle of Mount Vernon and Washington's + favorite grandchild), sought the assistance of General Andrew Jackson. + Rough "Old Hickory" was not the easiest sort of person to approach with a + request of any kind and, doubtless, his young visitor had grave misgivings + as to the manner in which his application would be received. But Jackson, + the hero of the battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, only needed to + be told that his caller was "Light Horse Harry's" son to proffer + assistance; and in his nineteenth year, the boy left home for the first + time in his life to enroll himself as a cadet at West Point. + </p> + <p> + Very few young men enter that institution so well prepared for military + life as was Lee, for he had been accustomed to responsibility and had + thoroughly mastered the art of self-control many years before he stepped + within its walls. He was neither a prig nor a "grind," but he regarded his + cadetship as part of the life work which he had voluntarily chosen, and he + had no inclination to let pleasure interfere with it. With his comrades he + was companionable, entering into all their pastimes with zest and spirit, + but he let it be understood, without much talk, that attention to duty was + a principle with him and his serious purpose soon won respect. + </p> + <p> + Rigid discipline was then, as it is to-day, strictly enforced at West + Point, and demerits were freely inflicted upon cadets for even the + slightest infraction of the rules. Indeed, the regulations were so severe + that it was almost impossible for a cadet to avoid making at least a few + slips at some time during his career. But Lee accomplished the impossible, + for not once throughout his entire four years did he incur even a single + demerit—a record that still remains practically unique in the + history of West Point. This and his good scholarship won him high rank; + first, as cadet officer of his class, and finally, as adjutant of the + whole battalion, the most coveted honor of the Academy, from which he + graduated in 1829, standing second in a class of forty-six. + </p> + <p> + Men of the highest rating at West Point may choose whatever arm of the + service they prefer, and Lee, selecting the Engineer Corps, was appointed + a second lieutenant and assigned to fortification work at Hampton Roads, + in his twenty-second year. The work there was not hard but it was dull. + There was absolutely no opportunity to distinguish oneself in any way, and + time hung heavy on most of the officers' hands. But Lee was in his native + state and not far from his home, where he spent most of his spare time + until his mother died. Camp and garrison life had very little charm for + him, but he was socially inclined and, renewing his acquaintance with his + boyhood friends, he was soon in demand at all the dances and country + houses at which the young people of the neighborhood assembled. + </p> + <p> + Among the many homes that welcomed him at this time was that of Mr. George + Washington Parke Custis (Washington's adopted grandson), whose beautiful + estate known as "Arlington" lay within a short distance of Alexandria, + where Lee had lived for many years. Here he had, during his school days, + met the daughter of the house and, their boy-and-girl friendship + culminating in an engagement shortly after his return from West Point, he + and Mary Custis were married in his twenty-fifth year. Lee thus became + related by marriage to Washington, and another link was formed in the + strange chain of circumstances which unite their careers. + </p> + <p> + A more ideal marriage than that of these two young people cannot be + imagined. Simple in their tastes and of home-loving dispositions, they + would have been well content to settle down quietly to country life in + their beloved Virginia, surrounded by their family and friends. But the + duties of an army officer did not admit of this, and after a few years' + service as assistant to the chief engineer of the army in Washington, Lee + was ordered to take charge of the improvements of the Mississippi River at + St. Louis, where, in the face of violent opposition from the inhabitants, + he performed such valuable service that in 1839 he was offered the + position of instructor at West Point. This, however, he declined, and in + 1842 he was entrusted with the task of improving the defenses of New York + harbor and moved with his family to Fort Hamilton, where he remained for + several years. Meanwhile, he had been successively promoted to a first + lieutenancy and a captaincy, and in his thirty-eighth year he was + appointed one of the visitors to West Point, whose duty it was to inspect + the Academy and report at stated intervals on its condition. This + appointment, insignificant in itself, is notable because it marks the + point at which the trails of Grant and Lee first approach each other, for + at the time that Captain Lee was serving as an official visitor, Ulysses + Grant was attempting to secure an assistant professorship at West Point. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter IV. — The Boyhood of Grant + </h2> + <p> + Deerfield, Ohio, was not a place of any importance when Captain Noah Grant + of Bunker Hill fame arrived there from the East. Indeed, it was not then + much more than a spot on the map and it has ever won any great renown. Yet + in this tiny Ohio village there lived at one and the same time Owen Brown, + the father of John Brown, who virtually began the Civil War, and Jesse + Grant, the father of Ulysses Grant, who practically brought it to a close. + </p> + <p> + It is certainly strange that these two men should, with all the world to + choose from, have chanced upon the same obscure little village, but it is + still stranger that one of them should have become the employer of the + other and that they should both have lived in the very same house. Such, + however, is the fact, for when Jesse Grant first began to earn his living + as a tanner, he worked for and boarded with Owen Brown, little dreaming + that his son and his employer's son would some day shake the world. + </p> + <p> + It was not at Deerfield, however, but at Point Pleasant, Ohio, that Jesse + Grant's distinguished son was born on April 27, 1822, in a cottage not + much larger than the cabin in which Abraham Lincoln first saw the light. + Mr. and Mrs. Grant and other members of their family differed among + themselves as to what the boy should be called, but they settled the + question by each writing his or her favorite name on a slip of paper and + then depositing all the slips in a hat, with the understanding that the + child should receive the first two names drawn from that receptacle. This + resulted in the selection of Hiram and Ulysses, and the boy was + accordingly called Hiram Ulysses Grant until the United States government + re-christened him in a curious fashion many years later. To his immediate + family, however, he was always known as Ulysses, which his playmates soon + twisted into the nickname "Useless," more or less good-naturedly applied. + </p> + <p> + Grant's father moved to Georgetown, Ohio, soon after his son's birth, and + there his boyhood days were passed. The place was not at that time much + more than a frontier village and its inhabitants were mostly pioneers—not + the adventurous, exploring pioneers who discover new countries, but the + hardy advance-guard of civilization, who clear the forests and transform + the wilderness into farming land. Naturally, there was no culture and very + little education among these people. They were a sturdy, self-respecting, + hard-working lot, of whom every man was the equal of every other, and to + whom riches and poverty were alike unknown. In a community of this sort + there was, of course, no pampering of the children, and if there had been, + Grant's parents would probably have been the last to indulge in it. His + father, Jesse Grant, was a stern and very busy man who had neither the + time nor the inclination to coddle the boy, and his mother, absorbed in + her household duties and the care of a numerous family, gave him only such + attention as was necessary to keep him in good health. Young Ulysses was, + therefore, left to his own devices almost as soon as he could toddle, and + he quickly became self-reliant to a degree that alarmed the neighbors. + Indeed, some of them rushed into the house one morning shouting that the + boy was out in the barn swinging himself on the farm horses' tails and in + momentary danger of being kicked to pieces; but Mrs. Grant received the + announcement with perfect calmness, feeling sure that Ulysses would not + amuse himself in that way unless he knew the animals thoroughly understood + what he was doing. + </p> + <p> + Certainly this confidence in the boy's judgment was entirely justified as + far as horses were concerned, for they were the joy of his life and he was + never so happy as when playing or working in or about the stables. Indeed, + he was not nine years old when he began to handle a team in the fields. + From that time forward he welcomed every duty that involved riding, + driving or caring for horses, and shirked every other sort of work about + the farm and tannery. Fortunately, there was plenty of employment for him + in the line of carting materials or driving the hay wagons and harrows, + and his father, finding that he could be trusted with such duties, allowed + him, before he reached his teens, to drive a 'bus or stage between + Georgetown and the neighboring villages entirely by himself. In fact, he + was given such free use of the horses that when it became necessary for + him to help in the tannery, he would take a team and do odd jobs for the + neighbors until he earned enough, with the aid of the horses, to hire a + boy to take his place in the hated tan-yard. + </p> + <p> + This and other work was, of course, only done out of school hours, for his + parents sent him as early as possible to a local "subscription" school, + which he attended regularly for many years. "Spare the rod and spoil the + child" was one of the maxims of the school, and the first duty of the boys + on assembling each morning was to gather a good-sized bundle of beech-wood + switches, of which the schoolmaster made such vigorous use that before the + sessions ended the supply was generally exhausted. Grant received his fair + share of this discipline, but as he never resented it, he doubtless got no + more of it than he deserved and it probably did him good. + </p> + <p> + Among his schoolmates he had the reputation of talking less than any of + the other boys and of knowing more about horses than all of them put + together. An opportunity to prove this came when he was about eleven, for + a circus appeared in the village with a trick pony, and during the + performance the clown offered five dollars to any boy who could ride him. + Several of Ulysses' friends immediately volunteered, but he sat quietly + watching the fun while one after another of the boys fell victim to the + pony's powers. Finally, when the little animal's triumph seemed complete, + Grant stepped into the ring and sprang upon his back. A tremendous tussle + for the mastery immediately ensued, but though he reared and shied and + kicked, the tricky little beast was utterly unable to throw its fearless + young rider, and amid the shouts of the audience the clown at last stopped + the contest and paid Ulysses the promised reward. + </p> + <p> + From that time forward his superiority as a horseman was firmly + established, and as he grew older and his father allowed him to take + longer and longer trips with the teams, he came to be the most widely + traveled boy in the village. Indeed, he was only about fifteen when he + covered nearly a hundred and fifty miles in the course of one of his + journeys, taking as good care of his horses as he did of himself, and + transacting the business entrusted to him with entire satisfaction to all + concerned. These long, and often lonely, trips increased his independence + and so encouraged his habit of silence that many of the village people + began to think him a dunce. + </p> + <p> + His father, however, was unmistakably proud of the quiet boy who did what + he was told to do without talking about it, and though he rarely displayed + his feelings, the whole village knew that he thought "Useless" was a + wonder and smiled at his parental pride. But the smile almost turned to a + laugh when it became known that he proposed to send the boy to West Point, + for the last cadet appointed from Georgetown had failed in his + examinations before he had been a year at the Academy, and few of the + neighbors believed that Ulysses would survive as long. Certainly, the boy + himself had never aspired to a cadetship, and when his father suddenly + remarked to him one morning that he was likely to obtain the appointment, + he receive the announcement with uncomprehending surprise. + </p> + <p> + "What appointment?" he asked + </p> + <p> + "To West Point," replied his father. "I have applied for it." + </p> + <p> + "But I won't go!" gasped the astonished youth. + </p> + <p> + "I think you will," was the quiet but firm response, and Grant, who had + been taught obedience almost from his cradle, decided that if his father + thought so, he did, too. + </p> + <p> + But, though the young man yielded to his parent's wishes, he had no desire + to become a soldier and entirely agreed with the opinion of the village + that he had neither the ability nor the education to acquit himself with + credit. In fact, the whole idea of military life was so distasteful to him + that he almost hoped he would not fulfill the physical and other + requirements for admission. Indeed, the only thought that reconciled him + to the attempt was that it necessitated a trip from Ohio to New York, + which gratified his longing to see more of the world. This was so + consoling that it was almost with a gay heart that he set out of the + Hudson in the middle of May, 1839. + </p> + <p> + For a boy who had lived all his life in an inland village on the outskirts + of civilization the journey was absolutely adventurous, for although he + was then in his eighteenth year, he had never even as much as seen a + railroad and his experiences on the cars, canal boats and steamers were + all delightfully surprising. Therefore, long as the journey was, it was + far too short for him, and on May 25th he reached his destination. Two + lonely and homesick weeks followed, and then, much to his astonishment and + somewhat to his regret, he received word that he had passed the + examination for admission and was a full-fledged member of the cadet corps + of West Point. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter V. — Grant at West Point + </h2> + <p> + Grant's father had obtained his son's appointment to the Academy through + the intervention of a member of Congress, who, remembering that the boy + was known as Ulysses and that his mother's name before her marriage was + Simpson, had written to the Secretary of War at Washington, requesting a + cadetship for U. S. Grant. This mistake in his initials was not discovered + until the young man presented himself at West Point, but when he explained + that his name was Hiram Ulysses Grant and not U. S. Grant, the officials + would not correct the error. The Secretary of War had appointed U. S. + Grant to the Academy and U. S. Grant was the only person they would + officially recognize without further orders. They, therefore, intimated + that he could either enroll himself as U. S. Grant or stay out of the + Academy, making it quite plain that they cared very little which course he + adopted. Confronted with this situation, he signed the enlistment paper as + U. S. Grant and the document, bearing his name, which thus became his, can + be seen to-day among the records at West Point. This re-christening, of + course, supplied his comrades with endless suggestions for nicknames and + they immediately interpreted his new initials to suit themselves. "United + States," "Under Sized" and "Uncle Sam" all seemed to be appropriate, but + the last was the favorite until the day arrived when a more significant + meaning was found in "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. + </p> + <p> + The restrictions and discipline of West Point bore much more harshly on + country-bred boys in those years than they do to-day when so many schools + prepare students for military duties. But to a green lad like Grant, who + had been exceptionally independent all his life, the preliminary training + was positive torture. It was then that his habitual silence stood him in + good stead, for a talkative, argumentative boy could never have survived + the breaking-in process which eventually transformed him from a slouchy + bumpkin into a smart, soldier-like young fellow who made the most of his + not excessive inches. Still, he hated almost every moment of his first + year and ardently hoped that the bill for abolishing the Academy, which + was under discussion in Congress, would become a law and enable him to + return home without disgrace. But no such law was passed and more + experience convinced him that West Point was a very valuable institution + which should be strengthened rather than abolished. He had not reached + this conclusion, however, at the time of his first furlough, and when he + returned to his more and found that his father had procured a fine horse + for his exclusive use during his holiday, it was hard to tear himself away + and resume his duties. Nevertheless, he did so; and, considering the fact + that he was not fond of studying, he made fair progress, especially in + mathematics, never reaching the head of his class, but never quite sinking + to the bottom. Indeed, if he had not been careless in the matter of + incurring demerits from small infractions of the rules, he might have + attained respectable, if not high rank in the corps, for he was a clean + living, clean spoken boy, without a vicious trait of any kind. Even as it + was, he became a sergeant, but inattention to details of discipline + finally cost him his promotion and reduced him again to the ranks. At no + time, however, did he acquire any real love for the military profession. + His sole ambition was to pass the examinations and retire from the service + as soon as he could obtain a professorship at some good school or college. + At this, he might easily have succeeded with his unmistakable talent for + mathematics, and it is even conceivable that he might have qualified as a + drawing master or an architect, if not as an artist, for he was fond of + sketching and some of his works in this line which have been preserved + shows a surprisingly artistic touch. + </p> + <p> + Graduation day at the Academy brought no distinguished honors to Grant, + where he stood twenty-first in a class of thirty-nine, but it did win him + one small triumph. As almost everyone knows, the West Point cadets are + trained for all arms of the service, sometimes doing duty as infantry, + sometimes as artillery and at other times acting as engineers or cavalry; + and during the closing week of the year, they give public exhibitions of + their proficiency before the official visitors. On this particular + occasion the cavalry drill was held in the great riding hall, and after + the whole corps had completed their evolutions and were formed in line + ready to be dismissed, the commanding officer ordered an extraordinarily + high hurdle to be placed in position, and while the great throng of + spectators were wondering what this meant they heard the sharp command, + "Cadet Grant." + </p> + <p> + A young man of slight stature, not weighing more than a hundred and twenty + pounds, and mounted on a powerful chestnut horse, sprang from the ranks + with a quick salute, dashed to the further end of the hall and, swinging + his mount about, faced the hurdle. There was a moment's pause and then the + rider, putting spurs to his steed, rushed him straight at the obstruction + and, lifting him in masterly fashion, cleared the bar as though he and the + animal were one. A thunder of applause followed as the horseman quietly + resumed his place in the ranks, and after the corps had been dismissed + Grant was sought out and congratulated on his remarkable feat. But his + response was characteristic of the boy that was, and the man that was to + be. "Yes, 'York' is a wonderfully good horse," was all he said. + </p> + <p> + A lieutenancy in the engineers or cavalry was more than a man of low + standing in the Academy could expect, and Grant was assigned to the Fourth + Infantry, with orders to report for duty at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, + Missouri, at the end of a short leave of absence. The prospect of active + service, far from his native state, was anything but pleasing to the new + officer; but he had come home with a bad cough, and had he not been + ordered to the South, it is highly probable that he would have fallen a + victim to consumption, of which two of his uncles had already died. The + air of Camp Salubrity, Louisiana, where his regiment was quartered, and + the healthy, outdoor life, however, quickly checked the disease, and at + the end of two years he had acquired a constitution of iron. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, he had met Miss Julia Dent, the sister of one of his classmates + whose home was near St. Louis, and had written to the Professor of + Mathematics at West Point, requesting his aid in securing an appointment + there as his assistant, to which application he received a most + encouraging reply. Doubtless, his courtship of Miss Dent made him doubly + anxious to realize his long-cherished plan of settling down to the quiet + life of a professor. But all hope of this was completely shattered by the + orders of the Fourth Infantry which directed it to proceed at once to + Texas. Long before the regiment marched, however, he was engaged to "the + girl he left behind him" and, although his dream of an instructorship at + West Point had vanished, he probably did not altogether abandon his + ambition for a career at teaching. But Fate had other plans for him as he + journeyed toward Mexico, where the war clouds were gathering. Lee was + moving in the same direction and their trails were soon to merge at the + siege of Vera Cruz. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter VI. — Lieutenant Grant Under Fire + </h2> + <p> + The movement of the United States troops towards Mexico did not take the + country by surprise. It was the direct result of the action of Congress + admitting Texas to the Union. Ever since it had won its independence from + Mexico, Texas had been seeking to become part of the United States; but + there had been violent objection in the North to the admission of any new + slave state, and this opposition had effectually prevented its annexation. + At the last election (1844), however, a majority of the voters apparently + favored the admission of Texas, which was accordingly received into the + Union, and the long-standing dispute which it had waged with Mexico as to + its proper boundaries was assumed by the United States. + </p> + <p> + Texas claimed to own far more territory than Mexico was willing to + concede, but the facts might easily have been ascertained had the United + States government desired to avoid a war. Unfortunately, it had no such + desire, and General Zachary Taylor was soon ordered to occupy the disputed + territory with about 3,000 men. This force, of which Grant's regiment + formed a part, was called the Army of Observation, but it might better + have been called the Army of Provocation, for it was obviously intended to + provoke an attack on the part of Mexico and to give the United States an + excuse for declaring war and settling the boundary question to suit + itself. + </p> + <p> + Probably, there were not many in the army who thought much about the + rights or the wrongs of the impending war. There had been no fighting in + the United States for more than thirty years, and most of the officers + were more interested in seeing real service in the field than they were in + discussing the justice or injustice of the cause. Grant was as anxious for + glory as any of his comrades, but he cherished no illusions as to the + merits of the dispute in which his country was involved. With the clear + vision of the silent man who reads and thinks for himself, he saw through + the thinly disguised pretenses of the politicians and, recognizing that + force was being used against a weaker nation in order to add more slave + states to the Union, he formed a very positive opinion that the war was + unjustifiable. But though he was forced to this disagreeable conclusion, + the young Lieutenant was not the sort of man to criticize his country once + she was attacked, or to shirk his duty as a soldier because he did not + agree with his superiors on questions of national policy. He thought and + said what he liked in private, but he kept his mouth closed in public, + feeling that his duties as an officer were quite sufficient without + assuming responsibilities which belonged to the authorities in Washington. + </p> + <p> + War was inevitable almost from the moment that Texas was annexed, but with + full knowledge of this fact neither the President nor Congress made any + effective preparations for meeting the impending crisis, and when + hostilities actually began, General Taylor was directed to advance under + conditions which virtually required him to fight his way to safety. + Indeed, he was practically cut off from all hope of reënforcement as soon + as the first shot was fired, for his orders obliged him to move into the + interior of the country, and had his opponents been properly commanded, + they could have overwhelmed him and annihilated his whole force. The very + audacity of the little American army, however, seemed to paralyze the + Mexicans who practically made no resistance until Taylor reached a place + called Palo Alto, which in Spanish means "Tall Trees." + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile Grant had been made regimental quartermaster, charged with the + duty of seeing that the troops were furnished with proper food and caring + for all property and supplies. Heartily as he disliked this task, which + was not only dull and difficult, but also bade fair to prevent him from + taking active part in the prospective battles, he set to work with the + utmost energy. By the time the enemy began to dispute the road, he had + overcome the immense difficulty of supplying troops on a march through a + tropical country and was prepared to take part in any fighting that + occurred. But the Mexicans gathered at TALL TREES on May 8, 1846, were not + prepared for a serious encounter. They fired at the invaders, but their + short-range cannon loaded with solid shot rarely reached the Americans, + and when a ball did come rolling towards them on the ground, the troops + merely stepped to one side and allowed the missile to pass harmlessly + through their opened ranks. After the American artillery reached the + field, however, the enemy was driven from its position and the next day + the advance was resumed to Resaca de la Palma, where stronger opposition + was encountered. + </p> + <p> + Grant was on the right wing of the army as it pressed forward through + dense undergrowth to drive the Mexicans from the coverts in which they had + taken shelter. It was impossible to give any exact orders in advancing + through this jungle, and the men under Grant's command struggled forward + until they reached a clearing where they caught sight of a small body of + Mexicans. The young Lieutenant instantly ordered a charge and, dashing + across the open ground, captured the party only to discover that they were + merely stragglers left behind by other American troops who had already + charged over the same ground. No one appreciated the humor of this exploit + more than Grant. It reminded him, he said, of the soldier who boasted that + he had been in a charge and had cut off the leg of one of the enemy's + officers. "Why didn't you cut off his head?" inquired his commander. "Oh, + somebody had done that already," replied the valiant hero. + </p> + <p> + Slight as the fighting was at Resaca, it completely satisfied the + Mexicans, and for over three months they left the Americans severely + alone. Meanwhile, General Taylor received reënforcements and in August, + 1846, he proceeded against the town of Monterey, which the enemy had + fortified with considerable skill and where they were evidently prepared + to make a desperate resistance. Grant was again quartermaster, and the + terrific heat which forced the army to do its marching at night or during + the early hours of the morning, greatly increased his labors and severely + tested his patience. Almost all the transportation animals were mules, and + as very few of them were trained for the work, they were hard to load and + even harder to handle after their burdens were adjusted. One refractory + animal would often stampede all the rest, scattering provisions and + ammunition in their tracks, driving the teamsters to the point of frenzy + and generally hurling confusion through the camp. Even Grant, who never + uttered an oath in his life, was often sorely tried by these exasperating + experiences, but he kept command of his temper and by his quiet + persistence brought order out of chaos in spite of beasts and men. + </p> + <p> + His disappointment was bitter, however, when the attack on Monterey began + and he found himself left without any assignment in the field. Lieutenant + Meade, destined at a later date to command the Union forces at Gettysburg, + was one of the officers entrusted with the preliminary reconnoissance + against the city, and when the fighting actually commenced on September + 21st, 1846, the deserted Quartermaster mounted his horse and rode to the + scene of the action, determined to see something of the battle even if he + could not take part in it. He arrived at the moment when his regiment was + ordered to charge against what was known as the Black Fort, and dashed + forward with his men into the very jaws of death. Certainly "someone had + blundered," for the charge which had been intended merely as a feint was + carried too far and scores of men were mowed down under the terrible fire + of the enemy's guns. Temporary shelter was at last reached, however, and + under cover of it the Adjutant borrowed Grant's horse; but he fell soon + after the charge was renewed and the Colonel, noticing the impetuous + Quartermaster, promptly appointed him to take the fallen officer's place. + By this time the troops had fought their way into the town and the enemy, + posted in the Plaza or Principal Square, commanded every approach to it. + As long as the Americans kept in the side streets they were comparatively + safe, but the moment they showed themselves in any of the avenues leading + to the Plaza, they encountered a hail of bullets. This was serious enough; + but at the end of two days the situation became critical, for the + ammunition began to run low, and it was realized that, if the Mexicans + discovered this, they would sweep down and cut their defenseless opponents + to pieces. Face to face with this predicament, the Colonel on September + 23rd, called for a volunteer to carry a dispatch to Headquarters, and + Grant instantly responded. + </p> + <p> + To reach his destination it was necessary to run the gantlet of the enemy, + for every opening from the Plaza was completely exposed to their fire. But + trusting in the fleetness of his horse, the young lieutenant leaped into + the saddle and, swinging himself down, Indian fashion, on one side of his + steed so as to shield himself behind its body, he dashed away on his + perilous mission. A roar of muskets greeted him at every corner, but he + flashed safely by, leaping a high wall which lay across his path and then, + speeding straight for the east end of the town, reached the commanding + General and reported the peril of his friends. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile the Americans began one of the most curious advances ever made + by an army, for General Worth, finding that he could not force his troops + through the streets leading to the Plaza without great loss of life, + ordered them to enter the houses and break down the intervening walls, so + that they could pass from one adjoining house to another under cover, + directly to the heart of the city. This tunneling maneuver was executed + with great skill, and when the walls of the houses nearest the Plaza were + reached and masses of men stood ready to pour through the openings into + the Square, its astonished defenders gave up the fight and promptly + surrendered the city. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter VII. — Captain Lee at the Front + </h2> + <p> + Astonishing as General Taylor's success had been, the authorities at + Washington decided, largely for political reasons, to appoint a new + commander, and three months after the battle of Monterey, General Winfield + Scott, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States army, was ordered to + the seat of the war. + </p> + <p> + It would be impossible to imagine two officers more utterly different than + Taylor and Scott, but each in his own way exerted a profound influence + upon the careers of Grant and Lee. Taylor was a rough, uncultivated man, + fearless, shrewd and entirely capable, but with nothing to suggest the + soldier in his appearance, dress or dignity. On the contrary, he usually + appeared sitting slouchily on some woe-begone old animal, his long legs + dangling on one side of the saddle, the bridle rein looped over his arm + and a straw hat on his head, more like a ploughman than an officer of high + rank. Indeed, he seldom donned a uniform of any description, and his only + known appearance in full dress occurred during an official meeting with an + admiral, when, out of regard for naval etiquette, he attired himself in + his finest array. But this effort at politeness was not calculated to + encourage him, for the admiral, knowing his host's objection to uniforms, + had been careful to leave his on his ship and appeared in civilian attire. + </p> + <p> + Scott, on the other hand, was a fussy and rather pompous individual, who + delighted in brass buttons and gold lace and invariably presented a + magnificent appearance. But, like Taylor, he was an excellent officer and + thoroughly competent to handle an army in the field. He was, moreover, + entirely familiar with the material of which the American army was + composed, and his first move on assuming command was to order practically + all the regular United States troops and their officers to join him near + Vera Cruz, leaving Taylor virtually nothing but volunteer regiments. The + Fourth Infantry accordingly parted with its old commander and reported to + Scott, where it was assigned to the division of General Worth, and for the + first time Grant met many of the men with and against whom he was to be + thrown during the Civil War. + </p> + <p> + It was certainly a remarkable body of officers that Scott gathered about + him at the outset of his campaign, for it included such men as Stonewall + Jackson, Jefferson Davis, McClellan, Joseph Johnson, Jubal Early, A. P. + Hill, Meade, Beauregard, Hooker, Longstreet, Hancock, Thomas and, last but + not least, Ulysses Grant and Robert Lee. Lee had arrived in Mexico soon + after the battle of Monterey, but he had no opportunity for distinction + until the spring of 1847, when preparations were begun for the siege of + Vera Cruz. He had, however, already demonstrated his ability as an + engineer, and with Lieutenant Beauregard who, fourteen years later, + commanded the attack on Fort Sumter, he was entrusted with posting the + American batteries at Vera Cruz. This he did to such advantage that they + made short work of the city which fell into the invaders' hands, March 29, + 1847, after a week's siege. Scott was quick to recognize the merit of + officers, and Lee was straightway attached to his personal staff, with the + result that when the army began its forward movement most of the difficult + and delicate work was confided to his care. + </p> + <p> + Scott's object was the capture of the City of Mexico, the capital of the + Republic, and against this stronghold he moved with energy and skill. At + Cerro Gordo the Mexicans opposed him with considerable force, but + maneuvers, suggested by Lee, enabled him to outflank the enemy and drive + them, without much trouble, from his path. Again at Contreras a check + occurred, part of the army having advanced over a well-nigh impassable + country and lost touch with the Commander-in-Chief. One after another + seven officers were dispatched to carry the necessary orders, but all + returned without effecting their purpose. But at midnight, in the midst of + a torrential storm Lee arrived from the front, having overcome all + difficulties—an achievement which Scott subsequently described as + "the greatest feat of physical and moral courage performed by any + individual in my knowledge, pending the campaign." + </p> + <p> + But Lee was more than merely brave and daring. He was thorough. When work + was entrusted to his care he performed it personally, never relying on + others further than was absolutely necessary, and never resting satisfied + until he was certain that he had accomplished his task. On one of his most + important reconnoissances he rode into the interior of the country at + night to locate the position of the enemy, and after he had proceeded a + considerable distance his guide informed him that if he went any further + he would be a prisoner, for the whole Mexican army lay directly in his + path. He, accordingly, advanced more cautiously, but the guide again + begged him to halt, declaring that he could already see the enemies' tents + lying on the hillside below. Peering through the darkness in the direction + indicated, Lee discovered what appeared to be an encampment of many + thousand men, and for the moment he was tempted to accept his companion's + conclusion that this was the main force of the Mexicans. Second thoughts, + however, convinced him that he ought not to make a report based upon the + eyes of the guide, and, despite the man's frightened protests, he decided + to stay where he was and see the situation for himself by daylight. But, + before the morning fairly dawned, it was apparent that the supposed army + of Mexicans was nothing but a huge flock of sheep and, galloping back with + the news that the road was clear, he led a troop of cavalry forward and + located the enemy posted many miles away in an entirely different + position. + </p> + <p> + The Mexicans stubbornly, though unsuccessfully, resisted the American army + as it pushed toward their capital, and in the battles which ensued Lee was + so active that his gallant conduct was praised in almost every dispatch of + his Chief, who subsequently attributed much of his success "to the skill + and valor of Robert E. Lee," whom he did not hesitate to describe as "the + greatest military genius in America." Continuous praise from such a source + would have been more than sufficient to turn the average officer's head, + but Lee continued to perform his duties without showing the least sign of + vanity or conceit. Quiet, thoughtful, quick to take advantage of any + opportunity, but greedy of neither honors nor personal distinction of any + kind, he won the admiration of his comrades as well as the confidence of + his superiors, and his promotion, first to the rank of major and then to + that of lieutenant-colonel, was universally approved. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, Grant had been acquitting himself with high credit in all the + work which fell to his share. He was in no position to render service of + anything like the importance of Lee's, but he did what he was ordered to + do and did it well, being brevetted a first lieutenant for conspicuous + gallantry at the battle of Molino del Rey, September 8, 1847. Again, on + September 13, in the fighting around Chapultepec, where Lee, though + wounded, remained in the saddle until he fell fainting from his horse, + Grant gained considerable distinction by his quick action in relieving a + dangerous pressure on part of the American lines by posting a small gun in + the belfry of a church and galling the enemy with his deadly accurate + fire. It was characteristic of the man that when complimented upon this + achievement and told that a second gun would be sent to him, Grant merely + saluted. He might, with truth, have informed his commanding officer that + the belfry could not accommodate another gun, but it was not his habit to + talk when there was no need of it, or to question the wisdom of his + superior officer. He, therefore, quietly accepted the praise and the + superfluous gun and, returning to his post, resumed his excellent service. + This and other similar conduct won him further promotion, and on September + 14, 1847, when the Americans marched triumphantly into the Mexican + capital, he was brevetted a captain. + </p> + <p> + The war practically ended with this event and within a year Grant was + married to Miss Julia Dent and stationed at Sackett's Harbor, New York, + while Lee was assigned to the defenses of Baltimore, not far from his old + home. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter VIII. — Colonel Lee After the Mexican War + </h2> + <p> + It is probable that Lee would have been well content to remain + indefinitely at Baltimore, for his duties there enabled him to be more + with his family than had been possible for some years. To his boys and + girls he was both a companion and a friend and in their company he took + the keenest delight. In fact, he and his wife made their home the center + of attraction for all the young people of the neighborhood, and no happier + household existed within the confines of their beloved Virginia. + </p> + <p> + It was not to be expected, however, that an officer of Lee's reputation + would be allowed to remain long in obscurity, and in 1852, he was + appointed Superintendent at West Point. A wiser selection for this + important post could scarcely have been made, for Colonel Lee, then in his + forty-sixth year, possessed rare qualifications for the duties entrusted + to his charge. He was not only a man whose splendid presence, magnificent + physique and distinguished record were certain to win the admiration and + respect of young men, but he combined in his character and temperament all + the qualities of a tactful teacher and an inspiring leader. Quiet and + dignified, but extremely sympathetic, he governed the cadets without + seeming to command them and, as at his own home, he exerted a peculiarly + happy influence upon all with whom he came into personal contact. Among + the cadets during his service at West Point were J. E. B. Stuart, who was + to prove himself one of the greatest cavalry leaders that this country has + ever produced, and his elder son, Custis Lee, who, improving on his + father's almost perfect record, graduated first in his class. + </p> + <p> + About this time certain important changes were effected in the + organization of the regular army, and the popular Superintendent of West + Point was immediately appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the newly formed + Second Cavalry, with orders to proceed to Texas and protect the settlers + against the attacks of hostile Indians. It was with keen regret that Lee + received this assignment, for, though intended as a promotion, it removed + him from the corps of engineers to which he had always been attached and + obliged him to break all his home ties for what was practically police + duty in the wilderness. Nevertheless, no thought of resigning from the + army apparently crossed his mind. He soon joined his regiment in Texas, + where, for almost three years, he patrolled the country, ruling the + Indians by diplomacy or force, as occasion required, practically living in + the saddle and experiencing all the discomforts and privations of garrison + life at an outpost of civilization. + </p> + <p> + Almost his only relaxation during this lonely and exhausting service was + his correspondence with his wife and children, and his letters to them, + written in rough camps and on the march, show that his thoughts were + constantly with his home and loved ones. "It has been said that our + letters are good representations of our minds," he wrote his youngest + daughter from Texas in 1857; and certainly Lee's correspondence, + exhibiting as it does, consideration for others, modesty, + conscientiousness, affection and a spirit of fun, affords an admirable + reflection of the writer. + </p> + <p> + "Did I tell you that 'Jim Nooks,' Mrs. Waite's cat, was dead?" he wrote + one of his girls. "He died of apoplexy. I foretold his end. Coffee and + cream for breakfast, pound cake for lunch, turtle and oysters for dinner, + buttered toast for tea and Mexican rats, taken raw, for supper! He grew + enormously and ended in a spasm. His beauty could not save him.... But I + saw 'cats as is cats' at Sarassa.... The entrance of Madame [his hostess] + was foreshadowed by the coming in of her stately cats with visages grim + and tails erect, who preceded, surrounded and followed her. They are of + French breed and education, and when the claret and water were poured out + for my refreshment they jumped on the table for a sit-to.... I had to + leave the wild-cat on the Rio Grande; he was too savage and had grown as + large as a small sized dog. He would pounce on a kid as Tom Tita [his + daughter's cat] would on a mouse and would whistle like a tiger when you + approached him." + </p> + <p> + But it was not always in this chatty fashion that he wrote, for in 1856, + when the question of slavery was being fiercely discussed throughout the + country, he expressed his views on the subject with a moderation and + broadmindedness exceedingly rare in those excited times. + </p> + <p> + "In this enlightened age," he wrote his wife, "there are few, I believe, + but will acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and + political evil in any country. I think it, however, a greater evil to the + white than to the black race; and while my feelings are strongly + interested in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are stronger for the + former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa—morally, + socially and physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing is + necessary for their instruction as a race and I hope it will prepare and + lead them to better things. How long this subjection may be necessary is + known and ordered by a wise and merciful Providence. Their emancipation + will sooner result from a mild and melting influence than from the storms + and contests of fiery controversy. This influence though slow is sure." + </p> + <p> + Such were the views of Robert Lee on this great question of the day, and + even as he wrote the country was beginning to notice a country lawyer + named Abraham Lincoln, who was expressing almost identically the same + opinions in no uncertain terms. + </p> + <p> + But the calm advice of Lincoln and Lee did not appeal to the hot-heads who + were for abolishing slavery instantly at any and every cost. In October, + 1859, when Lee was on a short visit to Arlington, John Brown, whose father + had once lived with Grant's father, attempted to take the whole matter + into his already blood-stained hands. It is a strange coincidence that Lee + should have chanced to be in Virginia just at this particular crisis, and + still stranger that the errand which had called him home should have + related to the emancipation of slaves. But the facts were that Mr. Custis, + his father-in-law, had died a few weeks previously, leaving him as the + executor of his will, which provided, among other things, for the gradual + emancipation of all his slaves. Lee had accordingly obtained leave of + absence to make a flying trip to Virginia for the purpose of undertaking + this duty, and he was actually making arrangements to carry out Mr. + Custis's wishes in respect to his slaves when the news of John Brown's + raid on Harper's Ferry reached Arlington. Word of this reckless attempt to + free the slaves by force reached him in the form of a dispatch from the + Secretary of War, ordering him to take immediate charge of the United + States marines who were being hurried to the scene of action. He instantly + obeyed and, with Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart as his second in command, + hastened to Harper's Ferry and, directing his troops to storm the + engine-house where Brown and his followers had taken refuge, effected + their capture almost without striking a blow. Then, after delivering his + prisoners to the proper authorities, he completed his work at Arlington + and returned to Texas and the rough life of guarding the frontier line. + </p> + <p> + From this duty he was recalled to Washington in March, 1861, when the + Southern States were rapidly forming the Confederacy, the whole country + was in wild confusion and the nation was facing the prospect of a terrific + civil war. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter IX. — Captain Grant in a Hard Fight + </h2> + <p> + Meanwhile, what had become of Grant? The War Department did not know and + apparently did not care. Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War, responded + to his father's anxious inquiry that Captain U. S. Grant had resigned from + the army in July, 1854, but that he had no official knowledge as to why he + had taken this action. Mr. Grant, however, soon learned the facts from + other sources, and in his bitter disappointment was heard to exclaim that + "West Point had ruined one of his boys for him." + </p> + <p> + It was natural enough that the stern and proud old gentleman should have + blamed West Point for the heart-breaking failure of his favorite son, but, + as a matter of fact, West Point was in no way responsible for what had + occurred. Neither during his cadetship at the Academy nor for some years + after his graduation from that institution had Ulysses Grant touched wine + or stimulants in any form. He had, indeed, tried to learn to smoke during + his West Point days but had merely succeeded in making himself ill. During + his hard campaigning in Mexico, however, he had learned not only to smoke, + but to drink, though it was not until some years after the war closed that + he began to indulge to excess. As a matter of fact, he ought never to have + touched a drop of any intoxicant, for a very little was always too much + for him, and the result was that he soon came to be known in the army as a + drinking man. Had he been at home, surrounded by his wife and children and + busily engaged, perhaps he might not have yielded to his weakness. But his + orders carried him to lonely posts on the Pacific, many hundreds of miles + away from his family, with no duties worthy of the name, and the habit + grew on him until the exasperated Colonel of his regiment at last gave him + the choice of resigning or being court-martialed for conduct unbecoming an + officer and a gentleman. Face to face with this ugly alternative, he chose + resignation, and the army, officially, knew him no more. + </p> + <p> + It was not only social and professional disgrace, but financial ruin which + confronted the broken officer as he bade good-bye to his regiment at its + desolate quarters in California, after fifteen years of service to the + army. He was absolutely without money and, at the age of thirty-two, it + was by no means easy for him to begin life all over again and earn his own + living at a new calling. His fellow officers provided him with enough cash + for his immediate wants, and with their help he managed to find his way + back to Sackett's Harbor, New York, where there was a little money owing + him. But he failed to collect this and remained hopelessly stranded until + another officer came to his rescue and provided him with sufficient funds + to take him to his home. This friend in time of need was Simon B. Buckner, + whom he was to meet again under strange and dramatic circumstances. + </p> + <p> + It was hardly to be expected, under such conditions, that stern old Jesse + Grant would welcome the home-coming of his eldest son. Nevertheless, he + helped him on his way to his wife and children, and, sick at heart and + broken in health, the young man joined his family and began a desperate + struggle to earn his own living. Mrs. Grant's father was a slave owner and + a sympathizer with the South in the growing trouble between that section + of the country and the North. But the quarrel had not yet reached the + breaking point, and although he did not approve of his son-in-law's + northern views and heartily disapproved of his conduct, he gave him a + start as a farmer and then left him to work out his own salvation. + </p> + <p> + Farming was the only occupation at which Grant could hope to make a + living, but he soon found that he did not know enough about this to make a + success of it, and gradually fell back on his youthful experience as a + teamster, hauling wood to the city where he sold it to the railroad or to + anyone that would buy. At this he was fairly successful and, encouraged by + his wife who stood bravely by him, he built a house with his own hands, + which, although it was not much more than a log cabin, was sufficiently + large to shelter his small family. All this time he was making a hard + fight to conquer his drinking habits, but the vice had taken a terrible + hold on him and he could not easily shake it off. It was only a matter of + time, therefore, before his experiment at farming failed and with the aid + of his father-in-law he entered business as a real estate broker in St. + Louis. But for this calling he had no qualification whatsoever, and after + a disheartening experience in attempting to secure the post of county + engineer, he accepted his father's suggestion that he join his brothers in + the leather business in Galena, Illinois, and retired there with his + family in the spring of 1860. + </p> + <p> + The position which his father had made for him was not much more than a + clerkship and the work was dull for a man who had been accustomed to + active, outdoor life; but he was received with tact and kindness, no + reference was made to his past record of failure and all this helped him + to continue the successful struggle which he was making to regain control + of himself and his habits. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, from the time he began his residence in Galena he already had the + battle well in hand and he fought it out with such grim resolution that + before a year had passed his victory was complete. Scarcely anyone in the + little town knew of this silent struggle for self-mastery. Indeed, very + few people knew anything at all about the newcomer, save that he was a + quiet, hard-working man who occasionally appeared on the streets wearing a + blue army overcoat which had seen rough service. This weather-stained + garment, however, forced Grant to break his habitual silence, for he fully + shared General Taylor's prejudice against a uniform and felt obliged to + apologize for wearing even part of one. So one day he explained to a + neighbor that he wore the coat because it was made of good material and he + thought he ought to use it as long as it lasted. That was all the citizens + of Galena then learned of the record of the man who had served with high + honor in well-nigh every battle of the Mexican War. Had it depended upon + him, their information would probably have begun and ended there. + </p> + <p> + During all this time the feeling between the North and the South was + growing more and more bitter, but Galena was a town divided against itself + on the slavery question. Grant himself was a Democrat. If he was not in + favor of slavery, he certainly was not opposed to it, for he favored + Douglas and not Lincoln in the contest for the Presidency, and Douglas was + strongly against any interference with slavery. Indeed, it is a curious + coincidence that at or about the time when Lee's family was ceasing to own + slaves, Grant's family acquired some. Such, however, is the fact, for on + the death of her father, Mrs. Grant inherited several Negroes and there is + some evidence that Grant himself sold or attempted to sell them. + </p> + <p> + But, though he was at that time no champion of the black race, Grant was + always a strong Union man, opposed heart and soul to secession. Indeed, + when news of the attack upon Fort Sumter arrived in Galena, he arrayed + himself with the defenders of the flag gathered at a mass meeting held in + the town to form a company in response to the President's call for 75,000 + volunteers. Moreover, this meeting had no sooner been called to order than + someone proposed him as chairman, and to his utter astonishment, he found + himself pushed from the rear of the room to the front and from the front + to the platform. Probably few in the audience knew who or what he was, and + his embarrassment was such that for a few minutes no words came to his + lips. Finally, however, he managed to announce the object of the meeting, + warning those who intended to enlist that they would be engaged in serious + business involving hard work and privation, expressing his willingness to + aid in forming the Galena Company and ending with a simple statement of + his own intention to reënter the army. + </p> + <p> + There was nothing eloquent about his short speech but it had the tone of a + man who knew what he was talking about, and the audience, availing itself + of his military experience, immediately voted to entrust the organization + and drilling of the volunteers to his care, and from that moment he never + again entered his father's place of business. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter X. — Grant's Difficulties in Securing a Command + </h2> + <p> + The command of the local company was, of course, offered to Grant as soon + as it was formed, but he declined, believing himself qualified for + somewhat higher rank than a captaincy of volunteers. Nevertheless, he did + all he could to prepare the recruits for active service in the field and + when they were ordered to Springfield, the capital of Illinois, he + journeyed there to see them properly mustered into the service of the + state. + </p> + <p> + Springfield was a hubbub of noise and a rallying point for well-meaning + incompetence when he arrived upon the scene. New officers in new uniforms + swaggered in every public meeting place, bands of music played martial + airs at every street corner and volunteers sky-larked and paraded in all + sorts of impossible uniforms and with every form of theatric display. But + system and order were absolutely lacking, and the adjutant-general's + office, littered with blanks and well-nigh knee deep with papers, was the + most helpless spot in the welter of confusion. All the material for a + respectable army was at hand, but how to form it into an effective force + was more than anyone seemed to know. The mass of military forms and blanks + intended for that purpose was mere waste paper in the hands of the amiable + but ignorant insurance agent who bore the title of adjutant-general, and + no one of the patriotic mob had sufficient knowledge to instruct him in + his duties. In the midst of all this hopeless confusion, however, someone + suggested that a man by the name of Grant, who had come down with the + Galena Company, had been in the army and ought to know about such things. + The Governor accordingly sought out "the man from Galena" just as he was + starting for his home, with the result that he was soon at a desk in the + adjutant's office, filling out the necessary papers at three dollars a + day, while the brand new captains, colonels and generals posed in the + foreground to the tune of popular applause. + </p> + <p> + From this time forward order gradually took the place of chaos and the + political generals and comic-opera soldiers were slowly shifted from the + scene. But scarcely anyone noticed the silent man, hard at work in his + shirt sleeves in a corner of the adjutant's room, and such inquiries as + were made concerning him elicited the information that he was a cast-off + of the regular army, with a dubious reputation for sobriety, who had been + hired as a clerk. But the Governor of Illinois was an intelligent man, and + he was well aware of the service which the ex-Captain of regulars was + performing for the State, and on the completion of his work in the + adjutant's office Grant was given a nominal title and assigned to visit + the various regiments at their encampments to see that they were properly + mustered in. He, accordingly, straightway set to work at this task, and + his brisk, business-like manner of handling it made an impression upon + those with whom he came in contact, for one of the temporary camps became + known as Camp Grant. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, seeing his duties coming to an end without much hope of further + employment, he wrote the following letter to the Adjutant-General of the + United States Army at Washington: + </p> + <p> + "Sir: + </p> + <p> + "Having served for fifteen years in the regular army, including four years + at West Point, and feeling it the duty of every one who has been educated + at the Government expense to offer their services for the support of that + Government, I have the honor, very respectfully, to tender my services + until the close of the war in such capacity as may be offered. I would say + in view of my present age and length of service, I feel myself competent + to command a regiment, if the President, in his judgment, should see fit + to entrust one to me. Since the first call of the President I have been + serving on the staff of the Governor of this State, rendering such aid as + I could in the organization of our State militia, and am still engaged in + that capacity. A letter addressed to me at Springfield, Ill., will reach + me." + </p> + <p> + But the authorities at Washington took no notice whatsoever of this modest + letter, which was evidently tossed aside and completely forgotten. Indeed, + it was so completely buried in the files of the War Department that it + disappeared for years and, when it was at last discovered, the war was a + thing of the past. + </p> + <p> + This silent rebuff was enough to discourage any sensitive man and Grant + felt it keenly, but he did not entirely despair of accomplishing his end. + He tried to gain an interview with General Frémont who was stationed in a + neighboring state and, failing in this, sought out McClellan, his comrade + in the Mexican War, who had been made a major-general and was then in the + vicinity of Covington, Kentucky, where Grant had gone to visit his + parents. But McClellan either would not or could not see him. Indeed, he + had about reached the conclusion that his quest was hopeless, when he + happened to meet a friend who offered to tell the Governor of Ohio that he + wished to reenter the army, with the result that before long he was + tendered the colonelcy of an Ohio regiment. In the meantime, however, he + had unexpectedly received a telegram from the Governor of Illinois, + appointing him to the command of the 21st Illinois regiment, and this he + had instantly accepted. Had he known the exact circumstances under which + this post was offered him, perhaps he might not have acted so promptly, + but he knew enough to make him aware that the appointment was not + altogether complimentary and it is quite likely that he would have + accepted it in any event. + </p> + <p> + The facts were, however, that the Colonel of the 21st Regiment had proved + to be an ignorant and bombastic adventurer, who had appeared before his + troops clothed in a ridiculous costume and armed like a pirate king, and + there was such dissatisfaction among both the officers and men that a new + commander was urgently demanded. Of this Grant already knew something, but + he was not advised that the regiment had become so utterly demoralized by + its incompetent leader that it was nothing less than a dangerous and + unruly mob, of which the Governor could not induce any self-respecting + officer to take charge. He had, indeed, offered the command to at least + half a dozen other men before he tendered it to Grant, and he must have + been intensely relieved to receive his prompt acceptance. + </p> + <p> + The new Colonel did not wait to procure a new uniform before reporting for + duty, but, hastening to the Fair Grounds close to Springfield where his + troops were stationed, ordered them to assemble for inspection. But + incompetent leadership had played havoc with the discipline of the + regiment, and the men shambled from their tents without any attempt at + military formation, more from curiosity than in obedience to orders. + </p> + <p> + The new Colonel stepped to the front, wearing a rusty suit of civilian's + clothes, his trousers tucked into his dusty boots, a battered hat on his + head, a bandanna handkerchief tied around his waist in place of a sash and + carrying a stick in place of a sword. Altogether he presented a most + unimpressive figure and it would not have been surprising if a wild guffaw + of laughter had greeted him, but the troops, studying his strong, calm + face, contented themselves with calling for a speech. Then they waited in + silence for his response and they did not have to wait long. + </p> + <p> + "Men!" he commanded sharply. "Go to your quarters!" + </p> + <p> + The regiment fairly gasped its astonishment. It had never heard a speech + like that before and, taken completely by surprise, it moved quietly from + the field. + </p> + <p> + Sentries were instantly posted, camp limits established and preparations + made for enforcing strict discipline. It was not to be supposed that such + prompt reforms would pass unchallenged, but arrests followed the first + signs of disobedience and punishment swiftly followed the arrests. + </p> + <p> + "For every minute I'm kept here I'll have an ounce of your blood!" + threatened a dangerous offender whom the Colonel had ordered to be tied + up. + </p> + <p> + "Gag that man!" was the quiet response. "And when his time is up I'll cut + him loose myself." + </p> + <p> + Before night, all was quiet in the camp of the 21st Regiment of Illinois + Volunteers. + </p> + <p> + Grant was in command. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XI. — Lee at the Parting of the Ways + </h2> + <p> + While Grant was thus striving to reënter the army, Lee was having a + struggle of a very different sort. Summoned from his distant post in + Texas, where only an occasional rumble of the coming tempest reached his + ears, he suddenly found himself in the center of the storm which + threatened to wreck the Republic. In the far South seven states had + already seceded; in Washington, Congressmen, Senators, and members of the + Cabinet were abandoning their posts; in the army and navy his friends were + daily tendering their resignations; and his own state, divided between + love for the Union and sympathy with its neighbors, was hovering on the + brink of secession. + </p> + <p> + The issue in Lee's mind was not the existence of slavery. He had long been + in favor of emancipation, and Virginia had more than once come so close to + abolishing slavery by law that its disappearance from her borders was + practically assured within a very short period. All his own slaves he had + long since freed and he was gradually emancipating his father-in-law's, + according to the directions of Mr. Custis's will. But the right of each + state to govern itself without interference from the Federal Government + seemed to Lee essential to the freedom of the people. He recognized, + however, that secession was revolution and, calmly and conscientiously + examining the question, he concluded that, if force were used to compel + any state to remain in the Union, resistance would be justifiable. Most + Virginians reached this decision impulsively, light-heartedly, defiantly + or vindictively, and more or less angrily, according to their temperaments + and the spirit of the times, but not so Lee. He unaffectedly prayed God + for guidance in the struggle between his patriotism and his devotion to a + principle which he deemed essential to liberty and justice. He loved his + country as only a man in close touch with its history and with a deep + reverence for its great founder, Washington, could love it; he had fought + for its flag; he wore its uniform; he had been educated at its expense; + and General Scott, the Commander of the army, a devoted Union man, was his + warm personal friend. Patriotism, personal pride, loyalty and even + gratitude, therefore, urged him toward the support of the Union, and only + his adherence to a principle and the claims of his kinsmen and friends + forbade. + </p> + <p> + For a time Virginia resisted every effort to induce her to cast her lot + with the Confederacy. Indeed she actually voted against secession when the + question was first presented. But when Fort Sumter resisted attack on + April 12, 1861, and the President called upon the various states to + furnish troops to enforce the national authority, practically all + affection for the Union disappeared and by a decisive vote Virginia + determined to uphold the Southern cause. + </p> + <p> + At that crisis President Lincoln made a strong effort to induce Lee to + support the Union, for he actually offered him the command of the United + States Army which was about to take the field. The full force of this + remarkable tribute to his professional skill was not lost upon Lee. He had + devoted his whole life to the army, and to be a successor of Washington in + the command of that army meant more to him than perhaps to any other + soldier in the land. Certainly, if he had consulted his own ambition or + been influenced by any but the most unselfish motives, he would have + accepted the call as the highest honor in the gift of the nation. But to + do so he would have been obliged to surrender his private principles and + desert his native state, and it is impossible to imagine that a man of his + character would, even for an instant, consider such a course. Gravely and + sadly he declined the mighty office, and two days later he tendered his + resignation from the service he had honored for almost six and thirty + years. + </p> + <p> + For this and his subsequent action Lee has been called a traitor and + severely criticized for well-nigh fifty years. But, when a nation has been + divided against itself upon a great issue of government, millions upon one + side and millions upon the other, and half a century has intervened, it is + high time that justice be given to the man who did what he thought right + and honorably fought for a principle which he could have surrendered only + at the expense of his conscience and his honor. Lee was a traitor to the + United States in the same sense that Washington was a traitor to England. + No more and no less. England takes pride to-day in having given Washington + to the world. Americans deprive their country of one of her claims to + greatness when they fail to honor the character and the genius of Robert + Lee. + </p> + <p> + It was in a letter to his old commander, Scott, that Lee announced his + momentous decision, and its tone well indicated what the parting cost him. + </p> + <p> + "Arlington, Va., April 20, 1861. + </p> + <p> + "General: + </p> + <p> + "Since my interview with you on the 18th inst., 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 at once but for the struggle it has cost me to + separate myself from a service to which I have devoted the best years of + my life and all the ability I possessed. During the whole of that time...I + have experienced nothing but kindness from my superiors and a most cordial + friendship from my comrades. To no one, General, have I been as much + indebted as to yourself for uniform kindness and consideration.... Save in + the defense of my native State, I never desire again to draw my sword." + </p> + <p> + Lee was fully aware of the serious nature of the conflict in which the + country was about to engage. Americans were to be pitted against Americans + and he knew what that meant. Wise men, both North and South, were + prophesying that the war would not last more than ninety days, and foolish + ones were bragging of their own powers and questioning the courage of + their opponents, quite oblivious of the adage that when Greek meets Greek + there comes a tug of war. But Lee did not concern himself with such + childish exhibitions of judgment and temper. + </p> + <p> + "Do not put your faith in rumors of adjustment," he wrote his wife before + serious fighting had begun. "I see no prospect of it. It cannot be while + passions on both sides are so infuriated. MAKE YOUR PLANS FOR SEVERAL + YEARS OF WAR. I agree with you that the inflammatory articles in the + papers do us much harm. I object particularly to those in the Southern + papers, as I wish them to take a firm, dignified course, free from bravado + and boasting. The times are indeed calamitous. The brightness of God's + countenance seems turned from us. It may not always be so dark and He may + in time pardon our sins and take us under his protection." + </p> + <p> + Up to this time his son Custis, who had graduated first in his class at + West Point, was still in the service of the United States as a lieutenant + in the Engineers and of him Lee wrote to his wife in the same comradely + spirit that he had always shown toward his boys. "Tell Custis he must + consult his own judgment, reason and conscience, as to the course he may + take. The present is a momentous question which every man must settle for + himself, and upon principle. I do not wish him to be guided by my wishes + or example. If I have done wrong let him do better." + </p> + <p> + Virginia was not slow in recognizing that she had within her borders the + soldiers whom the chief general of the United States described as the + greatest military genius in America, and within three days of his + resignation from the old army, Lee was tendered the command of all the + Virginia troops. Convinced that the brunt of the heavy fighting would fall + on his native state, to whose defense he had dedicated his sword, he + accepted the offer and thus there came to the aid of the Confederacy one + of the few really great commanders that the world has ever seen. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XII. — Opening Moves + </h2> + <p> + It was to no very agreeable task that Lee was assigned at the outset of + his command. The forces of the Confederacy were even less prepared to take + the field than those of the United States, and for three months Lee was + hard at work organizing and equipping the army for effective service. This + important but dull duty prevented him from taking any active part in the + first great battle of the War at Bull Run (July 21, 1861), but it was his + rare judgment in massing the troops where they could readily reënforce + each other that enabled the Confederate commanders on that occasion to + form the junction which resulted in the overwhelming defeat of the Union + army. This fact was well recognized by the authorities and, when the + situation in western Virginia assumed a threatening aspect, he was ordered + there with the highest hopes that he would repeat the success of Bull Run + and speedily expel the Union forces from that part of the state. + </p> + <p> + A more unpromising field of operation than western Virginia could scarcely + have been selected for the new commander. The people of that region + generally favored the Union, and the Federal troops had already obtained + possession of the strongest positions, while some of the Confederate + commanders were quarreling with each other and otherwise working at cross + purposes. For a time, therefore, Lee had to devote himself to smoothing + over the differences which had arisen among his jealous subordinates, but + when he at last began an aggressive movement, bad weather and a lack of + coöperation between the various parts of his small army defeated his + designs, and in October, 1861, the three-months' campaign came to an + inglorious close. + </p> + <p> + This complete failure was a bitter disappointment to the Confederate hopes + and Lee was severely blamed for the result. Indeed, for the time being he + was regarded as an overrated individual who had had his opportunity and + had proved unequal to the task of conducting military operations on a + large scale. It was not easy to suffer this unjust criticism to pass + unnoticed, but the discipline of the army life had taught Lee to control + his tongue, and he made no protest even when he found himself removed from + the front to superintend the fortifying of the coast. A small-minded man + would probably have retired in sulky silence under such circumstances, but + Lee entered upon his new duties with cheerful energy, and in four months + he devised such skillful defenses for Charleston, Savannah and other + points on the Confederate coast line, that they were enabled to defy all + assaults of the Union army and navy until almost the close of the war. + This invaluable service attracted no public attention, but it was fully + appreciated by the Confederate authorities, who in no wise shared the + popular opinion concerning Lee's talents. On the contrary, President + Jefferson Davis, himself a graduate of West Point, continued to have the + highest regard for his ability, and in March, 1862, he reappointed him as + his chief military adviser at Richmond. + </p> + <p> + It was about this time that the roar of cannon in the West attracted the + attention of the country, making it realize for the first time how far + flung was the battle line of the contending armies; and on hard-fought + fields, hundreds and hundreds of miles away from Washington and Richmond, + the mud-splashed figure of Grant began to loom through heavy clouds of + smoke. + </p> + <p> + It was by no brilliant achievement that Grant regained his standing in the + army. The unruly 21st Illinois had been sufficiently disciplined within a + fortnight after he assumed command to take some pride in itself as an + organization and when its short term of service expired, it responded to + the eloquence of McClernand and Logan, two visiting orators, by + reënlisting almost to a man. Then the Colonel set to work in earnest to + make his regiment ready for the field, drilling and hardening the men for + their duties and waiting for an opportunity to show that this was a + fighting force with no nonsense about it. The opportunity came sooner than + he expected, for about two weeks after he had assumed command, his + regiment was ordered to northern Missouri, and a railroad official called + at his camp to inquire how many cars he would need for the transportation + of his men. "I don't want any," was the bluff response; and, to the + astonishment of the local authorities who, at that period of the war, + never dreamed of moving troops except by rail or river, the energetic + Colonel assembled his regiment in marching order and started it at a brisk + pace straight across country. + </p> + <p> + But, though he had moved with such commendable promptness, Grant was not + nearly so confident as his actions seemed to imply. In fact, before he + reached his destination, he heartily wished himself back again, and by the + time he arrived at the point where the enemy was expected his nerves were + completely unstrung. It was not the fright of cowardice that unmanned him, + but rather the terror of responsibility. Again and again he had braved + death in battle but now, for the first time, the safety of an entire + regiment depended solely upon him as he approached the summit of the hill + from which he expected to catch sight of his opponents he dreaded to fight + them, lest he prove unequal to the emergency. But, while he was tormenting + himself with this over-anxiety, he suddenly remembered that his opponent + was just as new at his duties as he was and probably quite as nervous, and + from that moment his confidence gradually returned. As a matter of fact, + Colonel Harris, who commanded the Confederate force, displayed far more + prudence than valor, for, on hearing of the advance of the Union troops, + he speedily retreated and the 21st Illinois encountered no opposition + whatever. But the march taught Grant a lesson he never forgot and, + thereafter, in the hour of peril, he invariably consoled himself by + remembering that his opponents were not free from danger and the more he + made them look to their own safety the less time they would have for + worrying him. + </p> + <p> + It was in July, 1861, when Grant entered Missouri, and about a month later + the astonishing news reached his headquarters that President Lincoln had + appointed him a Brigadier General of Volunteers. The explanation of this + unexpected honor was that the Illinois Congressmen had included his name + with seven others on a list of possible brigadiers, and the President had + appointed four of them without further evidence of their qualifications. + Under such circumstances, the promotion was not much of an honor, but it + placed Grant in immediate command of an important district involving the + control of an army of quite respectable size. + </p> + <p> + For a time the new General was exclusively occupied with perfecting the + organization of his increased command, but to this hard, dull work he + devoted himself in a manner that astonished some of the other brigadiers + whose ideas of the position involved a showy staff of officers and a deal + of picturesque posing in resplendent uniforms. But Grant had no patience + with such foolery. He had work to do and when his headquarters were + established at Cairo, Illinois, he took charge of them himself, keeping + his eyes on all the details like any careful business man. In fact he was, + as far as appearances were concerned, a man of business, for he seldom + wore a uniform and worked at his desk all day in his shirt sleeves, behind + ramparts of maps and papers, with no regard whatever for military ceremony + or display. + </p> + <p> + A month of this arduous preparation found his force ready for active duty + and about this time he became convinced that the Confederates intended to + seize Paducah, an important position in Kentucky at the mouth of the + Tennessee River, just beyond the limits of his command. He, accordingly, + telegraphed his superiors for permission to occupy the place. No reply + came to this request and a more timid man would have hesitated to move + without orders. But Grant saw the danger and, assuming the responsibility, + landed his troops in the town just in time to prevent its capture by the + Confederates. Paducah was in sympathy with the South, and on entering it + the Union commander issued an address to the inhabitants which attracted + far more attention than the occupation of the town, for it contained + nothing of the silly brag and bluster so common then in military + proclamations on both sides. On the contrary, it was so modest and + sensible, and yet so firm, that Lincoln, on reading it, is said to have + remarked: "The man who can write like that is fitted to command." + </p> + <p> + Paducah was destined to be the last of Grant's bloodless victories, for in + November, 1861, he was ordered to threaten the Confederates near Belmont, + Missouri, as a feint to keep them from reënforcing another point where a + real assault was planned. The maneuver was conducted with great energy and + promised to be completely successful, but after Grant's raw troops had + made their first onslaught and had driven their opponents from the field, + they became disorderly and before he could control them the enemy + reappeared in overwhelming numbers and compelled them to fight their way + back to the river steamers which had carried them to the scene of action. + This they succeeded in doing, but such was their haste to escape capture + that they actually tumbled on board the boats and pushed off from the + shore without waiting for their commander. By this time the Confederates + were rapidly approaching with the intention of sweeping the decks of the + crowded steamboats before they could get out of range, and Grant was + apparently cut off from all chance of escape. Directly in front of him lay + the precipitous river bank, while below only one transport was within hail + and that had already started from its moorings. Its captain, however, + caught sight of him as he came galloping through a corn field and + instantly pushed his vessel as close to the shore as he dared, at the same + time throwing out a single plank about fifteen feet in length to serve as + an emergency gangway. To force a horse down the cliff-like bank of the + river and up the narrow plank to the steamer's deck, was a daring feat, + but the officer who was riding for his life had not forgotten the skill + which had marked him at West Point and, compelling his mount to slide on + its haunches down the slippery mud precipice, he trotted coolly up the + dangerous incline to safety. + </p> + <p> + The battle of Belmont (November 7, 1861), as this baptism of fire was + called, is said to have caused more mourning than almost any other + engagement of the war, for up to that time there had been but little loss + of life and its list of killed and wounded, mounting into the hundreds, + made a painfully deep impression. In this respect, it was decidedly + ominous of Grant's future record, but it accomplished his purpose in + detaining the Confederates and he was soon to prove his willingness to + accept defeats as necessary incidents to any successful campaign and to + fight on undismayed. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XIII. — Grant's First Success + </h2> + <p> + Up to this time the war in the West had been largely an affair of + skirmishes. A body of Union troops would find itself confronting a + Confederate force, one of the two commanders would attack and a fight + would follow; or the Confederates would march into a town and their + opponents would attempt to drive them out of it, not because it was of any + particular value, but because the other side held it. + "See-a-head-and-hit-it" strategy governed the day and no plan worthy of + the name had been adopted for conducting the war on scientific principles. + </p> + <p> + But Grant had studied the maps to some purpose in his office at Cairo and + he realized that the possession of the Mississippi River was the key to + the situation in the West. As long as the Confederates controlled that + great waterway which afforded them free access to the ocean and fairly + divided the Eastern from the Western States, they might reasonably hope to + defy their opponents to the end of time. But, if they lost it, one part of + the Confederacy would be almost completely cut off from the rest. + Doubtless, other men saw this just as clearly and quite as soon as Grant + did; but having once grasped an idea he never lost sight of it, and while + others were diverted by minor matters, he concentrated his whole attention + on what he believed to be the vital object of all campaigning in the West. + </p> + <p> + The Tennessee River and the Cumberland River both flow into the Ohio, not + far from where that river empties into the Mississippi. They, therefore, + formed the principal means of water communication with the Mississippi for + the State of Tennessee, and the Confederates had created forts to protect + them at points well within supporting distance of each other. Fort Henry, + guarding the Tennessee River, and Fort Donelson, commanding the Cumberland + River, were both in Grant's district, and in January, 1862, he wrote to + General Halleck, his superior officer in St. Louis, calling attention to + the importance of these posts and offering suggestions for their capture. + But Halleck did not take any notice of this communication and Grant + thereupon resolved to go to St. Louis and present his plans in person. + This was the first time he had been in the city since the great change in + his circumstances and those who had known him only a few years before as a + poverty-stricken farmer and wagoner could scarcely believe that he was the + same man. He had, as yet, done nothing very remarkable, but he held an + important command, his name was well and favorably known and he had + already begun to pay off his old debts. All this enabled his father and + mother to regain something of the pride they had once felt for their + eldest son, and his former friends were glad to welcome him and claim his + acquaintance. + </p> + <p> + Pleasant as this was, the trip to St. Louis was a bitter disappointment in + other respects, for Halleck not only rejected his subordinate's + proposition for the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, but dismissed + him without even listening to the details of his plan. Most officers would + have been completely discouraged by such treatment, but Grant had been + accustomed to disappointments for many years and did not readily despair. + Meeting Flag-Officer Foote who had charge of a fleet of gun boats near + Cairo, he explained his idea and finding him not only sympathetic, but + enthusiastic, he and Foote each sent a telegram to Halleck assuring him + that Fort Henry could be taken if he would only give his consent. These + messages brought no immediate response, but Grant continued to request + permission to advance until, on the 1st of February, 1862, the necessary + order was obtained and within twenty-four hours the persistent officer had + his expedition well upon its way. + </p> + <p> + His force consisted of some 15,000 men and seven gun boats, and Halleck + promised him reënforcements, sending a capable officer to see that they + were promptly forwarded. This officer was Brigadier General Sherman who + thus, for the first time, came in touch with the man with whom he was + destined to bring the war to a close. Four days after the troops started + they were ready to attack and the gun-boats at once proceeded to shell the + fort, with the result that its garrison almost immediately surrendered + (February 6, 1862), practically all of its defenders having retreated to + Fort Donelson as soon as they saw that their position was seriously + threatened. + </p> + <p> + Grant promptly notified his Chief of this easy conquest, at the same time + adding that he would take Fort Donelson within forty-eight hours, but he + soon had reason to regret this boast—one of the few of which he was + ever guilty. Indeed, his troops had scarcely started on their journey when + rapid progress became impossible, for the rain descended in torrents, + rendering the roads impassable for wagons and cannon, and almost + impracticable for infantry or cavalry. Moreover, many of the men had + foolishly thrown away their blankets and overcoats during the march from + Fort Henry and their suffering under the freezing winter blasts was + exceedingly severe, especially as camp fires were not permitted for fear + that their smoke would attract the gunners in the fort. Under these + circumstances the advance was seriously delayed, and it was February 14, + 1862—six days after he had prophesied that he would take the place—before + Grant had his army in position. By this time, however, the gun-boats had + arrived and he determined to attack at once, although Halleck had advised + him to wait for reënforcements to occupy Fort Henry, lest the Confederates + should recapture it while his back was turned. There was, of course, a + chance of this, but Grant felt sure that if he delayed the Confederates + would seize the opportunity to strengthen Fort Donelson, and then 50,000 + men would not be able to accomplish what 15,000 might immediately effect. + He, accordingly, directed Foote to bombard the fort at once from the river + front and try to run its batteries. Desperate as this attempt appeared his + orders were instantly obeyed, the fearless naval officer forcing his + little vessels into the very jaws of death under a terrific fire, to which + he responded with a hail of shot and shell. + </p> + <p> + Grant watched this spectacular combat with intense interest, waiting for a + favorable moment to order an advance of his troops, but to his bitter + disappointment one after another of Foote's vessels succumbed to the + deadly fire of the water batteries and drifted helplessly back with the + current. Indeed, the flagship was struck more than sixty times and Foote + himself was so severely wounded that he could not report in person, but + requested that the General come on board his ship for a conference, which + disclosed the fact that the fleet was in no condition to continue the + combat and must retire for repairs. + </p> + <p> + There was nothing for Grant to do, therefore, but prepare for a siege, and + with a heavy heart he returned from the battered gun-boat to give the + necessary orders. He had scarcely set his foot on shore, however, before a + staff officer dashed up with the startling intelligence that the + Confederates had sallied forth and attacked a division of the army + commanded by General McClernand and that his troops were fleeing in a + panic which threatened to involve the entire army. Grant knew McClernand + well. He was one of the Congressmen who had made speeches to the 21st + Illinois and, realizing that the man was almost wholly ignorant of + military matters and utterly incapable of handling such a situation, he + leaped on his horse and, spurring his way across the frozen ground to the + sound of the firing, confronted the huddled and beaten division just in + the nick of time. Meanwhile, General Lew Wallace—afterwards famous + as the author "Ben Hur"—had arrived and thrown forward a brigade to + cover the confused retreat, so that for the moment the Confederate advance + was held in check. But despite this, McClernand's men continued to give + way, muttering that their ammunition was exhausted. There were tons of + ammunition close at hand, as the officers ought to have known had they + understood their duties, but even when assured of this the panic-stricken + soldiers refused to return to the field. They were in no condition to + resist attack, they declared, and the enemy was evidently intending to + make a long fight of it, as the haversacks of those who had fallen + contained at least three days' rations. This excuse was overheard by Grant + and instantly riveted his attention. + </p> + <p> + "Let me see some of those haversacks," he commanded sharply, and one + glance at their contents convinced him that the Confederates were not + attempting to crush his army, but were trying to break through his lines + and escape. If they intended to stay and defend the fortress, they would + not carry haversacks at all; but if they contemplated a retreat, they + would not only take them, but fill them with enough provisions to last for + several days. In reaching this conclusion Grant was greatly aided by his + knowledge of the men opposing him. He had served in Mexico with General + Pillow, the second in command at Fort Donelson, and, knowing him to be a + timid man, felt certain that nothing but desperation would ever induce him + to risk an attack. He also knew that Floyd, his immediate superior, who + had recently been the United States Secretary of War, had excellent + reasons for avoiding capture and, putting all these facts together, he + instantly rose to the occasion. + </p> + <p> + "Fill your cartridge boxes, quick, and get into line," was his order to + the men as he dashed down the wavering lines. "The enemy is trying to + escape and he must not be permitted to do so!" + </p> + <p> + The word flew through the disordered ranks, transforming them as it + passed, and at the same time orders were issued for the entire left wing + to advance and attack without a moment's delay. This unexpected onslaught + quickly threw the Confederates back into the fortress, but before they + again reached the shelter of its walls the Union forces had carried all + the outer defenses and had virtually locked the door behind their + retreating adversaries. + </p> + <p> + From that moment the capture of the imprisoned garrison was only a + question of time, and within twenty-four hours Grant received a + communication from the Confederate commander asking for a truce to + consider the terms of surrender. To his utter astonishment, however, this + suggestion did not come from either General Floyd or General Pillow but + from Simon Buckner, his old friend at West Point, who had so generously + aided him when he reached New York, penniless and disgraced after his + resignation from the army. This was an embarrassing situation, indeed, but + while he would have done anything he could for Buckner personally, Grant + realized that he must not allow gratitude or friendship to interfere with + his duty. He, therefore, promptly answered the proposal for a truce in + these words: + </p> + <p> + "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. + I propose to move immediately upon your works." + </p> + <p> + [NOTE from Brett: The full letter is also shown in Grant's handwriting + which leaves something to be desired. I will do my best to transcribe it + below: + </p> + <p> + Hd Qrs. Army in the Field Camp Fort Donelson, Feb. 16th 1862 + </p> + <p> + Cmdr. S. B. Buckner Confed. Army. + </p> + <p> + Sir, + </p> + <p> + Yours of this inst. proposing armistice, and appointment of Commissioners + to settle terms of Capitulation is just received. No terms except an + unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. + </p> + <p> + I propose to move immediately upon your works. + </p> + <p> + I am Sir, very respectfully, your obt. svt. [obedient servant], U. S. + Grant Brig. Gen.] + </p> + <p> + But no more fighting was necessary, for Buckner yielded as gracefully as + he could, and on February 16, 1862, he and the entire garrison of about + 15,000 men became prisoners of war. Generals Pillow and Floyd, it + appeared, had fled with some 4,000 men the night before, leaving Buckner + in charge and as Grant's force had by that time been increased to 27,000 + men, further resistance would have been useless. + </p> + <p> + The capture of these two forts gave the Union forces command of the + Tennessee and the Cumberland Rivers, and to that extent cleared the way + for the control of the Mississippi. It was the first real success which + had greeted the Union cause and it raised Grant to a Major-Generalship of + Volunteers, gave him a national reputation and supplied a better + interpretation of his initial than West Point had provided, for from the + date of his letter to Buckner he was known as "Unconditional Surrender" + Grant. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XIV. — The Battle of Shiloh + </h2> + <p> + Grant did not waste any time in rejoicing over his success. The capture of + Fort Henry and Fort Donelson was an important achievement but it was only + one step toward the control of the Mississippi River, which was the main + object of the campaign. The next step in that direction was toward Corinth + a strategically important point in Mississippi, and he immediately + concentrated his attention upon getting the army in position to attack + that stronghold. Some of his fellow commanders, however, were extremely + cautious and he had to labor for days before he could persuade General + Buell, who was stationed at Nashville, Tennessee, with a large army, to + advance his troops to a point where they could be of service. But in the + midst of this work he was suddenly interrupted by an order which removed + him from his command and virtually placed him under arrest on charges of + disregarding instructions and of being absent from his department without + permission. + </p> + <p> + These astonishing accusations were caused by his failure to answer + dispatches from Headquarters which had never reached him, and by his visit + to General Buell which had obliged him to travel beyond the strict limits + of his command. The whole matter was soon explained by the discovery that + a Confederate had been tampering with the dispatches in the telegraph + office, but it was exceedingly annoying to Grant to find himself publicly + condemned without a hearing. Nevertheless, it supplied a very fair test of + his character, for he neither lost his temper nor displayed any excitement + whatsoever. On the contrary, he remained perfectly calm in the face of + grave provocation, replying firmly but respectfully to the harsh + criticisms of his superiors, and behaving generally with a dignity and + composure that won the silent approval of all observers. + </p> + <p> + Of course, as soon as the facts were known he was restored to his command + with an ample apology, but his preparations for the advance against + Corinth had been seriously interrupted and it was some time before he + again had the work in hand. Nevertheless, within five weeks of the + surrender of Fort Donelson, he was headed toward Mississippi with over + 30,000 men, having arranged with General Buell to follow and support him + with his army of 40,000, the combined forces being amply sufficient to + overpower the Confederates who were guarding Corinth. This vast + superiority, however, probably served to put Grant off his guard, for on + March 16, 1862, his advance under General Sherman reached Pittsburg + Landing, not far from Corinth, and encamped there without taking the + precaution to intrench. Sherman reported on April 5th that he had no fear + of being attacked and Grant, who had been injured the day before by the + fall of his horse and was still on crutches, remained some distance in the + rear, feeling confident that there would be no serious fighting for + several days. + </p> + <p> + But the Union commander, who had studied his opponents with such good + results at Fort Donelson, made a terrible mistake in failing to do so on + this occasion, for he knew, or ought to have known, that General Albert + Sidney Johnston and General Beauregard, the Confederate commanders were + bold and energetic officers who were well advised of the military + situation and ready to take advantage of every opportunity. Indeed, their + sharp eyes had already noted the gap between Grant's and Buell's armies + and at the moment Sherman was penning his dispatch to his superior, + informing him that all was well, a force of 40,000 men was preparing to + crush his unprotected advance guard before Buell could reach the field. + </p> + <p> + It was Sunday morning, April 6, 1862, when the ominous sound of firing in + the direction of Shiloh Church smote Grant's ears. For a few moments he + could not believe that it indicated a serious attack, but the roar of + heavy guns soon convinced him that a desperate battle had begun and, + directing his orderlies to lift him into the saddle, he dashed to the + nearest boat landing and proceeded to the front with all possible speed. + Before he reached the ground, however, the Confederates had driven the + Union outposts from the field in frightful disorder and were hurling + themselves with ferocious energy upon those who still held fast. The + surprise had been well-nigh complete and the first rush of the gray + infantry carried everything before it, leaving the foremost Union camp in + their hands. Indeed, for a time the Federal army was not much more than a + disorganized mob, completely bewildered by the shock of battle, and + thousands of men blindly sought refuge in the rear, heedless of their + officers who, with a few exceptions, strove valiantly to organize an + effective defense. + </p> + <p> + The tumult and confusion were at their worst when Grant reached the field + and it seemed almost hopeless to check the panic and prevent the + destruction of his entire army. But in the midst of the maddening turmoil + and wild scenes of disaster he kept his head and, dashing from one end of + the line to the other, ordered regiments into position with a force and + energy that compelled obedience. There was no time to formulate any plan + of battle. Each officer had to do whatever he thought best to hold back + the Confederates in his immediate front, and for hours the fight was + conducted practically without orders. But Grant supplied his gallant + subordinates with something far more important than orders at that crisis. + Undismayed by the chaos about him he remained cool and inspired them with + confidence. Not for one instant would he admit the possibility of defeat, + and under his strong hand the huddled lines were quickly reformed, the + onrush of the Confederates was gradually checked and a desperate conflict + begun for every inch of ground. + </p> + <p> + For a time the victorious gray-coats continued to push their opponents + back and another line of tents fell into their hands. But their advance + was stubbornly contested and knowing that Buell was at hand, Grant fought + hard for delay, using every effort to encourage his men to stand fast and + present the boldest possible front to the foe. Meanwhile, however, Sherman + was wounded, and when darkness put an end to the furious combat the + shattered Union army was on the verge of collapse. So perilous, indeed, + was the situation that when Buell arrived on the field his first inquiry + was as to what preparations Grant had made to effect a retreat. But the + silent commander instantly shook his head and announced, to the intense + astonishment of his questioner, that he did not intend to retreat but to + attack at daylight the next morning with every man at his disposal, + leaving no reserves. + </p> + <p> + Such was Grant at one of the darkest moments of his career. Behind him lay + the battered remnants of regiments, screening a welter of confusion and + fear; before him stretched the blood-soaked field of Shiloh held by the + confident Confederate host; while at his elbow stood anxious officers, + well satisfied to have saved the army from destruction and ready to point + out a convenient line of retreat. All his surroundings, in fact, were + calculated to discourage him and the intense pain of his injured leg, + which allowed him neither rest nor sleep, was a severe strain upon his + nerves. Yet he would not yield to weakness of any kind. He was responsible + for the position in which the Union army found itself and he determined to + retrieve its fortunes. Therefore, all night long while reënforcements were + steadily arriving, he developed his plans for assuming the offensive, and + at break of day his troops hurled themselves against the opposing lines + with dauntless energy. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile the Confederates had sustained an irreparable loss, for Albert + Sidney Johnston, their brilliant leader, had fallen. Moreover, they had no + reserves to meet the Union reënforcements. Nevertheless, they received the + vigorous onslaught with splendid courage and another terrible day of + carnage followed. Again and again Grant exposed himself with reckless + daring, narrowly escaping death from a bullet which carried away the + scabbard of his sword as he reconnoitered in advance of his men, but + despite his utmost efforts the gray lines held fast, and for hours no + apparent advantage was gained. Then, little by little, the heavy Union + battalions began to push them back until all the lost ground was + recovered, but the Confederates conducted their retreat in good order and + finally reached a point of safety, leaving very few prisoners in their + pursuers' hands. + </p> + <p> + Grant had saved his army from destruction and had even driven his + adversary from the field, but at a fearful cost, for no less than 10,000 + Union soldiers were killed or wounded in the two days' desperate fighting + at Shiloh and almost 3,000 had been captured. The Confederates, it is + true, had lost nearly 10,000 men, but their army, which should have been + crushed by the combined efforts of Grant and Buell, was still in + possession of Corinth and had come dangerously near to annihilating half + of the Union forces. + </p> + <p> + The results of the battle were, therefore, received at Washington with + surprise and indignation; the country at large, horrified at the frightful + slaughter, denounced it as a useless butchery; Halleck hastily assumed + charge of all the forces in the field and from that time forward Grant, + though nominally the second in command, was deprived of all power and + virtually reduced to the rôle of a mere spectator. Indeed, serious efforts + were made to have him dismissed from the service, but Lincoln after + carefully considering the charges, refused to act. "I can't spare this + man," was his comment. "He FIGHTS." + </p> + <p> + Lincoln intended to imply by that remark that there were generals in the + army who did not fight, and Halleck was certainly one of them, for he took + thirty-one days to march the distance that the Confederates had covered in + three. Indeed, he displayed such extraordinary caution that with an army + of 100,000 at his back he inched his way toward Corinth, erecting + intrenchments at every halt, only to find, after a month, that he had been + frightened by shadows and dummy guns and that the city had been abandoned + by the Confederates. No commander responsible for such a ridiculous + performance could retain the confidence of an army in the field, and + Sherman assured Grant that Halleck would not long survive the fiasco. This + advice was sorely needed, for Grant had grown tired of being constantly + humiliated and had already requested Halleck to relieve him from duty when + Sherman persuaded him to remain and wait for something to happen. + </p> + <p> + Something happened sooner then either man expected, for Halleck was + suddenly "kicked up stairs" by his appointment to the chief command with + headquarters in Washington, and on July 11, 1862, about three months after + the battle of Shiloh, Grant found himself again at the head of a powerful + army. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0016" id="link2HCH0016"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XV. — Lee in the Saddle + </h2> + <p> + While Grant was earning a reputation as a fighting general in the West, + Lee had been at a desk in Richmond attending to his duties as chief + military adviser to the Confederate President, which prevented him from + taking active part in any operations in the field. As a matter of fact, + however, there had been no important engagements in the East, for "On to + Richmond!" had become the war cry of the North, and all the energies of + the Federal government had been centered on preparations for the capture + of the Southern capital. Indeed, if Richmond had been the treasure house + and last refuge of the Confederacy, no greater efforts could have been + made to secure it, although it was by no means essential to either the + North or the South and the war would have continued no matter which flag + floated above its roofs. Nevertheless, the idea of marching into the + enemy's capital appealed to the popular imagination and this undoubtedly + dictated much of the early strategy of the war. + </p> + <p> + At all events, while the opening moves in the campaign for the possession + of the Mississippi were being made, a vast army was being equipped near + Washington for the express purpose of capturing Richmond. The preparation + of this force had been entrusted to General George B. McClellan whose + ability in organizing, drilling and disciplining the troops had made him a + popular hero and given him such a reputation as a military genius that he + was universally hailed as "the young Napoleon." He had, indeed, created + the most thoroughly equipped army ever seen in America, and when he + advanced toward Virginia in April, 1862, at the head of over 100,000 men + the supporters of the Union believed that the doom of the Confederacy was + already sealed. + </p> + <p> + From this office in Richmond Lee watched these formidable preparations for + invading the South with no little apprehension. He knew that the + Confederates had only about 50,000 available troops with which to oppose + McClellan's great army and had the Union commander been aware of this he + might have moved straight against the city and swept its defenders from + his path. But McClellan always believed that he was outnumbered and on + this occasion he wildly exaggerated his opponents' strength. In fact, he + crept forward so cautiously that the Confederates, who had almost resigned + themselves to losing the city, hastened to bring up reënforcements and + erect defensive works of a really formidable character. The best that was + hoped for, however, was to delay the Union army. To defeat it, or even to + check its advance, seemed impossible, and doubtless it would have proved + so had it not been for the brilliant exploits of the man who was destined + to become Lee's "right hand." + </p> + <p> + This man was General Thomas Jonathan Jackson, who had earned the nickname + of "Stonewall" at Bull Run and was at that time in command of about 15,000 + men guarding the fertile Shenandoah Valley, the "granary of Virginia." + Opposing this comparatively small army were several strong Union forces + which were considered amply sufficient to capture or destroy it, and + McClellan proceeded southward, with no misgivings concerning Jackson. But + the wily Confederate had no intention of remaining idle and McClellan's + back was scarcely turned before he attacked and utterly routed his nearest + opponents. A second, third and even a fourth army was launched against + him, but he twisted, turned and doubled on his tracks with bewildering + rapidity, cleverly luring his opponents apart; and then, falling on each + in turn with overwhelming numbers, hurled them from his path with + astonishing ease and suddenly appeared before Washington threatening its + capture. + </p> + <p> + Astounded and alarmed at this unexpected peril, the Federal authorities + instantly ordered McDowell's corps of 40,000 men, which was on the point + of joining McClellan, to remain and defend the capital. This was a serious + blow to McClellan who had counted upon using these troops, though even + without them he greatly outnumbered the Confederates. But the idea that he + was opposed by an overwhelming force had taken such a firm hold on his + mind that he was almost afraid to move, and while he was timidly feeling + his way General Joseph Johnston, commanding the defenses at Richmond, + attacked his advance corps at Seven Pines, May 31, 1862. A fierce contest + followed, during which Johnston was severely wounded, and Jefferson Davis, + who was on the field, promptly summoned General Lee to the command. + </p> + <p> + It was a serious situation which confronted Lee when he was thus suddenly + recalled to active duty, for McClellan's army outnumbered his by at least + 40,000 men and it was within six miles of Richmond, from the roofs of + whose houses the glow of the Union campfires was plainly visible. + Nevertheless, he determined to put on a bold front and attack his opponent + at his weakest point. But how to discover this was a difficult problem and + the situation did not admit of a moment's delay. Under ordinary + circumstances the information might have been secured through spies, but + there was no time for this and confronted by the necessity for immediate + action, Lee thought of "Jeb" Stuart, his son's classmate at West Point, + who had acted as aide in the capture of John Brown. + </p> + <p> + Stuart was only twenty-nine years old but he had already made a name for + himself as a general of cavalry, and Lee knew him well enough to feel + confident that, if there was any one in the army who could procure the + needed information, he was the man. He, accordingly, ordered him to take + 1,200 troopers and a few field guns and ride straight at the right flank + of the Union army until he got near enough to learn how McClellan's forces + were posted at that point. + </p> + <p> + This perilous errand was just the opportunity for which Stuart had been + waiting, and without the loss of a moment he set his horsemen in motion. + Directly in his path lay the Federal cavalry but within twenty-four hours + he had forced his way through them and carefully noted the exact position + of the Union troops. His mission was then accomplished, but by this time + the Federal camp was thoroughly aroused and, knowing that if he attempted + to retrace his steps his capture was almost certain, he pushed rapidly + forward and, passing around the right wing, proceeded to circle the rear + of McClellan's entire army. So speedily did he move that the alarm of his + approach was no sooner given in one quarter than he appeared in another + and thus, like a boy disturbing a row of hornets' nests with a long stick, + he flashed by the whole line, reached the Union left, swung around it and + reported to Lee with his command practically intact. + </p> + <p> + That a few squadrons of cavalry should have been able to ride around his + army of 100,000 men and escape unscathed astonished and annoyed McClellan + but he utterly failed to grasp the true purpose of this brilliant exploit, + and Lee took the utmost care to see that his suspicions were not aroused. + Stuart's information had convinced him that the right wing of the Union + army was badly exposed and might be attacked with every prospect of + success, but to insure this it was necessary that McClellan's attention + should be distracted from the real point of danger. The Confederate + commander thoroughly understood his opponent's character and failings, for + he had taken his measure during the Mexican War and knowing his cautious + nature, he spread the news that heavy reënforcements had been forwarded to + Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. This he felt sure would confirm + McClellan's belief that he had such overwhelming numbers that he could + afford to withdraw troops from Richmond, and the ruse was entirely + successful, for the Union commander hesitated to advance, and the Federal + authorities, hearing of Jackson's supposed reënforcement, became + increasingly alarmed for the safety of Washington. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, a courier had been secretly hurried to Jackson, ordering him to + rush his troops from the Shenandoah Valley and attack McClellan's right + wing from the rear while Lee assaulted it from the front. But the Union + right wing numbered fully 25,000 men and Jackson had only 15,000. So to + make the attack overwhelming it was necessary for Lee to withdraw 40,000 + men from the defenses of Richmond, leaving the city practically + unprotected. Unquestionably, this was a most dangerous move, for had + McClellan suspected the truth he might have forced his way into the + capital without much difficulty. But here again Lee counted upon his + adversary's character, for he directed the troops that remained in the + trenches to keep up a continuous feint of attacking the Union left wing, + in the hope that this show of force would cause McClellan to look to his + safety in that quarter, which is precisely what he did. Indeed, he was + still busy reporting the threatening movements against his left, when Lee + and Jackson's combined force of 55,000 men fell upon his right with + fearful effect at Gaines' Mill (June 27, 1862). From that moment his + campaign for the capture of Richmond became a struggle to save his own + army from capture or destruction. + </p> + <p> + The only safety lay in flight but at the moment of defeat and impending + disaster it was not easy to extricate the troops from their dangerous + position, and McClellan showed high skill in masking his line of retreat. + Lee did not, therefore, immediately discover the direction in which he was + moving and this delay probably prevented him from annihilating the + remnants of the Union army. Once on the trail, however, he lost no time + and, loosing "his dogs of war," they fell upon the retreating columns + again and again in the series of terrible conflicts known as the "Seven + Days' Battles." But the Union army was struggling for its life and, like a + stag at bay, it fought off its pursuers with desperate courage, until + finally at Malvern Hill (July 1, 1862), it rolled them back with such + slaughter that a bolder leader might have been encouraged to advance again + toward Richmond. As it was, however, McClellan was well content to remove + his shattered legions to a point of safety at Harrison's Landing, leaving + Lee in undisturbed possession of the field dyed with the blood of + well-nigh 30,000 men. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0017" id="link2HCH0017"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XVI. — A Game of Strategy + </h2> + <p> + While the remnants of McClellan's fine army were recuperating from the + rough handling they had received, Lee was developing a plan to remove them + still further from the vicinity of Richmond. Harrison's Landing was too + close to the Confederate capital for comfort and the breastworks which the + Union commander erected there were too formidable to be attacked. But, + though he could not hope to drive his adversary away by force, Lee + believed that he could lure him from his stronghold by carrying the war + into another part of Virginia. The opportunity to do this was particularly + favorable, for the Union forces in front of Washington, consisting of + about 45,000 men, had been placed under the command of General John Pope. + Pope had served with Grant in the Mississippi campaign and had begun his + career in the East by boasting of the great things he was about to + accomplish, referring contemptuously to his opponents and otherwise + advertising himself as a braggart and a babbler. He had come, so he told + his soldiers in a flamboyant address, from an army which had seen only the + backs of its enemies. He had come to lead them to victories. He wanted to + hear no more of "lines of retreat" or backward movements of any kind. His + headquarters were "in the saddle" and his mission was to terrorize the + foe. + </p> + <p> + These absurd proclamations pretty thoroughly exposed Pope's character, but + he had been at West Point with General Longstreet, one of Lee's ablest + advisers, and that officer speedily acquainted his chief with the full + measure of his opponent's weaknesses. This was exceedingly useful to Lee + and when he discovered that McClellan and Pope were pulling at different + directions like balky circus horses, while Halleck with one foot on each + was in imminent peril of a fall, he determined to take advantage of the + situation and hasten the disaster. + </p> + <p> + McClellan, having 90,000 men, wanted Pope to reënforce him with his + 45,000, and thus insure a renewal of his campaign against Richmond. But + this, of course, did not suit Pope who wished McClellan's army to + reënforce him and march to victory under his banner. But while each of the + rivals was insisting that his plan should be adopted and Halleck, who held + the chief of command, was wobbling between them, trying to make up his + mind to favor one or the other, Lee took the whole matter out of his hands + and decided it for him. He did not want McClellan to be reënforced; first, + because he was the abler officer and, second, because he had or soon would + have more than sufficient men to capture Richmond and might wake to a + realization of this fact at any moment. From the Confederate standpoint it + was much safer to have Pope reënforced, for he did not have the experience + necessary to handle a large army. Therefore, the more troops he had to + mismanage the better. Moreover, Lee knew that McClellan would cease to be + dangerous as soon as he was obliged to send any part of his forces away, + for, as usual, he imagined that his opponents already outnumbered him and + that the withdrawal of even a single regiment would place him practically + at their mercy. + </p> + <p> + Carefully bearing all these facts in mind and thinking that it was about + time to force Halleck to transfer some of McClellan's troops to Pope, Lee + ordered Jackson to attack the man who thus far had seen "only the backs of + his foes." But at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, which followed (August 9, + 1862), his enemies would not turn their backs and the fact evidently + alarmed him, for he immediately began shouting lustily for help. Perhaps + he called a little louder than was necessary in order to get as many of + his rival's men as possible under his own command, but the result was that + McClellan's army began rapidly melting away under orders to hurry to the + rescue. + </p> + <p> + Lee's first object was, therefore, accomplished at one stroke and, as fast + as McClellan's troops moved northward, he withdrew the forces guarding + Richmond and rushed them by shorter routes to confront Pope, whom he had + determined to destroy before his reënforcements reached the field. Indeed, + a very neat trap had already been prepared for that gentleman who was on + the point of stepping into it when he intercepted one of his adversary's + letters which gave him sufficient warning to escape by beating a hasty + retreat across the Rappahannock River. This was a perfectly proper + movement under the circumstances, but in view of his absurd ideas + concerning retreats it opened him up to public ridicule which was almost + more than a man of his character could endure. He was soon busy, + therefore, complaining, explaining, and protesting his readiness to + recross the river at a moment's notice. + </p> + <p> + But, while he was thus foolishly wearing out the telegraph lines between + his headquarters and Washington, Lee was putting into operation a plan + which would have been rash to the point of folly against a really able + soldier but which was perfectly justified against an incompetent. This + plan was to divide his army, which numbered less than 50,000 men, into two + parts, sending "Stonewall" Jackson with 25,000 to get behind the Union + forces, while he attracted their commander's attention at the front. Of + course, if Pope had discovered this audacious move, he could easily have + crushed the divided Confederate forces in turn before either could have + come to the other's rescue, for he had 70,000 at his command. But the + armies were not far from Manassas or Bull Run, where the first important + engagement of the war had been fought and Lee know every inch of the + ground. Moreover, he believed that all Pope's provisions and supplies upon + which he depended for feeding his army were behind him, and that, if + Jackson succeeded in seizing them and getting between the Union army and + Washington, Pope would lose his head and dash to the rescue regardless of + consequences. + </p> + <p> + Great, therefore, as the risk was he determined to take it, and Jackson + circled away with his 25,000 men, leaving Lee with the same number + confronting an army of 70,000 which might have swept the field. But its + commander never dreamed of the opportunity which lay before him and he + remained utterly unsuspicious until the night of August 26, 1862, when his + flow of telegrams was suddenly checked and he was informed that there was + something the matter with the wires connecting him to Washington. There + was, indeed, something the matter with them, for Jackson's men had cut + them down and were at that moment greedily devouring Pope's provisions, + helping themselves to new uniforms and shoes and leaving facetious letters + complaining of the quality of the supplies. + </p> + <p> + For a while, however, the Union general had no suspicion of what was + happening, for he interpreted the interference with the telegraph wires as + the work of cavalry riders whom a comparatively small force could quickly + disperse. But when the troops dispatched for this purpose came hurrying + back with the news that Jackson's whole army was behind them, he acted + precisely as Lee had expected, and completely forgetting to close the + doors behind him, dashed madly after "Stonewall," whom he regarded as safe + as a cat in a bag. + </p> + <p> + The door which he should have closed was Thoroughfare Gap, for that was + the only opening through which Lee could have led his men with any hope of + arriving in time to help his friends, and a few troops could have blocked + it with the utmost ease. But it was left unguarded and Pope had scarcely + turned his back to spring on Jackson before Lee slid through the Gap and + sprang on him. + </p> + <p> + The contest that followed, called the Second Battle of Bull Run or + Manassas (August 30, 1862), was almost a repetition of the first, except + that in the earlier battle the Union soldiers had a fair chance and on + this occasion they had none at all. Indeed, Lee and Jackson had Pope so + situated that, despite the bravery of his men, they battered and pounded + him until he staggered from the field in a state of hysterical confusion, + wildly telegraphing that the enemy was badly crippled and that everything + would be well, and following up this by asking if the capital would be + safe, if his army should be destroyed. It is indeed possible that his army + would have been reduced to a mere mob, had it not been for the proximity + of the fortifications of Washington, into which his exhausted regiments + were safely tumbled on the 2nd of September, 1862. + </p> + <p> + Thus, for the second time in two months, Lee calmly confronted the wreck + of an opposing host, which, at the outset, had outnumbered him and + confidently planned for his destruction. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XVII. — Lee and the Invasion of Maryland + </h2> + <p> + Lee's masterly defense of Richmond, and his complete triumph over + McClellan and Pope had, in three months, made him the idol of the + Confederacy. In all military matters his word was law, while the army + adored him and the people of the South as a whole regarded him with a + feeling akin to reverence. This was not entirely the result of his + achievements on the field. Jackson had displayed an equal genius for the + art of war and in the opinion of many experts he was entitled to more + credit than his chief. But Jackson was regarded with awe and curiosity + rather than affection. He was hailed as a great commander, while Lee was + recognized as a great man. + </p> + <p> + It was not by spectacular efforts or assertiveness of any kind that Lee + had gained this hold upon his countrymen. He avoided everything that even + tended toward self-display. His army reports were not only models of + modesty, but generous acknowledgements of all he owed to his officers and + men. He addressed none but respectful words to his superiors and indulged + in no criticisms or complaints. He accepted the entire responsibility for + whatever reverses occurred to the forces under his command and never + attempted to place the blame on the shoulders of any other man. In a word, + he was so absolutely free from personal ambition that the political + schemers unconsciously stood abashed in his presence, and citizens and + soldiers alike instinctively saluted the mere mention of his name. + </p> + <p> + Never by any chance did he utter a word of abuse against the North. Even + when his beloved Arlington was seized, and the swords, pictures, + silverware and other precious mementos of Washington were carried off, his + protest was couched in quiet and dignified language, well calculated to + make those to whom it was addressed (and later every American) blush with + shame. Likewise in the heat of battle, when wild tongues were loosed and + each side accused the other of all that hate could suggest, he never + forgot that his opponents were Americans. "Drive those people back," or + "Don't let those people pass you," were the harshest words he ever uttered + of his foes. + </p> + <p> + To him war was not a mere license to destroy human life. It was a terrible + weapon to be used scientifically, not with the idea of slaughtering as + many of the enemy as possible, but to protect the State for whose defense + he had drawn his sword. This was distinctly his attitude as he watched + Pope's defeated columns reeling from the field. Neither by word nor deed + did he exult over the fallen foe or indulge in self-glorification at his + expense. His sole thought was to utilize the victory that the war would be + speedily brought to a successful close; and, spreading out his maps in the + quiet of his tent, he proceeded to study them with this idea. + </p> + <p> + Almost directly in front of his victorious army stretched the + intrenchments of Washington but, although he knew something of the panic + into which that city had been thrown by the last battle, he had not troops + enough to risk assaulting fortifications to the defense of which well-nigh + every able-bodied man in the vicinity had been called. The fall of + Washington might perhaps have ended the war, but the loss of the + neighboring state of Maryland and an attack on some of the Pennsylvania + cities, such as Harrisburg and Philadelphia, promised to prove equally + effective. The chances of wresting Maryland from the Union seemed + particularly favorable, for it had come very close to casting its lot with + the Confederacy and thousands of its citizens were serving in the Southern + ranks. He, accordingly, made up his mind to march through Maryland, + arousing its people to the support of the Confederate cause, and then + carry the war into Pennsylvania where a decisive victory might pave the + way to an acknowledgment of the independence of the Southern States and + satisfactory terms of peace. + </p> + <p> + Thus, four days after Pope's defeat at Manassas saw Lee's tattered battle + flags slanted toward the North, and on September 6, 1862, the vanguard + under "Stonewall" Jackson passed through the streets of Frederick City, + singing "Maryland, My Maryland!" This was the moment which Whittier + immortalized in his verses recording the dramatic meeting between + "Stonewall" and Barbara Frietchie [Note from Brett: The poem is entitled + "Barbara Frietchie" and there is some question as to the accuracy of the + details of the poem. In general, however, Whittier retold the story + (poetically) that he claims he heard ("from respectable and trustworthy + sources") and Barbara Frietchie was strongly against the Confederacy and + was not a fictional character. It is believed that Ms. Frietchie, who was + 95 at the time, was sick in bed on the day the soldiers marched through, + but did wave her flag when the Union army marched through two days later. + A Ms. Quantrill and her daughters, however, did wave the Union flag as the + Confederate soldiers marched through the town, so there is some thought + that the two got combined.]; but, though no such event ever took place, + the poet was correctly informed as to the condition of Jackson's men, for + they certainly were a "famished rebel horde." Indeed, several thousand of + them had to be left behind because they could no longer march in their + bare feet, and those who had shoes were sorry-looking scarecrows whose one + square meal had been obtained at Pope's expense. For all practical + purposes Maryland was the enemy's country, but into this hostile region + they advanced carrying very little in the way of provisions except salt + for the ears of corn that they might pick up in the fields. + </p> + <p> + The authorities at Washington watched Lee's movement with mingled feelings + of anxiety and relief. They were relieved because he was evidently not + aiming at the national capital. They were alarmed because the real point + of attack was unknown. Sixty thousand men, flushed with triumph and under + seemingly invincible leadership were headed somewhere, and as the rumor + spread that that "somewhere" was Harrisburg or Philadelphia, the North + stood aghast with consternation. + </p> + <p> + Face to face with this desperate crisis, McClellan, who had been + practically removed from command, was restored to duty and given charge of + all the Union forces in the field. Had he been invested with supreme + authority, at least one grievous blunder might have been avoided, for as + he proceeded to the front, calling loudly as usual for reënforcements, he + advised the evacuation of Harper's Ferry, garrisoned by some 12,000 men + who were exposed to capture by Lee's advance on Frederick City. But + Halleck rejected this advice and on September 15, 1862, "Stonewall" + Jackson, with about 20,000 men, swooped down upon the defenseless post and + gobbled up almost the entire garrison with all its guns and stores. To + accomplish this, however, he was forced to separate himself from Lee, and + while McClellan, with over 87,000 men, was protesting that his opponent + had 120,000 and that it was impossible to win against such odds, Lee's + strength had been reduced to about 35,000 and his safety absolutely + depended upon his adversary's fears. It was hardly to be hoped, however, + that McClellan's imagination would cause him to see three men for every + one opposed to him, but such was the fact, and even when one of Lee's + confidential orders fell into his hands, revealing the fact that Jackson's + whole force was absent, he still thought himself outnumbered. + </p> + <p> + The discovery of this order was a serious blow to Lee, for it not only + exposed his immediate weakness, but actually disclosed his entire plan. + How it was lost has never been explained, for its importance was so fully + realized that one of the officers who received a copy pinned it in the + inside pocket of his coat, another memorized his copy and then chewed it + up and others took similar precautions to protect its secret. + </p> + <p> + Some officer, however, must have been careless, for when the Union troops + halted at Frederick City, through which the Confederates had just passed, + a private in an Indiana regiment found it lying on the ground wrapped + around some cigars and, recognizing its value, carried it straight to his + superiors who promptly bore it to Headquarters. + </p> + <p> + Had Lee remained ignorant of this discovery it is possible that McClellan + might have effected the capture of his army. But a civilian, favoring the + South who happened to be present when the paper reached Headquarters, + slipped through the Union lines and put the Confederate commander on his + guard. + </p> + <p> + Lee had already noted that McClellan was moving toward him at unusual + speed for so cautious an officer and, this was readily explained by the + news that his plans were known and Jackson's absence discovered. He + accordingly posted his troops so that he could form a junction with the + rest of the army at the earliest possible moment and halted in the + vicinity of Sharpsburg near Antietam Creek. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XVIII. — The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg + </h2> + <p> + Had McClellan not absurdly overestimated the number of troops opposed to + him when his army neared Sharpsburg on the 15th of September, 1862, he + might have defeated Lee and possibly destroyed or captured his entire + force. Never before had a Union commander had such an opportunity to + deliver a crushing blow. He had more than 80,000 men under his control—fully + twice as many as his adversary; he had the Confederate plan of campaign in + his hands and such fighting as had occurred with the exception of that at + Harper's Ferry had been decidedly in his favor. Moreover, Lee had recently + met with a serious accident, his horse having knocked him down and + trampled on him, breaking the bones of one hand, and otherwise injuring + him so severely that he had been obliged to superintend most of the + posting of his army from an ambulance. By a curious coincidence, too, + "Stonewall" Jackson had been hurt in a similar manner a few days + previously, so that if the battle had begun promptly, it is highly + probable that he, too, would have been physically handicapped, and it is + certain that his troops could not have reached the field in time to be of + any assistance. + </p> + <p> + To Lee's immense relief, however, McClellan made no serious attack on + either the 15th or 16th of September, but spent those two days in putting + his finishing touches on his preparations, and before he completed them + that Opportunity "which knocks but once at each man's gate" had passed him + by, never to return. + </p> + <p> + The battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg began at dawn of the 17th, but by + that time Jackson had arrived and both he and Lee had so far recovered + from their injuries that they were able to be in the saddle and personally + direct the movements of their men. The Confederate position had been + skillfully selected for defense on the hills back of Antietam Creek and + McClellan's plan was to break through his opponent's line, gain his rear + and cut him off from retreat. But Lee, who had closely watched the + elaborate massing of the Union forces for this attempt, was fully prepared + for it and the first assault against his line was repulsed with fearful + slaughter. No subtle strategy or brilliant tactics of any kind marked + McClellan's conduct of the battle. Time and again he hurled his heavy + battalions against his opponent's left, center and right in a desperate + effort to pierce the wall of gray, and once or twice his heroic veterans + almost succeeded in battering their way through. But at every crisis Lee + rose to the emergency and moved his regiments as a skillful chess player + manipulates his pieces on the board, now massing his troops at the danger + point and now diverting his adversary's attack by a swift counter-stroke + delivered by men unacquainted with defeat. Both his hands were heavily + swathed in bandages and far too painful to admit of his even touching the + bridle rein, but he had had himself lifted into the saddle and for fully + fourteen hours he remained mounted on "Traveller," his famous war horse, + watching every movement with the inspiring calmness of a commander born to + rule the storm. + </p> + <p> + The situation was perilous and no one realized its dangers more keenly + than he, but not a trace of anxiety appeared upon his face. Only twice was + he betrayed into an expression of his feelings, once when he asked General + Hood where the splendid division was which he had commanded in the morning + and received the reply: "They are lying in the field where you sent them," + and again when he directed the Rockbridge battery to go into action for a + second time after three of its four guns had been disabled. The captain of + this battery had halted to make a report of its condition and receive + instructions, and Lee, gazing at the group of begrimed and tattered + privates behind the officer, ordered them to renew their desperate work + before he recognized that among them stood his youngest son, Robert. + </p> + <p> + Very few men in the Confederate commander's position would have suffered a + son to serve in the ranks. A word from him would, of course, have made the + boy an officer. But that was not Lee's way. To advance an inexperienced + lad over the heads of older men was, to his mind, unjust and he would not + do it even for his own flesh and blood. Nor had his son himself expected + it, for he had eagerly accepted his father's permission to enter the ranks + and had cheerfully performed his full duty, never presuming on his + relationship to the Commander-in-Chief or asking favors of any kind. All + this was known to Lee but this unexpected meeting at a moment when + privates were being mowed down like grass was a terrible shock and strain. + Nevertheless, it was characteristic of the man that no change was made in + the orders of the Rockbridge battery, which continued on its way to the + post of danger and, with young Lee, gallantly performed the work he had + called on it to do. + </p> + <p> + By night the Confederates still held the field, but the struggle had cost + them nearly 11,000 men, reducing their force to less than 45,000, while + McClellan, despite even heavier losses, had more than 74,000 left. Lee, + accordingly, withdrew his army under cover of darkness to another part of + the field and again awaited attack. But McClellan neither attacked nor + attempted anything like a pursuit until his opponent was safely out of + reach, being well satisfied with having checked the advance of his + formidable foe and spoiled his plans. This he was certainly entitled to + claim, for Lee's campaign against Maryland and Pennsylvania was + effectually balked by his enforced retreat. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, it is quite possible that had McClellan been adventurous he might + have ended the war at Antietam, for the day after the battle he + outnumbered his opponents at least two to one and possessed enormous + advantage in the way of equipment and supplies. But the Union commander, + though he possessed a genius for army organization and knew the art of + inspiring confidence in his men, was no match for Lee in the field, and he + probably realized this. At all events, he displayed no anxiety to renew + hostilities and when urged, and at last positively ordered to advance, he + argued, protested, offered excuses for delay and in fact did everything + but obey. + </p> + <p> + Weeks thus slipped by and finally Lee himself became impatient to know + what his adversary was doing. He, accordingly, again summoned Stuart and + ordered him to repeat the experiment of riding around the opposing army. + News of this second, almost derisive defiance of McClellan soon reached + the North, for Stuart, swiftly circling his right flank, suddenly appeared + with 1,800 men at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, terrorizing the country and + destroying vast quantities of stores. Stern and indignant orders from + Washington warned the Union Commander that this time he must not permit + the daring troopers to escape. But only a few scouts were captured, and + once more Stuart sped safely back to his chief with full information as to + the strength and position of the Federal lines. + </p> + <p> + Even this did not arouse McClellan, and two more weeks of inaction passed + before he again set his vast army in motion. But by this time, the demand + for his dismissal had become clamorous and, on November 5, 1862, President + Lincoln reluctantly removed him from command. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0020" id="link2HCH0020"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XIX. — Lee against Burnside and Hooker + </h2> + <p> + Lincoln had good reason for hesitating to change commanders, for, + unsatisfactory as McClellan had proved, the President was by no means sure + that any of his other generals would do better. In fact, with all his + defects, there was much to be said in McClellan's favor. As an organizer + of troops or chief of staff he had displayed talents of the highest + possible order, transforming the armed mob which had flocked to the + defense of the Union at the opening of the war into a well-drilled and + disciplined army. That he had not accomplished much with this great engine + of war after it had been constructed, had not been wholly his fault, for + he had never been entirely free from interference at the hands of + incompetent superiors, and he had had the misfortune to be pitted against + a past master of the art of war. Moreover, he had been called to the chief + command at a moment of panic and peril and, if he had not succeeded in + defeating Lee, he had, at Antietam, given the North the only semblance of + victory which it could claim in all its campaigning in the South. But that + one taste of triumph had whetted the public appetite for more. Despite + McClellan's continuous talk about the overpowering numbers of his foes, + the supporters of the Union knew that they outmatched the Confederacy in + men, arms, ships, money, and resources of every kind. They accordingly + insisted that the immense army which had lain idle in its camps for almost + two months after the drawn battle at Antietam should be set to work. + </p> + <p> + In response to this popular demand, General Ambrose Burnside was appointed + to take McClellan's place, and a more utterly unfitted man for prosecuting + a successful campaign against Lee could scarcely have been selected. He + himself fully realized this. Indeed, he had already twice refused the + chief command on the ground that he did not feel competent to conduct a + great campaign. But the public, which had become disgusted with boasters, + admired his modesty, and his preparations for carrying the war again into + Virginia were followed with high hopes for his success. The officers of + the army, however, did not share the popular confidence in their new chief + and some of those highest in authority gave him only a half-hearted + support. + </p> + <p> + But nothing could have saved Burnside's extraordinary campaign. Had he + been assigned to lead a forlorn hope, regardless of consequences, his + plan, if it can be called a plan, might have been justified, but under the + existing circumstances it was reckless to the point of madness. His first + moves, however, were characterized by an excess of caution and so slowly + did he advance that before he was fairly started for the South, Lee + blocked the road, concentrating his whole army on the hills behind the + City of Fredericksburg in a position practically defying attack. + </p> + <p> + To attempt a direct assault against this fortress-like post was suicidal, + but apparently no thought of maneuvering crossed Burnside's mind. His one + idea was to brush aside the foe. But before he could even reach him his + army had to cross the Rappahannock, a formidable river, and march over an + open plain, absolutely at the mercy of its intrenched opponents, who + could, as one of their artillery officers expressed it, "comb the ground" + with their cannon. Nevertheless, into this death trap the Union troops + were plunged on the 13th of December, 1862, and they advanced to + destruction with a dash and courage that won the admiration of friends and + foes alike. The result was, of course, inevitable. No human beings could + withstand the storm of shot and shell which burst upon them, and though + some of the devoted columns actually reached the foot of the Confederate + breastworks, they could do no more, and over 12,000 men fell victims to + the disastrous attack. + </p> + <p> + For once, Lee was at an utter loss to comprehend his adversary's plan. He + could not believe that this wanton butchery of men was all there was to + the contest. To his mind such an awful sacrifice of human life would never + have been made unless for the purpose of paving the way for another + enterprise absolutely certain of success. But nothing more was attempted + and the battle of Fredericksburg, reflecting the conception of a + disordered brain rather than the trained intelligence of a graduate of + West Point, was added to the already long list of blunders which prolonged + the war. + </p> + <p> + Burnside brought severe charges against several of his generals for their + failure to support his sorry tactics, and even went so far as to demand + their dismissal from the army. There was undoubtedly some ground for his + complaints, but such obviously incompetent leadership was enough to + demoralize any army, and not long after his crippled battalions retreated + behind the Rappahannock he was relieved of his command, which was given to + General Joseph Hooker, one of the officers he most seriously accused. + </p> + <p> + Hooker was familiarly known to the country as "Fighting Joe," a name he + had well earned on many a hard-fought field. He, like his predecessors, + was a graduate of West Point and his record, in many respects worthy of + the best traditions of that famous school, inspired the army with the + belief that it had, at last, found a leader who would pilot it to victory. + </p> + <p> + Certainly, the new commander was not troubled with Burnside's + self-distrust. His confidence in himself and in his plans was unbounded, + and there was no little justification for his hopes, for his campaign was + well thought out and he had a force of over 130,000 men under his orders—fully + 70,000 more than his adversary could bring into the field. + </p> + <p> + Lee still lay intrenched on the hills behind Fredericksburg, and there + Hooker ordered General Sedgwick to hold him with part of the army while he + himself, with another and more powerful part, crossed the Rappahannock + River by a ford twenty-seven miles above. By this move he hoped to get + behind Lee and then crush him, as nut-crackers would crush a nut, by + closing in on him with a front and rear attack. + </p> + <p> + This was not a strikingly original plan. It was in fact merely a flanking + movement on a huge scale, but compared to Burnside's performance it was + highly scientific and the vast superiority of the Union forces almost + insured its success. Hooker was certainly convinced that he had at last + solved the great problem of the war and that Lee was practically in his + power. Indeed, as his flanking army forded the river, he issued an address + of congratulation in which he informed his troops that they had the + Confederates in a position from which they must either "ingloriously fly" + or come out in the open where certain defeat awaited them. But "Fighting + Joe" was soon to learn the folly of crowing until one is out of the woods, + for as he emerged from the forests sheltering the fords, he discovered + that Lee's army had not remained tamely in its intrenchments, but had + quietly slipped away and planted itself squarely across his path. + </p> + <p> + For a moment the Union commander was fairly astounded. He had prophesied + that his adversary would fly from Fredericksburg, but he had not expected + him to move so soon or in this direction. Indeed, his well-matured plans + were based on the supposition that Lee would remain where he wanted him to + be until he was ready to spring his trap, quite forgetting that though it + is easy to catch birds after you have put salt on their tails, it is + rather difficult to make them wait while you salt them. As a matter of + fact, Lee had taken alarm the moment his cavalry scouts reported his + opponent's movement towards the fords and, realizing that he would be + caught if he remained where he was, he had rapidly departed from + Fredericksburg, leaving only enough force to occupy Sedgwick's attention. + Even then he was in a precarious position, for Hooker's flanking army + alone outnumbered him and the force threatening Fredericksburg would + certainly start in pursuit of him as soon as it discovered that the bulk + of his army had withdrawn from that city. All this was equally clear to + Hooker after his first gasp of astonishment, and as he hurriedly ordered + Sedgwick to attack Fredericksburg with part of his forces and to send the + rest as reënforcement against Lee, he confidently believed that his foe + had delivered himself into his hands. + </p> + <p> + But Lee, though cornered, was not yet caught. He had to think and act + quickly but though he had only 45,000 men and Hooker had 70,000 on the + spot, his idea was not to escape but to attack. A close examination of the + opposing lines in front and at the Federal left disclosed no weakness, but + the right beyond Chancellorsville looked more hopeful. Then a brilliant + idea suddenly occurred to his mind. The Union commander was evidently + awaiting or meditating a direct attack and had no fear except that his + prey might escape him. Might it not be possible to keep him busily + occupied in front, while a force stole behind his right wing and caught it + between two fires? + </p> + <p> + This was precisely what Hooker had been endeavoring to do to him, but Lee + was well aware that what was safe for a large army might be ruinous for a + small one and that his proposed maneuver would require him to divide his + small army into two smaller parts, both of which would be annihilated if + the move was discovered. But capture or destruction stared him in the face + any way, so, learning from a certain Colonel Welford that a road used by + him in former years for transporting materials to a local furnace could be + utilized to swing a considerable force behind Hooker's right, he + determined to take the desperate chance. + </p> + <p> + The necessary orders were accordingly issued during the night of May 1, + 1863, and by daylight the next morning Jackson started off on the back + trail with about 30,000 men, leaving Lee with only 15,000 to face Hooker's + overwhelming array. The success of the whole enterprise depended upon the + secrecy and speed with which it was conducted, but Jackson had already + proved his ability in such work and his men set off at a brisk pace well + screened by vigilant cavalry. It was not possible, however, wholly to + conceal the march, and not long after it began several quite definite + reports of its progress reached Hooker. But though he duly warned his + Corps Commanders to be on their guard against a flank movement, he himself + evidently interpreted it as the beginning of a retreat. Indeed, by four + o'clock in the afternoon of May 2nd he became convinced that his victims + were striving to escape, for he advised Sedgwick, "We know that the enemy + is fleeing, trying to save his trains." But even as he dispatched this + message Jackson was behind at the Union right and his men were forming in + line of battle under cover of a heavy curtain of woods. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, some of the division commanders at the threatened position had + become disquieted by the reports that a large body of Confederates was + marching somewhere, though just where no one seemed to know. Two of them + accordingly faced their men toward the rear in readiness for an attack + from that direction. But the assurances which reached them from + headquarters that the enemy was in full flight discouraged precautions of + this kind, and when Jackson crept up a neighboring hill to examine the + Union position, he found most of the troops had their backs turned to the + point of danger. In fact, the camp, as a whole presented a most inviting + spectacle, for the soldiers were scattered about it, playing cards or + preparing their evening meal, with their arms stacked in the rear, little + dreaming that one of their most dreaded foes was watching them from a + hilltop, behind which crouched thousands of his men. Every detail of the + scene was impressed on Jackson's memory when he quietly slipped back into + the woods, and for the next two hours he busied himself posting his troops + to the best advantage. + </p> + <p> + It was six o'clock when the order to attack was given and most of the + Union soldiers were still at their suppers when deer, foxes, rabbits and + other animals, alarmed by a mass of men advancing through the forest, + began to tear through the camp as though fleeing from a prairie fire. But + before the startled soldiers could ask an explanation of this strange + stampede, the answer came in the form of a scattering musketry fire and + the fearsome yells of 26,000 charging men. + </p> + <p> + The panic that followed beggars description. Regiments huddled against + regiments in helpless confusion; artillery, infantry and cavalry became + wedged in narrow roads and remained hopelessly jammed; officers and men + fought with one another; generals were swept aside or carried forward on + the human waves, hoarsely bellowing orders which no one heeded, while into + the welter the Confederates poured a deadly fire and rounded up masses of + bewildered prisoners. It was well-nigh dusk before even the semblance of a + line of defense could be formed to cover the disorganized masses of men, + but the gathering darkness increased the terror of the hapless fugitives, + who, stumbling and crashing their way to safety, carried confusion in + their wake. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile Lee, advised of what was happening at the Union right, + vigorously attacked Hooker's left, and a fierce conflict at that point + added to the general turmoil until the contending forces could no longer + distinguish each other, save by the flashing of their guns. The fighting + then ceased all along the line and both sides busied themselves with + preparations for renewing the struggle at the earliest possible moment. + Jackson, accompanied by some of his staff, instantly began a + reconnoissance of the Union position. He had just completed this and was + returning to his lines when some of his own pickets, mistaking his party + for Union cavalry, fired on them killing a captain and a sergeant. The + Confederate commander immediately turned his horse and sought safety at + another point, but he had not progressed far before he drew the fire of + another picket squad and fell desperately wounded. + </p> + <p> + General A. P. Hill then assumed command, but fighting had scarcely been + resumed the next morning before he was wounded and Jeb Stuart took his + place. Meanwhile, Hooker had been injured and the next day Lee fiercely + assailed Sedgwick. For the best part of two days the battle raged with + varying success. But, little by little, the Confederates edged their + opponents toward the Rappahannock, and by the night of May 5th, 1863, + Hooker withdrew his exhausted forces across the river. + </p> + <p> + The battle of Chancellorsville cost Lee over 12,000 men; but with a force + which never exceeded 60,000, he had not only extricated himself from a + perilous position, but had inflicted a crushing blow on an army of + 130,000, an achievement which has passed into history as one of the most + brilliant feats of modern warfare. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0021" id="link2HCH0021"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XX. — In the Hour of Triumph + </h2> + <p> + Great as Lee's reputation had been before the battle of Chancellorsville, + it was immensely increased by that unexpected triumph. But no trace of + vanity or self-gratulation of any kind marked his reception of the chorus + of praise that greeted him. On the contrary, he modestly disclaimed the + honors from the very first and insisted that to Jackson belonged the + credit of the day. "Could I have directed events," he wrote the wounded + General, "I should have chosen to have been disabled in your stead. I + congratulate you on the victory which is due to your skill and energy." + Indeed, when the news first reached him that Jackson's left arm had been + amputated, he sent him a cheery message, saying, "You are better off than + I am, for while you have only lost your LEFT, I have lost my RIGHT arm." + And when, at last, he learned that "Stonewall" had passed away, he no + longer thought of the victory but only of his dead comrade and friend. + "Any victory would be dear at such a price," was his sorrowful comment on + the day. + </p> + <p> + Jackson was indeed Lee's "right arm" and his place among the great + captains of the world is well indicated by the fact that a study of his + campaign is to-day part of the education of all English and American + officers. Nevertheless, it was unquestionably Lee's genius that enabled + his great Lieutenant to accomplish what he did, and this Jackson himself + fully realized. "Better that ten Jacksons should fall than one Lee," was + his response to his commander's generous words. + </p> + <p> + But though Lee had won an international reputation, anyone seeing him in + the field among his soldiers might well have imagined that he was wholly + unaware that the world was ringing with his fame. He steadily declined all + offers to provide comfortable quarters for his accommodation, preferring + to live in a simple tent and share with his men the discomforts of the + field. Indeed, his thoughts were constantly of others, never of himself, + and when gifts of fruit and other dainties for his table were tendered + him, he thanked the givers but suggested that they were needed for the + sick and wounded in the hospitals, where they would be gratefully + received. + </p> + <p> + "...I should certainly have endeavored to throw the enemy north of the + Potomac," he wrote his wife, "but thousands of our men were barefooted, + thousands with fragments of shoes, and all without overcoats, blankets or + warm clothing. I could not bear to expose them to certain suffering.... I + am glad you have some socks for the army. Send them to me.... Tell the + girls to send all they can. I wish they could make some shoes, too." + </p> + <p> + Even the hardships of the dumb animals moved him to a ready sympathy, and + he was constantly planning to spare them in every possible way. + </p> + <p> + "Our horses and mules suffer most," he wrote one of his daughters. "They + have to bear the cold and rain, tug through the mud and suffer all the + time with hunger." + </p> + <p> + And again on another occasion he wrote his wife: + </p> + <p> + "This morning the whole country is covered with a mantle of snow, fully a + foot deep.... Our poor horses were enveloped. We have dug them out...but + it will be terrible.... I fear our short rations for man and horse will + have to be curtailed." + </p> + <p> + The whole army realized the great-hearted nature of its Chief, and its + confidence in his thought and care is well illustrated by a letter which a + private addressed to him, asking him if he knew upon what short rations + the men were living. If he did, the writer stated, their privations were + doubtless necessary and everyone would cheerfully accept them, knowing + that he had the comfort of his men continually in mind. + </p> + <p> + War had no illusions for this simple, God-fearing man. He regarded it as a + terrible punishment for the shortcomings of mankind. For him it had no + glory. + </p> + <p> + "The country here looks very green and pretty, notwithstanding the ravages + of war," he wrote his wife. "What a beautiful world God, in His loving + kindness to His creatures, has given us! What a shame that men endowed + with reason and knowledge of right should mar His gifts." + </p> + <p> + The awful responsibility of his public duty was almost more than any man + could bear, but he had also to endure personal anxiety and sorrow of the + keenest kind. During his absence in the field one of his daughters died, + his wife was in failing health and his three sons were in the army daily + exposed to injury and death. Fitzhugh and Custis had been made generals, + and Robert had been promoted to a lieutenancy and assigned to his elder + brother's staff. Up to the battle of Chancellorsville they had escaped + unharmed, but while the contending armies lay watching each other on + either side of the Rappahannock, Fitzhugh was severely wounded in a + cavalry engagement and Lee's first thought was to comfort and reassure the + young man's wife. + </p> + <p> + "I am so grieved," ...he wrote her, "to send Fitzhugh to you wounded.... + With his youth and strength to aid him, and your tender care to nurse him, + I trust he will soon be well again. I know that you will unite with me in + thanks to Almighty God, who has so often sheltered him in the hour of + danger." + </p> + <p> + Then came the news that the young General had been captured by Federal + troops who surrounded the house to which he had been removed, and again + Lee sought, in the midst of all his cares, to cheer his daughter-in-law + who was herself becoming ill. + </p> + <p> + "I can see no harm that can result from Fitzhugh's capture except his + detention.... He will be in the hands of old army officers and surgeons, + most of whom are men of principle and humanity. His wound, I understand, + has not been injured by his removal, but is doing well. Nothing would do + him more harm than for him to learn that you were sick and sad. How could + he get well? So cheer up and prove your fortitude.... You may think of + Fitzhugh and love him as much as you please, but do not grieve over him or + grow sad." + </p> + <p> + But the young wife grew steadily worse and, when her life was despaired + of, Custis Lee offered to take his brother's place in prison, if the + authorities would allow him to visit his dying wife. But, when this was + refused and news of her death reached Lee, he refrained from all + bitterness. + </p> + <p> + "...I grieve," he wrote his wife, "...as a father only can grieve for a + daughter, and my sorrow is heightened by the thought of the anguish her + death will cause our dear son, and the poignancy it will give to the bars + of his prison. May God in His mercy enable him to bear the blow...." + </p> + <p> + It was in the midst of such severe afflictions that Lee conducted some of + the most important moves of his campaign, and while family anxieties were + beginning to crowd on him, the condition of his army and the political + situation were already demanding another invasion of the North. As far as + spirit and discipline were concerned, his troops were never more ready for + active service and their numbers had been so considerably increased during + the weeks that followed the battle of Chancellorsville that by the 1st of + June, 1863, he could count on almost 70,000 fairly well-armed men, + supported by over two hundred cannon. + </p> + <p> + But the question of supplying food for this great array was every day + becoming more urgent, and the remark of the Commissary-General that his + Chief would soon have to seek his provisions in Pennsylvania was + significant of the situation. Lee thoroughly realized that the strength of + the Confederacy was waning and that unless some great success in the field + should soon force the Union to make terms, the end of the struggle was in + sight. Great victories had already been won, but always on Southern soil, + and the news that Grant was closing in on Vicksburg demanded that a + supreme effort be made to offset that impending disaster in the West. + </p> + <p> + If the Southern army could force its way into the North and there repeat + its triumphs, England and France would probably recognize the Confederacy + and the half-hearted supporters of the Union, already murmuring against + the war, would clamor for peace. With this idea Lee devoted the month + following the battle of Chancellorsville to recruiting his strength and + watching for some move on Hooker's part. But Hooker remained quietly + within his lines, so on June 3, 1863, his opponent, concealing his + purpose, moved rapidly and secretly toward Pennsylvania. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0022" id="link2HCH0022"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXI. — Grant at Vicksburg + </h2> + <p> + While Lee had been disposing of McClellan, Pope and Burnside, Grant had + remained in comparative idleness near Corinth, Mississippi. He had, it is + true, been assigned to high command in the West when Halleck was ordered + to Washington, but the battle of Shiloh had prejudiced the authorities + against him and his troops were gradually transferred to other commanders, + leaving him with an army barely sufficient to guard the territory it + already held. This treatment seriously depressed him and with plenty of + time to brood over his troubles, he was in some danger of lapsing into the + bad habits which had once had such a fatal hold upon him. But at this + crisis his wife was by his side to steady and encourage him, and the + Confederates soon diverted his thoughts from his own grievances by giving + him plenty of work to keep them at arm's length. Meanwhile, however, + something much more disturbing occurred, for he suddenly discovered that + preparations were being made to place his long-cherished campaign for the + opening of the Mississippi River in the hands of McClernand, the political + General whose conduct at Fort Donelson had demonstrated his ignorance of + military affairs. + </p> + <p> + That aroused Grant to action and hastily summoning Admiral Porter and + General Sherman to his aid, he started towards Vicksburg, Mississippi, on + November 2, 1862, determined to be the first in the field and thus head + off any attempt to displace him from the command. + </p> + <p> + McClernand's project was accordingly nipped in the bud, for, of course, he + could not be authorized to conduct a campaign already undertaken by a + superior officer, and the troops which had been intended for him were + immediately forwarded to Grant. Doubtless, the President was not + displeased at this turn of affairs, for although McClernand was a highly + important person in the political world and had rendered valuable services + in raising troops, his defects as a general were widely recognized, and + there had been grave doubts as to the wisdom of permitting him to attempt + so difficult an undertaking as the capture of Vicksburg. Within a few + months, however, there were even graver doubts as to the wisdom of having + entrusted the enterprise to Grant, for by the end of March, 1863, the + general opinion was that no one could have made a worse mess of it than he + was making, and that it was hopeless to expect anything as long as he was + in authority. + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, the immense difficulty of capturing a city such as + Vicksburg had not been realized until the work was actually undertaken. It + was practically a fortress commanding the Mississippi, and whoever held it + ruled the river. The Confederate leaders understood this very thoroughly + and they had accordingly fortified the place, which was admirably adapted + for defense, with great care and skill. In front of it flowed the + Mississippi, twisting and turning in such snake-like conditions that it + could be navigated only by boats of a certain length and build, and on + either side of the city stretched wide swamp lands and bayous completely + commanded by batteries well posted on the high ground occupied by the + town. All this was formidable enough in itself, but shortly after Grant + began his campaign, the river overflowed its banks and the whole country + for miles was under water which, while not deep enough for steamers, was + an absolute barrier to the approach of an army. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, the capture of the city seemed hopeless from a military + standpoint, but Grant would not abandon the task. Finding traces of an + abandoned canal, he attempted to complete it in the hope of changing the + course of the river, or at least of diverting some of the water from the + overflowed land, but the effort was a stupendous failure almost from the + start. Then he ordered the levees of the Mississippi protecting two great + lakes to be cut, with the idea of flooding the adjacent streams and + providing a waterway for his ships. This gigantic enterprise was actually + put into operation, the dams were removed, and gun-boats were forced on + the swollen watercourses far into the interior until some of them became + hopelessly tangled in the submerged forests and their crews, attacked by + the Confederate sharpshooters, were glad to make their escape. Week after + week and month after month this exhausting work continued, but, at the end + of it all, Vicksburg was no nearer capture than before. Indeed, the only + result of the campaign was the loss of thousands of men who died of + malaria, yellow fever, smallpox, and all the diseases which swamp lands + breed. For this, of course, Grant was severely criticized and the + denunciations at last became so bitter that an order removing him from the + command was entrusted to an official who was directed to deliver it, if, + on investigation, the facts seemed to warrant it. + </p> + <p> + But the visiting official, after arriving at the front, soon learned that + the army had complete confidence in its commander and that it would be a + mistake to interfere with him. Indeed, by this time "the silent General," + who had neither answered the numerous complaints against him nor paid the + least attention to the storm of public indignation raging beyond his camp, + had abandoned his efforts to reach Vicksburg from the front and was busily + engaged in swinging his army behind it by a long overland route in the + face of appalling difficulties, but with a grim resolution which forced + all obstructions from his path. Meanwhile, the gun-boats under Admiral + Porter were ordered to attempt to run the land batteries, and April 16, + 1863, was selected as the date for their perilous mission. Each vessel had + been carefully protected by cotton bales, and the crews stood ready with + great wads of cotton to stop leaks, while all lights were extinguished + except one in the stern of each ship to guide the one that followed. + </p> + <p> + It was a black night when the Admiral started down the river in his + flagship, and for a while it was hoped that the fleet would slip by the + batteries under cover of darkness. The leading vessels did, indeed, escape + the lookouts of the first forts, but before long a warning rocket shot + into the sky and the river was instantly lit by immense bonfires which had + been prepared for just this emergency, and by the glare of their flames + the gunners poured shot and shell at the black hulls as they sped swiftly + by. Shot after shot found its mark, but still the fleet continued on its + course. Then, after the bonfires died down, houses were set on fire to + enable the artillerists to see their targets, but before daylight the + whole fleet had run the gauntlet and lay almost uninjured below Vicksburg, + ready to coöperate with Grant's advancing army. + </p> + <p> + By this time the Confederates must have realized that they were facing + defeat. Nevertheless, for fully a month they stubbornly contested every + foot of ground. But Grant, approaching the rear by his long, roundabout + marches, handled his veteran troops with rare good judgment, moving + swiftly and allowing his adversaries no rest, so that by the 17th of May, + 1863, General Pemberton, commanding the defenses of Vicksburg, was forced + to take refuge in the town. Grant immediately swung his army into + position, blocking every avenue of escape and began a close siege. The + prize for which he had been struggling for more than half a year was now + fairly within his grasp, but there was still a chance that it might slip + through his fingers, for close on his heels came General Joseph Johnston + with a powerful army intent upon rescuing General Pemberton and his + gallant garrison. + </p> + <p> + If Johnston could come to Pemberton's relief or if Pemberton could break + through and unite with Johnston, they could together save Vicksburg. But + Grant had resolved that they should not join forces, and to the problem + confronting him he devoted himself body and mind. Constantly in the + saddle, watching every detail of the work as the attacking army slowly dug + its way toward the city and personally posting the troops holding Johnston + at bay, his quiet, determined face and mud-splashed uniform became + familiar sights to the soldiers, and his appearance on the lines was + invariably greeted with inspiring cheers. By July, the trenches of the + besieged and the besiegers were so close together that the opposing + pickets could take to each other, and the gun-boats threw shells night and + day into the town. Still Pemberton would not surrender and many of the + inhabitants of Vicksburg were forced to leave their houses and dig caves + in the cliffs upon which the city was built to protect themselves and + their families from the iron hail. + </p> + <p> + It was only when food of every kind had been practically exhausted and his + garrison was threatened with starvation that Pemberton yielded. On July 3, + 1863, however, he realized that the end had come and raised the white + flag. Nearly twenty-four hours passed before the terms of surrender were + agreed upon, but Grant, who had served in the same division with Pemberton + in the Mexican War, was not inclined to exact humiliating conditions upon + his old acquaintance whose men had made such a long and gallant fight. He, + accordingly, offered to free all the prisoners upon their signing a + written promise not to take arms again unless properly exchanged, and to + allow all the officers to retain their side arms and horses. These + generous terms were finally accepted, and on July 4, 1863, the Confederate + army, numbering about 30,000, marched out in the presence of their + opponents and stacked their arms, receiving the tribute of absolute + silence from the 75,000 men who watched them from the Union ranks. + </p> + <p> + Four months before this event, Halleck, the Commander-in-Chief, had + advised Grant and other officers of his rank that there was a major + generalship in the Regular Army for the man who should first win a + decisive victory in the field. The captor of Vicksburg had certainly + earned this promotion, for with its fall the Mississippi River was + controlled by the Union and, in the words of Lincoln, "The Father of + Waters again ran unvexed to the sea." + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0023" id="link2HCH0023"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXII. — The Battle of Gettysburg + </h2> + <p> + The news that Grant was slowly, but surely, tightening his grip upon + Vicksburg, and that nothing but an accident could prevent its capture, was + known to the whole country for fully a week before the surrender occurred, + but it neither encouraged the North nor discouraged the South. To the + minds of many people no victory in the West could save the Union, for Lee + was already in Pennsylvania, sweeping northward toward Harrisburg and + Philadelphia, and even threatening New York. Hooker, in the field, and + Halleck, in Washington, were squabbling as to what should be done, and the + Union army was groping blindly after the invaders without any leadership + worthy of the name. + </p> + <p> + It was certainly a critical moment demanding absolute harmony on the part + of the Union leaders; but while the fate of the Union trembled in the + balance, Hooker and Halleck wrangled and contradicted each other, + apparently regardless of consequences, and the climax of this disgraceful + exhibition was a petulant telegram from Hooker (June 27, 1863) resigning + his command. Had "Fighting Joe" been the greatest general in the world + this resignation, in the presence of the enemy, would have ruined his + reputation, and the moment President Lincoln accepted it Hooker was a + discredited man. + </p> + <p> + To change commanders at such a crisis was a desperately perilous move, but + the President knew that the army had lost confidence in its leader since + the battle of Chancellorsville and the fact that he could even think of + resigning on the eve of a battle demonstrated his utter unfitness for the + task at hand. It was, therefore, with something of relief that Lincoln + ordered General Meade to take immediate charge of all the troops in the + field, and the new commander assumed the responsibility in these words, + "As a soldier I obey the order placing me in command of this army and to + the utmost of my ability will execute it." + </p> + <p> + At the moment he dispatched this manly and modest response to the + unexpected call to duty, Meade knew little of Hooker's plans and had only + a vague idea of where his troops were posted. Under such conditions + success in the coming battle was almost impossible, but he wasted no time + in complaints or excuses, but instantly began to move his forces northward + to incept the line of Lee's advance. Even up to this time, however, the + exact position of the Confederate army had not been ascertained, for Lee + had concealed his infantry behind his cavalry, which effectually prevented + his adversaries from getting near enough to discover the direction of his + march. + </p> + <p> + Another "cavalry screen," however, covered the Union forces and though Lee + dispatched Stuart to break through and discover what lay behind it, the + daring officer for once failed to accomplish his purpose and Lee had to + proceed without the information he usually possessed. This was highly + advantageous to Meade, for his forces were badly scattered and had Lee + known that fact he might have crushed the various parts of the army before + they united, or at least have prevented some of them from reaching the + field in time. He soon learned, of course, that Meade had taken Hooker's + place, but if he had not heard the news directly, he would have guessed + that some great change had occurred in the generalship of his opponents, + for within twenty-four hours of his appointment Meade had his army well in + hand, and two days later the rapid and skillful concentration of his force + was clear to Lee's experienced eyes. By this time both armies had passed + beyond their cavalry screens, and on the 30th of June, 1863, the advance + of the Confederate troops neared the little town of Gettysburg. + </p> + <p> + But Lee was not yet ready to fight, for, although he was better prepared + than his adversary, he wanted to select the best possible ground before + joining battle. By a strange chance, however, it was not Lee but his + bare-footed followers who decided where the battle should be fought, for + as his advance-guard approached Gettysburg one of the brigade commanders + asked and received permission from his superior to enter the town and + procure shoes for his men. But Gettysburg was found to be occupied by + Union cavalry and the next day (July 1st) a larger force was ordered + forward to drive them away and "get the shoes." Meanwhile, the Union + cavalry had been reënforced and, to offset this, more Confederates were + ordered to the support of their comrades. Once more Union reënforcements + were hurried to the front, and again the Confederates responded to the + challenge, until over 50,000 men were engaged in a savage conflict, and + before noon the battle of Gettysburg, one of the greatest battles of + history, had begun. + </p> + <p> + The men in gray, who thus unwittingly forced the fighting, were veterans + of many campaigns and they attacked with a fury that carried all before + them. The Union troops fought with courage, but General Reynolds, their + commander, one of the ablest officers in the army, was soon shot through + the head and instantly killed, and from that moment the Confederates + crowded them to the point of panic. Indeed, two of Meade's most effective + fighting corps were practically annihilated and the shattered remnants of + the defenders of Gettysburg were hurled through the town in headlong + flight toward what was known as Cemetery Hill, where their new commander, + General Hancock, found them huddled in confusion. + </p> + <p> + Meade had displayed good judgment in selecting Hancock to take Reynolds' + place, for he was just the man to inspire confidence in the disheartened + soldiers and rise to the emergency that confronted him. But, though he + performed wonders in the way of restoring order and encouraging his men to + make a desperate resistance, it is more than probable that the + Confederates would have swept the field and gained the important position + of Cemetery Hill had they followed up their victory. Fortunately for the + Union cause, however, the pursuit was not continued much beyond the limits + of Gettysburg and, as though well satisfied to have got the shoes they + came for, the victors contented themselves with the undisputed possession + of the town. + </p> + <p> + Neither Lee nor Meade took any part in this unexpected battle, but Lee + arrived during the afternoon while the Union troops were in full flight + for the hills and, seeing the opportunity of delivering a crushing blow, + advised Ewell, the commanding General, to pursue. His suggestion, however, + was disregarded, and being unwilling to interfere with another officer in + the midst of an engagement, he did not give a positive order, with the + result that Cemetery Hill was left in possession of the Federal troops. + Meanwhile Meade, having learned of the situation, was hurrying to the + scene of action, where he arrived late at night, half dead with exhaustion + and on the verge of nervous collapse from the fearful responsibilities + which had been heaped upon him during the previous days. But the spirit of + the man rose superior to his physical weakness and, keeping his head in + the whirlwind of hurry and confusion, he issued orders rushing every + available man to the front, made a careful examination of the ground and + chose an admirable position for defense. + </p> + <p> + To this inspiring example the whole army made a magnificent response, and + before the 2nd of July dawned the widely scattered troops began pouring in + and silently moving into position for the desperate work confronting them. + Meade had determined to await an attack from Lee and he had accordingly + selected Cemetery Ridge as the position best adapted for defense. This + line of hills not only provided a natural breastwork, but at the left and + a little in front lay two hillocks knows as Round Top and Little Round + Top, which, when crowned by artillery, were perfect fortresses of + strength. Strange as it may seem, however, Round Top was not immediately + occupied by the Union troops and had it not been for the quick eye and + prompt action of General Warren, Little Round Top, the key to the entire + Union position, would have been similarly neglected. + </p> + <p> + Lee was reasonably assured, at the end of the first day's fighting, that + his adversary had not succeeded in getting all his troops upon the field + and, realizing what an advantage this gave him, he determined to begin the + battle at daylight, before the Union reënforcements could arrive. But for + once, at least, the great commander received more objections than + obedience from his subordinates, General Longstreet, one of his most + trusted lieutenants, being the principal offender. Longstreet had, up to + this moment, made a splendid record in the campaigns and Lee had such + confidence in his skill that he seldom gave him a peremptory order, + finding that a suggestion carried all the weight of a command. But, on + this occasion, Longstreet did not agree with the Chief's plan of battle + and he accordingly took advantage of the discretion reposed in him to + postpone making an attack until he received a sharp and positive order to + put his force in action. By this time, the whole morning had passed and + every hour had brought more and more Union troops into the field, so that + by the afternoon Meade had over 90,000 men opposing Lee's 70,000 veterans. + </p> + <p> + There was nothing half-hearted about Longstreet once he was in motion and + the struggle for the possession of Little Round Top was as desperate a + conflict as was ever waged on any field. Again and again the gray + regiments hurled themselves into the very jaws of death to gain the + coveted vantage ground, and again and again the blue lines, torn, battered + and well-nigh crushed to earth, re-formed and hurled back the assault. + Dash and daring were met by courage and firmness, and at nightfall, though + the Confederates had gained some ground, their opponents still held their + original position. Both sides had paid dearly, however, for whatever + successes they had gained, the Union army alone having lost at least + 20,000 men [Note from Brett: While this is possible, it is highly unlikely + as the total casualties for the three day battle from the Unionist side + were 23,053 according to official records. Current (circa 2000) estimates + are that both sides lost about 9,000 soldiers on this day.]. Indeed, the + Confederate attack had been so formidable that Meade called a council of + war at night to determine whether the army should remain where it was for + another day or retreat to a still stronger position. The council, however, + voted unanimously to "stay and fight it out," and the next morning (July + 3rd) saw the two armies facing each other in much the same positions as + they had occupied the day before, the Unionists crowding the heights of + Cemetery Ridge and the Confederates holding the hills known as Seminary + Ridge and clinging to the bases of Round Top and Little Round Top, to + which point the tide of valor had carried them. + </p> + <p> + A mile of valley and undulating slopes separated Cemetery Hill from + Seminary Ridge, and their crests were crowded with artillery when the sun + rose on July 3, 1863. But for a time the battle was confined to the + infantry, the Confederates continuing fierce assaults of the previous + evening. Then, suddenly, all their troops were withdrawn, firing ceased + and absolute silence ensued along their whole lines. At an utter loss to + understand this complete disappearance of the foe, the Union commanders + peered through their glasses at the silent and apparently deserted heights + of Seminary Ridge, growing more and more nervous as time wore on. What was + the explanation of this ominous silence? Was it possible that Lee had + retreated? Was he trying to lure them out of their position and catch them + in some giant ambuscade? Was he engaged in a flanking movement such as had + crumpled them to pieces at Chancellorsville? Doubtless, more than one + soldier shot an apprehensive glance toward the rear during the strange + hush as he remembered the terrifying appearance of Jackson on that fearful + day. + </p> + <p> + But no Jackson stood at Lee's right hand, and suddenly two sharp reports + rang out from the opposing height. Then, in answer to this signal, came + the crash of a hundred and thirty cannon and instantly eighty Union guns + responded to the challenge with a roar which shook the earth, while the + air was filled with exploding shells and the ground was literally ploughed + with shot. For an hour and a half this terrific duel continued; and then + the Union chief of artillery, seeing that his supply of ammunition was + sinking, ordered the guns to cease firing and the Confederates, believing + that they had completely demolished the opposing batteries, soon followed + their example. Another awful silence ensued and when the Union troops + peered cautiously from behind the stone walls and slopes which had + completely protected them from the wild storm of shot and shell, they saw + a sight which filled them with admiration and awe. + </p> + <p> + From the woods fringing the opposing heights 15,000 men [Note from Brett: + (circa 2000) just under 12,000 men] were sweeping in perfect order with + battle flags flying, bayonets glistening and guidons fluttering as though + on dress parade. Well to the front rode a gallant officer with a cap + perched jauntily over his right ear and his long auburn hair hanging + almost to his shoulders flying in the wind. This was General Pickett, and + he and the men behind him had almost a mile of open ground to cross in the + charge which was to bring them immortal fame. For half the distance they + moved triumphantly forward, unscathed by the already thundering artillery, + and then the Union cannon which had apparently been silenced by the + Confederate fire began to pour death and destruction into their ranks. + Whole rows of men were mowed down by the awful cannonade, but their + comrades pressed forward undismayed, halting for a moment under cover of a + ravine to re-form their ranks and then springing on again with a heroism + unsurpassed in the history of war. A hail of bullets from the Union + trenches fairly staggered them, yet on and on they charged. Once they + actually halted in the face of the blazing breastworks, deliberately fired + a volley and came on again with a rush, seized some of the still smoking + guns that had sought to annihilate them and, beating back the gunners in a + hand-to-hand conflict, actually planted their battle flags on the crest of + Cemetery Ridge. Then the whole Union army seemed to leap from the ground + and hurl itself upon them. They reeled, turned, broke into fragments and + fled, leaving 5,000 dead and wounded in their trail. + </p> + <p> + Such was Pickett's charge—a wave of human courage which recorded + "the high-water mark of the Rebellion." + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0024" id="link2HCH0024"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXIII. — In the Face of Disaster + </h2> + <p> + As the survivors of Pickett's heroic legion came streaming back toward the + Confederate lines Lee stood face to face with defeat for the first time in + his career. His long series of victories had not spoiled him and the hour + of triumph had always found him calm and thankful, rather than elated and + arrogant. But many a modest and generous winner has proved himself a poor + loser. It is the moment of adversity that tries men's souls and revels the + greatness or smallness of character, and subjected to this test more than + one commander in the war had been found wanting. McClellan, staggering + from his campaign against Richmond, blamed almost everyone but himself for + the result; Pope, scurrying toward the fortifications of Washington, was + as ready with excuses as he had been with boasts; Burnside, reeling from + the slaughter-pen of Fredericksburg, had demanded the dismissal of his + principal officers, and Hooker hurled accusations right and left in + explaining the Chancellorsville surprise. + </p> + <p> + But Lee resorted neither to accusation nor excuse for the battle of + Gettysburg. With the tide of disaster sweeping relentlessly down upon him, + he hastened to assume entire responsibility for the result. "It is all my + fault," he exclaimed, as the exhausted and shattered troops were seeking + shelter from the iron hail, and then as calmly and firmly as though no + peril threatened, he strove to rally the disorganized fugitives and + present a bold front to the foe. It was no easy task, even with a veteran + army, to prevent a panic and restore order and confidence in the midst of + the uproar and confusion of defeat, but the quiet dignity and perfect + control of their commander steadied the men, and at sight of him even the + wounded raised themselves from the ground and cheered. + </p> + <p> + "All this will come right in the end," he assured the wavering troops, as + he passed among them. "We'll talk it over afterwards, but in the meantime + all good men must rally." + </p> + <p> + Not a sign of excitement or alarm was to be detected in his face, as he + issued his orders and moved along the lines. "All this has been my fault," + he repeated soothingly to a discouraged officer. "It is I that have lost + this fight and you must help me out of it the best way you can.... Don't + whip your horse, Captain," he quietly remarked, as he noted another + officer belaboring his mount for shying at an exploding shell.... "I've + got just another foolish horse myself, and whipping does no good." + </p> + <p> + Nothing escaped his watchful eyes, nothing irritated him, and nothing + provoked him to hasty words or actions. Completely master of himself, he + rose superior to the whirling storm about him and, commanding order out of + chaos, held his shattered army under such perfect control that had Meade + rushed forward in pursuit he might have met with a decisive check. + </p> + <p> + But Meade did not attempt to leave his intrenchments and the Confederate + army slowly and defiantly moved toward the South. The situation was + perilous—desperately perilous for Lee. His troops were in no + condition to fight after battling for three days, their ammunition was + almost exhausted, their food supply was low and they were retreating + through a hostile country with a victorious army behind them and a broad + river in their path. But not a man in the gray ranks detected even a + shadow of anxiety on his commander's face, and when the Potomac was + reached and it was discovered that the river was impassable owing to an + unexpected flood, the army faced about and awaited attack with sublime + confidence in the powers of its chief. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile Meade, who had been cautiously following his adversary, began to + receive telegrams and dispatches urging him to throw himself upon the + Confederates before they could recross the Potomac and thus end the war. + But this, in the opinion of the Union commander, was easier said than + done, and he continued to advance with the utmost deliberation while Lee, + momentarily expecting attack, ferried his sick and wounded across the + river and prepared for a desperate resistance. Absolute ruin now stared + him in the face, for no reënforcements of any kind could reach him and a + severe engagement would soon place him completely at his opponent's mercy. + Nevertheless, he presented a front so menacing and unafraid that when + Meade called his officers to a council of war all but two voted against + risking an attack. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime the river began to fall, and without the loss of a moment + Lee commenced building a bridge across which his troops started to safety + on the night of July 13th, ten days after the battle. Even then the + situation was perilous in the extreme, for had Meade discovered the + movement in time he could undoubtedly have destroyed a large part of the + retreating forces, but when he appeared on the scene practically the whole + army was on the other side of the river and only a few stragglers fell + into his hands. + </p> + <p> + Great as Lee's success had been he never appeared to better advantage than + during this masterly retreat, when, surrounded by difficulties and + confronted by overwhelming numbers, he held his army together and led it + to safety. Through the dust of defeat he loomed up greater as a man and + greater as a soldier than at any other moment of his career. + </p> + <p> + Even the decisive victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg failed to offset + President Lincoln's bitter disappointment at Lee's miraculous escape, and + had it not been for his success on the field of battle, Meade would + undoubtedly have been removed from the chief command. As it was, however, + he retained his position and for months he lay comparatively idle, + watching his opponent who busied himself with filling the broken ranks of + his army for a renewal of the struggle. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, the Confederate newspapers began a bitter criticism of Lee, + charging that he had displayed bad judgment and worse generalship in + attempting to invade the North. A man of different caliber would, + doubtless, have answered these attacks by exposing some of the officers + whose conduct was largely responsible for the failure of the campaign. + Indeed, the facts would have justified him in dismissing more than one of + his subordinates from the army in disgrace, and had he chosen to speak the + word he might easily have ruined the reputation of at least one + distinguished general. + </p> + <p> + But no such selfish or vindictive thought ever crossed Lee's mind. Keenly + as he suffered from the abuse which was heaped upon him, he endured it + without a murmur and, when at last he felt obliged to notice it, his reply + took the form of a letter to the Confederate President requesting his + permission to resign. + </p> + <p> + "The general remedy for the want of success in a military commander is his + removal," he wrote a month after the battle of Gettysburg. "I do not know + how far the expressions of discontent in the public journals extend in the + army. My brother officers have been too kind to report it and, so far, the + troops have been too generous to exhibit it. I, therefore, beg you to take + measures to supply my place, because if I cannot accomplish what I myself + desire, how can I fulfill the expectations of others? I must confess, too + that my eyesight is not good and that I am so dull that in making use of + the eyes of others I am frequently misled. Everything, therefore, points + to the advantages to be derived from a new commander. A younger and abler + man can readily be obtained—one that would accomplish more than I + can perform and all that I have wished. I have no complaints to make of + anyone but myself. I have received nothing but kindness from those above + me and the most considerate attention from my comrades and companions in + arms." + </p> + <p> + This generous, dignified statement, modest to the point of + self-effacement, instantly hushed all discontent and, before it, even the + newspaper editors stood abashed. + </p> + <p> + "Where am I to find the new commander who is to possess that greater + ability which you believe to be required?" wrote Jefferson Davis in reply. + "If Providence should kindly offer such a person I would not hesitate to + avail myself of his services. But my sight is not sufficiently penetrating + to discover such hidden merit, if it exists. To ask me to substitute you + by someone more fit to command is to demand an impossibility." + </p> + <p> + In the face of this graceful response Lee could no longer urge his + resignation, and after waiting for more than three months for Meade to + attack, he suddenly assumed the offensive and during the next five months + he and Meade maneuvered their armies as two chess experts handle the + pieces on the board. Again and again, Meade swung his powerful army into a + favorable position and, again and again, Lee responded with a move which + placed his opponent on the defensive. + </p> + <p> + But while this game of check and countercheck was being played, the North + was becoming more and more impatient and events were rapidly bringing + another player to the fore. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0025" id="link2HCH0025"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXIV. — The Rescue of Two Armies + </h2> + <p> + The defeats and disappointments of the various campaigns in Virginia had + gradually convinced the authorities at Washington that too many people + were trying to direct the Union forces. With Lee there was practically no + interference; but the commanders who opposed him were subject to the + orders of the General-in-Chief at Washington, who was, to some extent, + controlled by the Secretary of War, whose superior was the President, and + after almost every engagement a Congressional Committee, known as the + "committee on the conduct of the war," held a solemn investigation in + which praise and blame were distributed with the best intentions and worst + possible results. All these offices and officials were accordingly more or + less responsible for everything that occurred, but not one of them was + ever wholly to blame. This mistake, however, was at last fully realized + and a careful search began for some one man to whom the supreme command + could be entrusted. But for a long time no one apparently thought that the + Western army contained any very promising material. Nevertheless, Grant, + Sheridan, Sherman and Rosecrans were then in that army and, of these four; + Rosecrans was regarded by many as the only real possibility. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, at the moment when Grant was closing in upon Vicksburg, and Lee + and Meade were struggling at Gettysburg, Rosecrans, who had been entrusted + with the important duty of conducting a campaign to drive the Confederates + out of Tennessee, was fully justifying the high opinions of his admirers. + Between June 24, 1863, and September 9th of that year he certainly + outmaneuvered his opponents, occupying the all-important position of + Chattanooga, and forcing the able Confederate General Bragg to fall back + with more speed than order. + </p> + <p> + During all this time the North had been insisting that the army should be + placed in charge of some commander who could master Lee, and this demand + had found expression in a popular poem bearing the refrain "Abraham + Lincoln! Give us a Man!" To the minds of many people Rosecrans had clearly + demonstrated that he was "the Man," and it is possible that his subsequent + acts were prompted by over-eagerness to end his already successful + campaign with a startlingly brilliant feat of arms. At all events, he + determined not to rest satisfied with having driven the Confederates from + the field, but to capture or destroy their entire force. + </p> + <p> + With this idea he divided his army and rushed it by different routes over + the mountains in hot pursuit of the foe. But the trouble with this program + was that Bragg had not really retreated at all, having merely moved his + army aside waiting for an opportunity to strike. Indeed, Rosecrans had + barely plunged his troops into the various mountain passes on their + fruitless errand before the whole Confederate force loomed up, threatening + to destroy his widely-separated, pursuing columns, one by one, before they + could be united. + </p> + <p> + This unexpected turn of affairs utterly unnerved the Union General, and + although he did manage by desperate exertions to collect his scattered + army, he completely lost his head when Bragg attacked him at Chickamauga, + Georgia, on the 19th of September, 1863, and before the savage battle of + that name had ended he retired from the field, believing that his army had + been totally destroyed. + </p> + <p> + Such, undoubtedly, would have been its fate had not General Thomas and his + brave troops covered the retreat, by holding the whole Confederate army in + check for hours and even forcing it to yield portions of the bloody field. + From that day forward Thomas was known as "The Rock of Chickamauga," but + the heroic stand of his gallant men barely sufficed to save the Union + army, which reached the intrenchments of Chattanooga only just in time, + with the Confederates hot upon its trail. + </p> + <p> + Had Bragg overtaken his flying opponent, he would doubtless have made an + end of him then and there, but it was not altogether with regret that he + saw him enter Chattanooga, for with the roads properly blocked he knew the + place would prove a perfect trap. He, accordingly, began a close siege + which instantly cut off all Rosecrans' communication with the outside + world, except by one road which was in such a wretched condition as to be + impossible for a retreating army. Indeed, the heavy autumn rains soon + rendered it impracticable even for provision wagons, and as no supplies + could reach the army by any other route, it was not long before starvation + began to stare the besieged garrison in the face. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, Rosecrans, almost wild with anxiety and mortification, sent + dispatch after dispatch to Washington describing his condition and + imploring aid, but though he still had an effective army under his command + and plenty of ammunition, he made no attempt whatever to save himself from + his impending doom. Day by day the situation grew more and more perilous; + thousands upon thousands of horses and mules died for lack of food and the + men were so nearly reduced to starvation that they greedily devoured the + dry corn intended for the animals. + </p> + <p> + All this time the authorities in Washington were straining every nerve to + rescue the beleaguered army. Sixteen thousand men under General Hooker + were rushed to its relief, provisions were forwarded within a day's march + of the town, awaiting the opening of new roads, and finally, when the + stream of frantic telegrams from the front showed that the army had + practically no leadership, hurried orders were forwarded to Grant, + authorizing him to remove Rosecrans, place Thomas temporarily in control + and take the field himself at the earliest possible moment. + </p> + <p> + This unexpected summons found Grant in a serious condition, for some weeks + earlier his horse had fallen under him, crushing his leg so severely that + for a time it was feared he might be crippled for life, and he was still + on crutches suffering intense pain when the exciting orders were placed in + his hands. Nevertheless, he promptly started on his desperate errand, + traveling at first by rail and steamer and then in an ambulance, until its + jolting motion became unbearable when he had himself lifted into the + saddle with the grim determination of riding the remainder of the way. + Even for a man in perfect physical condition the journey would have been + distressing, for the roads, poor at their best, were knee deep in mud and + a wild storm of wind and rain was raging. Time and again his escort had to + lift the General from his horse and carry him across dangerous washouts + and unaffordable streams, but at the earliest possible moment they were + always ordered to swing him into the saddle again. + </p> + <p> + Thus, mile after mile and hour after hour, the little cavalcade crept + toward Chattanooga, Grant's face becoming more haggard and furrowed with + pain at every step, but showing a fixed determination to reach his goal at + any cost. On every side signs of the desperate plight of the besieged + garrison were only too apparent. Thousands of carcasses of starved horses + and mules lay beside the road amid broken-down wagons, abandoned + provisions and all the wreckage of a disorganized and demoralized army. + </p> + <p> + But if the suffering officer noted these ominous evidences of disaster, + his face afforded no expression of his thought. Plastered with mud and + drenched to the skin, he rode steadily forward, speaking no word and + scarcely glancing to the right or left, and when at last the excruciating + journey came to an end, he hastened to interview Thomas and hear his + report, without even waiting to change his clothes or obtain refreshment + of any kind. + </p> + <p> + It was not a very cheerful story which Thomas confided to his Chief before + the blazing headquarters' fire, but the dripping and exhausted General + listened to it with no indication of discouragement or dismay. "What + efforts have been made to open up other roads for provisioning the army?" + was the first question, and Thomas showed him a plan which he and + Rosecrans had worked out. Grant considered it in silence for a moment and + then nodded his approval. The only thing wrong with the plan was that it + had not been carried out, was his comment, and after a personal inspection + of the lines he gave the necessary authority for putting it into immediate + operation. Orders accordingly began flying right and left, and within + twenty-four hours the army was busily engaged in gnawing a way out of the + trap. + </p> + <p> + Additional roads were essential for safety but to gain them the + Confederates had to be attacked and a heavy force was therefore ordered to + seize and hold a point known as Brown's Ferry. This relieved the situation + at once and meanwhile the new commander had hurried a special messenger to + Sherman, ordering him to drop everything else and march his Vicksburg + veterans toward Chattanooga without an instant's delay. The advance of + this strong reënforcement was promptly reported to Bragg, who saw at a + glance that unless it could be stopped there was every prospect that his + Chattanooga victims would escape. + </p> + <p> + He accordingly determined upon a very bold but very dangerous move. Not + far away lay General Burnside and a small Union army, guarding the + important city of Knoxville, Tennessee, and against this the Confederate + commander dispatched a heavy force, in the hope that Grant would be + compelled to send Sherman to the rescue. + </p> + <p> + But the effect of this news upon Grant was very different from Bragg's + expectations, for realizing that his adversary must have seriously + weakened himself in sending the expedition against Burnside, he ordered + Hooker, whose 16,000 men were already on hand, to make an immediate attack + with a force drawn from various parts of the army, and on November 24, + 1863, after a fierce engagement known as the battle of Lookout Mountain, + the Union troops drove their opponents from one of the two important + heights commanding Chattanooga. + </p> + <p> + In this success Sherman had effectively cooperated by attacking and + holding the northern end of Missionary Ridge and Grant determined to + follow up his advantage by moving the very next morning against this + second and more formidable range of hills. Therefore, ordering Hooker to + attack the Confederate right on Missionary Ridge and get in their rear at + that point while Sherman assaulted their left, he held Thomas's troops + lying in their trenches at the front awaiting a favorable opportunity to + send them crashing through the center. + </p> + <p> + The main field of battle was plainly visible to the silent commander as he + looked down upon it from a hill known as Orchard Knob, and he watched the + effect of the attacks on both wings of the Confederate line with intense + interest. Reënforcements were evidently being hurried to the Confederate + right and left and Hooker, delayed by the destruction of a bridge, did not + appear at the critical moment. Nevertheless, for some time Sherman + continued to advance, but as Grant saw him making slower progress and + noted the heavy massing of troops in his path, he ordered Thomas's waiting + columns to attack the center and carry the breastworks at the foot of + Missionary Ridge. + </p> + <p> + With a blare of bugles, 20,000 blue-coated men seemed to leap from the + ground and 20,000 bayonets pointed at Missionary Ridge whose summits began + to blaze forth shot and shell. Death met them at every stride but the + charging troops covered the ground between them and the rifle pits they + had been ordered to take in one wild rush and tore over them like an angry + sea. Then, to the utter astonishment of all beholders, instead of halting, + they continued charging up the face of Missionary Ridge, straight into the + mouths of the murderous cannon. + </p> + <p> + "By whose order is this?" Grant demanded sternly. + </p> + <p> + "By their own, I fancy," answered Thomas. + </p> + <p> + Incredible as this suggestion seemed, it offered the only possible + explanation of the scene. No officer would have dared to order troops to + such certain destruction as apparently awaited them on the fire-crowned + slopes of Missionary Ridge. Spellbound Grant followed the men as they + crept further and further up the height, expecting every instant to see + them hurled back as Pickett's heroes were at Gettysburg, when suddenly + wave upon wave of blue broke over the crest, the Union flags fluttered all + along the line and before this extraordinary charge the Confederates broke + and fled in disorder. + </p> + <p> + Setting spur to his horse, Grant dashed across the hard-fought field and + up the formidable ridge, issuing orders for securing all that had been + gained. An opening wedge had now been inserted in Chattanooga's prison + doors, and by midnight the silent captain had thrown his whole weight + against them and they fell. Then calmly turning his attention to Burnside, + he ordered him to hold his position at every hazard until he could come to + the rescue and, setting part of his victorious veterans in motion toward + Knoxville, soon relieved its garrison from all danger. + </p> + <p> + With the rescue of two Union armies to his credit Grant was generally + regarded as the most fitting candidate for the chief command of the army, + but by this time it was fully realized that the man who held that position + would have to be invested with far greater powers than any Union general + had thus far possessed. Halleck expressed himself as only too anxious to + resign; Congress passed a law reviving the grade of lieutenant-general + with powers which, up to that time, had never been entrusted to anyone + save Washington, and responded to the cry, "Abraham Lincoln! Give us a + MAN!" the President, on March 1st, 1864, nominated Ulysses Grant as + Commander-in-Chief of all the armies of the United States. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0026" id="link2HCH0026"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXV. — Lieutenant-General Grant + </h2> + <p> + Until he arrived in Washington Lincoln had never met the man to whom he + had entrusted the supreme command of the army, and the new General was a + very different individual from those who had been previously appointed to + high rank. Some of his predecessors had possessed undoubted ability, but + most of them had soon acquired an exaggerated idea of their own + importance, surrounding themselves with showy staffs in gorgeous attire, + delighting in military pomp and etiquette of every kind, and generally + displaying a great weakness for popular admiration and applause. Moreover, + all of them, with the exception of Meade, had talked too much for their + own good and that of the army, so that many of their plans had become + known in Richmond almost as soon as they had been formed. Indeed, they not + only talked, but wrote too much, and in discussions with their superiors + and wrangling with their fellow officers more than one proved far mightier + with the pen than with the sword. All this, to a very large extent, was + the fault of the public, for it had made an idol of each new General, + deluging him with praise, flattering his vanity and fawning on him until + he came to regard the war as a sort of background for his own greatness. + Thus, for almost three years, the war was conducted more like a great game + than a grim business, and not until it began visibly to sap the life blood + and resources of the nation did the people, as a whole, realize the awful + task confronting them. + </p> + <p> + Both sides had begun the conflict in much the same careless fashion, but + the South had immediately become the battle ground, and the horrors of war + actually seen and felt by its people quickly sobered even the most + irresponsible. But from the very first Lee had taken a serious view of the + whole situation. Every word he spoke or wrote concerning it was distinctly + tinged with solemnity, if not sadness, and his sense of responsibility had + a marked influence upon the whole Confederacy. It had taken the North + almost three years to respond in a similar spirit, but by that time it was + ready for a leader who knew what war really meant and for whom it had no + glory, and such a leader had undoubtedly been found in Grant. + </p> + <p> + In the evening of March 8, 1864, the new commander arrived in Washington + and made his way, without attracting any attention, to one of the hotels. + There was nothing in his presence or manner to indicate that he was a + person of any importance. Indeed, he presented a decidedly commonplace + appearance, for he walked with an awkward lurch and bore himself in a + slouchy fashion which made him even shorter than he was. Moreover, his + uniform was faded and travel-stained, his close-cropped beard and hair + were unkempt, and his attire was careless to the point of slovenliness. + There was, however, something in the man's clear-cut features, firm mouth + and chin and resolute blue eyes which suggested strength, and while his + face, as a whole, would not have attracted any particular notice in a + crowd, no one in glancing at it would have been inclined to take any + liberties with its owner. + </p> + <p> + But though Grant had arrived unheralded and unrecognized at the national + capital, he had barely given his name to the hotel clerk before the whole + city was surging about him eager to catch a glimpse of the new hero and + cheer him to the echo. But however much notoriety of this sort had pleased + some of his predecessors, Grant soon showed that he wanted no applauding + mob to greet him in the streets, for he quickly escaped to the seclusion + of his own room. But the same public that had cheered itself hoarse for + McClellan, Pope and Hooker, and then hissed them all in turn, had found + another hero and was not to be cheated of its prey. Indeed, the newcomer + was not even allowed to eat his dinner in peace, for a crowd of gaping and + congratulating enthusiasts descended upon him the moment he reappeared and + soon drove him from the dining room in sheer disgust. + </p> + <p> + Possibly the fate of the fallen idols had warned Grant against making a + public exhibition of himself or encouraging the hysterical acclamations of + the crowd, but he was naturally a man of sound, common sense, entirely + free from conceit, and he had no idea of allowing the idle or curious mob + to amuse itself at his expense. He, therefore, quickly made it plain that + he had serious work to do and that he intended to do it without nonsense + of any kind. + </p> + <p> + Ceremonies and forms with such a man would have been impossible, and on + March 9, 1864, President Lincoln handed him his commission as a + Lieutenant-General, with a few earnest words to which he made a modest + reply, and then, with the same calmness he had displayed in assuming the + colonelcy of the 21st Illinois, he turned to the duties involved in the + command of half a million men. + </p> + <p> + From that time forward no more councils of war were held at the White + House and no more military secrets were disclosed to the Confederate + chiefs. "I do not know General Grant's plans, and I do not want to know + them!" exclaimed Lincoln with relief. But other people did want to know + them and the newspaper reporters and busybodies of all sorts incessantly + buzzed about him, employing every device from subtle flattery to masked + threats to discover his designs. But Grant knew "how to keep silent in + seven different languages" and no one could beguile him into opening his + lips. Neither had he time nor inclination to listen to other people talk. + His troops were spread over a thousand miles of territory, and never + before had they been under the absolute control of any one man. With the + Army of the Potomac he had had but little practical experience; of the + country in which its campaigns had been conducted he knew nothing at first + hand; with a few exceptions he had no personal acquaintance with the + officers under his immediate command, and there were countless other + difficulties which had to be overcome. He, therefore, had no leisure for + trifling and quickly sent all intruders about their business while he + attended to his own. + </p> + <p> + The problem involved in a grand campaign was in many respects new to him, + but doing his own thinking in silence, instead of puzzling himself with + the contradictory opinions of other men, Grant reached a more accurate + conclusion in regard to the war than any of his predecessors. In the first + place, he saw that the various campaigns which had been conducted in + different parts of the country would have been far more effective had they + all formed part of one plan enabling the different armies to coöperate + with each other. He, accordingly, determined to conduct the war on a + gigantic scale, keeping the Confederates in the West so busy that they + would not be able to reënforce Lee and giving Lee no chance to help them. + In a word, he intended to substitute team play for individual effort all + along the line. + </p> + <p> + Again, he saw the capture of Richmond, upon which the Army of the Potomac + had expended all its efforts, would be futile if Lee's army remained + undefeated in the field, and he resolved that Lee and not Richmond should + thereafter be the main object of the campaign. "Where Lee's army goes, + there you will go also," was the substance of his first order to Meade who + virtually became his Chief of Staff, and those who were straining every + nerve to discover his plan and expecting something very brilliant or + subtle never guessed that those nine words contained the open secret of + his whole campaign. + </p> + <p> + Such, however, was the fact. "I never maneuver," he remarked to his Chief + of Staff; and Meade, who had spent the best part of a year in a great + series of maneuvers with Lee, listened to this confession with + astonishment and dismay, scarcely believing that his superior really meant + what he said. But Grant did mean it. No elaborate moves or delicate + strategy had been employed in any of his campaigns and he had yet to meet + with a serious defeat. To make his first experiment in maneuvering against + such an expert in the science of war as Lee, would have been to foredoom + himself to defeat. With a far smaller force then either McClellan, Pope, + Burnside, Hooker or Meade had possessed, the Confederate leader had + practically fought a drawn battle with them for three years. His science + had not, it is true, been able to overcome their numbers, but their + numbers had not overpowered him. This, as far as anyone could see, might + go on forever. + </p> + <p> + But Grant knew that the North had long been tiring of the war and that + unless it were speedily closed the Union might be sacrificed in order to + obtain peace. Moreover, he saw that every day the war lasted cost an + enormous sum of money, and that the loss of life on the battle field was + nothing compared to that in the hospitals and prisons, where disease and + starvation were claiming scores of victims every hour. + </p> + <p> + He, therefore, determined to fight and continue fighting until he pounded + his opponent to pieces, well knowing that almost every able-bodied man in + the South was already in the army and that there was practically no one + left to take the place of those who fell. + </p> + <p> + This policy, in the minds of many people, proves that Grant was no + general, but merely a brute and a butcher. But history has never yet + revealed a military leader who, having the advantage of numbers, did not + make the most of it. Had Grant been waging war for war's sake, or been so + enamored with his profession as to care more for its fine points than for + the success of his cause, he might have evolved some more subtle and less + brutal plan. But he had no love for soldiering and no sentimental ideas + whatever about the war. Common sense, with which he was liberally + supplied, told him that the only excuse for fighting was to uphold + principles which were vital to the national life and the only way to have + those principles upheld was to defeat those who opposed them and to do + this he determined to use all the resources at his command. + </p> + <p> + The two men whom Fate or Chance had been drawing together for over two + hundred years were utterly different in appearance and manner, but in + other respects they were singularly alike. Lee was, at the time of their + meeting, already in his 58th year, his hair and beard were almost white, + but his calm, handsome face, clear eyes and ruddy complexion, made him + appear younger than he was. His bearing also was that of a young man, for + his erect, soldierly carriage showed his height to full advantage; his + well-knit figure was almost slight for a man standing over six feet, and, + mounted on his favorite horse "Traveller," he was the ideal soldier. Grant + was barely forty-two years of age, short of stature, careless in dress and + generally indifferent to appearances. His face, though strong, was + somewhat coarse, his manners were not polished and he had nothing of the + cultivation or charm which Lee so unmistakably possessed. + </p> + <p> + But though Grant thus reflected his Roundhead ancestors and Lee his + Cavalier descent, the contrast between them was mainly external. Both were + modest and courageous; both were self-contained; each had his tongue and + temper under complete control; each was essentially an American in his + ideas and ideals; each fought for a principle in which he sincerely + believed, and neither took the least delight in war. Had they met in times + of peace, it is not probable that they would have become intimate friends, + but it is certain that each would have respected, if not admired the other + for his fine qualities, and this was undoubtedly their attitude toward + each other from the beginning of the struggle. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0027" id="link2HCH0027"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXVI. — A Duel to the Death + </h2> + <p> + For nearly two months after Grant assumed command no important move was + attempted by either the Union or the Confederate forces except in + Mississippi. Both sides realized that a desperate struggle was impending + and each needed all the time it could gain to prepare for the coming fray. + Heavy reënforcements were hurried to Grant, until the Army of the Potomac + under his immediate command included over 120,000 men; a hundred thousand + more were assembled at Chattanooga in charge of Sherman; and two other + forces of considerable size were formed to coöperate with Grant—one + being entrusted to General Benjamin Butler and the other to General Franz + Sigel. + </p> + <p> + To oppose this vast army Lee had less than 65,000 men in the Army of + Northern Virginia and the only other formidable Confederate force in the + field was that commanded by General Joseph Johnston, who, with some 53,000 + men, was stationed in Georgia guarding the cotton states and the far + South. If these two armies could be captured or destroyed, all organized + resistance to the Union would be at an end, and Grant, accordingly, + determined to throw his entire weight upon them, sending Sherman against + Johnston, Butler against the City of Richmond and Sigel against the rich + Shenandoah Valley which supplied the Confederate armies with food, while + he himself attacked Lee with an overwhelming force. + </p> + <p> + Never before had a Union general undertaken a campaign covering such a + vast extent of country and never before had such a united effort been made + to exhaust the armies and the resources of the South. With his own forces + threatened by superior numbers Lee would not be able to reënforce Johnston + with safety and, confronted by Sherman, Johnston would find it impossible + to send assistance to Lee. This promised to bring the war to a speedy + close, and the supporters of the Union redoubled their praises of the + Lieutenant-General as they began to understand his plan. Indeed, the more + he avoided publicity and applause and the more indifference he showed for + popular opinion, the more the newspapers and the general public fawned + upon him, and when, on May 3, 1864, he ordered his armies to advance, the + whole North was fairly aflame with enthusiasm. + </p> + <p> + It was certainly a momentous occasion. Three years earlier Grant had been + utterly unknown to the country at large and the small group who + acknowledged his acquaintance had regarded him as a rather pitiful + failure, while the Government to whom he had offered his services had + ignored him altogether. Now, at his nod, hundreds of thousands of men + instantly sprang to arms and the most powerful armies that America had + ever seen moved forward in obedience to his will, Sherman marching + southward, Butler creeping toward Richmond, Sigel advancing into the + fertile Shenandoah Valley, and the Army of the Potomac crossing the + Rapidan River to renew its struggle with Lee. + </p> + <p> + Lee had watched the elaborate preparations of his new antagonist with keen + interest and no little apprehension, for Grant's record as a fighting man + promised a duel to the death and the South had no more men. + </p> + <p> + The situation was certainly serious but, anxious as he was, the + Confederate commander did not by any means despair. He was familiar with + every inch of the country through which Grant would have to advance and + the chances were that this would, sooner or later, give him not only the + advantage of position, but possibly the choice of weapons. With this idea + he allowed the Union forces to cross the Rapidan unopposed, hoping that he + would soon be able to drive them back and that the river would then be as + valuable as cavalry in hampering their retreat. Just beyond the Rapidan + lay the dense thickets and waste lands of scrub oak and undergrowth known + as the Wilderness, which had witnessed the Chancellorsville surprise and + virtually sealed the fate of Hooker's army. If the Union forces advanced + directly through this jungle, there was more than a possibility that they + might outflank their opponents and gain the road to Richmond, but Lee + scarcely dared hope that his adversary would attempt so dangerous a route. + Nevertheless, he maneuvered to leave the trap undisturbed, and when he saw + the Union columns entering the forests he felt that they were actually + being delivered into his hands. Once in those tangled thickets he knew + that Grant's artillery and cavalry would be practically useless and + without them his superiority in numbers disappeared. Of course, it would + be impossible to conduct a scientific battle in such a region, for it + would virtually be fighting in the dark, but knowing that his men were + thoroughly familiar with the ground, Lee determined to hurl them upon the + advancing bluecoats, trusting to the gloom and the terrors of the unknown + to create confusion and panic in their ranks. + </p> + <p> + But the men whom Grant commanded were no longer the inexperienced + volunteers who had been stampeded at Bull Run. They were veterans of many + campaigns and, though they staggered for a moment under the shock of + battle, they speedily rallied and fought with stubborn courage. The + conflict that followed was one of the most brutal recorded in the annals + of modern war. Whole regiments sprang at each other's throats, the men + fighting each other like animals; trees were cut down by the bullets which + tore through them from every direction; bursting shells set fire to the + woods, suffocating the wounded or burning them to death; wild charges were + made, ending in wilder stampedes or bloody repulses; the crackle of flames + rose high above the pandemonium of battle and dense smoke-clouds drifted + chokingly above this hideous carnival of death. Thus for two days the + armies staggered backward and forward with no result save a horrible loss + of life. Once the Union forces almost succeeded in gaining a position + which would have disposed of their adversaries, but Lee saw the danger + just in the nick of time and, rushing a Texas brigade to the rescue, led + the charge in person until his troops recognized him and forced him to + retire. + </p> + <p> + It was May 7, 1864, when this blind slaughter known as the Battle of the + Wilderness ceased, but by that time nearly 18,000 Union soldiers and + 12,000 Confederates lay upon the field. Lee could not claim a victory but + he still held his ground and he felt confident that Grant would fall back + behind the Rapidan River to recuperate his shattered forces. No Union + commander, thus far, had tarried long on Virginian soil after such a + baptism of blood, and when the news that Grant's columns were retreating + reached the Confederate commander he breathed a sigh of thanksgiving and + relief. + </p> + <p> + To the veterans who had served under McClellan, Pope, Burnside and Hooker, + retreats were a wretchedly familiar experience, but they had not been long + on the road before they realized that they were not retreating but were + marching southward. As the truth of this dawned upon the disheartened + columns they burst into frantic cheers for Grant and pressed forward with + springy steps, shouting and singing for joy. + </p> + <p> + A less able commander would have been fatally misled by Grant's apparent + retreat, but Lee knew that he might again attempt to swing around his + right flank and edge toward Richmond by way of Spotsylvania, and to guard + against this a body of troops had been ordered to block that road. + Therefore, by the time Grant began his great turning movement, Lee was + planted squarely across his path and another series of battles followed. + Here the Union commander was able to make some use of his cavalry and + artillery, but the Confederates offset this by fighting behind + intrenchments and they repulsed charge after charge with fearful + slaughter. Again, as at the Battle of the Wilderness, the gray line was + pierced, this time at a point known as the "Bloody Angle" or "Hell's Half + Acre," and twice Lee sprang forward to lead a desperate charge to recover + the lost ground. But each time the troops refused to advance until their + beloved leader retired to a point of safety, and when he yielded they + whirled forward, sweeping everything before them. + </p> + <p> + These charges saved the battle of Spotsylvania for the Confederates. But + though Lee had again blocked his opponent, the fact that he had thrice had + to rally his troops at the peril of his life showed that he had been + harder pressed than in any of his other Virginia campaigns. Nevertheless, + when the last furious attack had been repulsed and Grant began moving + sullenly away, it seemed as though he had at last been compelled to + abandon the campaign. But the wearied Confederates had yet to learn that + their terrible opponent was a man who did not know when he was beaten, for + in spite of his awful losses he had written his government May 11, 1864, + "I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer," and his + army, instead of retreating, continued to move southward, crossing the + North Anna River and circling once more toward the left flank. + </p> + <p> + Again Grant was on the road to Richmond, but in crossing the North Anna + River he left an opening between the two wings of his army and before he + could close it Lee threw his whole force into the breach and, completely + cutting off one part of the Union army from the other, held both firmly in + check. This masterly move might have brought Grant's campaign to a + disastrous end, but just as he was planning to take full advantage of it, + Lee fell ill and during his absence from the field Grant made his first + backward move, recrossing the North Anna River and, bringing the two wings + of his army together, rescued it from its perilous position. + </p> + <p> + The moment he reached a point of safety, however, the persistent commander + recommenced his march by the left flank, sidling once more toward Richmond + until he reached Cold Harbor, only eight miles from the Confederate + capital. Here Lee once more interposed his battered forces, strongly + intrenching them in a position that fairly defied attack. With any other + adversary against him he would have concluded that the game was won, for + by all the rules of war the Union army was completely balked and could not + avoid a retreat. But Grant was a man of a different caliber from any he + had encountered heretofore. In spite of checks and disasters and + unheard-of slaughter he had pushed inexorably forward; foiled in front he + had merely turned aside to hew another bloody path. To him defeat only + seemed to mean delay, and apparently he could not be shaken from his + dogged purpose, no matter what the cost. At Cold Harbor, however, the + Confederate position was so strong that to assault it was madness, and Lee + could not believe that even his grim opponent would resort to such a + suicidal attempt. But retreat or attack offered no choice to Grant's mind, + and on June 2, 1864, the troops were fiercely hurled against the + Confederate works, only to be repulsed with fearful slaughter. A few hours + later orders were issued to renew the assault, and then postponed for a + day. + </p> + <p> + That delay gave the soldiers an opportunity to understand the desperate + nature of the work that lay before them and, realizing that charging + against murderous batteries and trenches meant rushing into the jaws of + death, they offered a silent protest. Not a man refused to obey orders, + not one fell from his place in the line, but to their coats they sewed + strips of cloth bearing their names and addresses so that their bodies + might be identified upon the field. + </p> + <p> + This dramatic spectacle might well have warned their commander of the + hopelessness of his attempt, but fixed in his resolve to thrust his + opponent from his path, he gave the fatal order to charge, and twenty + minutes later 3,000 of his best troops fell before the smoking trenches + and the balance reeled back aghast at the useless sacrifice. This + horrifying slaughter, which Grant himself confessed was a grievous + blunder, brought the first stage of his campaign to a close. In but little + over a month he had lost nearly 55,000 men—almost as many as Lee had + had in his entire army, and almost in sight of the spires of Richmond his + adversary held him securely at arm's length. + </p> + <p> + A wave of horror, indignation and disappointment, swept over the North. + Another campaign had proved a failure. There were, however, two men who + did not agree with this conclusion. One was Grant, pouring over the maps + showing the movements of all his armies. The other was Lee, looking in + vain for reënforcements to fill the gaps in his fast thinning lines. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0028" id="link2HCH0028"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXVII. — Check and Countercheck + </h2> + <p> + The six-weeks' campaign in Virginia had been quite sufficient to check all + enthusiasm for Grant, but the fact that he was no longer a popular hero + did not trouble him at all. Indeed, he displayed the same indifference to + the storm of angry criticism that he had shown for the salvos of applause. + He had made no claims or boasts before he took the field and he returned + no answers to the accusations and complaints after his apparent failures. + Had he posed before the public as a hero or been tempted to prophesy a + speedy triumph for his army, the humiliation and disappointment might have + driven him to resign from the command. But he had recognized the + difficulty of his task from the outset, modestly accepting it with no + promise save that he would do his best, and he silently resolved to pursue + the campaign he had originally mapped out in spite of all reverses. + </p> + <p> + Certainly, he required all his calmness and steadfastness to overcome his + discouragement and disgust at the manner in which the coöperating armies + had been handled. In the Shenandoah Valley Sigel had proved utterly + incompetent and the Confederates, instead of having been driven from that + important storehouse, had tightened their hold upon it. Moreover, Butler, + who was supposed to threaten Richmond while Grant fought Lee, had made a + sorry mess of that part of the program. In fact he had maneuvered in such + a ridiculous fashion that he and about 35,000 troops were soon cooped up + by a far smaller force of Confederates who held them as a cork holds the + contents of a bottle; and last, but not least, the Army of Potomac lay + badly mutilated before the impassable intrenchments of Lee. + </p> + <p> + In one particular, however, Grant's expectations bade fair to be realized, + for Sherman was steadily pushing his way through Georgia, driving Johnston + before him, and inflicting terrible damage upon the country through which + he passed. As Grant watched this triumphant advance he silently resolved + upon another move. The north or front door of Richmond was closed and + firmly barred. There was nothing to be gained by further battering at that + portal. But the southern or rear door had not yet been thoroughly tried + and upon that he concluded to make a determined assault. To do this it + would be necessary to renew his movement around his opponent's right flank + by crossing the formidable James River—a difficult feat at any time, + but double difficult at that moment, owing to the fact that Butler's + "bottled" force might be crushed by a Confederate attack while the + hazardous passage of the river was being effected. Nevertheless, he + decided to risk this bold stroke, and during the night of June 12, 1864, + about ten days after the repulse at Cold Harbor, the great movement was + begun. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile Lee, confident that he had completely checked his opponent, but + disappointed that he had not forced him to retreat, determined to drive + him away by carrying the war into the North and threatening the Federal + capital. That he should have been able to attempt this in the midst of a + campaign deliberately planned to destroy him, affords some of the + indication of the brilliant generalship he had displayed. But it does not + fully reflect his masterful daring. At the outset of the campaign the + Union forces had outnumbered him two to one and its losses had been offset + by reënforcements, while every man that had fallen in the Confederate + ranks had left an empty space. It is highly probable, therefore, that at + the moment he resolved to turn the tables on his adversary and transform + the campaign against Richmond into a campaign against Washington, he had + not much more than one man to his opponent's three. Nevertheless, in the + face of these overwhelming numbers, he maintained a bold front towards + Grant and detached General Jubal Early with 20,000 men to the Shenandoah + Valley, with orders to clear that region of Union troops, cross the + Potomac River and then march straight on Washington. + </p> + <p> + It was at this moment that Grant began creeping cautiously away toward the + rear door of Richmond. To keep a vigilant enemy in entire ignorance of + such a tremendous move was, of course, impossible, but the system and + discipline which he had instilled into his army almost accomplished the + feat. Indeed, so rapidly and silently did the troops move, so perfect were + the arrangements for transporting their baggage and supplies, so + completely were the details of the whole undertaking ordered and + systematized, that over a hundred thousand men, infantry, cavalry, and + artillery, with their horses, hospital and wagon trains, and all the + paraphernalia of a vast army virtually faded away, and when Lee gazed from + his intrenchments on June 13, 1864, there was no sign of his opponent and + he did not discover where he had gone for fully four days. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime, Grant had thrown his entire army across the James River + and was advancing, horse and foot, on Petersburg, the key to the approach + to Richmond from the south, and Butler, whose troops had been extricated + from their difficulties, was ordered to seize it. Petersburg was at that + moment wholly unprepared to resist a strong attack. Indeed, there were + only a handful of men guarding the fortification, the capture of which + would case the fall of Richmond, but Butler was not the man to take + advantage of this great opportunity. On the contrary, he delayed his + advance and otherwise displayed such wretched judgment that the + Confederates had time to rush reënforcements to the rescue, and when Grant + arrived on the scene the intrenchments were strongly occupied. + Notwithstanding this the Union commander ordered a vigorous assault, and + for three days the troops were hurled against the breastworks without + result. The last attack was made on June 18, 1864, but by this time 10,000 + Union soldiers had been sacrificed and Lee had arrived in person with + strong support. Grant accordingly, abandoning his efforts to carry the + place by storm, began to close in upon it for a grimly sullen siege. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, General Early, to whom Lee had entrusted his counter-move, was + sweeping away the Federal forces in the Shenandoah Valley with resistless + fury, and suddenly, to the intense surprise and mortification of the whole + North, advanced upon Washington, threatening it with capture. Washington + was almost as completely unprepared for resistance as Petersburg had been, + its defenses being manned by only a small force mainly composed of raw + recruits and invalid soldiers, while outside the city there was but one + body of troops near enough to oppose the Confederate advance. That little + army, however, was commanded by General Lew Wallace, later the famous + author of "Ben Hur," and he had the intelligence to see that he might at + least delay Early by offering battle and that gaining time might prove as + valuable as gaining a victory. Accordingly, he threw himself across the + Confederate's path and, though roughly handled and at last driven from the + field, he hung on long enough to accomplish his purpose and although his + adversary attempted to make up for lost time by rapid marching he did not + succeed. This undoubtedly saved Washington from capture, for shortly after + Early appeared on the 7th Street Road leading to the capital, the + reënforcements which Grant had rushed forward reached the city, and before + any attack on the intrenchments was attempted they were fully defended and + practically unassailable. Seeing this, Early retreated with the Union + troops following in half-hearted pursuit. + </p> + <p> + It was the 12th of July, 1864, when, with a sigh of intense relief, + Washington saw the backs of the retreating Confederates, but its + satisfaction at its escape was mingled with indignation against Grant for + having left it open to attack. Indeed, he was regarded by many people as + the greatest failure of all the Union commanders, for he had lost more men + in sixty days than McClellan had lost in all his campaigns without getting + any nearer to Richmond, and by the end of July another lamentable failure + was recorded against him. + </p> + <p> + In the intrenchments facing Petersburg lay the 48th Pennsylvania + Volunteers, largely composed of miners from the coal regions of that + state. Late in June Colonel Pleasants of this regiment had submitted a + plan whereby his men were to dig a tunnel to a point directly under one of + the Confederate forts, plant a gunpowder mine there and blow a breach in + the defenses through which troops could be poured and the town carried by + assault. The scheme was plausible, provided the tunnel could be bored and + Grant gave his consent, with the result that within a month an underground + passage over 500 feet long was completed, a mine was planted with four + tons of powder and elaborate preparations made for storming the + Confederate works. Grant's orders were that all obstructions in front of + the Union lines should be removed to enable the troops to charge the + moment the explosion occurred, and that they should be rushed forward + without delay until they were all within the Confederate lines. + Accordingly, in the dead of night on July 29th, the assaulting columns + were moved into position and when everything was in apparent readiness the + signal was given to explode the mine. But though the match was applied no + explosion occurred, and in the awful hush that followed Lieut. Jacob Douty + and Sergeant Henry Rees volunteered to crawl into the tunnel and see what + was wrong. To enter the passage at that moment was almost defying death, + but the two men took their lives in their hands and, creeping in, + discovered that the fuse had smoldered and gone out. They then relit it + and made their escape just as a fearful explosion rent the air and great + masses of earth, stones and timbers, intermingled with human bodies, + leaped toward the sky. + </p> + <p> + For a moment the waiting troops watched this terrifying spectacle and + then, as the cloud of wreckage apparently swerved toward them threatening + to descend and bury them beneath it, they fell back in great confusion and + some time elapsed before order was restored and the charge begun. But + Grant's orders to clear their path had not been obeyed, and the charging + troops had to climb over their own breastworks, causing more delay and + confusion. Finally, however, the leading brigades reached the great + excavation torn by the mine, and there they halted awaiting further + orders. But no orders came, for their terror-stricken commander had sought + safety in a bomb-proof and when his hiding place was discovered the + miserable cur merely mumbled something about "moving forward" and remained + cowering in his refuge. Meanwhile, other regiments rushed forward, + tumbling in upon one another, until the chasm was choked with men upon + whom the Confederates began to pour shot, shell and canister. From that + moment everything was lost and at last orders came from Grant to rescue + the struggling mass of men from the awful death trap into which they had + been plunged, but despite all exertions fully 4,000 were killed, wounded + or captured. + </p> + <p> + Again his subordinates had blundered terribly but Grant accepted the + responsibility and assumed the blame, waiting patiently for the hour, then + near at hand, when he would find commanders he could trust to carry out + his plans. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0029" id="link2HCH0029"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXVIII. — The Beginning of the End + </h2> + <p> + The right man to conduct the Shenandoah campaign was already in the Army + of the Potomac, but it was not until about a week after the failure of the + Petersburg mine that circumstances enabled Grant to place General Philip + Sheridan in charge of that important task. + </p> + <p> + Sheridan, like Sherman, had served with Grant in the West and had + developed into a brilliant cavalry leader. Indeed, he was the only man in + the Northern armies whose record could be compared with that of Jeb Stuart + and many other great cavalry commanders in the South. But Grant felt that + Sheridan could handle an entire army as well as he had handled the cavalry + alone and he soon showed himself fully worthy of this confidence, for from + the moment he took over the command of the Union forces in the Shenandoah + Valley, the Confederates were compelled to fight for it as they had never + fought before. + </p> + <p> + Up to this time, the war had been conducted with comparatively little + destruction of private property on either side. But the moment had now + arrived for harsher measures, for Sherman had occupied Atlanta on + September 2, 1864, and was preparing to march to the sea coast and cut the + Confederacy in two. If Grant's plan of depriving Lee of the fertile valley + to the north was to be put in operation, there was no time to lose. + Sheridan, accordingly, at once proceeded to attack the Confederates with + the utmost vigor, defeating them in two engagements at Winchester and + Fisher's Hill, and following up this success by laying waste the fields + and ruthlessly destroying all the stores of grain and provisions which + might prove useful to Lee's army. For a month or more he continued to + sweep through the country practically unchecked. But on October 19.1864, + during his absence, his army was surprised and furiously attacked by + General Early's men at Cedar Creek, and before long they had the Union + troops in a perilous position which threatened to end in their destruction + and the recapture of the entire valley. + </p> + <p> + Sheridan was at Winchester on his way to the front from Washington when + the news of this impending disaster reached him and, mounting his horse, + he dashed straight across country for the scene of action. He was then, + however, fully twenty miles from the field and there seemed but little + chance of his reaching it any time to be of any service. Nevertheless, he + spurred forward at a breakneck pace and his splendid horse, responding + gamely, fairly flew over the ground, racing along mile after mile at + killing speed in a lather of foam and sweat, until the battle field was + reached just as the Union troops came reeling back, panic-stricken, under + cover of a thin line of troops who had at last succeeded in making a + stand. + </p> + <p> + Instantly, the General was among the fugitives ordering them to turn and + follow him and inspired by his presence, they wheeled as he dashed down + their broken lines and, madly cheering, hurled themselves upon their + pursuers. Completely surprised by this unexpected recovery, the + Confederates faltered and the Union troops, gathering force as they + charged, rolled them back with irresistible fury and finally swept them + completely from the field. Indeed, Early's force was so badly shattered + and scattered by this overwhelming defeat that it virtually abandoned the + Valley and Sheridan continued his work of destruction almost unopposed, + until the whole region was so barren that, as he reported, a crow flying + across it would have to carry his own provisions or starve to death. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, Sherman had begun to march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, + where he intended to get in touch with the navy guarding the coast and + then sweep northward to Grant. Behind him lay the Confederate army, + formerly commanded by General Joseph Johnston but now led by General Hood, + a daring officer who was expected to retrieve Johnston's failure by some + brilliant feat of arms. Whether he would attempt this by following Sherman + and attacking him at the first favorable moment or take advantage of his + departure to turn north and play havoc with Tennessee and the region thus + exposed to attack, was uncertain. To meet either of these moves Sherman + sent a substantial part of his army to General Thomas at Nashville, + Tennessee, and swung off with the rest of his troops toward the sea. Hood + instantly advanced against Thomas, and Grant at Petersburg, closely + watching the movement saw a great opportunity to dispose of one of the + Confederate armies. He, accordingly, ordered Thomas to attack with his + whole strength as soon as Hood reached Nashville, but although the + Confederates reached that point considerably weakened by a partial defeat + inflicted on them by a retreating Union column, Thomas delayed his + assault. Days of anxious waiting followed and then Grant hurried General + Logan, one of his most trusted officers, to the scene of action with + orders to take over the command, unless Thomas immediately obeyed his + instructions. In the meantime, however, Thomas, slow but sure, had + completed his preparations and, hurling himself upon Hood with a vastly + superior force, pursued his retreating columns (Dec. 16, 1864) until they + were split into fragments, never again to be reunited as a fighting force. + </p> + <p> + It was not until this practical annihilation of Hood that the North began + to realize how far reaching and complete Grant's plans were. But that + event and the Shenandoah campaign made it clear that he had determined + that no army worthy of the name should be left to the Confederacy when he + finally closed in upon Lee, so that with his destruction or surrender + there should be no excuse for prolonging the war. It was in furtherance of + this plan that Sherman left ruin and desolation behind him as he blazed + his way up from the South. The inhabitants of the region through which he + was marching had, up to this time, been living in perfect security and + Sherman intended to make war so hideous that they would have no desire to + prolong the contest. He, accordingly, tore up the railroads, heating the + rails and then twisting them about trees so that they could never be used + again, burned public buildings and private dwellings, allowed his army to + live on whatever food they could find in the houses, stores or barns, and + generally made it a terror to all who lay in the broad path he was + sweeping towards Petersburg. + </p> + <p> + Grant then had Lee fairly caught. His only possible chances of prolonging + the contest lay in taking refuge in the mountains or joining his forces + with the remnants of Hood's army which had been gathered together and + again entrusted with other troops to the command of General Joseph + Johnston. Had it been possible to do this, nothing practical would have + been achieved, for he had less than 30,000 effective men and Johnston's + whole force did not amount to much more than 30,000, while Grant, Sherman + and Sheridan together had a quarter of a million men under arms. From a + military standpoint Lee knew that the situation was hopeless, but until + the authorities who had placed him in the field gave up the cause he felt + in duty bound to continue the fight to the bitter end. Had the Union army + been his only opponent, it is possible that he might have succeeded in + escaping the rings of steel which Grant was daily riveting around him. But + he had to fight hunger, and from the day that Sheridan mastered the + Shenandoah Valley and Sherman cut off all supplies from the South + starvation stared him in the face. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, his troops, though almost reduced to skeletons and clothed in + rags, confidently believed that in spite of everything he would find some + way of leading them out of Grant's clutches and, inspired by this implicit + faith, they hurled themselves again and again upon the masses of troops + which were steadily closing around them. But though they frequently + checked the advancing columns and sometimes even threw them back, + inflicting heavy losses and taking many prisoners, the blue lines soon + crept forward again, closing up gap after gap with a resistless tide of + men. At last the road to the west leading toward the mountains beyond + Lynchburg alone remained open. But to avail himself of this Lee knew that + he would have to abandon Petersburg and Richmond and he hesitated to take + this step; while Grant, seeing the opening and fearing that his opponent + would take advantage of it, strained every nerve to get his troops into a + position where they could block the road. + </p> + <p> + Such was the condition of affairs at the end of March, 1865, but neither + the starving soldiers in the Confederate trenches nor the people of + Richmond or Petersburg imagined that the end was desperately near. While + "Marse Robert," as Lee's men affectionately called him, was in command + they felt that no real danger could come nigh them, and their idol was + outwardly as calm as in the hour of his greatest triumph. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0030" id="link2HCH0030"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXIX. — At Bay + </h2> + <p> + It would be impossible to imagine a more hopeless situation than that + which had confronted Lee for many months. To guard the line of + intrenchments stretching around Petersburg and Richmond for more than + thirty-five miles, he had less than 30,000 effective men, and starvation + and disease were daily thinning their impoverished ranks; the soldiers + were resorting to the corn intended for the horses, and the cavalry were + obliged to disperse through the country seeking fodder for their animals + in the wasted fields; the defenders of the trenches, barefooted and in + rags, lay exposed to the cold and wet, day and night; there were no + medicines for the sick and no great supply of ammunition for the guns. + </p> + <p> + Perhaps no one but Lee fully realized to what desperate straits his army + had been reduced. Certainly his opponents were ignorant of the real + condition of affairs or they would have smashed his feeble defenses at a + blow, and the fact that he held over a hundred thousand troops at bay for + months with a skeleton army shows how skillfully he placed his men. + </p> + <p> + But though his brilliant career threatened to end in defeat and disaster, + no thought of himself ever crossed Lee's mind. Regardless of his own + comfort and convenience, he devoted himself day and night to relieving the + suffering of his men, who jestingly called themselves "Lee's Miserables," + but grimly stuck to their posts with unshaken faith in their beloved chief + who, in the midst of confusion and helplessness, remained calm and + resourceful, never displaying irritation, never blaming anyone for + mistakes, but courageously attempting to make the best of everything and + finding time, in spite of all distractions, for the courtesy and the + thoughtfulness of a gentleman unafraid. + </p> + <p> + His letters to his wife and children during these perilous days reveal no + anxiety save for the comfort of his men, and no haste except to provide + for their wants. At home his wife—confined to an invalid's chair—was + busily knitting socks for the soldiers, and to her he wrote in the face of + impending disaster: + </p> + <p> + ..."After sending my note this morning I received from the express office + a bag of socks. You will have to send down your offerings as soon as you + can, and bring your work to a close, for I think General Grant will move + against us soon—within a week if nothing prevents—and no man + can tell what will be the result; but trusting to a merciful God, who does + not always give the battle to the strong, I pray we may not be + overwhelmed. I shall, however, endeavor to do my duty and fight to the + last. Should it be necessary to abandon our position to prevent being + surrounded, what will you do? You must consider the question and make up + your mind. It is a fearful condition and we must rely for guidance and + protection upon a kind Providence...." + </p> + <p> + Shortly after this letter was written Lee made a desperate effort to force + his adversary to loosen his grip but though the exhausted and starved + troops attacked with splendid courage, they could not pierce the solid + walls of infantry and fell back with heavy losses. Then Sheridan, who had + been steadily closing in from the Shenandoah, swung 10,000 sabres into + position and the fate of Petersburg was practically sealed. But, face to + face with this calamity, Lee calmly wrote his wife: + </p> + <p> + "I have received your note with a bag of socks. I return the bag and + receipt. I have put in the bag General Scott's autobiography which I + thought you might like to read. The General, of course, stands out + prominently and does not hide his light under a bushel, but he appears the + bold, sagacious, truthful man that he is. I enclose a note from little + Agnes. I shall be very glad to see her to-morrow but cannot recommend + pleasure trips now...." + </p> + <p> + At every point Grant was tightening his hold upon the imprisoned garrison + and difficulties were crowding fast upon their commander, but he exhibited + neither excitement nor alarm. Bending all his energies upon preparations + for a retreat, he carefully considered the best plan for moving his troops + and supplying their needs on the march, quietly giving his orders to meet + emergencies, but allowing no one to see even a shadow of despair on his + face. Concerning the gravity of the situation he neither deceived himself + nor attempted to deceive others who were entitled to know it, and with + absolute accuracy he prophesied the movements of his adversary long before + they were made. + </p> + <p> + ..."You may expect Sheridan to move up the Valley," he wrote the + Confederate Secretary of War.... "Grant, I think, is now preparing to draw + out by his left with the intent of enveloping me. He may wait till his + other columns approach nearer, or he may be preparing to anticipate my + withdrawal. I cannot tell yet.... Everything of value should be removed + from Richmond. It is of the first importance to save all the powder. The + cavalry and artillery of the army are still scattered for want of + provender and our supply and ammunition trains, which ought to be with the + army in case of a sudden movement, are absent collecting provisions and + forage. You will see to what straits we are reduced; but I trust to work + out." + </p> + <p> + At last, on March 29th, 1865, Grant pushed forward 50,000 cavalry and + infantry to execute the very move which Lee had outlined and for which he + was as thoroughly prepared as it was possible to be with the men he had on + hand. But to check this advance which threatened to surround his army and + cut off his retreat, he had to withdraw the troops guarding the defenses + of Petersburg, abandoning some of the intrenchments altogether and leaving + nothing much more formidable than a skirmish line anywhere along his + front. Even then he could not stop the onrush of the Union troops, which, + under Sheridan, circled his right on April 1st and drove back his men in + the fierce engagement known as the battle of Five Forks. With the news of + this success Grant promptly ordered an assault against the intrenchments + and his troops tore through the almost defenseless lines in several + places, encountering little or no resistance. + </p> + <p> + Petersburg was not yet taken, but Lee immediately saw that to protect it + further would be to sacrifice his entire army. He, therefore, sent a + dispatch to Richmond, advising the immediate evacuation of the city. "I + see no prospect of doing more than hold our position here till night. I am + not certain that I can do that," he wrote. But he did hold on till the + Confederate authorities had made their escape, and then on the night of + April 2nd he abandoned the capital which he had successfully defended for + four years and started on a hazardous retreat. + </p> + <p> + The one chance of saving his army lay in reaching the mountains to the + west, before Grant could bar the road, but his men were in no condition + for swift marching and the provision train which he had ordered to meet + him at Amelia Court House failed to put in an appearance, necessitating a + halt. Every moment was precious and the delay was exasperating, but he did + his best to provide some sort of food for his famished men and again sent + them on their way. + </p> + <p> + By this time, however, the Union troops were hot upon their trail and soon + their rear-guard was fighting desperately to hold the pursuit in check. + Now and again they shook themselves free, but the moment they paused for + food or rest they were overtaken and the running fight went on. Then, + little by little, the pursuing columns began to creep past the crumbling + rear-guard; cavalry pounced on the foragers searching the countryside for + food and captured the lumbering provision-wagons and the railroad supply + trains which had been ordered to meet the fleeting army, while hundreds + upon hundreds of starving men dropped from the ranks as they neared the + bypaths leading to their homes. + </p> + <p> + Still some thousands held together, many begging piteously for food at + every house they passed and growing weaker with each step, but turning + again and again with a burst of their old spirit to beat back the + advance-guard of the forces that were slowly enfolding them. + </p> + <p> + "There was as much gallantry displayed by some of the Confederates in + these little engagements as was displayed at any time during the war, + notwithstanding the sad defeats of the past week," wrote Grant many years + later, and it was this splendid courage in the face of hardship and + disaster that enabled the remnants of the once invincible army to keep up + their exhausting flight. As they neared Appomattox Court House, however, + the blue battalions were closing in on them from every side like a pack of + hounds in full cry of a long-hunted quarry and escape was practically cut + off. + </p> + <p> + For five days Grant had been in the saddle personally conducting the + pursuit with restless energy, and he knew that he was now in a position to + strike a crushing blow, but instead of ordering a merciless attack, he + sent the following letter to Lee: + </p> + <p> + "Headquarters Armies of the U.S. "5 P.M. Apr. 7, 1865. + </p> + <p> + "General R. E. Lee,—Commanding Confederate States Armies. + </p> + <p> + "The results of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of + further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern 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 Northern Virginia. + </p> + <p> + "U. S. Grant, + </p> + <p> + "Lieut. General." + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile the retreating columns staggered along, their pace growing + slower and slower with every mile, and at last a courier arrived bearing + Lee's reply. + </p> + <p> + "General: + </p> + <p> + "I have received your note of this day. Though not entertaining the + opinion you express on the hopelessness of further resistance on the part + of the Army of Northern Virginia I reciprocate your desire to avoid + useless effusion of blood and therefore, before considering your + proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender. + </p> + <p> + "R. E. Lee, + </p> + <p> + "General." + </p> + <p> + Grant promptly responded that peace being his great desire, there was only + one condition he would insist upon and that was that the surrendered men + and officers should not again take up arms against the United States until + properly exchanged. + </p> + <p> + But Lee was not yet ready to yield and continuing to move forward with his + faithful veterans, he sent a dignified reply, declining to surrender but + suggesting a meeting between himself and Grant, with the idea of seeing if + some agreement could not be reached for making peace between the two + sections of the country. + </p> + <p> + This was not the answer that Grant had hoped for, but he had too much + admiration for his gallant adversary to ride rough shod over him when he + held him completely in his power, and while he gave the necessary orders + to prepare for closing in, he sent another courteous note to Lee dated + April 9, 1865: + </p> + <p> + "General. + </p> + <p> + "Your note of yesterday is received. I have no authority to treat on the + subject of peace; the meeting proposed for 10 A.M. today could lead to no + good. I will state, however, General, that I am equally anxious for peace + with yourself and the whole North entertains the same feeling. The terms + upon which peace can be had are well understood.... Seriously hoping that + all our difficulties may be settled without the loss of another life, I + subscribe myself, etc., + </p> + <p> + "U. S. Grant, + </p> + <p> + "Lt. General." + </p> + <p> + The courier bearing this message dashed off and disappeared and the chase + continued, masses of blue infantry pressing forward under cover of + darkness and overlapping the weary columns of gray that stumbled on with + lagging steps. Meanwhile, the morning of April 9th dawned and Lee + determined to make one more desperate effort at escape. Behind him an + overwhelming force was crowding and threatening to crush his rear-guard; + on either flank the blue-coated lines were edging closer and closer; but + in front there appeared to be only a thin screen of cavalry which might be + pierced; and beyond lay the mountains and safety. At this cavalry then he + hurled his horsemen with orders to cut their way through and force an + opening for the rest of the army, who vigorously supported the attack. It + was, indeed, a forlorn hope that was thus entrusted to the faithful + squadrons, but they responded with matchless dash and spirit, tearing a + wide gap through the opposing cavalry and capturing guns and prisoners. + Then they suddenly halted and surveyed the field with dumb despair. Behind + the parted screen of horsemen lay a solid wall of blue infantry arrayed in + line of battle and hopelessly blocking the road. One glance was enough to + show them what Grant's night march had accomplished, and the baffled + riders wheeled and reported the situation to their chief. + </p> + <p> + Lee listened calmly to the news which was not wholly unexpected. There was + still a chance that a portion of his force might escape, if he was willing + to let them attempt to fight their way out against awful odds, but no + thought of permitting such a sacrifice crossed his mind. + </p> + <p> + "Then there is nothing left for me but to go and see Gen. Grant," he + observed to those around him. + </p> + <p> + But desperate as their plight had been for days, his officers were + unprepared for this announcement. + </p> + <p> + "Oh, General!" one of them protested, "What will history say of the + surrender of the army in the field?" + </p> + <p> + "Yes," he replied. "I know they will say hard things of us; they will not + understand how we were overwhelmed by numbers. But that is not the + question, Colonel. The question is, is it right to surrender this army? If + it is right, then I will take all the responsibility." + </p> + <p> + No response was offered by the little group and turning to one of his + staff, Lee quietly gave an order. A few moments later white flags were + fluttering at the head of the halted columns and an officer rode out + slowly from the lines bearing a note to Grant. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0031" id="link2HCH0031"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXX. — The Surrender + </h2> + <p> + While Lee's messenger was making his way toward the Union lines, Grant was + riding rapidly to the front where his forces had foiled the Confederate + cavalry. For more than a week he had been constantly in the saddle, moving + from one point on his lines to another and begrudging even the time for + food and sleep in his efforts to hasten the pursuit. But the tremendous + physical and mental strain to which he had subjected himself had already + begun to tell upon him, and he had passed the previous night under a + surgeon's care endeavoring to put himself in fit condition for the final + struggle which Lee's refusal to surrender led him to expect. The dawn of + April 9th, however, found him suffering with a raging headache, and + well-nigh exhausted after his sleepless night he rode forward feeling more + like going to the hospital than taking active command in the field. He had + already advanced some distance and was within two or three miles of + Appomattox Court House, when an officer overtook him and handed him these + lines from Lee: + </p> + <p> + "Apr. 9, 1865. + </p> + <p> + "General: + </p> + <p> + "I received your note of this morning on the picket line whither I had + come to meet you and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in your + proposal of yesterday with reference to the surrender of this army. I now + ask an interview in accordance with the offer contained in your letter of + yesterday for that purpose. + </p> + <p> + "R. E. Lee, + </p> + <p> + "General." + </p> + <p> + The moment Grant's eyes rested on these words his headache disappeared, + and instantly writing the following reply, he put spurs to his horse and + galloped on: + </p> + <p> + "Apr. 9, 1865. + </p> + <p> + "Your note of this date is but this moment (11:50 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 Walker'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 will meet me. + </p> + <p> + "U. S. Grant, + </p> + <p> + "Lt. General." + </p> + <p> + The troops under Sheridan were drawn up in line of battle when Grant + arrived on the scene and his officers, highly excited at the favorable + opportunity for attacking the Confederates, urged him to allow no + cessation of hostilities until the surrender was actually made. But Grant + would not listen to anything of this sort, and directing that he be at + once conducted to General Lee, followed an orderly who led him toward a + comfortable two-story, brick dwelling in Appomattox village owned by a Mr. + McLean who had placed it at the disposal of the Confederate commander. + </p> + <p> + Mounting the broad piazza steps, Grant entered the house, followed by his + principal generals and the members of his staff, and was ushered into a + room at the left of the hall, where Lee, accompanied by only one officer, + awaited him. + </p> + <p> + As the two commanders shook hands the Union officers passed toward the + rear of the room and remained standing apart. Then Lee motioned Grant to a + chair placed beside a small marble-topped table, at the same time seating + himself near another table close at hand. Neither man exhibited the + slightest embarrassment and Grant, recalling that they had served together + during the Mexican War, reminded Lee of this fact, saying that he + remembered him very distinctly as General Scott's Chief of Staff but did + not suppose that an older and superior officer would remember him. But Lee + did remember him and in a few minutes he was chatting quietly with his + former comrade about the Mexican campaign and old army days. + </p> + <p> + It would be impossible to imagine a greater contrast than that afforded by + the two men as they thus sat conversing. Lee wore a spotless gray uniform, + long cavalry boots, spurs and gauntlets, and carried the beautiful sword + given to him by Virginia, presenting altogether a most impressive + appearance; and his tall, splendidly proportioned figure and grave + dignified bearing heightened the effect. His well-trimmed hair and beard + were almost snow white, adding distinction to his calm, handsome face + without suggesting age, and his clear eyes and complexion and erect + carriage were remarkable for a man of fifty-eight. Grant was barely + forty-three, and his hair and beard were brown with a touch of gray, but + his face was worn and haggard from recent illness, and his thickset figure + and drooping shoulders were those of a man well advanced in years. For + uniform he wore the blouse of a private, to which the shoulder straps of a + lieutenant-general had been stitched; his trousers were tucked into top + boots worn without spurs; he carried no sword and from head to foot he was + splashed with mud. + </p> + <p> + He, himself, was conscious of the strange contrast between his appearance + and that of his faultlessly attired opponent, for he apologized for his + unkempt condition, explaining that he had come straight from active duty + in the field, and then as the conversation regarding Mexico continued he + grew so pleasantly interested that the object of the meeting almost passed + from his mind, and it was Lee who first recalled it to his attention. + </p> + <p> + He then called for pencil and paper, and without having previously mapped + out any phrases in his mind, he began to draft an informal letter to Lee, + outlining the terms of surrender. Nothing could have been more clear and + simple than the agreement which he drafted, nor could the document have + been more free from anything tending to humiliate or offend his adversary. + It provided merely for the stacking of guns, the parking of cannon and the + proper enrollment of the Confederate troops, all of whom were to remain + unmolested as long as they obeyed the laws and did not again take up arms + against the Government, and it concluded with the statement that the side + arms of the officers were not to be surrendered and that all such officers + who owned their own horses should be permitted to retain them. + </p> + <p> + Lee watched the writing of this letter in silence, and when Grant handed + it to him he read it slowly, merely remarking as he returned it that the + provision allowing the officers to keep their horses would have a happy + effect, but that in the Confederate army the cavalry and artillerymen + likewise owned their own horses. That hint was quite sufficient for Grant, + who immediately agreed to make the concession apply to all the soldiers, + whether officers or privates, observing as he again handed the paper to + Lee that his men would probably find their horses useful in the spring + ploughing when they returned to their farms. Lee responded that the + concession would prove most gratifying to his soldiers, and, turning to + his secretary, dictated a short, simple reply to his opponent, accepting + his conditions. + </p> + <p> + While these letters were being copied in ink, Grant introduced his + officers to Lee and strove to make the situation as easy as possible for + him. Indeed, throughout the whole interview he displayed the most + admirable spirit, tactfully conceding all that his adversary might + reasonably have asked, thus saving him from the embarrassment of making + any request and generally exhibiting a delicate courtesy and generosity + which astonished those who judged him merely by his rough exterior. But + Grant, though uncouth in appearance and unpolished in manners, was a + gentleman in the best sense of the word, and he rose to the occasion with + an ease and grace that left nothing to be desired. + </p> + <p> + As soon as the letters were signed the Confederate commander shook his + late opponent's hand and turned to leave the room. The Union officers + followed him to the door as he departed but tactfully refrained from + accompanying him further and attended only by his secretary, he passed + down the broad steps of the piazza, gravely saluted the group of officers + gathered there who respectfully rose at his approach, mounted his old + favorite "Traveller" and rode slowly toward his own lines. + </p> + <p> + By this time the news of the surrender had reached the Union army and + cannon began booming a salute in honor of the joyful tidings. But Grant + instantly stopped this and ordered that there should be no demonstrations + or exultation of any kind which would offend Lee's men. In the same + generous spirit he kept his men strictly within their own lines when the + Confederates stacked their guns and no one, except the officers assigned + to receive the arms, was permitted to witness this final act of surrender [1]. + He likewise declined to visit Richmond lest his presence should be + regarded as the triumphal entry of a conqueror or smack of exulting over + his fallen foes, and with fully a million bayonets behind him ready to win + him further glory, his foremost thought was to end the war without the + loss of another life. With this idea, on the morning after the surrender, + he sought another interview with Lee. + </p> + <p> + [1]Since + the first edition of this volume was published the writer has been + furnished, through the courtesy of Mr. Jefferson K. Cole of Massachusetts, + with documentary proof that the formal surrender of what remained of Lee's + infantry was made in the presence of the First Division of the 5th Corps + of the Army of the Potomac, General Joshua L. Chamberlain commanding. + Therefore, although it is true that Grant avoided all humiliation of the + Confederates, it is evident that a small portion of his troops did witness + the final act of surrender, and the statement in the text should be + accordingly amended. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0032" id="link2HCH0032"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXXI. — Lee's Years of Peace + </h2> + <p> + Desperate as their plight had been for many days, Lee's men had not wholly + abandoned the hope of escape, but when their beloved commander returned + from the Federal lines they saw by his face that the end had come, and + crowding around him, they pressed his hands, even the strongest among them + shedding bitter tears. For a time he was unable to respond in words to + this touching demonstration, but finally, with a great effort, he mastered + his emotion and bravely faced his comrades. + </p> + <p> + "Men," he said, "we have fought through the war together; I have done my + best for you; my heart is too full to say more." + </p> + <p> + Brief as these words were, all who heard them realized that Lee saw no + prospect of continuing the struggle and meant to say so. He was, of + course, well aware that the Confederates had many thousand men still in + the field, and that by separating into armed bands they could postpone the + end for a considerable period. But this to his mind was not war and he had + no sympathy with such methods and no belief that they could result in + anything but more bloodshed and harsher terms for the South. A word from + him would have been quite sufficient to encourage the other commanders to + hold out and prolong the cruelly hopeless contest, but he had determined + not to utter it. + </p> + <p> + Grant was firmly convinced that this would be his attitude, but whether he + would actually advise the abandonment of the cause was another question, + and it was to suggest this course that the Union commander sought him out + on the morning after the surrender. This second interview occurred between + the lines of the respective armies and as the former adversaries sat + conversing on horseback, Grant tactfully introduced the subject of ending + the war. + </p> + <p> + He knew, he told Lee, that no man possessed more influence with the + soldiers and the South in general than he did, and that if he felt + justified in advising submission his word would doubtless have all the + effect of law. But to this suggestion Lee gravely shook his head. He + frankly admitted that further resistance was useless, but he was unwilling + to pledge himself to give the proposed advice until he had consulted with + the Confederate President, and Grant did not urge him, feeling certain + that he would do what he thought right. Nor was this confidence misplaced, + for though Lee never positively advised a general surrender, his opinions + soon came to be known and in a short time all the Confederate forces in + the field yielded. + </p> + <p> + But though peace was thus restored, the war had left two countries where + it had found one, and to the minds of many people they could never be + united again. It was then that Lee showed his true greatness, for from the + moment of his surrender he diligently strove by voice and pen and example + to create harmony between the North and South and to help in the + rebuilding of the nation. To those who asked his opinion as to whether + they should submit to the Federal authorities and take the required oath + of allegiance, he unhesitatingly replied, "If you intend to reside in this + country and wish to do your part in the restoration of your state and in + the government of the country, which I think is the duty of every citizen, + I know of no objection to your taking the oath." + </p> + <p> + He denounced the assassination of Lincoln as a crime to be abhorred by + every American, discountenanced the idea of Southerners seeking refuge in + foreign lands, scrupulously obeyed every regulation of the military + authorities regarding paroled prisoners and exerted all the influence at + his command to induce his friends to work with him for the reconciliation + of the country. Even when it was proposed to indict and try him for + treason he displayed no resentment or bitterness. "I have no wish to avoid + any trial that the Government may order. I hope others may go unmolested," + was his only comment. But no such persecution was to be permitted, for + Grant interfered the moment he heard of it, insisting that his honor and + that of the nation forbade that Lee should be disturbed in any way, and + his indignant protest straightway brought the authorities to their senses. + </p> + <p> + In the meanwhile, innumerable propositions reached Lee, offering him great + monetary inducements to lend his name and fame to business enterprises of + various kinds, but although he had lost all his property and was + practically penniless, he would not consent to undertake work that he did + not feel competent to perform and would listen to no suggestion of + receiving compensation merely for the use of his name. His desire was to + identify himself with an institution of learning where he could be of some + public service, and at the same time gain the peaceful home life of which + he had dreamed for so many years. As soon as this was understood offers + came to him from the University of Virginia and the University of the + South at Suwannee, Tennessee, but he feared that his association with a + State institution like the University of Virginia might create a feeling + of hostility against it on the part of the Federal Government, and the + Vice-Chancellorship of the Tennessee university would have required him to + leave his native state. + </p> + <p> + Finally, the Trustees of Washington College offered him the Presidency of + that institution and the fact that it bore the name of the first President + and had been endowed by him straightway appealed to his imagination. At + one time the college had been in a flourishing condition but it had + suffered severely from the war, much of its property having been destroyed + and only a handful of students remained when he was invited to take charge + of its tottering fortunes. Indeed, the Trustees themselves were so + impoverished that none of them possessed even a decent suit of clothes in + which to appear before Lee and submit their proposition. Nevertheless, one + of them borrowed a respectable outfit for the occasion and presented the + offer with much dignity and effect and Lee, after modestly expressing some + doubts as to whether he could "discharge the duties to the satisfaction of + the Trustees or to the benefit of the country," accepted the office at a + merely nominal salary, closing his formal acceptance of Aug. 11, 1865, + with these words: "I think it the duty of every citizen 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 oppose the policy of the state or + general Government directed to that object." + </p> + <p> + This was the key-note of his thought from this time forward. "Life is + indeed gliding away and I have nothing of good to show for mine that is + past," he wrote shortly after assuming his new duties. "I pray I may be + spared to accomplish something for the benefit of mankind and the honor of + God." + </p> + <p> + It was no easy task to reëstablish an institution practically destitute of + resources in a poverty-stricken community struggling for a bare + subsistence after the ravages of war. But Lee devoted himself body and + soul to the work, living in the simplest possible fashion. Indeed, he + refused to accept an increase in his meager salary, which would have + provided him with some of the ordinary comforts of life, on the ground + that the institution needed every penny of its funds for its development. + But though the work was hard he took keen pleasure in seeing it grow under + his hands, and, little by little, the college regained its prestige, while + with the help of his daughters he made his new home a place of beauty, + planting flowers about the little house and doing all in his power to make + it attractive for his invalid wife. + </p> + <p> + Thus, for five years he lived far removed from the turmoil of public life, + performing a constant public service by exerting a direct personal + influence upon the students who came under his charge, and by doing + everything in his power to reunite the nation. Suggestions were constantly + made to him to enter politics and had he cared to do so, he could + undoubtedly have been elected to the Governorship of Virginia. But he + steadily declined to consider this, declaring that it might injure the + state to have a man so closely identified with the war at its head and + that he could best help in restoring harmony to the country in the + capacity of a private citizen. + </p> + <p> + During all this time he took an active interest in his sons, encouraging + them in their efforts to establish themselves and earn their own living, + visiting their farms and advising them in the comradely spirit which had + always characterized his relations with them. Indeed, every moment he + could spare from his collegiate duties was devoted to his family, and his + letters to his children, always cheerful and affectionate and sometimes + even humorously gay, expressed contentment and unselfishness in every + line. + </p> + <p> + At times it required great self-restraint to avoid bitterness toward the + Government, but even when Congress refused his wife's petition for the + restoration of the mementos of Washington, taken from her home in + Arlington during the war, he refrained from making any public protest and + his private comment showed how completely he subordinated his personal + wishes to the good of the country. + </p> + <p> + "In reference to certain articles which were taken from Arlington..." he + wrote, "Mrs. Lee is indebted...for the order from the present + Administration for their restoration to her. Congress, however, passed a + resolution forbidding their return. They were valuable to her as having + belonged to her great grandmother (Mrs. General Washington) and having + been bequeathed to her by her father. But as the country desires them she + must give them up. I hope their presence at the capital will keep in the + remembrance of all Americans the principles and virtues of Washington." + [These articles were restored to Lee's family by the order of President + McKinley in 1903.] + </p> + <p> + Toward the individuals, however, who had looted his house and appropriated + its treasures to their own use, he felt rather differently. But his rebuke + to them was written rather more in sorrow than in anger and it likewise + reflects the regard for his country which was ever the uppermost thought + in his mind. + </p> + <p> + "...A great many things formerly belonging to General Washington, + bequeathed to Mrs. Lee by her father, in the shape of books, furniture, + camp equipage, etc., were carried away by individuals and are now + scattered over the land," he wrote. "I hope the possessors appreciate them + and may imitate the example of their original owners whose conduct must at + times be brought to their recollection by these silent monitors. In this + way they will accomplish good to the country...." + </p> + <p> + For his first four years at Washington College Lee accomplished his + arduous duties with scarcely a sign of fatigue, but from that time forward + his health began to fail and though he kept at his work, it told so + heavily upon him that his friends at last persuaded him to take a + vacation. He, accordingly, started south with his daughter in March, 1870. + Had he permitted it, his journey would have been one continual ovation, + for this was the first time he had traveled any considerable distance from + his home since the war and people flocked to greet him from all sides with + bands and speeches and cart-loads of flowers and fruits. Indeed, it was + extremely difficult to escape the public receptions, serenades and other + honors thrust upon him, and though he returned to his duties in somewhat + better condition, he was soon obliged to retire to Hot Springs, Virginia, + for another rest, from which he returned toward the end of the summer + vacation apparently restored to health. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile he had undertaken various other duties in addition to his + collegiate work and some two weeks after the reopening of the college he + attended a vestry meeting of the Episcopal Church. At this meeting the + subject of rebuilding the church and increasing the rector's salary was + under discussion and the session lasted for three hours, at the close of + which he volunteered to subscribe from his own meager funds the sum needed + to complete the proposed increase of the clergyman's salary. By this time + it was seven in the evening and he at once returned to his own house, and + finding his family ready for tea, stood at the head of the table as he + usually did to say grace. But no words came from his lips, and with an + expression of resignation on his face he quietly slipped into his chair + and sat there upright as though he had heard an order to which he was + endeavoring to respond by remaining at "attention." + </p> + <p> + Physicians were immediately called who diagnosed the trouble as hardening + of the arteries combined with rheumatism of the heart, and though their + patient never quite lost consciousness, he gradually fell asleep, and on + October 12, 1870, passed quietly away. + </p> + <p> + Three days later "Traveller," led by two old soldiers and followed by a + small but distinguished assemblage, accompanied his master to the grave + outside the little chapel which Lee had helped to build for the college + which soon thereafter changed its name to Washington and Lee University. + </p> + <p> + Nothing could have been more grateful to Lee then to have his name thus + associated with that of the man whom he revered above all other men and + upon whom he had patterned his whole life, and in this graceful tribute he + had his heart's desire. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0033" id="link2HCH0033"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Chapter XXXII. — The Head of the Nation + </h2> + <p> + While Lee was passing the closing years of his life in tranquility, Grant + was entering upon a stormy career in politics. But before he had any + thought of the honors that lay before him he proved himself a good friend + to the South and a really great American. Toward his late adversaries he + maintained that the true policy was "to make friends of enemies," and by + word and deed he earnestly strove to accomplish that result, never losing + an opportunity to protect the people of the South from humiliation and + injustice. Indeed, if he and some of the other Union commanders had been + given complete authority directly after the war, the South would have been + spared much suffering and the nation would have escaped some of the evils + which inflict it to this day. But Grant's service to the country, as a + whole, was far greater than that which he undertook on behalf of any + particular section, for at a critical moment he held the destiny of the + nation in the hollow of his hand and a word from him would have subjected + the people to a military control from which they might never have + recovered. + </p> + <p> + At the time of Lee's surrender the United States had probably the most + powerful and the most perfectly equipped army in the world. It was + absolutely at Grant's disposal and there were plenty of excuses for + employing it in the field, had he been ambitious for military glory. An + attack on the French in Mexico or the English in Canada would have been + regarded by many people as perfectly justified by their treatment of the + United States during the Civil War. But no idea of perpetuating his own + power or of making his country a military nation entered Grant's mind. On + the contrary, his first thought was to hasten by every possible means the + disbanding of the mighty army which hailed him as its chief. + </p> + <p> + At the close of the war that army numbered over a million men. Six months + later only 183,000 remained in the service, and in eight months more the + whole force of volunteers had disappeared. No other great commander in the + history of the world ever strove thus to deprive himself of power, or with + a gigantic instrument of war under his control thought only of peace. + Grant was not the greatest military genius of the ages, or even of his own + time, but when, with a million bayonets responsive to his nod, he uttered + the benediction, "Let us have peace," he took a place apart among those + Americans whose fame will never die. + </p> + <p> + One great triumphant pageant marked the success of the Union cause when + the returning armies were reviewed by the President in Washington, + cavalry, infantry and artillery by the tens of thousands passing down + Pennsylvania Avenue for two whole days, presenting a magnificent spectacle + never surpassed in the military annals of any land. But the same spirit + which had actuated Grant in refusing to visit Richmond caused him to shun + any part of this historic parade, and those who expected to see him on a + prancing horse at the head of his veteran troops had little knowledge of + his character. He had never made an exhibition of himself at any time + during the war, and though he was present on this occasion, he kept in the + background and few people caught even a glimpse of him as the well-nigh + endless ranks of blue swept by in proud array. + </p> + <p> + For a time the work of disbanding the army obliged him to remain at + Washington, but at the first opportunity he started west to revisit + Galena, Georgetown and the scenes of his boyhood days. But, if he hoped to + renew his acquaintance with old friends without public recognition and + acclaim he was speedily disillusioned, for the whole countryside turned + out to welcome him with processions, banners and triumphal arches, hailing + as a hero the man who had lived among them almost unnoticed and somewhat + despised. Many people had already declared that he would be the next + President of the United States, but when some prophecy of this kind had + been repeated to him, he had laughingly replied that he did not want any + political office, though he would like to be Mayor of Galena long enough + to have a sidewalk laid near his home, and this rumor had reached the + town. The first sight that greeted his eyes, therefore, as he entered + Galena was an arch bearing the words "General, the sidewalk is laid!" and + his fellow townsmen straightway carried him off to inspect this + improvement, at the same time showing him a new house built and furnished + by his neighbors for his use and in which they begged that he would make + himself at home. + </p> + <p> + It was a proud moment for his father and mother when they saw the son who + had once disappointed them so deeply received with such marks of affection + and honored as the greatest man of his day, and their joy was the most + satisfying reward he was ever destined to obtain. But gratifying as all + these kindly attentions were the returning hero was somewhat relieved to + find that Georgetown, which had largely sympathized with the Confederacy, + offered him a less demonstrative welcome. Nevertheless, even there + curiosity and admiration combined to rob him of all privacy, and he at + last decided to avoid the public gaze by slipping away for one of those + long solitary drives which had been his delight in boyhood days. But the + residents of the village toward which he turned received word of his + coming and started a delegation out to meet him half way. After journeying + many miles, however, without seeing any signs of the cavalcade they were + expecting, the procession encountered a dusty traveler driving a team in a + light road wagon, and halting him asked if he had heard anything of + General Grant. "Yes," he reported, "he's on the way," and clicking to his + horses quickly disappeared from view. Then someone suggested that perhaps + the General might not be traveling on horseback surrounded by his staff + and that the dusty traveler who had reported Grant as on the way looked + somewhat like the man himself. But the solitary stranger "who looked like + Grant" was miles away before this was realized, and when the procession + started on his track he was safely out of reach. Doubtless, the sight of + this unpretentious man in citizen attire was disappointing to many who + expected to see a dashing hero in a gorgeous uniform, but his dislike of + all military parade soon came to be widely known. His hosts at one + village, however, were not well informed of this, for they urged him to + prolong his stay with them in order that he might see and review the local + troops which were to assemble in his honor, but he quickly begged to be + excused, remarking that he wished he might never see a uniform again. + </p> + <p> + Certainly there was nothing of the conquering hero or even of the soldier + about him when a little later in the course of his duty, he made a tour of + the South in order to report on its general condition, and in many places + he came and went entirely unnoticed. But though the mass of the people did + not know of his presence, he formed an unusually accurate estimate of + their views on public questions. "The citizens of the Southern States,..." + he reported, "are in earnest in wishing to do what is required by the + Government, not humiliating them as citizens, and if such a course was + pointed out they would pursue it in good faith." Happy would it have been + for the South and for the whole country if this advice had been followed, + but the President and Congress were soon engaged in a violent struggle + over the reconstruction of the seceded states, and anger, rather than + wisdom, ruled the day. In the course of this quarrel Stanton, the + Secretary of War, was removed and Grant, temporarily appointed in his + place (Aug. 12, 1867), held the office for about five months, thus taking + the first step in the long political career which lay before him. + </p> + <p> + Ten months later he was elected President of the United States and at the + end of his term (1872) he was reëlected by an overwhelming vote. Those + eight years were years of stress and strain, and his judgment in + surrounding himself with men unworthy of his confidence made bitter + enemies of many of those who had once supported him. He was, however, + intensely loyal by nature and having once made a friend he stuck to him + through thick and thin, making his cause his own and defending him, even + in the face of the facts, against any and all attack. He, accordingly, + assumed a heavy burden of blame that did not rightly rest upon his + shoulders, but in spite of this many people desired to see him again + elected to the presidency and they were sorely disappointed when he + refused to become a candidate. On the whole, he had deserved well of the + country and the people recognized that he had done much to uphold their + honor and dignity, even though he had been too often imposed upon by + unreliable and even dangerous friends. + </p> + <p> + A long tour around the world followed his retirement from the Presidency + and his reception in the various countries was a magnificent tribute to + his record as a general and a ruler. Meanwhile, an effort was being made + by his friends to secure his nomination for a third Presidential term, and + shortly after he returned home (1880) he was persuaded to enter the field + again. At first he regarded the result with indifference, but as time wore + on he warmed with the enthusiasm of his friends and keenly desired to + secure the honor. But no man had ever been elected three times to the + Presidency and there was a deep-centered prejudice against breaking this + tradition. Grant's candidacy therefore encountered bitter opposition, and + though a large number of his friends held out for him to the last and + almost forced his nomination, General Garfield was finally selected in his + place. + </p> + <p> + This virtually retired him from politics, and to occupy himself and make a + living he went into business with one of his sons who had associated + himself with certain bankers in Wall Street. Here, however, his + notoriously bad judgment of men and his utter ignorance of the business + world soon brought him to grief, for he and his son left the management of + their firm to the other partners who outrageously imposed upon them for a + time and then left them face to face with ruin and disgrace. + </p> + <p> + The shock of this disaster fairly staggered Grant, but he bravely met the + situation and stripping himself of every vestige of his property, + including the swords that had been presented him and the gifts bestowed by + foreign nations, strove to pay his debts. But, though reduced to penury, + he was able to prove his entire innocence of the rascality of his partners + and the general verdict of the country acquitted him of any dishonorable + act. + </p> + <p> + To earn sufficient money for his family in their dire necessity he then + began to write the story of his military life and campaigns, but in the + midst of this employment he was stricken with a most painful disease which + incapacitated him for work and left him well-nigh helpless. At this crisis + Congress came to his rescue by restoring him to his former rank in the + army, with sufficient pay to meet his immediate needs. Then, to the + amazement of his physicians, he rallied, and, though still suffering + intensely and greatly enfeebled, he at once recommenced work upon his + book. + </p> + <p> + From that time forward his one thought was to live long enough to complete + this task, and to it he devoted himself with almost superhuman courage and + persistence, in the hope of being able to provide for his wife and family + after he had gone. Indeed, in this daily struggle against disease and + death he showed, not only all the qualities that had made him invincible + in the field, but also the higher qualities of patience and unselfishness + with which he had not been fully credited. Uncomplaining and considerate + of everyone but himself, he looked death steadily in the face and wrote on + day after day while the whole nation, lost in admiration of his dauntless + courage, watched at his bedside with tender solicitude. + </p> + <p> + At last, on July 23, 1885, the pencil slipped from his fingers. But his + heroic task was done and no monument which has been or ever will be + erected to his memory will serve as will those pages to insure him + immortality, for "Grant's Memoirs," modest as the man himself, have become + a part of the literature of the world. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0036" id="link2H_4_0036"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + Authorities + </h2> + <p> + The following is a partial list of the authorities relied upon in the + text: + </p> + <p> + Grant's Personal Memoirs; Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. + Lee (Captain R. E. Lee); Life of Robert E. Lee (Fitzhugh Lee); Robert E. + Lee—Memoirs of His Military and Personal History (Long); Military + History of U. S. Grant (Badeau); Grant in Peace (Badeau); R. E. Lee—The + Southerner (Page); Robert E. Lee (Trent); Robert E. Lee and the Southern + Confederacy (White); McClelland's Own Story; Stonewall Jackson and the + American Civil War (Henderson); The Story of the Civil War (Ropes); The + Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (Davis); History of the United + States (1850-1877 Rhodes); The Campaign of Chancellorsville (Bigelow); + Personal Memoirs (Sheridan); Memoirs of General Sherman; Reminiscences of + Carl Shurz; From Manassas to Appomattox (Longstreet); Abraham Lincoln—A + History (Nicolay and Hay); The Army Under Pope (Ropes); The Antietam and + Fredericksburg (Palfrey); The Virginia Campaign of 1864 and 1865 + (Humphreys); Chncellorsville (Doubleday); Life and Letters of Robert E. + Lee (Jones); Ulysses S. Grant (Wister); Ulysses S. Grant (Garland); + Campaigning with Grant (Porter); Autobiography of O. O. Howard. + </p> + <div style="height: 6em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of On the Trail of Grant and Lee, by +Frederick Trevor Hill + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE *** + +***** This file should be named 4098-h.htm or 4098-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/9/4098/ + + +Text file produced by William Fishburne and Jenny Francisco + +HTML file produced by David Widger + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: On the Trail of Grant and Lee + +Author: Frederick Trevor Hill + + +Release Date: May, 2003 [Etext #4098] +The actual date this file first posted = 11/27/01 +Last Updated: July 8, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE *** + + + + +Produced by William Fishburne and Jenny Francisco + + + + + + + + +ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE + +By Frederick Trevor Hill + + +To Howard Ogden Wood, Jr. + + + + +Forward + + +During the early years of the Civil War someone tauntingly asked Mr. +Charles Francis Adams, the United States Minister to England, what he +thought of the brilliant victories which the confederate armies were +then gaining in the field. "I think they have been won by my fellow +countrymen," was the quiet answer. + +Almost half a century has passed since that reproof was uttered, but +its full force is only just beginning to be understood. For nearly fifty +years the story of the Civil War has been twisted to suit local pride or +prejudice in various parts of the Union, with the result that much which +passes for American history is not history at all, and whatever else it +may be, it is certainly not American. + +Assuredly, the day has now arrived when such historical "make-believes" +should be discountenanced, both in the North and in the South. Americans +of the present and the coming generations are entitled to take a common +pride in whatever lent nobility to the fraternal strife of the sixties, +and to gather equal inspiration from every achievement that reflected +credit on American manhood during those years when the existence of the +Union was at stake. Until this is rendered possible by the elimination +of error and falsehood, the sacrifices of the Civil War will, to a large +extent, have been endured in vain. + +In some respects this result has already been realized. Lincoln is no +longer a local hero. He is a national heritage. To distort or belittle +the characters of other men who strove to the end that their land "might +have a new birth of freedom," is to deprive the younger generations of +part of their birthright. They are entitled to the facts from which +to form a just estimate of the lives of all such men, regardless of +uniforms. + +It is in this spirit that the strangely interwoven trials of Grant and +Lee are followed in these pages. Both were Americans, and widely as they +differed in opinions, tastes and sympathies, each exhibited qualities +of mind and character which should appeal to all their fellow countrymen +and make them proud of the land that gave them birth. Neither man, in +his life, posed before the public as a hero, and the writer has made no +attempt to place either of them on a pedestal. Theirs is a very human +story, requiring neither color nor concealment, but illustrating a +high development of those traits that make for manhood and national +greatness. + +The writer hereby acknowledges his indebtedness to all those historians +whose scholarly research has made it possible to trace the careers of +these two great commanders with confidence in the accuracy of the facts +presented. Where equally high authorities have differed he has been +guided by those who, in his judgment, have displayed the most scrupulous +impartiality, and wherever possible he has availed himself of official +records and documents. + +The generous service rendered by Mr. Samuel Palmer Griffin in testing +the vast record upon which these pages are based, his exhaustive +research and scientific analysis of the facts, have given whatever of +authority may be claimed for the text, and of this the writer hereby +makes grateful acknowledgment. To Mr. Arthur Becher he is likewise +indebted for his careful studies at West Point and elsewhere which have +resulted in illustrations conforming to history. + +Frederick Trevor Hill. + +New York, September, 1911. + + + + + +Contents + + + + +Chapter + + I.--Three Civil Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 + II.--Washington and Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 + III.--Lee at West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 + IV.--The Boyhood of Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 + V.--Grant at West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 + VI.--Lieutenant Grant Under Fire . . . . . . . . 35 + VII.--Captain Lee at the Front . . . . . . . . . . 44 + VIII.--Colonel Lee After the Mexican War . . . . . 52 + IX.--Captain Grant in a Hard Fight . . . . . . . 59 + X.--Grant's Difficulties in Securing a Command . 67 + XI.--Lee at the Parting of the Ways . . . . . . . 75 + XII.--Opening Moves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 + XIII.--Grant's First Success . . . . . . . . . . . 93 + XIV.--The Battle of Shiloh . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 + XV.--Lee in the Saddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 + XVI.--A Game of Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 + XVII.--Lee and the Invasion of Maryland . . . . . . 133 + XVIII.--The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg . . . . 141 + XIX.--Lee Against Burnside and Hooker . . . . . . 148 + XX.--In the Hour of Triumph . . . . . . . . . . . 163 + XXI.--Grant at Vicksburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 + XXII.--The Battle of Gettysburg . . . . . . . . . . 180 + XXIII.--In the Face of Disaster . . . . . . . . . . 193 + XXIV.--The Rescue of Two Armies . . . . . . . . . . 201 + XXV.--Lieutenant-General Grant . . . . . . . . . . 213 + XXVI.--A Duel to the Death . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 + XXVII.--Check and Countercheck . . . . . . . . . . . 238 + XXVIII.--The Beginning of the End . . . . . . . . . . 248 + XXIX.--At Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 + XXX.--The Surrender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 + XXXI.--Lee's Years of Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 + XXXII.--The Head of the Nation . . . . . . . . . . . 294 + + + + + +List of Illustrations + + + + Illustrations in Color + + + Grant running the gauntlet of the Mexicans at Monterey + in riding to the relief of his comrades . . Frontispiece + September 23, 1846. + + Lee with Mrs. Lewis (Nellie Custis) applying to General + Andrew Jackson to aid in securing his cadetship at + West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 + 1825. + + Grant on his horse, "York," making exhibition jump in + the Riding Academy at West Point . . . . . . . . . . 32 + June, 1843. + + Lee sending the Rockbridge battery into action for the + second time at Antietam or Sharpsburg . . . . . . . 144 + September 17, 1862. + + Lee rallying his troops at the Battle of the + Wilderness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 + May 6, 1864. + + Grant at the entrenchments before Petersburg . . . . . 260 + March, 1865. + + + Illustrations in the Text + + + Signature of Grant on reporting at West Point . . . . 25 + (From the original records of the U. S. Military + Academy.) + + First signature of Grant as U. S. Grant . . . . . . . 27 + (From the original records of the U.S. Military + Academy.) + + Grant's letter demanding unconditional surrender of + forces at Fort Donnelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 + + Diagram map (not drawn to scale) showing strategy of + the opening of the Battle of Chancellorsville, May + 1 and 2, 1863 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 + + Diagram map (not drawn to scale) showing Grant's series + of movements by the left flank from the Wilderness + to Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 + + Facsimile of telegraphic message drafted by Lieutenant- + General Grant, announcing Lee's surrender, May 9, + 1865 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 + + Lee's letter of August 3, 1866, acknowledging receipt of + the extension of his furlough . . . . . . . . . . . 283 + + + + + +Chapter I. -- Three Civil Wars + + +England was an uncomfortable place to live in during the reign of +Charles the First. Almost from the moment that that ill-fated monarch +ascended the throne he began quarreling with Parliament; and when he +decided to dismiss its members and make himself the supreme ruler of +the land, he practically forced his subjects into a revolution. +Twelve feverish years followed--years of discontent, indignation and +passion--which arrayed the Cavaliers, who supported the King, against +the Roundheads, who upheld Parliament, and finally flung them at each +other's throats to drench the soil of England with their blood. + +Meanwhile, the gathering storm of civil war caused many a resident of +the British Isles to seek peace and security across the seas, and among +those who turned toward America were Mathew Grant and Richard Lee. It is +not probable that either of these men had ever heard of the other, for +they came from widely separated parts of the kingdom and were even more +effectually divided by the walls of caste. There is no positive proof +that Mathew Grant (whose people probably came from Scotland) was a +Roundhead, but he was a man of humble origin who would naturally have +favored the Parliamentary or popular party, while Richard Lee, whose +ancestors had fought at Hastings and in the Crusades, is known to have +been an ardent Cavalier, devoted to the King. But whether their opinions +on politics differed or agreed, it was apparently the conflict between +the King and Parliament that drove them from England. In any event +they arrived in America at almost the same moment; Grant reaching +Massachusetts in 1630, the year after King Charles dismissed his +Parliament, and Lee visiting Virginia about this time to prepare for his +permanent residence in the Dominion which began when actual hostilities +opened in the mother land. + +The trails of Grant and Lee, therefore, first approach each other from +out of the smoke of a civil war. This is a strangely significant fact, +but it might be regarded merely as a curious coincidence were it not for +other and stranger events which seem to suggest that the hand of Fate +was guiding the destinies of these two men. + +Mathew Grant originally settled in Massachusetts but he soon moved to +Connecticut, where he became clerk of the town of Windsor and official +surveyor of the whole colony--a position which he held for many years. +Meanwhile Richard Lee became the Colonial Secretary and a member of +the King's Privy Council in Virginia, and thenceforward the name of his +family is closely associated with the history of that colony. + +Lee bore the title of colonel, but it was to statesmanship and not to +military achievements that he and his early descendants owed their fame; +while the family of Grant, the surveyor, sought glory at the cannon's +mouth, two of its members fighting and dying for their country as +officers in the French and Indian war of 1756. In that very year, +however, a military genius was born to the Virginia family in the person +of Harry Lee, whose brilliant cavalry exploits were to make him known to +history as "Light Horse Harry." But before his great career began, the +house of Grant was represented in the Revolution, for Captain Noah Grant +of Connecticut drew his sword in defense of the colonies at the outbreak +of hostilities, taking part in the battle of Bunker Hill; and from that +time forward he and "Light Horse Harry" served in the Continental army +under Washington until Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. + +Here the trails of the two families, AGAIN DRAWN TOGETHER BY A CIVIL +STRIFE, merge for an historic moment and then cross; that of the +Grants turning toward the West, and that of the Lees keeping within the +confines of Virginia. + +It was in 1799 that Captain Noah Grant migrated to Ohio, and during the +same year Henry Lee delivered the memorial address upon the death of +Washington, coining the immortal phrase "first in war, first in peace +and first in the hearts of his countrymen." + +Ulysses Grant, the Commander of the Union forces in the Civil War, was +the grandson of Captain Grant, who served with "Light Horse Harry" Lee +during the Revolution; and Robert Lee, the Confederate General, was +"Light Horse Harry's" son. + +Thus, for the THIRD time in two and a half centuries, a civil conflict +between men of the English-speaking race blazed the trails of Grant and +Lee. + + + + +Chapter II. -- Washington and Lee + + +"Wakefield," Westmoreland County, Virginia, was the birthplace of +Washington, and at Stratford in the same county and state, only a few +miles from Wakefield, Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807. +Seventy-five years had intervened between those events but, except in +the matter of population, Westmoreland County remained much the same as +it had been during Washington's youth. Indians, it is true, no longer +lurked in he surrounding forests or paddled the broad Potomac in their +frail canoes, but the life had much of the same freedom and charm which +had endeared it to Washington. All the streams and woods and haunts +which he had known and loved were known and loved by Lee, not only for +their own sake, but because they were associated with the memory of the +great Commander-in-Chief who had been his father's dearest friend. + +It would have been surprising, under such circumstances, if Washington +had not been Lee's hero, but he was more than a hero to the boy. From +his father's lips he had learned to know him, not merely as a famous +personage of history, but as a man and a leader of men. Indeed, his +influence and example were those of a living presence in the household +of "Light Horse Harry;" and thus to young Lee he early became the ideal +of manhood upon which, consciously or unconsciously, he molded his own +character and life. But quite apart from this, the careers of these two +great Virginians were astonishingly alike. + +Washington's father had been married twice, and so had Lee's; each was +a son of the second marriage, and each had a number of brothers and +sisters. Washington lost his father when he was only eleven years old, +and Lee was exactly the same age when his father died. Mrs. Washington +had almost the entire care of her son during his early years, and Lee +was under the sole guidance of his mother until he had almost grown to +manhood. Washington repaid his mother's devotion by caring for her +and her affairs with notable fidelity, and Lee's tenderness and +consideration for his mother were such that she was accustomed to remark +that he was both a son and a daughter to her. + +Washington's ancestors were notable, if not distinguished, people in +England; while Lee could trace his descent, through his father, to +Lancelot Lee, who fought at the battle of Hastings, and through his +mother to Robert the Bruce of Scotland. Neither man, however, prided +himself in the least on his ancestry. Indeed, neither of them knew +anything of his family history until his own achievements brought the +facts to light. + +Washington was a born and bred country boy and so was Lee. Both +delighted in outdoor life, loving horses and animals of all kinds and +each was noted for his skillful riding in a region which was famous +for its horsemanship. There was, however, a vast difference between +Washington's education and that of Lee. The Virginian schools were +very rudimentary in Washington's day; but Lee attended two excellent +institutions of learning, where he had every opportunity, and of this +he availed himself, displaying much the same thoroughness that +characterized Washington's work, and the same manly modesty about any +success that he achieved. + +By reason of his father's death and other circumstances Washington was +burdened with responsibility long before he arrived at manhood, making +him far more reserved and serious-minded than most school boys. This was +precisely the case with Lee, for his father's death, the ill health of +his mother and the care of younger children virtually made him the head +of the family, so that he became unusually mature and self-contained +at an early age. Neither boy, however, held aloof from the sports and +pastimes of his schoolmates and both were regarded as quiet, manly +fellows, with no nonsense about them, and with those qualities of +leadership that made each in turn the great military leader of his age. + +Never has history recorded a stranger similarity in the circumstances +surrounding the youth of two famous men, but the facts which linked +their careers in later years are even stranger still. + + + + +Chapter III. -- Lee at West Point + + +As his school days drew to a close, it became necessary for Lee to +determine his future calling. But the choice of a career, often so +perplexing to young men, presented no difficulty to "Light Horse +Harry's" son. He had apparently always intended to become a soldier +and no other thought had seemingly ever occurred to any member of his +family. Appointments to the United States Military Academy were far more +a matter of favor than they are to-day, and young Lee, accompanied by +Mrs. Lewis (better known as Nellie Custis, the belle of Mount Vernon +and Washington's favorite grandchild), sought the assistance of General +Andrew Jackson. Rough "Old Hickory" was not the easiest sort of person +to approach with a request of any kind and, doubtless, his young visitor +had grave misgivings as to the manner in which his application would be +received. But Jackson, the hero of the battle of New Orleans in the +War of 1812, only needed to be told that his caller was "Light Horse +Harry's" son to proffer assistance; and in his nineteenth year, the boy +left home for the first time in his life to enroll himself as a cadet at +West Point. + +Very few young men enter that institution so well prepared for military +life as was Lee, for he had been accustomed to responsibility and had +thoroughly mastered the art of self-control many years before he stepped +within its walls. He was neither a prig nor a "grind," but he regarded +his cadetship as part of the life work which he had voluntarily chosen, +and he had no inclination to let pleasure interfere with it. With his +comrades he was companionable, entering into all their pastimes with +zest and spirit, but he let it be understood, without much talk, that +attention to duty was a principle with him and his serious purpose soon +won respect. + +Rigid discipline was then, as it is to-day, strictly enforced at West +Point, and demerits were freely inflicted upon cadets for even the +slightest infraction of the rules. Indeed, the regulations were so +severe that it was almost impossible for a cadet to avoid making at +least a few slips at some time during his career. But Lee accomplished +the impossible, for not once throughout his entire four years did he +incur even a single demerit--a record that still remains practically +unique in the history of West Point. This and his good scholarship won +him high rank; first, as cadet officer of his class, and finally, as +adjutant of the whole battalion, the most coveted honor of the +Academy, from which he graduated in 1829, standing second in a class of +forty-six. + +Men of the highest rating at West Point may choose whatever arm of +the service they prefer, and Lee, selecting the Engineer Corps, was +appointed a second lieutenant and assigned to fortification work at +Hampton Roads, in his twenty-second year. The work there was not hard +but it was dull. There was absolutely no opportunity to distinguish +oneself in any way, and time hung heavy on most of the officers' hands. +But Lee was in his native state and not far from his home, where he +spent most of his spare time until his mother died. Camp and garrison +life had very little charm for him, but he was socially inclined and, +renewing his acquaintance with his boyhood friends, he was soon in +demand at all the dances and country houses at which the young people of +the neighborhood assembled. + +Among the many homes that welcomed him at this time was that of Mr. +George Washington Parke Custis (Washington's adopted grandson), whose +beautiful estate known as "Arlington" lay within a short distance of +Alexandria, where Lee had lived for many years. Here he had, during +his school days, met the daughter of the house and, their boy-and-girl +friendship culminating in an engagement shortly after his return from +West Point, he and Mary Custis were married in his twenty-fifth year. +Lee thus became related by marriage to Washington, and another link was +formed in the strange chain of circumstances which unite their careers. + +A more ideal marriage than that of these two young people cannot be +imagined. Simple in their tastes and of home-loving dispositions, they +would have been well content to settle down quietly to country life in +their beloved Virginia, surrounded by their family and friends. But the +duties of an army officer did not admit of this, and after a few years' +service as assistant to the chief engineer of the army in Washington, +Lee was ordered to take charge of the improvements of the Mississippi +River at St. Louis, where, in the face of violent opposition from the +inhabitants, he performed such valuable service that in 1839 he was +offered the position of instructor at West Point. This, however, he +declined, and in 1842 he was entrusted with the task of improving the +defenses of New York harbor and moved with his family to Fort Hamilton, +where he remained for several years. Meanwhile, he had been +successively promoted to a first lieutenancy and a captaincy, and in his +thirty-eighth year he was appointed one of the visitors to West Point, +whose duty it was to inspect the Academy and report at stated intervals +on its condition. This appointment, insignificant in itself, is notable +because it marks the point at which the trails of Grant and Lee first +approach each other, for at the time that Captain Lee was serving as an +official visitor, Ulysses Grant was attempting to secure an assistant +professorship at West Point. + + + + +Chapter IV. -- The Boyhood of Grant + + +Deerfield, Ohio, was not a place of any importance when Captain Noah +Grant of Bunker Hill fame arrived there from the East. Indeed, it was +not then much more than a spot on the map and it has ever won any great +renown. Yet in this tiny Ohio village there lived at one and the same +time Owen Brown, the father of John Brown, who virtually began the +Civil War, and Jesse Grant, the father of Ulysses Grant, who practically +brought it to a close. + +It is certainly strange that these two men should, with all the world to +choose from, have chanced upon the same obscure little village, but it +is still stranger that one of them should have become the employer of +the other and that they should both have lived in the very same house. +Such, however, is the fact, for when Jesse Grant first began to earn his +living as a tanner, he worked for and boarded with Owen Brown, little +dreaming that his son and his employer's son would some day shake the +world. + +It was not at Deerfield, however, but at Point Pleasant, Ohio, that +Jesse Grant's distinguished son was born on April 27, 1822, in a cottage +not much larger than the cabin in which Abraham Lincoln first saw the +light. Mr. and Mrs. Grant and other members of their family differed +among themselves as to what the boy should be called, but they settled +the question by each writing his or her favorite name on a slip of paper +and then depositing all the slips in a hat, with the understanding that +the child should receive the first two names drawn from that receptacle. +This resulted in the selection of Hiram and Ulysses, and the boy +was accordingly called Hiram Ulysses Grant until the United States +government re-christened him in a curious fashion many years later. To +his immediate family, however, he was always known as Ulysses, which +his playmates soon twisted into the nickname "Useless," more or less +good-naturedly applied. + +Grant's father moved to Georgetown, Ohio, soon after his son's birth, +and there his boyhood days were passed. The place was not at that +time much more than a frontier village and its inhabitants were mostly +pioneers--not the adventurous, exploring pioneers who discover new +countries, but the hardy advance-guard of civilization, who clear the +forests and transform the wilderness into farming land. Naturally, there +was no culture and very little education among these people. They were +a sturdy, self-respecting, hard-working lot, of whom every man was the +equal of every other, and to whom riches and poverty were alike unknown. +In a community of this sort there was, of course, no pampering of the +children, and if there had been, Grant's parents would probably have +been the last to indulge in it. His father, Jesse Grant, was a stern and +very busy man who had neither the time nor the inclination to coddle the +boy, and his mother, absorbed in her household duties and the care of a +numerous family, gave him only such attention as was necessary to +keep him in good health. Young Ulysses was, therefore, left to his +own devices almost as soon as he could toddle, and he quickly became +self-reliant to a degree that alarmed the neighbors. Indeed, some of +them rushed into the house one morning shouting that the boy was out +in the barn swinging himself on the farm horses' tails and in +momentary danger of being kicked to pieces; but Mrs. Grant received the +announcement with perfect calmness, feeling sure that Ulysses would +not amuse himself in that way unless he knew the animals thoroughly +understood what he was doing. + +Certainly this confidence in the boy's judgment was entirely justified +as far as horses were concerned, for they were the joy of his life +and he was never so happy as when playing or working in or about the +stables. Indeed, he was not nine years old when he began to handle a +team in the fields. From that time forward he welcomed every duty that +involved riding, driving or caring for horses, and shirked every other +sort of work about the farm and tannery. Fortunately, there was plenty +of employment for him in the line of carting materials or driving the +hay wagons and harrows, and his father, finding that he could be trusted +with such duties, allowed him, before he reached his teens, to drive a +'bus or stage between Georgetown and the neighboring villages entirely +by himself. In fact, he was given such free use of the horses that when +it became necessary for him to help in the tannery, he would take a team +and do odd jobs for the neighbors until he earned enough, with the aid +of the horses, to hire a boy to take his place in the hated tan-yard. + +This and other work was, of course, only done out of school hours, for +his parents sent him as early as possible to a local "subscription" +school, which he attended regularly for many years. "Spare the rod and +spoil the child" was one of the maxims of the school, and the first duty +of the boys on assembling each morning was to gather a good-sized bundle +of beech-wood switches, of which the schoolmaster made such vigorous use +that before the sessions ended the supply was generally exhausted. Grant +received his fair share of this discipline, but as he never resented it, +he doubtless got no more of it than he deserved and it probably did him +good. + +Among his schoolmates he had the reputation of talking less than any +of the other boys and of knowing more about horses than all of them put +together. An opportunity to prove this came when he was about eleven, +for a circus appeared in the village with a trick pony, and during the +performance the clown offered five dollars to any boy who could ride +him. Several of Ulysses' friends immediately volunteered, but he sat +quietly watching the fun while one after another of the boys fell victim +to the pony's powers. Finally, when the little animal's triumph seemed +complete, Grant stepped into the ring and sprang upon his back. A +tremendous tussle for the mastery immediately ensued, but though he +reared and shied and kicked, the tricky little beast was utterly unable +to throw its fearless young rider, and amid the shouts of the audience +the clown at last stopped the contest and paid Ulysses the promised +reward. + +From that time forward his superiority as a horseman was firmly +established, and as he grew older and his father allowed him to take +longer and longer trips with the teams, he came to be the most widely +traveled boy in the village. Indeed, he was only about fifteen when he +covered nearly a hundred and fifty miles in the course of one of his +journeys, taking as good care of his horses as he did of himself, and +transacting the business entrusted to him with entire satisfaction +to all concerned. These long, and often lonely, trips increased his +independence and so encouraged his habit of silence that many of the +village people began to think him a dunce. + +His father, however, was unmistakably proud of the quiet boy who did +what he was told to do without talking about it, and though he rarely +displayed his feelings, the whole village knew that he thought "Useless" +was a wonder and smiled at his parental pride. But the smile almost +turned to a laugh when it became known that he proposed to send the boy +to West Point, for the last cadet appointed from Georgetown had failed +in his examinations before he had been a year at the Academy, and few +of the neighbors believed that Ulysses would survive as long. Certainly, +the boy himself had never aspired to a cadetship, and when his father +suddenly remarked to him one morning that he was likely to obtain the +appointment, he receive the announcement with uncomprehending surprise. + +"What appointment?" he asked + +"To West Point," replied his father. "I have applied for it." + +"But I won't go!" gasped the astonished youth. + +"I think you will," was the quiet but firm response, and Grant, who had +been taught obedience almost from his cradle, decided that if his father +thought so, he did, too. + +But, though the young man yielded to his parent's wishes, he had no +desire to become a soldier and entirely agreed with the opinion of the +village that he had neither the ability nor the education to acquit +himself with credit. In fact, the whole idea of military life was +so distasteful to him that he almost hoped he would not fulfill the +physical and other requirements for admission. Indeed, the only thought +that reconciled him to the attempt was that it necessitated a trip from +Ohio to New York, which gratified his longing to see more of the world. +This was so consoling that it was almost with a gay heart that he set +out of the Hudson in the middle of May, 1839. + +For a boy who had lived all his life in an inland village on the +outskirts of civilization the journey was absolutely adventurous, for +although he was then in his eighteenth year, he had never even as much +as seen a railroad and his experiences on the cars, canal boats and +steamers were all delightfully surprising. Therefore, long as the +journey was, it was far too short for him, and on May 25th he reached +his destination. Two lonely and homesick weeks followed, and then, much +to his astonishment and somewhat to his regret, he received word that he +had passed the examination for admission and was a full-fledged member +of the cadet corps of West Point. + + + + +Chapter V. -- Grant at West Point + + +Grant's father had obtained his son's appointment to the Academy through +the intervention of a member of Congress, who, remembering that the boy +was known as Ulysses and that his mother's name before her marriage was +Simpson, had written to the Secretary of War at Washington, requesting +a cadetship for U. S. Grant. This mistake in his initials was not +discovered until the young man presented himself at West Point, but when +he explained that his name was Hiram Ulysses Grant and not U. S. Grant, +the officials would not correct the error. The Secretary of War had +appointed U. S. Grant to the Academy and U. S. Grant was the only person +they would officially recognize without further orders. They, therefore, +intimated that he could either enroll himself as U. S. Grant or stay out +of the Academy, making it quite plain that they cared very little +which course he adopted. Confronted with this situation, he signed the +enlistment paper as U. S. Grant and the document, bearing his name, +which thus became his, can be seen to-day among the records at West +Point. This re-christening, of course, supplied his comrades with +endless suggestions for nicknames and they immediately interpreted his +new initials to suit themselves. "United States," "Under Sized" and +"Uncle Sam" all seemed to be appropriate, but the last was the favorite +until the day arrived when a more significant meaning was found in +"Unconditional Surrender" Grant. + +The restrictions and discipline of West Point bore much more harshly +on country-bred boys in those years than they do to-day when so many +schools prepare students for military duties. But to a green lad +like Grant, who had been exceptionally independent all his life, the +preliminary training was positive torture. It was then that his habitual +silence stood him in good stead, for a talkative, argumentative boy +could never have survived the breaking-in process which eventually +transformed him from a slouchy bumpkin into a smart, soldier-like young +fellow who made the most of his not excessive inches. Still, he hated +almost every moment of his first year and ardently hoped that the bill +for abolishing the Academy, which was under discussion in Congress, +would become a law and enable him to return home without disgrace. But +no such law was passed and more experience convinced him that West Point +was a very valuable institution which should be strengthened rather than +abolished. He had not reached this conclusion, however, at the time of +his first furlough, and when he returned to his more and found that +his father had procured a fine horse for his exclusive use during +his holiday, it was hard to tear himself away and resume his duties. +Nevertheless, he did so; and, considering the fact that he was not fond +of studying, he made fair progress, especially in mathematics, never +reaching the head of his class, but never quite sinking to the bottom. +Indeed, if he had not been careless in the matter of incurring demerits +from small infractions of the rules, he might have attained respectable, +if not high rank in the corps, for he was a clean living, clean spoken +boy, without a vicious trait of any kind. Even as it was, he became a +sergeant, but inattention to details of discipline finally cost him his +promotion and reduced him again to the ranks. At no time, however, did +he acquire any real love for the military profession. His sole ambition +was to pass the examinations and retire from the service as soon as he +could obtain a professorship at some good school or college. At this, +he might easily have succeeded with his unmistakable talent for +mathematics, and it is even conceivable that he might have qualified as +a drawing master or an architect, if not as an artist, for he was +fond of sketching and some of his works in this line which have been +preserved shows a surprisingly artistic touch. + +Graduation day at the Academy brought no distinguished honors to Grant, +where he stood twenty-first in a class of thirty-nine, but it did win +him one small triumph. As almost everyone knows, the West Point cadets +are trained for all arms of the service, sometimes doing duty as +infantry, sometimes as artillery and at other times acting as engineers +or cavalry; and during the closing week of the year, they give public +exhibitions of their proficiency before the official visitors. On this +particular occasion the cavalry drill was held in the great riding hall, +and after the whole corps had completed their evolutions and were +formed in line ready to be dismissed, the commanding officer ordered +an extraordinarily high hurdle to be placed in position, and while the +great throng of spectators were wondering what this meant they heard the +sharp command, "Cadet Grant." + +A young man of slight stature, not weighing more than a hundred and +twenty pounds, and mounted on a powerful chestnut horse, sprang from the +ranks with a quick salute, dashed to the further end of the hall and, +swinging his mount about, faced the hurdle. There was a moment's pause +and then the rider, putting spurs to his steed, rushed him straight at +the obstruction and, lifting him in masterly fashion, cleared the bar as +though he and the animal were one. A thunder of applause followed as the +horseman quietly resumed his place in the ranks, and after the corps had +been dismissed Grant was sought out and congratulated on his remarkable +feat. But his response was characteristic of the boy that was, and the +man that was to be. "Yes, 'York' is a wonderfully good horse," was all +he said. + +A lieutenancy in the engineers or cavalry was more than a man of low +standing in the Academy could expect, and Grant was assigned to the +Fourth Infantry, with orders to report for duty at Jefferson Barracks, +St. Louis, Missouri, at the end of a short leave of absence. The +prospect of active service, far from his native state, was anything but +pleasing to the new officer; but he had come home with a bad cough, +and had he not been ordered to the South, it is highly probable that he +would have fallen a victim to consumption, of which two of his uncles +had already died. The air of Camp Salubrity, Louisiana, where his +regiment was quartered, and the healthy, outdoor life, however, quickly +checked the disease, and at the end of two years he had acquired a +constitution of iron. + +Meanwhile, he had met Miss Julia Dent, the sister of one of his +classmates whose home was near St. Louis, and had written to the +Professor of Mathematics at West Point, requesting his aid in securing +an appointment there as his assistant, to which application he received +a most encouraging reply. Doubtless, his courtship of Miss Dent made him +doubly anxious to realize his long-cherished plan of settling down +to the quiet life of a professor. But all hope of this was completely +shattered by the orders of the Fourth Infantry which directed it to +proceed at once to Texas. Long before the regiment marched, however, he +was engaged to "the girl he left behind him" and, although his dream +of an instructorship at West Point had vanished, he probably did not +altogether abandon his ambition for a career at teaching. But Fate had +other plans for him as he journeyed toward Mexico, where the war clouds +were gathering. Lee was moving in the same direction and their trails +were soon to merge at the siege of Vera Cruz. + + + + +Chapter VI. -- Lieutenant Grant Under Fire + + +The movement of the United States troops towards Mexico did not take the +country by surprise. It was the direct result of the action of Congress +admitting Texas to the Union. Ever since it had won its independence +from Mexico, Texas had been seeking to become part of the United States; +but there had been violent objection in the North to the admission of +any new slave state, and this opposition had effectually prevented its +annexation. At the last election (1844), however, a majority of the +voters apparently favored the admission of Texas, which was accordingly +received into the Union, and the long-standing dispute which it had +waged with Mexico as to its proper boundaries was assumed by the United +States. + +Texas claimed to own far more territory than Mexico was willing to +concede, but the facts might easily have been ascertained had the United +States government desired to avoid a war. Unfortunately, it had no +such desire, and General Zachary Taylor was soon ordered to occupy the +disputed territory with about 3,000 men. This force, of which Grant's +regiment formed a part, was called the Army of Observation, but it might +better have been called the Army of Provocation, for it was obviously +intended to provoke an attack on the part of Mexico and to give the +United States an excuse for declaring war and settling the boundary +question to suit itself. + +Probably, there were not many in the army who thought much about the +rights or the wrongs of the impending war. There had been no fighting in +the United States for more than thirty years, and most of the officers +were more interested in seeing real service in the field than they +were in discussing the justice or injustice of the cause. Grant was as +anxious for glory as any of his comrades, but he cherished no illusions +as to the merits of the dispute in which his country was involved. With +the clear vision of the silent man who reads and thinks for himself, +he saw through the thinly disguised pretenses of the politicians and, +recognizing that force was being used against a weaker nation in order +to add more slave states to the Union, he formed a very positive +opinion that the war was unjustifiable. But though he was forced to this +disagreeable conclusion, the young Lieutenant was not the sort of man to +criticize his country once she was attacked, or to shirk his duty as +a soldier because he did not agree with his superiors on questions of +national policy. He thought and said what he liked in private, but he +kept his mouth closed in public, feeling that his duties as an officer +were quite sufficient without assuming responsibilities which belonged +to the authorities in Washington. + +War was inevitable almost from the moment that Texas was annexed, but +with full knowledge of this fact neither the President nor Congress made +any effective preparations for meeting the impending crisis, and when +hostilities actually began, General Taylor was directed to advance under +conditions which virtually required him to fight his way to safety. +Indeed, he was practically cut off from all hope of reenforcement as +soon as the first shot was fired, for his orders obliged him to move +into the interior of the country, and had his opponents been properly +commanded, they could have overwhelmed him and annihilated his whole +force. The very audacity of the little American army, however, seemed +to paralyze the Mexicans who practically made no resistance until Taylor +reached a place called Palo Alto, which in Spanish means "Tall Trees." + +Meanwhile Grant had been made regimental quartermaster, charged with +the duty of seeing that the troops were furnished with proper food and +caring for all property and supplies. Heartily as he disliked this task, +which was not only dull and difficult, but also bade fair to prevent him +from taking active part in the prospective battles, he set to work with +the utmost energy. By the time the enemy began to dispute the road, +he had overcome the immense difficulty of supplying troops on a march +through a tropical country and was prepared to take part in any fighting +that occurred. But the Mexicans gathered at TALL TREES on May 8, 1846, +were not prepared for a serious encounter. They fired at the invaders, +but their short-range cannon loaded with solid shot rarely reached the +Americans, and when a ball did come rolling towards them on the ground, +the troops merely stepped to one side and allowed the missile to pass +harmlessly through their opened ranks. After the American artillery +reached the field, however, the enemy was driven from its position +and the next day the advance was resumed to Resaca de la Palma, where +stronger opposition was encountered. + +Grant was on the right wing of the army as it pressed forward through +dense undergrowth to drive the Mexicans from the coverts in which +they had taken shelter. It was impossible to give any exact orders +in advancing through this jungle, and the men under Grant's command +struggled forward until they reached a clearing where they caught sight +of a small body of Mexicans. The young Lieutenant instantly ordered a +charge and, dashing across the open ground, captured the party only to +discover that they were merely stragglers left behind by other American +troops who had already charged over the same ground. No one appreciated +the humor of this exploit more than Grant. It reminded him, he said, of +the soldier who boasted that he had been in a charge and had cut off the +leg of one of the enemy's officers. "Why didn't you cut off his head?" +inquired his commander. "Oh, somebody had done that already," replied +the valiant hero. + +Slight as the fighting was at Resaca, it completely satisfied the +Mexicans, and for over three months they left the Americans severely +alone. Meanwhile, General Taylor received reenforcements and in August, +1846, he proceeded against the town of Monterey, which the enemy had +fortified with considerable skill and where they were evidently prepared +to make a desperate resistance. Grant was again quartermaster, and +the terrific heat which forced the army to do its marching at night or +during the early hours of the morning, greatly increased his labors and +severely tested his patience. Almost all the transportation animals were +mules, and as very few of them were trained for the work, they were hard +to load and even harder to handle after their burdens were adjusted. +One refractory animal would often stampede all the rest, scattering +provisions and ammunition in their tracks, driving the teamsters to the +point of frenzy and generally hurling confusion through the camp. Even +Grant, who never uttered an oath in his life, was often sorely tried by +these exasperating experiences, but he kept command of his temper and by +his quiet persistence brought order out of chaos in spite of beasts and +men. + +His disappointment was bitter, however, when the attack on Monterey +began and he found himself left without any assignment in the field. +Lieutenant Meade, destined at a later date to command the Union forces +at Gettysburg, was one of the officers entrusted with the preliminary +reconnoissance against the city, and when the fighting actually +commenced on September 21st, 1846, the deserted Quartermaster mounted +his horse and rode to the scene of the action, determined to see +something of the battle even if he could not take part in it. He arrived +at the moment when his regiment was ordered to charge against what was +known as the Black Fort, and dashed forward with his men into the very +jaws of death. Certainly "someone had blundered," for the charge which +had been intended merely as a feint was carried too far and scores +of men were mowed down under the terrible fire of the enemy's guns. +Temporary shelter was at last reached, however, and under cover of it +the Adjutant borrowed Grant's horse; but he fell soon after the charge +was renewed and the Colonel, noticing the impetuous Quartermaster, +promptly appointed him to take the fallen officer's place. By this time +the troops had fought their way into the town and the enemy, posted in +the Plaza or Principal Square, commanded every approach to it. As long +as the Americans kept in the side streets they were comparatively safe, +but the moment they showed themselves in any of the avenues leading to +the Plaza, they encountered a hail of bullets. This was serious enough; +but at the end of two days the situation became critical, for the +ammunition began to run low, and it was realized that, if the Mexicans +discovered this, they would sweep down and cut their defenseless +opponents to pieces. Face to face with this predicament, the Colonel +on September 23rd, called for a volunteer to carry a dispatch to +Headquarters, and Grant instantly responded. + +To reach his destination it was necessary to run the gantlet of the +enemy, for every opening from the Plaza was completely exposed to their +fire. But trusting in the fleetness of his horse, the young lieutenant +leaped into the saddle and, swinging himself down, Indian fashion, on +one side of his steed so as to shield himself behind its body, he dashed +away on his perilous mission. A roar of muskets greeted him at every +corner, but he flashed safely by, leaping a high wall which lay across +his path and then, speeding straight for the east end of the town, +reached the commanding General and reported the peril of his friends. + +Meanwhile the Americans began one of the most curious advances ever +made by an army, for General Worth, finding that he could not force his +troops through the streets leading to the Plaza without great loss of +life, ordered them to enter the houses and break down the intervening +walls, so that they could pass from one adjoining house to another under +cover, directly to the heart of the city. This tunneling maneuver was +executed with great skill, and when the walls of the houses nearest the +Plaza were reached and masses of men stood ready to pour through the +openings into the Square, its astonished defenders gave up the fight and +promptly surrendered the city. + + + + +Chapter VII. -- Captain Lee at the Front + + +Astonishing as General Taylor's success had been, the authorities at +Washington decided, largely for political reasons, to appoint a new +commander, and three months after the battle of Monterey, General +Winfield Scott, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States army, was +ordered to the seat of the war. + +It would be impossible to imagine two officers more utterly different +than Taylor and Scott, but each in his own way exerted a profound +influence upon the careers of Grant and Lee. Taylor was a rough, +uncultivated man, fearless, shrewd and entirely capable, but with +nothing to suggest the soldier in his appearance, dress or dignity. On +the contrary, he usually appeared sitting slouchily on some woe-begone +old animal, his long legs dangling on one side of the saddle, the +bridle rein looped over his arm and a straw hat on his head, more like +a ploughman than an officer of high rank. Indeed, he seldom donned a +uniform of any description, and his only known appearance in full dress +occurred during an official meeting with an admiral, when, out of regard +for naval etiquette, he attired himself in his finest array. But this +effort at politeness was not calculated to encourage him, for the +admiral, knowing his host's objection to uniforms, had been careful to +leave his on his ship and appeared in civilian attire. + +Scott, on the other hand, was a fussy and rather pompous individual, +who delighted in brass buttons and gold lace and invariably presented +a magnificent appearance. But, like Taylor, he was an excellent officer +and thoroughly competent to handle an army in the field. He was, +moreover, entirely familiar with the material of which the American +army was composed, and his first move on assuming command was to order +practically all the regular United States troops and their officers to +join him near Vera Cruz, leaving Taylor virtually nothing but volunteer +regiments. The Fourth Infantry accordingly parted with its old commander +and reported to Scott, where it was assigned to the division of General +Worth, and for the first time Grant met many of the men with and against +whom he was to be thrown during the Civil War. + +It was certainly a remarkable body of officers that Scott gathered about +him at the outset of his campaign, for it included such men as Stonewall +Jackson, Jefferson Davis, McClellan, Joseph Johnson, Jubal Early, A. P. +Hill, Meade, Beauregard, Hooker, Longstreet, Hancock, Thomas and, last +but not least, Ulysses Grant and Robert Lee. Lee had arrived in Mexico +soon after the battle of Monterey, but he had no opportunity for +distinction until the spring of 1847, when preparations were begun +for the siege of Vera Cruz. He had, however, already demonstrated his +ability as an engineer, and with Lieutenant Beauregard who, fourteen +years later, commanded the attack on Fort Sumter, he was entrusted +with posting the American batteries at Vera Cruz. This he did to such +advantage that they made short work of the city which fell into the +invaders' hands, March 29, 1847, after a week's siege. Scott was quick +to recognize the merit of officers, and Lee was straightway attached to +his personal staff, with the result that when the army began its forward +movement most of the difficult and delicate work was confided to his +care. + +Scott's object was the capture of the City of Mexico, the capital of the +Republic, and against this stronghold he moved with energy and skill. +At Cerro Gordo the Mexicans opposed him with considerable force, but +maneuvers, suggested by Lee, enabled him to outflank the enemy and drive +them, without much trouble, from his path. Again at Contreras a check +occurred, part of the army having advanced over a well-nigh impassable +country and lost touch with the Commander-in-Chief. One after another +seven officers were dispatched to carry the necessary orders, but all +returned without effecting their purpose. But at midnight, in the midst +of a torrential storm Lee arrived from the front, having overcome all +difficulties--an achievement which Scott subsequently described as "the +greatest feat of physical and moral courage performed by any individual +in my knowledge, pending the campaign." + +But Lee was more than merely brave and daring. He was thorough. When +work was entrusted to his care he performed it personally, never relying +on others further than was absolutely necessary, and never resting +satisfied until he was certain that he had accomplished his task. On one +of his most important reconnoissances he rode into the interior of the +country at night to locate the position of the enemy, and after he had +proceeded a considerable distance his guide informed him that if he +went any further he would be a prisoner, for the whole Mexican army lay +directly in his path. He, accordingly, advanced more cautiously, but the +guide again begged him to halt, declaring that he could already see the +enemies' tents lying on the hillside below. Peering through the darkness +in the direction indicated, Lee discovered what appeared to be an +encampment of many thousand men, and for the moment he was tempted to +accept his companion's conclusion that this was the main force of the +Mexicans. Second thoughts, however, convinced him that he ought not to +make a report based upon the eyes of the guide, and, despite the +man's frightened protests, he decided to stay where he was and see +the situation for himself by daylight. But, before the morning fairly +dawned, it was apparent that the supposed army of Mexicans was nothing +but a huge flock of sheep and, galloping back with the news that the +road was clear, he led a troop of cavalry forward and located the enemy +posted many miles away in an entirely different position. + +The Mexicans stubbornly, though unsuccessfully, resisted the American +army as it pushed toward their capital, and in the battles which ensued +Lee was so active that his gallant conduct was praised in almost every +dispatch of his Chief, who subsequently attributed much of his success +"to the skill and valor of Robert E. Lee," whom he did not hesitate to +describe as "the greatest military genius in America." Continuous praise +from such a source would have been more than sufficient to turn the +average officer's head, but Lee continued to perform his duties without +showing the least sign of vanity or conceit. Quiet, thoughtful, quick +to take advantage of any opportunity, but greedy of neither honors nor +personal distinction of any kind, he won the admiration of his comrades +as well as the confidence of his superiors, and his promotion, first +to the rank of major and then to that of lieutenant-colonel, was +universally approved. + +Meanwhile, Grant had been acquitting himself with high credit in all the +work which fell to his share. He was in no position to render service of +anything like the importance of Lee's, but he did what he was ordered to +do and did it well, being brevetted a first lieutenant for conspicuous +gallantry at the battle of Molino del Rey, September 8, 1847. Again, +on September 13, in the fighting around Chapultepec, where Lee, though +wounded, remained in the saddle until he fell fainting from his horse, +Grant gained considerable distinction by his quick action in relieving a +dangerous pressure on part of the American lines by posting a small gun +in the belfry of a church and galling the enemy with his deadly accurate +fire. It was characteristic of the man that when complimented upon +this achievement and told that a second gun would be sent to him, Grant +merely saluted. He might, with truth, have informed his commanding +officer that the belfry could not accommodate another gun, but it was +not his habit to talk when there was no need of it, or to question the +wisdom of his superior officer. He, therefore, quietly accepted the +praise and the superfluous gun and, returning to his post, resumed +his excellent service. This and other similar conduct won him further +promotion, and on September 14, 1847, when the Americans marched +triumphantly into the Mexican capital, he was brevetted a captain. + +The war practically ended with this event and within a year Grant was +married to Miss Julia Dent and stationed at Sackett's Harbor, New York, +while Lee was assigned to the defenses of Baltimore, not far from his +old home. + + + + +Chapter VIII. -- Colonel Lee After the Mexican War + + +It is probable that Lee would have been well content to remain +indefinitely at Baltimore, for his duties there enabled him to be more +with his family than had been possible for some years. To his boys and +girls he was both a companion and a friend and in their company he took +the keenest delight. In fact, he and his wife made their home the center +of attraction for all the young people of the neighborhood, and no +happier household existed within the confines of their beloved Virginia. + +It was not to be expected, however, that an officer of Lee's reputation +would be allowed to remain long in obscurity, and in 1852, he was +appointed Superintendent at West Point. A wiser selection for this +important post could scarcely have been made, for Colonel Lee, then +in his forty-sixth year, possessed rare qualifications for the duties +entrusted to his charge. He was not only a man whose splendid presence, +magnificent physique and distinguished record were certain to win the +admiration and respect of young men, but he combined in his character +and temperament all the qualities of a tactful teacher and an inspiring +leader. Quiet and dignified, but extremely sympathetic, he governed +the cadets without seeming to command them and, as at his own home, he +exerted a peculiarly happy influence upon all with whom he came into +personal contact. Among the cadets during his service at West Point were +J. E. B. Stuart, who was to prove himself one of the greatest cavalry +leaders that this country has ever produced, and his elder son, Custis +Lee, who, improving on his father's almost perfect record, graduated +first in his class. + +About this time certain important changes were effected in the +organization of the regular army, and the popular Superintendent of West +Point was immediately appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the newly formed +Second Cavalry, with orders to proceed to Texas and protect the settlers +against the attacks of hostile Indians. It was with keen regret that +Lee received this assignment, for, though intended as a promotion, it +removed him from the corps of engineers to which he had always been +attached and obliged him to break all his home ties for what was +practically police duty in the wilderness. Nevertheless, no thought of +resigning from the army apparently crossed his mind. He soon joined +his regiment in Texas, where, for almost three years, he patrolled the +country, ruling the Indians by diplomacy or force, as occasion required, +practically living in the saddle and experiencing all the discomforts +and privations of garrison life at an outpost of civilization. + +Almost his only relaxation during this lonely and exhausting service was +his correspondence with his wife and children, and his letters to them, +written in rough camps and on the march, show that his thoughts were +constantly with his home and loved ones. "It has been said that our +letters are good representations of our minds," he wrote his youngest +daughter from Texas in 1857; and certainly Lee's correspondence, +exhibiting as it does, consideration for others, modesty, +conscientiousness, affection and a spirit of fun, affords an admirable +reflection of the writer. + +"Did I tell you that 'Jim Nooks,' Mrs. Waite's cat, was dead?" he wrote +one of his girls. "He died of apoplexy. I foretold his end. Coffee +and cream for breakfast, pound cake for lunch, turtle and oysters for +dinner, buttered toast for tea and Mexican rats, taken raw, for supper! +He grew enormously and ended in a spasm. His beauty could not save +him.... But I saw 'cats as is cats' at Sarassa.... The entrance of +Madame [his hostess] was foreshadowed by the coming in of her stately +cats with visages grim and tails erect, who preceded, surrounded and +followed her. They are of French breed and education, and when the +claret and water were poured out for my refreshment they jumped on the +table for a sit-to.... I had to leave the wild-cat on the Rio Grande; +he was too savage and had grown as large as a small sized dog. He would +pounce on a kid as Tom Tita [his daughter's cat] would on a mouse and +would whistle like a tiger when you approached him." + +But it was not always in this chatty fashion that he wrote, for in 1856, +when the question of slavery was being fiercely discussed throughout +the country, he expressed his views on the subject with a moderation and +broadmindedness exceedingly rare in those excited times. + +"In this enlightened age," he wrote his wife, "there are few, I believe, +but will acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and +political evil in any country. I think it, however, a greater evil to +the white than to the black race; and while my feelings are strongly +interested in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are stronger for +the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in +Africa--morally, socially and physically. The painful discipline they +are undergoing is necessary for their instruction as a race and I hope +it will prepare and lead them to better things. How long this subjection +may be necessary is known and ordered by a wise and merciful Providence. +Their emancipation will sooner result from a mild and melting influence +than from the storms and contests of fiery controversy. This influence +though slow is sure." + +Such were the views of Robert Lee on this great question of the day, and +even as he wrote the country was beginning to notice a country lawyer +named Abraham Lincoln, who was expressing almost identically the same +opinions in no uncertain terms. + +But the calm advice of Lincoln and Lee did not appeal to the hot-heads +who were for abolishing slavery instantly at any and every cost. In +October, 1859, when Lee was on a short visit to Arlington, John Brown, +whose father had once lived with Grant's father, attempted to take +the whole matter into his already blood-stained hands. It is a strange +coincidence that Lee should have chanced to be in Virginia just at this +particular crisis, and still stranger that the errand which had called +him home should have related to the emancipation of slaves. But the +facts were that Mr. Custis, his father-in-law, had died a few weeks +previously, leaving him as the executor of his will, which provided, +among other things, for the gradual emancipation of all his slaves. +Lee had accordingly obtained leave of absence to make a flying trip to +Virginia for the purpose of undertaking this duty, and he was actually +making arrangements to carry out Mr. Custis's wishes in respect to his +slaves when the news of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry reached +Arlington. Word of this reckless attempt to free the slaves by force +reached him in the form of a dispatch from the Secretary of War, +ordering him to take immediate charge of the United States marines who +were being hurried to the scene of action. He instantly obeyed and, +with Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart as his second in command, hastened to +Harper's Ferry and, directing his troops to storm the engine-house where +Brown and his followers had taken refuge, effected their capture almost +without striking a blow. Then, after delivering his prisoners to the +proper authorities, he completed his work at Arlington and returned to +Texas and the rough life of guarding the frontier line. + +From this duty he was recalled to Washington in March, 1861, when the +Southern States were rapidly forming the Confederacy, the whole country +was in wild confusion and the nation was facing the prospect of a +terrific civil war. + + + + +Chapter IX. -- Captain Grant in a Hard Fight + + +Meanwhile, what had become of Grant? The War Department did not know +and apparently did not care. Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War, +responded to his father's anxious inquiry that Captain U. S. Grant +had resigned from the army in July, 1854, but that he had no official +knowledge as to why he had taken this action. Mr. Grant, however, soon +learned the facts from other sources, and in his bitter disappointment +was heard to exclaim that "West Point had ruined one of his boys for +him." + +It was natural enough that the stern and proud old gentleman should have +blamed West Point for the heart-breaking failure of his favorite son, +but, as a matter of fact, West Point was in no way responsible for what +had occurred. Neither during his cadetship at the Academy nor for some +years after his graduation from that institution had Ulysses Grant +touched wine or stimulants in any form. He had, indeed, tried to learn +to smoke during his West Point days but had merely succeeded in making +himself ill. During his hard campaigning in Mexico, however, he had +learned not only to smoke, but to drink, though it was not until some +years after the war closed that he began to indulge to excess. As a +matter of fact, he ought never to have touched a drop of any intoxicant, +for a very little was always too much for him, and the result was that +he soon came to be known in the army as a drinking man. Had he been at +home, surrounded by his wife and children and busily engaged, perhaps +he might not have yielded to his weakness. But his orders carried him +to lonely posts on the Pacific, many hundreds of miles away from his +family, with no duties worthy of the name, and the habit grew on him +until the exasperated Colonel of his regiment at last gave him the +choice of resigning or being court-martialed for conduct unbecoming an +officer and a gentleman. Face to face with this ugly alternative, he +chose resignation, and the army, officially, knew him no more. + +It was not only social and professional disgrace, but financial ruin +which confronted the broken officer as he bade good-bye to his regiment +at its desolate quarters in California, after fifteen years of service +to the army. He was absolutely without money and, at the age of +thirty-two, it was by no means easy for him to begin life all over again +and earn his own living at a new calling. His fellow officers provided +him with enough cash for his immediate wants, and with their help he +managed to find his way back to Sackett's Harbor, New York, where there +was a little money owing him. But he failed to collect this and remained +hopelessly stranded until another officer came to his rescue and +provided him with sufficient funds to take him to his home. This friend +in time of need was Simon B. Buckner, whom he was to meet again under +strange and dramatic circumstances. + +It was hardly to be expected, under such conditions, that stern +old Jesse Grant would welcome the home-coming of his eldest son. +Nevertheless, he helped him on his way to his wife and children, and, +sick at heart and broken in health, the young man joined his family and +began a desperate struggle to earn his own living. Mrs. Grant's father +was a slave owner and a sympathizer with the South in the growing +trouble between that section of the country and the North. But the +quarrel had not yet reached the breaking point, and although he did not +approve of his son-in-law's northern views and heartily disapproved of +his conduct, he gave him a start as a farmer and then left him to work +out his own salvation. + +Farming was the only occupation at which Grant could hope to make a +living, but he soon found that he did not know enough about this to make +a success of it, and gradually fell back on his youthful experience as +a teamster, hauling wood to the city where he sold it to the railroad +or to anyone that would buy. At this he was fairly successful and, +encouraged by his wife who stood bravely by him, he built a house with +his own hands, which, although it was not much more than a log cabin, +was sufficiently large to shelter his small family. All this time he +was making a hard fight to conquer his drinking habits, but the vice had +taken a terrible hold on him and he could not easily shake it off. It +was only a matter of time, therefore, before his experiment at farming +failed and with the aid of his father-in-law he entered business as +a real estate broker in St. Louis. But for this calling he had no +qualification whatsoever, and after a disheartening experience in +attempting to secure the post of county engineer, he accepted his +father's suggestion that he join his brothers in the leather business +in Galena, Illinois, and retired there with his family in the spring of +1860. + +The position which his father had made for him was not much more than +a clerkship and the work was dull for a man who had been accustomed to +active, outdoor life; but he was received with tact and kindness, no +reference was made to his past record of failure and all this helped +him to continue the successful struggle which he was making to regain +control of himself and his habits. + +Indeed, from the time he began his residence in Galena he already had +the battle well in hand and he fought it out with such grim resolution +that before a year had passed his victory was complete. Scarcely anyone +in the little town knew of this silent struggle for self-mastery. +Indeed, very few people knew anything at all about the newcomer, save +that he was a quiet, hard-working man who occasionally appeared on the +streets wearing a blue army overcoat which had seen rough service. This +weather-stained garment, however, forced Grant to break his habitual +silence, for he fully shared General Taylor's prejudice against a +uniform and felt obliged to apologize for wearing even part of one. So +one day he explained to a neighbor that he wore the coat because it was +made of good material and he thought he ought to use it as long as it +lasted. That was all the citizens of Galena then learned of the record +of the man who had served with high honor in well-nigh every battle +of the Mexican War. Had it depended upon him, their information would +probably have begun and ended there. + +During all this time the feeling between the North and the South was +growing more and more bitter, but Galena was a town divided against +itself on the slavery question. Grant himself was a Democrat. If he +was not in favor of slavery, he certainly was not opposed to it, for he +favored Douglas and not Lincoln in the contest for the Presidency, and +Douglas was strongly against any interference with slavery. Indeed, it +is a curious coincidence that at or about the time when Lee's family was +ceasing to own slaves, Grant's family acquired some. Such, however, is +the fact, for on the death of her father, Mrs. Grant inherited several +Negroes and there is some evidence that Grant himself sold or attempted +to sell them. + +But, though he was at that time no champion of the black race, Grant was +always a strong Union man, opposed heart and soul to secession. Indeed, +when news of the attack upon Fort Sumter arrived in Galena, he arrayed +himself with the defenders of the flag gathered at a mass meeting held +in the town to form a company in response to the President's call for +75,000 volunteers. Moreover, this meeting had no sooner been called +to order than someone proposed him as chairman, and to his utter +astonishment, he found himself pushed from the rear of the room to the +front and from the front to the platform. Probably few in the audience +knew who or what he was, and his embarrassment was such that for a +few minutes no words came to his lips. Finally, however, he managed to +announce the object of the meeting, warning those who intended to enlist +that they would be engaged in serious business involving hard work +and privation, expressing his willingness to aid in forming the Galena +Company and ending with a simple statement of his own intention to +reenter the army. + +There was nothing eloquent about his short speech but it had the tone +of a man who knew what he was talking about, and the audience, availing +itself of his military experience, immediately voted to entrust the +organization and drilling of the volunteers to his care, and from that +moment he never again entered his father's place of business. + + + + +Chapter X. -- Grant's Difficulties in Securing a Command + + +The command of the local company was, of course, offered to Grant as +soon as it was formed, but he declined, believing himself qualified for +somewhat higher rank than a captaincy of volunteers. Nevertheless, he +did all he could to prepare the recruits for active service in the field +and when they were ordered to Springfield, the capital of Illinois, he +journeyed there to see them properly mustered into the service of the +state. + +Springfield was a hubbub of noise and a rallying point for well-meaning +incompetence when he arrived upon the scene. New officers in new +uniforms swaggered in every public meeting place, bands of music played +martial airs at every street corner and volunteers sky-larked and +paraded in all sorts of impossible uniforms and with every form of +theatric display. But system and order were absolutely lacking, and the +adjutant-general's office, littered with blanks and well-nigh knee deep +with papers, was the most helpless spot in the welter of confusion. All +the material for a respectable army was at hand, but how to form it +into an effective force was more than anyone seemed to know. The mass of +military forms and blanks intended for that purpose was mere waste paper +in the hands of the amiable but ignorant insurance agent who bore +the title of adjutant-general, and no one of the patriotic mob had +sufficient knowledge to instruct him in his duties. In the midst of all +this hopeless confusion, however, someone suggested that a man by the +name of Grant, who had come down with the Galena Company, had been in +the army and ought to know about such things. The Governor accordingly +sought out "the man from Galena" just as he was starting for his home, +with the result that he was soon at a desk in the adjutant's office, +filling out the necessary papers at three dollars a day, while the brand +new captains, colonels and generals posed in the foreground to the tune +of popular applause. + +From this time forward order gradually took the place of chaos and the +political generals and comic-opera soldiers were slowly shifted from the +scene. But scarcely anyone noticed the silent man, hard at work in his +shirt sleeves in a corner of the adjutant's room, and such inquiries as +were made concerning him elicited the information that he was a cast-off +of the regular army, with a dubious reputation for sobriety, who had +been hired as a clerk. But the Governor of Illinois was an intelligent +man, and he was well aware of the service which the ex-Captain of +regulars was performing for the State, and on the completion of his work +in the adjutant's office Grant was given a nominal title and assigned to +visit the various regiments at their encampments to see that they were +properly mustered in. He, accordingly, straightway set to work at +this task, and his brisk, business-like manner of handling it made +an impression upon those with whom he came in contact, for one of the +temporary camps became known as Camp Grant. + +Meanwhile, seeing his duties coming to an end without much hope +of further employment, he wrote the following letter to the +Adjutant-General of the United States Army at Washington: + + +"Sir: + +"Having served for fifteen years in the regular army, including four +years at West Point, and feeling it the duty of every one who has been +educated at the Government expense to offer their services for the +support of that Government, I have the honor, very respectfully, to +tender my services until the close of the war in such capacity as may be +offered. I would say in view of my present age and length of service, +I feel myself competent to command a regiment, if the President, in his +judgment, should see fit to entrust one to me. Since the first call of +the President I have been serving on the staff of the Governor of this +State, rendering such aid as I could in the organization of our State +militia, and am still engaged in that capacity. A letter addressed to me +at Springfield, Ill., will reach me." + + +But the authorities at Washington took no notice whatsoever of +this modest letter, which was evidently tossed aside and completely +forgotten. Indeed, it was so completely buried in the files of the +War Department that it disappeared for years and, when it was at last +discovered, the war was a thing of the past. + +This silent rebuff was enough to discourage any sensitive man and Grant +felt it keenly, but he did not entirely despair of accomplishing +his end. He tried to gain an interview with General Fremont who was +stationed in a neighboring state and, failing in this, sought out +McClellan, his comrade in the Mexican War, who had been made a +major-general and was then in the vicinity of Covington, Kentucky, where +Grant had gone to visit his parents. But McClellan either would not or +could not see him. Indeed, he had about reached the conclusion that his +quest was hopeless, when he happened to meet a friend who offered to +tell the Governor of Ohio that he wished to reenter the army, with +the result that before long he was tendered the colonelcy of an Ohio +regiment. In the meantime, however, he had unexpectedly received a +telegram from the Governor of Illinois, appointing him to the command of +the 21st Illinois regiment, and this he had instantly accepted. Had he +known the exact circumstances under which this post was offered him, +perhaps he might not have acted so promptly, but he knew enough to make +him aware that the appointment was not altogether complimentary and it +is quite likely that he would have accepted it in any event. + +The facts were, however, that the Colonel of the 21st Regiment had +proved to be an ignorant and bombastic adventurer, who had appeared +before his troops clothed in a ridiculous costume and armed like a +pirate king, and there was such dissatisfaction among both the officers +and men that a new commander was urgently demanded. Of this Grant +already knew something, but he was not advised that the regiment had +become so utterly demoralized by its incompetent leader that it was +nothing less than a dangerous and unruly mob, of which the Governor +could not induce any self-respecting officer to take charge. He had, +indeed, offered the command to at least half a dozen other men before +he tendered it to Grant, and he must have been intensely relieved to +receive his prompt acceptance. + +The new Colonel did not wait to procure a new uniform before reporting +for duty, but, hastening to the Fair Grounds close to Springfield where +his troops were stationed, ordered them to assemble for inspection. +But incompetent leadership had played havoc with the discipline of the +regiment, and the men shambled from their tents without any attempt at +military formation, more from curiosity than in obedience to orders. + +The new Colonel stepped to the front, wearing a rusty suit of civilian's +clothes, his trousers tucked into his dusty boots, a battered hat on his +head, a bandanna handkerchief tied around his waist in place of a sash +and carrying a stick in place of a sword. Altogether he presented a +most unimpressive figure and it would not have been surprising if a wild +guffaw of laughter had greeted him, but the troops, studying his strong, +calm face, contented themselves with calling for a speech. Then they +waited in silence for his response and they did not have to wait long. + +"Men!" he commanded sharply. "Go to your quarters!" + +The regiment fairly gasped its astonishment. It had never heard a speech +like that before and, taken completely by surprise, it moved quietly +from the field. + +Sentries were instantly posted, camp limits established and preparations +made for enforcing strict discipline. It was not to be supposed that +such prompt reforms would pass unchallenged, but arrests followed the +first signs of disobedience and punishment swiftly followed the arrests. + +"For every minute I'm kept here I'll have an ounce of your blood!" +threatened a dangerous offender whom the Colonel had ordered to be tied +up. + +"Gag that man!" was the quiet response. "And when his time is up I'll +cut him loose myself." + +Before night, all was quiet in the camp of the 21st Regiment of Illinois +Volunteers. + +Grant was in command. + + + + +Chapter XI. -- Lee at the Parting of the Ways + + +While Grant was thus striving to reenter the army, Lee was having a +struggle of a very different sort. Summoned from his distant post in +Texas, where only an occasional rumble of the coming tempest reached +his ears, he suddenly found himself in the center of the storm which +threatened to wreck the Republic. In the far South seven states had +already seceded; in Washington, Congressmen, Senators, and members +of the Cabinet were abandoning their posts; in the army and navy his +friends were daily tendering their resignations; and his own state, +divided between love for the Union and sympathy with its neighbors, was +hovering on the brink of secession. + +The issue in Lee's mind was not the existence of slavery. He had long +been in favor of emancipation, and Virginia had more than once come +so close to abolishing slavery by law that its disappearance from her +borders was practically assured within a very short period. All his own +slaves he had long since freed and he was gradually emancipating his +father-in-law's, according to the directions of Mr. Custis's will. But +the right of each state to govern itself without interference from the +Federal Government seemed to Lee essential to the freedom of the people. +He recognized, however, that secession was revolution and, calmly and +conscientiously examining the question, he concluded that, if force were +used to compel any state to remain in the Union, resistance would +be justifiable. Most Virginians reached this decision impulsively, +light-heartedly, defiantly or vindictively, and more or less angrily, +according to their temperaments and the spirit of the times, but not so +Lee. He unaffectedly prayed God for guidance in the struggle between his +patriotism and his devotion to a principle which he deemed essential to +liberty and justice. He loved his country as only a man in close touch +with its history and with a deep reverence for its great founder, +Washington, could love it; he had fought for its flag; he wore its +uniform; he had been educated at its expense; and General Scott, the +Commander of the army, a devoted Union man, was his warm personal +friend. Patriotism, personal pride, loyalty and even gratitude, +therefore, urged him toward the support of the Union, and only his +adherence to a principle and the claims of his kinsmen and friends +forbade. + +For a time Virginia resisted every effort to induce her to cast her lot +with the Confederacy. Indeed she actually voted against secession when +the question was first presented. But when Fort Sumter resisted attack +on April 12, 1861, and the President called upon the various states +to furnish troops to enforce the national authority, practically all +affection for the Union disappeared and by a decisive vote Virginia +determined to uphold the Southern cause. + +At that crisis President Lincoln made a strong effort to induce Lee to +support the Union, for he actually offered him the command of the United +States Army which was about to take the field. The full force of this +remarkable tribute to his professional skill was not lost upon Lee. +He had devoted his whole life to the army, and to be a successor of +Washington in the command of that army meant more to him than perhaps +to any other soldier in the land. Certainly, if he had consulted his own +ambition or been influenced by any but the most unselfish motives, he +would have accepted the call as the highest honor in the gift of the +nation. But to do so he would have been obliged to surrender his private +principles and desert his native state, and it is impossible to imagine +that a man of his character would, even for an instant, consider such +a course. Gravely and sadly he declined the mighty office, and two days +later he tendered his resignation from the service he had honored for +almost six and thirty years. + +For this and his subsequent action Lee has been called a traitor and +severely criticized for well-nigh fifty years. But, when a nation has +been divided against itself upon a great issue of government, millions +upon one side and millions upon the other, and half a century has +intervened, it is high time that justice be given to the man who did +what he thought right and honorably fought for a principle which he +could have surrendered only at the expense of his conscience and his +honor. Lee was a traitor to the United States in the same sense that +Washington was a traitor to England. No more and no less. England takes +pride to-day in having given Washington to the world. Americans deprive +their country of one of her claims to greatness when they fail to honor +the character and the genius of Robert Lee. + +It was in a letter to his old commander, Scott, that Lee announced his +momentous decision, and its tone well indicated what the parting cost +him. + + +"Arlington, Va., April 20, 1861. + +"General: + +"Since my interview with you on the 18th inst., 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 at once but for the struggle it has cost me to +separate myself from a service to which I have devoted the best years +of my life and all the ability I possessed. During the whole of that +time...I have experienced nothing but kindness from my superiors and +a most cordial friendship from my comrades. To no one, General, have +I been as much indebted as to yourself for uniform kindness and +consideration.... Save in the defense of my native State, I never desire +again to draw my sword." + + +Lee was fully aware of the serious nature of the conflict in which +the country was about to engage. Americans were to be pitted against +Americans and he knew what that meant. Wise men, both North and South, +were prophesying that the war would not last more than ninety days, +and foolish ones were bragging of their own powers and questioning the +courage of their opponents, quite oblivious of the adage that when Greek +meets Greek there comes a tug of war. But Lee did not concern himself +with such childish exhibitions of judgment and temper. + +"Do not put your faith in rumors of adjustment," he wrote his wife +before serious fighting had begun. "I see no prospect of it. It cannot +be while passions on both sides are so infuriated. MAKE YOUR PLANS FOR +SEVERAL YEARS OF WAR. I agree with you that the inflammatory articles +in the papers do us much harm. I object particularly to those in the +Southern papers, as I wish them to take a firm, dignified course, +free from bravado and boasting. The times are indeed calamitous. The +brightness of God's countenance seems turned from us. It may not always +be so dark and He may in time pardon our sins and take us under his +protection." + +Up to this time his son Custis, who had graduated first in his class +at West Point, was still in the service of the United States as a +lieutenant in the Engineers and of him Lee wrote to his wife in the same +comradely spirit that he had always shown toward his boys. "Tell Custis +he must consult his own judgment, reason and conscience, as to the +course he may take. The present is a momentous question which every man +must settle for himself, and upon principle. I do not wish him to be +guided by my wishes or example. If I have done wrong let him do better." + +Virginia was not slow in recognizing that she had within her borders the +soldiers whom the chief general of the United States described as +the greatest military genius in America, and within three days of his +resignation from the old army, Lee was tendered the command of all the +Virginia troops. Convinced that the brunt of the heavy fighting would +fall on his native state, to whose defense he had dedicated his sword, +he accepted the offer and thus there came to the aid of the Confederacy +one of the few really great commanders that the world has ever seen. + + + + +Chapter XII. -- Opening Moves + + +It was to no very agreeable task that Lee was assigned at the outset of +his command. The forces of the Confederacy were even less prepared to +take the field than those of the United States, and for three months +Lee was hard at work organizing and equipping the army for effective +service. This important but dull duty prevented him from taking any +active part in the first great battle of the War at Bull Run (July 21, +1861), but it was his rare judgment in massing the troops where +they could readily reenforce each other that enabled the Confederate +commanders on that occasion to form the junction which resulted in the +overwhelming defeat of the Union army. This fact was well recognized by +the authorities and, when the situation in western Virginia assumed a +threatening aspect, he was ordered there with the highest hopes that he +would repeat the success of Bull Run and speedily expel the Union forces +from that part of the state. + +A more unpromising field of operation than western Virginia could +scarcely have been selected for the new commander. The people of that +region generally favored the Union, and the Federal troops had already +obtained possession of the strongest positions, while some of the +Confederate commanders were quarreling with each other and otherwise +working at cross purposes. For a time, therefore, Lee had to devote +himself to smoothing over the differences which had arisen among his +jealous subordinates, but when he at last began an aggressive movement, +bad weather and a lack of cooeperation between the various parts of his +small army defeated his designs, and in October, 1861, the three-months' +campaign came to an inglorious close. + +This complete failure was a bitter disappointment to the Confederate +hopes and Lee was severely blamed for the result. Indeed, for the +time being he was regarded as an overrated individual who had had his +opportunity and had proved unequal to the task of conducting military +operations on a large scale. It was not easy to suffer this unjust +criticism to pass unnoticed, but the discipline of the army life had +taught Lee to control his tongue, and he made no protest even when he +found himself removed from the front to superintend the fortifying +of the coast. A small-minded man would probably have retired in sulky +silence under such circumstances, but Lee entered upon his new duties +with cheerful energy, and in four months he devised such skillful +defenses for Charleston, Savannah and other points on the Confederate +coast line, that they were enabled to defy all assaults of the Union +army and navy until almost the close of the war. This invaluable service +attracted no public attention, but it was fully appreciated by the +Confederate authorities, who in no wise shared the popular opinion +concerning Lee's talents. On the contrary, President Jefferson Davis, +himself a graduate of West Point, continued to have the highest regard +for his ability, and in March, 1862, he reappointed him as his chief +military adviser at Richmond. + +It was about this time that the roar of cannon in the West attracted the +attention of the country, making it realize for the first time how far +flung was the battle line of the contending armies; and on hard-fought +fields, hundreds and hundreds of miles away from Washington and +Richmond, the mud-splashed figure of Grant began to loom through heavy +clouds of smoke. + +It was by no brilliant achievement that Grant regained his standing in +the army. The unruly 21st Illinois had been sufficiently disciplined +within a fortnight after he assumed command to take some pride in +itself as an organization and when its short term of service expired, +it responded to the eloquence of McClernand and Logan, two visiting +orators, by reenlisting almost to a man. Then the Colonel set to work in +earnest to make his regiment ready for the field, drilling and hardening +the men for their duties and waiting for an opportunity to show that +this was a fighting force with no nonsense about it. The opportunity +came sooner than he expected, for about two weeks after he had assumed +command, his regiment was ordered to northern Missouri, and a railroad +official called at his camp to inquire how many cars he would need +for the transportation of his men. "I don't want any," was the bluff +response; and, to the astonishment of the local authorities who, at +that period of the war, never dreamed of moving troops except by rail +or river, the energetic Colonel assembled his regiment in marching order +and started it at a brisk pace straight across country. + +But, though he had moved with such commendable promptness, Grant was not +nearly so confident as his actions seemed to imply. In fact, before he +reached his destination, he heartily wished himself back again, and by +the time he arrived at the point where the enemy was expected his +nerves were completely unstrung. It was not the fright of cowardice that +unmanned him, but rather the terror of responsibility. Again and again +he had braved death in battle but now, for the first time, the safety of +an entire regiment depended solely upon him as he approached the summit +of the hill from which he expected to catch sight of his opponents he +dreaded to fight them, lest he prove unequal to the emergency. But, +while he was tormenting himself with this over-anxiety, he suddenly +remembered that his opponent was just as new at his duties as he was and +probably quite as nervous, and from that moment his confidence gradually +returned. As a matter of fact, Colonel Harris, who commanded the +Confederate force, displayed far more prudence than valor, for, on +hearing of the advance of the Union troops, he speedily retreated and +the 21st Illinois encountered no opposition whatever. But the march +taught Grant a lesson he never forgot and, thereafter, in the hour of +peril, he invariably consoled himself by remembering that his opponents +were not free from danger and the more he made them look to their own +safety the less time they would have for worrying him. + +It was in July, 1861, when Grant entered Missouri, and about a month +later the astonishing news reached his headquarters that President +Lincoln had appointed him a Brigadier General of Volunteers. The +explanation of this unexpected honor was that the Illinois Congressmen +had included his name with seven others on a list of possible +brigadiers, and the President had appointed four of them without +further evidence of their qualifications. Under such circumstances, the +promotion was not much of an honor, but it placed Grant in immediate +command of an important district involving the control of an army of +quite respectable size. + +For a time the new General was exclusively occupied with perfecting the +organization of his increased command, but to this hard, dull work he +devoted himself in a manner that astonished some of the other brigadiers +whose ideas of the position involved a showy staff of officers and a +deal of picturesque posing in resplendent uniforms. But Grant had no +patience with such foolery. He had work to do and when his headquarters +were established at Cairo, Illinois, he took charge of them himself, +keeping his eyes on all the details like any careful business man. In +fact he was, as far as appearances were concerned, a man of business, +for he seldom wore a uniform and worked at his desk all day in his shirt +sleeves, behind ramparts of maps and papers, with no regard whatever for +military ceremony or display. + +A month of this arduous preparation found his force ready for active +duty and about this time he became convinced that the Confederates +intended to seize Paducah, an important position in Kentucky at the +mouth of the Tennessee River, just beyond the limits of his command. +He, accordingly, telegraphed his superiors for permission to occupy the +place. No reply came to this request and a more timid man would have +hesitated to move without orders. But Grant saw the danger and, assuming +the responsibility, landed his troops in the town just in time to +prevent its capture by the Confederates. Paducah was in sympathy with +the South, and on entering it the Union commander issued an address to +the inhabitants which attracted far more attention than the occupation +of the town, for it contained nothing of the silly brag and bluster so +common then in military proclamations on both sides. On the contrary, +it was so modest and sensible, and yet so firm, that Lincoln, on reading +it, is said to have remarked: "The man who can write like that is fitted +to command." + +Paducah was destined to be the last of Grant's bloodless victories, +for in November, 1861, he was ordered to threaten the Confederates near +Belmont, Missouri, as a feint to keep them from reenforcing another +point where a real assault was planned. The maneuver was conducted with +great energy and promised to be completely successful, but after Grant's +raw troops had made their first onslaught and had driven their opponents +from the field, they became disorderly and before he could control them +the enemy reappeared in overwhelming numbers and compelled them to fight +their way back to the river steamers which had carried them to the scene +of action. This they succeeded in doing, but such was their haste to +escape capture that they actually tumbled on board the boats and pushed +off from the shore without waiting for their commander. By this time the +Confederates were rapidly approaching with the intention of sweeping the +decks of the crowded steamboats before they could get out of range, +and Grant was apparently cut off from all chance of escape. Directly +in front of him lay the precipitous river bank, while below only +one transport was within hail and that had already started from its +moorings. Its captain, however, caught sight of him as he came galloping +through a corn field and instantly pushed his vessel as close to the +shore as he dared, at the same time throwing out a single plank about +fifteen feet in length to serve as an emergency gangway. To force a +horse down the cliff-like bank of the river and up the narrow plank to +the steamer's deck, was a daring feat, but the officer who was riding +for his life had not forgotten the skill which had marked him at West +Point and, compelling his mount to slide on its haunches down the +slippery mud precipice, he trotted coolly up the dangerous incline to +safety. + +The battle of Belmont (November 7, 1861), as this baptism of fire was +called, is said to have caused more mourning than almost any other +engagement of the war, for up to that time there had been but little +loss of life and its list of killed and wounded, mounting into the +hundreds, made a painfully deep impression. In this respect, it was +decidedly ominous of Grant's future record, but it accomplished his +purpose in detaining the Confederates and he was soon to prove his +willingness to accept defeats as necessary incidents to any successful +campaign and to fight on undismayed. + + + + +Chapter XIII. -- Grant's First Success + + +Up to this time the war in the West had been largely an affair of +skirmishes. A body of Union troops would find itself confronting a +Confederate force, one of the two commanders would attack and a fight +would follow; or the Confederates would march into a town and their +opponents would attempt to drive them out of it, not because it was +of any particular value, but because the other side held it. +"See-a-head-and-hit-it" strategy governed the day and no plan worthy +of the name had been adopted for conducting the war on scientific +principles. + +But Grant had studied the maps to some purpose in his office at Cairo +and he realized that the possession of the Mississippi River was the +key to the situation in the West. As long as the Confederates controlled +that great waterway which afforded them free access to the ocean +and fairly divided the Eastern from the Western States, they might +reasonably hope to defy their opponents to the end of time. But, if they +lost it, one part of the Confederacy would be almost completely cut off +from the rest. Doubtless, other men saw this just as clearly and quite +as soon as Grant did; but having once grasped an idea he never lost +sight of it, and while others were diverted by minor matters, he +concentrated his whole attention on what he believed to be the vital +object of all campaigning in the West. + +The Tennessee River and the Cumberland River both flow into the Ohio, +not far from where that river empties into the Mississippi. They, +therefore, formed the principal means of water communication with the +Mississippi for the State of Tennessee, and the Confederates had created +forts to protect them at points well within supporting distance of each +other. Fort Henry, guarding the Tennessee River, and Fort Donelson, +commanding the Cumberland River, were both in Grant's district, and in +January, 1862, he wrote to General Halleck, his superior officer in St. +Louis, calling attention to the importance of these posts and offering +suggestions for their capture. But Halleck did not take any notice of +this communication and Grant thereupon resolved to go to St. Louis and +present his plans in person. This was the first time he had been in the +city since the great change in his circumstances and those who had known +him only a few years before as a poverty-stricken farmer and wagoner +could scarcely believe that he was the same man. He had, as yet, done +nothing very remarkable, but he held an important command, his name was +well and favorably known and he had already begun to pay off his old +debts. All this enabled his father and mother to regain something of the +pride they had once felt for their eldest son, and his former friends +were glad to welcome him and claim his acquaintance. + +Pleasant as this was, the trip to St. Louis was a bitter disappointment +in other respects, for Halleck not only rejected his subordinate's +proposition for the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, but +dismissed him without even listening to the details of his plan. Most +officers would have been completely discouraged by such treatment, but +Grant had been accustomed to disappointments for many years and did not +readily despair. Meeting Flag-Officer Foote who had charge of a fleet +of gun boats near Cairo, he explained his idea and finding him not only +sympathetic, but enthusiastic, he and Foote each sent a telegram to +Halleck assuring him that Fort Henry could be taken if he would only +give his consent. These messages brought no immediate response, but +Grant continued to request permission to advance until, on the 1st of +February, 1862, the necessary order was obtained and within twenty-four +hours the persistent officer had his expedition well upon its way. + +His force consisted of some 15,000 men and seven gun boats, and Halleck +promised him reenforcements, sending a capable officer to see that they +were promptly forwarded. This officer was Brigadier General Sherman who +thus, for the first time, came in touch with the man with whom he was +destined to bring the war to a close. Four days after the troops started +they were ready to attack and the gun-boats at once proceeded to +shell the fort, with the result that its garrison almost immediately +surrendered (February 6, 1862), practically all of its defenders having +retreated to Fort Donelson as soon as they saw that their position was +seriously threatened. + +Grant promptly notified his Chief of this easy conquest, at the same +time adding that he would take Fort Donelson within forty-eight hours, +but he soon had reason to regret this boast--one of the few of which +he was ever guilty. Indeed, his troops had scarcely started on their +journey when rapid progress became impossible, for the rain descended +in torrents, rendering the roads impassable for wagons and cannon, and +almost impracticable for infantry or cavalry. Moreover, many of the men +had foolishly thrown away their blankets and overcoats during the march +from Fort Henry and their suffering under the freezing winter blasts was +exceedingly severe, especially as camp fires were not permitted for +fear that their smoke would attract the gunners in the fort. Under these +circumstances the advance was seriously delayed, and it was February +14, 1862--six days after he had prophesied that he would take the +place--before Grant had his army in position. By this time, however, +the gun-boats had arrived and he determined to attack at once, although +Halleck had advised him to wait for reenforcements to occupy Fort Henry, +lest the Confederates should recapture it while his back was turned. +There was, of course, a chance of this, but Grant felt sure that if he +delayed the Confederates would seize the opportunity to strengthen +Fort Donelson, and then 50,000 men would not be able to accomplish what +15,000 might immediately effect. He, accordingly, directed Foote +to bombard the fort at once from the river front and try to run its +batteries. Desperate as this attempt appeared his orders were instantly +obeyed, the fearless naval officer forcing his little vessels into the +very jaws of death under a terrific fire, to which he responded with a +hail of shot and shell. + +Grant watched this spectacular combat with intense interest, waiting for +a favorable moment to order an advance of his troops, but to his bitter +disappointment one after another of Foote's vessels succumbed to the +deadly fire of the water batteries and drifted helplessly back with the +current. Indeed, the flagship was struck more than sixty times and Foote +himself was so severely wounded that he could not report in person, +but requested that the General come on board his ship for a conference, +which disclosed the fact that the fleet was in no condition to continue +the combat and must retire for repairs. + +There was nothing for Grant to do, therefore, but prepare for a siege, +and with a heavy heart he returned from the battered gun-boat to give +the necessary orders. He had scarcely set his foot on shore, however, +before a staff officer dashed up with the startling intelligence that +the Confederates had sallied forth and attacked a division of the army +commanded by General McClernand and that his troops were fleeing in a +panic which threatened to involve the entire army. Grant knew McClernand +well. He was one of the Congressmen who had made speeches to the 21st +Illinois and, realizing that the man was almost wholly ignorant of +military matters and utterly incapable of handling such a situation, he +leaped on his horse and, spurring his way across the frozen ground to +the sound of the firing, confronted the huddled and beaten division just +in the nick of time. Meanwhile, General Lew Wallace--afterwards famous +as the author "Ben Hur"--had arrived and thrown forward a brigade to +cover the confused retreat, so that for the moment the Confederate +advance was held in check. But despite this, McClernand's men continued +to give way, muttering that their ammunition was exhausted. There were +tons of ammunition close at hand, as the officers ought to have known +had they understood their duties, but even when assured of this the +panic-stricken soldiers refused to return to the field. They were in no +condition to resist attack, they declared, and the enemy was evidently +intending to make a long fight of it, as the haversacks of those who had +fallen contained at least three days' rations. This excuse was overheard +by Grant and instantly riveted his attention. + +"Let me see some of those haversacks," he commanded sharply, and one +glance at their contents convinced him that the Confederates were not +attempting to crush his army, but were trying to break through his lines +and escape. If they intended to stay and defend the fortress, they would +not carry haversacks at all; but if they contemplated a retreat, they +would not only take them, but fill them with enough provisions to last +for several days. In reaching this conclusion Grant was greatly aided +by his knowledge of the men opposing him. He had served in Mexico with +General Pillow, the second in command at Fort Donelson, and, knowing him +to be a timid man, felt certain that nothing but desperation would ever +induce him to risk an attack. He also knew that Floyd, his immediate +superior, who had recently been the United States Secretary of War, +had excellent reasons for avoiding capture and, putting all these facts +together, he instantly rose to the occasion. + +"Fill your cartridge boxes, quick, and get into line," was his order to +the men as he dashed down the wavering lines. "The enemy is trying to +escape and he must not be permitted to do so!" + +The word flew through the disordered ranks, transforming them as it +passed, and at the same time orders were issued for the entire left +wing to advance and attack without a moment's delay. This unexpected +onslaught quickly threw the Confederates back into the fortress, but +before they again reached the shelter of its walls the Union forces had +carried all the outer defenses and had virtually locked the door behind +their retreating adversaries. + +From that moment the capture of the imprisoned garrison was only +a question of time, and within twenty-four hours Grant received a +communication from the Confederate commander asking for a truce to +consider the terms of surrender. To his utter astonishment, however, +this suggestion did not come from either General Floyd or General +Pillow but from Simon Buckner, his old friend at West Point, who had so +generously aided him when he reached New York, penniless and disgraced +after his resignation from the army. This was an embarrassing situation, +indeed, but while he would have done anything he could for Buckner +personally, Grant realized that he must not allow gratitude or +friendship to interfere with his duty. He, therefore, promptly answered +the proposal for a truce in these words: + + +"No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be +accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." + + +[NOTE from Brett: The full letter is also shown in Grant's handwriting +which leaves something to be desired. I will do my best to transcribe it +below: + +Hd Qrs. Army in the Field Camp Fort Donelson, Feb. 16th 1862 + +Cmdr. S. B. Buckner Confed. Army. + +Sir, + +Yours of this inst. proposing armistice, and appointment of +Commissioners to settle terms of Capitulation is just received. No terms +except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. + +I propose to move immediately upon your works. + +I am Sir, very respectfully, your obt. svt. [obedient servant], U. S. +Grant Brig. Gen.] + + +But no more fighting was necessary, for Buckner yielded as gracefully as +he could, and on February 16, 1862, he and the entire garrison of +about 15,000 men became prisoners of war. Generals Pillow and Floyd, it +appeared, had fled with some 4,000 men the night before, leaving Buckner +in charge and as Grant's force had by that time been increased to 27,000 +men, further resistance would have been useless. + +The capture of these two forts gave the Union forces command of the +Tennessee and the Cumberland Rivers, and to that extent cleared the way +for the control of the Mississippi. It was the first real success which +had greeted the Union cause and it raised Grant to a Major-Generalship +of Volunteers, gave him a national reputation and supplied a better +interpretation of his initial than West Point had provided, for from the +date of his letter to Buckner he was known as "Unconditional Surrender" +Grant. + + + + +Chapter XIV. -- The Battle of Shiloh + + +Grant did not waste any time in rejoicing over his success. The capture +of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson was an important achievement but it was +only one step toward the control of the Mississippi River, which was the +main object of the campaign. The next step in that direction was +toward Corinth a strategically important point in Mississippi, and he +immediately concentrated his attention upon getting the army in position +to attack that stronghold. Some of his fellow commanders, however, were +extremely cautious and he had to labor for days before he could persuade +General Buell, who was stationed at Nashville, Tennessee, with a large +army, to advance his troops to a point where they could be of service. +But in the midst of this work he was suddenly interrupted by an order +which removed him from his command and virtually placed him under arrest +on charges of disregarding instructions and of being absent from his +department without permission. + +These astonishing accusations were caused by his failure to answer +dispatches from Headquarters which had never reached him, and by his +visit to General Buell which had obliged him to travel beyond the +strict limits of his command. The whole matter was soon explained by the +discovery that a Confederate had been tampering with the dispatches in +the telegraph office, but it was exceedingly annoying to Grant to find +himself publicly condemned without a hearing. Nevertheless, it supplied +a very fair test of his character, for he neither lost his temper +nor displayed any excitement whatsoever. On the contrary, he remained +perfectly calm in the face of grave provocation, replying firmly but +respectfully to the harsh criticisms of his superiors, and behaving +generally with a dignity and composure that won the silent approval of +all observers. + +Of course, as soon as the facts were known he was restored to his +command with an ample apology, but his preparations for the advance +against Corinth had been seriously interrupted and it was some time +before he again had the work in hand. Nevertheless, within five weeks +of the surrender of Fort Donelson, he was headed toward Mississippi +with over 30,000 men, having arranged with General Buell to follow and +support him with his army of 40,000, the combined forces being amply +sufficient to overpower the Confederates who were guarding Corinth. This +vast superiority, however, probably served to put Grant off his guard, +for on March 16, 1862, his advance under General Sherman reached +Pittsburg Landing, not far from Corinth, and encamped there without +taking the precaution to intrench. Sherman reported on April 5th that +he had no fear of being attacked and Grant, who had been injured the day +before by the fall of his horse and was still on crutches, remained some +distance in the rear, feeling confident that there would be no serious +fighting for several days. + +But the Union commander, who had studied his opponents with such good +results at Fort Donelson, made a terrible mistake in failing to do so on +this occasion, for he knew, or ought to have known, that General Albert +Sidney Johnston and General Beauregard, the Confederate commanders +were bold and energetic officers who were well advised of the military +situation and ready to take advantage of every opportunity. Indeed, +their sharp eyes had already noted the gap between Grant's and Buell's +armies and at the moment Sherman was penning his dispatch to his +superior, informing him that all was well, a force of 40,000 men was +preparing to crush his unprotected advance guard before Buell could +reach the field. + +It was Sunday morning, April 6, 1862, when the ominous sound of firing +in the direction of Shiloh Church smote Grant's ears. For a few moments +he could not believe that it indicated a serious attack, but the roar +of heavy guns soon convinced him that a desperate battle had begun and, +directing his orderlies to lift him into the saddle, he dashed to the +nearest boat landing and proceeded to the front with all possible speed. +Before he reached the ground, however, the Confederates had driven the +Union outposts from the field in frightful disorder and were hurling +themselves with ferocious energy upon those who still held fast. The +surprise had been well-nigh complete and the first rush of the gray +infantry carried everything before it, leaving the foremost Union camp +in their hands. Indeed, for a time the Federal army was not much more +than a disorganized mob, completely bewildered by the shock of battle, +and thousands of men blindly sought refuge in the rear, heedless of +their officers who, with a few exceptions, strove valiantly to organize +an effective defense. + +The tumult and confusion were at their worst when Grant reached the +field and it seemed almost hopeless to check the panic and prevent +the destruction of his entire army. But in the midst of the maddening +turmoil and wild scenes of disaster he kept his head and, dashing from +one end of the line to the other, ordered regiments into position with +a force and energy that compelled obedience. There was no time to +formulate any plan of battle. Each officer had to do whatever he thought +best to hold back the Confederates in his immediate front, and for hours +the fight was conducted practically without orders. But Grant supplied +his gallant subordinates with something far more important than orders +at that crisis. Undismayed by the chaos about him he remained cool and +inspired them with confidence. Not for one instant would he admit the +possibility of defeat, and under his strong hand the huddled lines were +quickly reformed, the onrush of the Confederates was gradually checked +and a desperate conflict begun for every inch of ground. + +For a time the victorious gray-coats continued to push their opponents +back and another line of tents fell into their hands. But their advance +was stubbornly contested and knowing that Buell was at hand, Grant +fought hard for delay, using every effort to encourage his men to stand +fast and present the boldest possible front to the foe. Meanwhile, +however, Sherman was wounded, and when darkness put an end to the +furious combat the shattered Union army was on the verge of collapse. So +perilous, indeed, was the situation that when Buell arrived on the field +his first inquiry was as to what preparations Grant had made to effect +a retreat. But the silent commander instantly shook his head and +announced, to the intense astonishment of his questioner, that he did +not intend to retreat but to attack at daylight the next morning with +every man at his disposal, leaving no reserves. + +Such was Grant at one of the darkest moments of his career. Behind him +lay the battered remnants of regiments, screening a welter of confusion +and fear; before him stretched the blood-soaked field of Shiloh held +by the confident Confederate host; while at his elbow stood anxious +officers, well satisfied to have saved the army from destruction and +ready to point out a convenient line of retreat. All his surroundings, +in fact, were calculated to discourage him and the intense pain of his +injured leg, which allowed him neither rest nor sleep, was a severe +strain upon his nerves. Yet he would not yield to weakness of any kind. +He was responsible for the position in which the Union army found itself +and he determined to retrieve its fortunes. Therefore, all night long +while reenforcements were steadily arriving, he developed his plans for +assuming the offensive, and at break of day his troops hurled themselves +against the opposing lines with dauntless energy. + +Meanwhile the Confederates had sustained an irreparable loss, for Albert +Sidney Johnston, their brilliant leader, had fallen. Moreover, they +had no reserves to meet the Union reenforcements. Nevertheless, they +received the vigorous onslaught with splendid courage and another +terrible day of carnage followed. Again and again Grant exposed himself +with reckless daring, narrowly escaping death from a bullet which +carried away the scabbard of his sword as he reconnoitered in advance +of his men, but despite his utmost efforts the gray lines held fast, and +for hours no apparent advantage was gained. Then, little by little, the +heavy Union battalions began to push them back until all the lost ground +was recovered, but the Confederates conducted their retreat in good +order and finally reached a point of safety, leaving very few prisoners +in their pursuers' hands. + +Grant had saved his army from destruction and had even driven his +adversary from the field, but at a fearful cost, for no less than +10,000 Union soldiers were killed or wounded in the two days' desperate +fighting at Shiloh and almost 3,000 had been captured. The Confederates, +it is true, had lost nearly 10,000 men, but their army, which should +have been crushed by the combined efforts of Grant and Buell, was still +in possession of Corinth and had come dangerously near to annihilating +half of the Union forces. + +The results of the battle were, therefore, received at Washington +with surprise and indignation; the country at large, horrified at the +frightful slaughter, denounced it as a useless butchery; Halleck hastily +assumed charge of all the forces in the field and from that time forward +Grant, though nominally the second in command, was deprived of all power +and virtually reduced to the role of a mere spectator. Indeed, serious +efforts were made to have him dismissed from the service, but Lincoln +after carefully considering the charges, refused to act. "I can't spare +this man," was his comment. "He FIGHTS." + +Lincoln intended to imply by that remark that there were generals in the +army who did not fight, and Halleck was certainly one of them, for he +took thirty-one days to march the distance that the Confederates had +covered in three. Indeed, he displayed such extraordinary caution that +with an army of 100,000 at his back he inched his way toward Corinth, +erecting intrenchments at every halt, only to find, after a month, that +he had been frightened by shadows and dummy guns and that the city had +been abandoned by the Confederates. No commander responsible for such +a ridiculous performance could retain the confidence of an army in the +field, and Sherman assured Grant that Halleck would not long survive +the fiasco. This advice was sorely needed, for Grant had grown tired of +being constantly humiliated and had already requested Halleck to +relieve him from duty when Sherman persuaded him to remain and wait for +something to happen. + +Something happened sooner then either man expected, for Halleck was +suddenly "kicked up stairs" by his appointment to the chief command with +headquarters in Washington, and on July 11, 1862, about three months +after the battle of Shiloh, Grant found himself again at the head of a +powerful army. + + + + +Chapter XV. -- Lee in the Saddle + + +While Grant was earning a reputation as a fighting general in the West, +Lee had been at a desk in Richmond attending to his duties as chief +military adviser to the Confederate President, which prevented him from +taking active part in any operations in the field. As a matter of fact, +however, there had been no important engagements in the East, for "On to +Richmond!" had become the war cry of the North, and all the energies of +the Federal government had been centered on preparations for the capture +of the Southern capital. Indeed, if Richmond had been the treasure house +and last refuge of the Confederacy, no greater efforts could have been +made to secure it, although it was by no means essential to either the +North or the South and the war would have continued no matter which flag +floated above its roofs. Nevertheless, the idea of marching into the +enemy's capital appealed to the popular imagination and this undoubtedly +dictated much of the early strategy of the war. + +At all events, while the opening moves in the campaign for the +possession of the Mississippi were being made, a vast army was being +equipped near Washington for the express purpose of capturing Richmond. +The preparation of this force had been entrusted to General George B. +McClellan whose ability in organizing, drilling and disciplining the +troops had made him a popular hero and given him such a reputation as a +military genius that he was universally hailed as "the young Napoleon." +He had, indeed, created the most thoroughly equipped army ever seen in +America, and when he advanced toward Virginia in April, 1862, at the +head of over 100,000 men the supporters of the Union believed that the +doom of the Confederacy was already sealed. + +From this office in Richmond Lee watched these formidable preparations +for invading the South with no little apprehension. He knew that the +Confederates had only about 50,000 available troops with which to oppose +McClellan's great army and had the Union commander been aware of this he +might have moved straight against the city and swept its defenders from +his path. But McClellan always believed that he was outnumbered and on +this occasion he wildly exaggerated his opponents' strength. In fact, +he crept forward so cautiously that the Confederates, who had +almost resigned themselves to losing the city, hastened to bring +up reenforcements and erect defensive works of a really formidable +character. The best that was hoped for, however, was to delay the Union +army. To defeat it, or even to check its advance, seemed impossible, +and doubtless it would have proved so had it not been for the brilliant +exploits of the man who was destined to become Lee's "right hand." + +This man was General Thomas Jonathan Jackson, who had earned the +nickname of "Stonewall" at Bull Run and was at that time in command of +about 15,000 men guarding the fertile Shenandoah Valley, the "granary +of Virginia." Opposing this comparatively small army were several +strong Union forces which were considered amply sufficient to capture +or destroy it, and McClellan proceeded southward, with no misgivings +concerning Jackson. But the wily Confederate had no intention of +remaining idle and McClellan's back was scarcely turned before he +attacked and utterly routed his nearest opponents. A second, third and +even a fourth army was launched against him, but he twisted, turned and +doubled on his tracks with bewildering rapidity, cleverly luring his +opponents apart; and then, falling on each in turn with overwhelming +numbers, hurled them from his path with astonishing ease and suddenly +appeared before Washington threatening its capture. + +Astounded and alarmed at this unexpected peril, the Federal authorities +instantly ordered McDowell's corps of 40,000 men, which was on the +point of joining McClellan, to remain and defend the capital. This was +a serious blow to McClellan who had counted upon using these troops, +though even without them he greatly outnumbered the Confederates. But +the idea that he was opposed by an overwhelming force had taken such a +firm hold on his mind that he was almost afraid to move, and while he +was timidly feeling his way General Joseph Johnston, commanding the +defenses at Richmond, attacked his advance corps at Seven Pines, May +31, 1862. A fierce contest followed, during which Johnston was severely +wounded, and Jefferson Davis, who was on the field, promptly summoned +General Lee to the command. + +It was a serious situation which confronted Lee when he was thus +suddenly recalled to active duty, for McClellan's army outnumbered his +by at least 40,000 men and it was within six miles of Richmond, from +the roofs of whose houses the glow of the Union campfires was plainly +visible. Nevertheless, he determined to put on a bold front and attack +his opponent at his weakest point. But how to discover this was a +difficult problem and the situation did not admit of a moment's delay. +Under ordinary circumstances the information might have been secured +through spies, but there was no time for this and confronted by the +necessity for immediate action, Lee thought of "Jeb" Stuart, his son's +classmate at West Point, who had acted as aide in the capture of John +Brown. + +Stuart was only twenty-nine years old but he had already made a name for +himself as a general of cavalry, and Lee knew him well enough to feel +confident that, if there was any one in the army who could procure the +needed information, he was the man. He, accordingly, ordered him to take +1,200 troopers and a few field guns and ride straight at the right flank +of the Union army until he got near enough to learn how McClellan's +forces were posted at that point. + +This perilous errand was just the opportunity for which Stuart had been +waiting, and without the loss of a moment he set his horsemen in motion. +Directly in his path lay the Federal cavalry but within twenty-four +hours he had forced his way through them and carefully noted the exact +position of the Union troops. His mission was then accomplished, but by +this time the Federal camp was thoroughly aroused and, knowing that if +he attempted to retrace his steps his capture was almost certain, he +pushed rapidly forward and, passing around the right wing, proceeded to +circle the rear of McClellan's entire army. So speedily did he move that +the alarm of his approach was no sooner given in one quarter than he +appeared in another and thus, like a boy disturbing a row of hornets' +nests with a long stick, he flashed by the whole line, reached the Union +left, swung around it and reported to Lee with his command practically +intact. + +That a few squadrons of cavalry should have been able to ride around +his army of 100,000 men and escape unscathed astonished and annoyed +McClellan but he utterly failed to grasp the true purpose of this +brilliant exploit, and Lee took the utmost care to see that his +suspicions were not aroused. Stuart's information had convinced him that +the right wing of the Union army was badly exposed and might be attacked +with every prospect of success, but to insure this it was necessary +that McClellan's attention should be distracted from the real point of +danger. The Confederate commander thoroughly understood his opponent's +character and failings, for he had taken his measure during the Mexican +War and knowing his cautious nature, he spread the news that heavy +reenforcements had been forwarded to Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. +This he felt sure would confirm McClellan's belief that he had such +overwhelming numbers that he could afford to withdraw troops from +Richmond, and the ruse was entirely successful, for the Union commander +hesitated to advance, and the Federal authorities, hearing of Jackson's +supposed reenforcement, became increasingly alarmed for the safety of +Washington. + +Meanwhile, a courier had been secretly hurried to Jackson, ordering him +to rush his troops from the Shenandoah Valley and attack McClellan's +right wing from the rear while Lee assaulted it from the front. But the +Union right wing numbered fully 25,000 men and Jackson had only 15,000. +So to make the attack overwhelming it was necessary for Lee to withdraw +40,000 men from the defenses of Richmond, leaving the city practically +unprotected. Unquestionably, this was a most dangerous move, for had +McClellan suspected the truth he might have forced his way into the +capital without much difficulty. But here again Lee counted upon his +adversary's character, for he directed the troops that remained in the +trenches to keep up a continuous feint of attacking the Union left wing, +in the hope that this show of force would cause McClellan to look to his +safety in that quarter, which is precisely what he did. Indeed, he was +still busy reporting the threatening movements against his left, when +Lee and Jackson's combined force of 55,000 men fell upon his right with +fearful effect at Gaines' Mill (June 27, 1862). From that moment his +campaign for the capture of Richmond became a struggle to save his own +army from capture or destruction. + +The only safety lay in flight but at the moment of defeat and impending +disaster it was not easy to extricate the troops from their dangerous +position, and McClellan showed high skill in masking his line of +retreat. Lee did not, therefore, immediately discover the direction +in which he was moving and this delay probably prevented him from +annihilating the remnants of the Union army. Once on the trail, however, +he lost no time and, loosing "his dogs of war," they fell upon the +retreating columns again and again in the series of terrible conflicts +known as the "Seven Days' Battles." But the Union army was struggling +for its life and, like a stag at bay, it fought off its pursuers with +desperate courage, until finally at Malvern Hill (July 1, 1862), it +rolled them back with such slaughter that a bolder leader might have +been encouraged to advance again toward Richmond. As it was, however, +McClellan was well content to remove his shattered legions to a point of +safety at Harrison's Landing, leaving Lee in undisturbed possession of +the field dyed with the blood of well-nigh 30,000 men. + + + + +Chapter XVI. -- A Game of Strategy + + +While the remnants of McClellan's fine army were recuperating from the +rough handling they had received, Lee was developing a plan to remove +them still further from the vicinity of Richmond. Harrison's Landing +was too close to the Confederate capital for comfort and the breastworks +which the Union commander erected there were too formidable to be +attacked. But, though he could not hope to drive his adversary away +by force, Lee believed that he could lure him from his stronghold by +carrying the war into another part of Virginia. The opportunity to +do this was particularly favorable, for the Union forces in front of +Washington, consisting of about 45,000 men, had been placed under +the command of General John Pope. Pope had served with Grant in the +Mississippi campaign and had begun his career in the East by boasting of +the great things he was about to accomplish, referring contemptuously +to his opponents and otherwise advertising himself as a braggart and a +babbler. He had come, so he told his soldiers in a flamboyant address, +from an army which had seen only the backs of its enemies. He had +come to lead them to victories. He wanted to hear no more of "lines of +retreat" or backward movements of any kind. His headquarters were "in +the saddle" and his mission was to terrorize the foe. + +These absurd proclamations pretty thoroughly exposed Pope's character, +but he had been at West Point with General Longstreet, one of Lee's +ablest advisers, and that officer speedily acquainted his chief with the +full measure of his opponent's weaknesses. This was exceedingly useful +to Lee and when he discovered that McClellan and Pope were pulling at +different directions like balky circus horses, while Halleck with one +foot on each was in imminent peril of a fall, he determined to take +advantage of the situation and hasten the disaster. + +McClellan, having 90,000 men, wanted Pope to reenforce him with his +45,000, and thus insure a renewal of his campaign against Richmond. +But this, of course, did not suit Pope who wished McClellan's army to +reenforce him and march to victory under his banner. But while each of +the rivals was insisting that his plan should be adopted and Halleck, +who held the chief of command, was wobbling between them, trying to make +up his mind to favor one or the other, Lee took the whole matter out +of his hands and decided it for him. He did not want McClellan to be +reenforced; first, because he was the abler officer and, second, because +he had or soon would have more than sufficient men to capture Richmond +and might wake to a realization of this fact at any moment. From the +Confederate standpoint it was much safer to have Pope reenforced, for he +did not have the experience necessary to handle a large army. Therefore, +the more troops he had to mismanage the better. Moreover, Lee knew that +McClellan would cease to be dangerous as soon as he was obliged to +send any part of his forces away, for, as usual, he imagined that his +opponents already outnumbered him and that the withdrawal of even a +single regiment would place him practically at their mercy. + +Carefully bearing all these facts in mind and thinking that it was about +time to force Halleck to transfer some of McClellan's troops to Pope, +Lee ordered Jackson to attack the man who thus far had seen "only the +backs of his foes." But at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, which followed +(August 9, 1862), his enemies would not turn their backs and the fact +evidently alarmed him, for he immediately began shouting lustily for +help. Perhaps he called a little louder than was necessary in order to +get as many of his rival's men as possible under his own command, but +the result was that McClellan's army began rapidly melting away under +orders to hurry to the rescue. + +Lee's first object was, therefore, accomplished at one stroke and, +as fast as McClellan's troops moved northward, he withdrew the forces +guarding Richmond and rushed them by shorter routes to confront Pope, +whom he had determined to destroy before his reenforcements reached +the field. Indeed, a very neat trap had already been prepared for that +gentleman who was on the point of stepping into it when he intercepted +one of his adversary's letters which gave him sufficient warning to +escape by beating a hasty retreat across the Rappahannock River. This +was a perfectly proper movement under the circumstances, but in view of +his absurd ideas concerning retreats it opened him up to public ridicule +which was almost more than a man of his character could endure. He +was soon busy, therefore, complaining, explaining, and protesting his +readiness to recross the river at a moment's notice. + +But, while he was thus foolishly wearing out the telegraph lines between +his headquarters and Washington, Lee was putting into operation a plan +which would have been rash to the point of folly against a really able +soldier but which was perfectly justified against an incompetent. This +plan was to divide his army, which numbered less than 50,000 men, into +two parts, sending "Stonewall" Jackson with 25,000 to get behind the +Union forces, while he attracted their commander's attention at the +front. Of course, if Pope had discovered this audacious move, he could +easily have crushed the divided Confederate forces in turn before either +could have come to the other's rescue, for he had 70,000 at his command. +But the armies were not far from Manassas or Bull Run, where the first +important engagement of the war had been fought and Lee know every inch +of the ground. Moreover, he believed that all Pope's provisions and +supplies upon which he depended for feeding his army were behind him, +and that, if Jackson succeeded in seizing them and getting between the +Union army and Washington, Pope would lose his head and dash to the +rescue regardless of consequences. + +Great, therefore, as the risk was he determined to take it, and Jackson +circled away with his 25,000 men, leaving Lee with the same number +confronting an army of 70,000 which might have swept the field. But its +commander never dreamed of the opportunity which lay before him and he +remained utterly unsuspicious until the night of August 26, 1862, when +his flow of telegrams was suddenly checked and he was informed that +there was something the matter with the wires connecting him to +Washington. There was, indeed, something the matter with them, for +Jackson's men had cut them down and were at that moment greedily +devouring Pope's provisions, helping themselves to new uniforms and +shoes and leaving facetious letters complaining of the quality of the +supplies. + +For a while, however, the Union general had no suspicion of what was +happening, for he interpreted the interference with the telegraph wires +as the work of cavalry riders whom a comparatively small force could +quickly disperse. But when the troops dispatched for this purpose came +hurrying back with the news that Jackson's whole army was behind them, +he acted precisely as Lee had expected, and completely forgetting to +close the doors behind him, dashed madly after "Stonewall," whom he +regarded as safe as a cat in a bag. + +The door which he should have closed was Thoroughfare Gap, for that was +the only opening through which Lee could have led his men with any hope +of arriving in time to help his friends, and a few troops could have +blocked it with the utmost ease. But it was left unguarded and Pope had +scarcely turned his back to spring on Jackson before Lee slid through +the Gap and sprang on him. + +The contest that followed, called the Second Battle of Bull Run or +Manassas (August 30, 1862), was almost a repetition of the first, except +that in the earlier battle the Union soldiers had a fair chance and on +this occasion they had none at all. Indeed, Lee and Jackson had Pope so +situated that, despite the bravery of his men, they battered and +pounded him until he staggered from the field in a state of hysterical +confusion, wildly telegraphing that the enemy was badly crippled and +that everything would be well, and following up this by asking if the +capital would be safe, if his army should be destroyed. It is indeed +possible that his army would have been reduced to a mere mob, had it not +been for the proximity of the fortifications of Washington, into which +his exhausted regiments were safely tumbled on the 2nd of September, +1862. + +Thus, for the second time in two months, Lee calmly confronted the +wreck of an opposing host, which, at the outset, had outnumbered him and +confidently planned for his destruction. + + + + +Chapter XVII. -- Lee and the Invasion of Maryland + + +Lee's masterly defense of Richmond, and his complete triumph over +McClellan and Pope had, in three months, made him the idol of the +Confederacy. In all military matters his word was law, while the army +adored him and the people of the South as a whole regarded him with +a feeling akin to reverence. This was not entirely the result of his +achievements on the field. Jackson had displayed an equal genius for the +art of war and in the opinion of many experts he was entitled to more +credit than his chief. But Jackson was regarded with awe and curiosity +rather than affection. He was hailed as a great commander, while Lee was +recognized as a great man. + +It was not by spectacular efforts or assertiveness of any kind that Lee +had gained this hold upon his countrymen. He avoided everything that +even tended toward self-display. His army reports were not only models +of modesty, but generous acknowledgements of all he owed to his officers +and men. He addressed none but respectful words to his superiors +and indulged in no criticisms or complaints. He accepted the entire +responsibility for whatever reverses occurred to the forces under his +command and never attempted to place the blame on the shoulders of any +other man. In a word, he was so absolutely free from personal ambition +that the political schemers unconsciously stood abashed in his presence, +and citizens and soldiers alike instinctively saluted the mere mention +of his name. + +Never by any chance did he utter a word of abuse against the North. +Even when his beloved Arlington was seized, and the swords, pictures, +silverware and other precious mementos of Washington were carried off, +his protest was couched in quiet and dignified language, well calculated +to make those to whom it was addressed (and later every American) blush +with shame. Likewise in the heat of battle, when wild tongues were +loosed and each side accused the other of all that hate could suggest, +he never forgot that his opponents were Americans. "Drive those people +back," or "Don't let those people pass you," were the harshest words he +ever uttered of his foes. + +To him war was not a mere license to destroy human life. It was +a terrible weapon to be used scientifically, not with the idea of +slaughtering as many of the enemy as possible, but to protect the +State for whose defense he had drawn his sword. This was distinctly his +attitude as he watched Pope's defeated columns reeling from the field. +Neither by word nor deed did he exult over the fallen foe or indulge in +self-glorification at his expense. His sole thought was to utilize the +victory that the war would be speedily brought to a successful close; +and, spreading out his maps in the quiet of his tent, he proceeded to +study them with this idea. + +Almost directly in front of his victorious army stretched the +intrenchments of Washington but, although he knew something of the panic +into which that city had been thrown by the last battle, he had not +troops enough to risk assaulting fortifications to the defense of which +well-nigh every able-bodied man in the vicinity had been called. The +fall of Washington might perhaps have ended the war, but the loss of the +neighboring state of Maryland and an attack on some of the Pennsylvania +cities, such as Harrisburg and Philadelphia, promised to prove equally +effective. The chances of wresting Maryland from the Union seemed +particularly favorable, for it had come very close to casting its lot +with the Confederacy and thousands of its citizens were serving in +the Southern ranks. He, accordingly, made up his mind to march through +Maryland, arousing its people to the support of the Confederate cause, +and then carry the war into Pennsylvania where a decisive victory might +pave the way to an acknowledgment of the independence of the Southern +States and satisfactory terms of peace. + +Thus, four days after Pope's defeat at Manassas saw Lee's tattered +battle flags slanted toward the North, and on September 6, 1862, +the vanguard under "Stonewall" Jackson passed through the streets of +Frederick City, singing "Maryland, My Maryland!" This was the moment +which Whittier immortalized in his verses recording the dramatic meeting +between "Stonewall" and Barbara Frietchie [Note from Brett: The poem +is entitled "Barbara Frietchie" and there is some question as to the +accuracy of the details of the poem. In general, however, Whittier +retold the story (poetically) that he claims he heard ("from respectable +and trustworthy sources") and Barbara Frietchie was strongly against the +Confederacy and was not a fictional character. It is believed that +Ms. Frietchie, who was 95 at the time, was sick in bed on the day the +soldiers marched through, but did wave her flag when the Union army +marched through two days later. A Ms. Quantrill and her daughters, +however, did wave the Union flag as the Confederate soldiers marched +through the town, so there is some thought that the two got combined.]; +but, though no such event ever took place, the poet was correctly +informed as to the condition of Jackson's men, for they certainly were a +"famished rebel horde." Indeed, several thousand of them had to be left +behind because they could no longer march in their bare feet, and those +who had shoes were sorry-looking scarecrows whose one square meal had +been obtained at Pope's expense. For all practical purposes Maryland was +the enemy's country, but into this hostile region they advanced carrying +very little in the way of provisions except salt for the ears of corn +that they might pick up in the fields. + +The authorities at Washington watched Lee's movement with mingled +feelings of anxiety and relief. They were relieved because he was +evidently not aiming at the national capital. They were alarmed because +the real point of attack was unknown. Sixty thousand men, flushed with +triumph and under seemingly invincible leadership were headed somewhere, +and as the rumor spread that that "somewhere" was Harrisburg or +Philadelphia, the North stood aghast with consternation. + +Face to face with this desperate crisis, McClellan, who had been +practically removed from command, was restored to duty and given charge +of all the Union forces in the field. Had he been invested with supreme +authority, at least one grievous blunder might have been avoided, for as +he proceeded to the front, calling loudly as usual for reenforcements, +he advised the evacuation of Harper's Ferry, garrisoned by some 12,000 +men who were exposed to capture by Lee's advance on Frederick City. +But Halleck rejected this advice and on September 15, 1862, "Stonewall" +Jackson, with about 20,000 men, swooped down upon the defenseless post +and gobbled up almost the entire garrison with all its guns and stores. +To accomplish this, however, he was forced to separate himself from +Lee, and while McClellan, with over 87,000 men, was protesting that +his opponent had 120,000 and that it was impossible to win against such +odds, Lee's strength had been reduced to about 35,000 and his safety +absolutely depended upon his adversary's fears. It was hardly to be +hoped, however, that McClellan's imagination would cause him to see +three men for every one opposed to him, but such was the fact, and even +when one of Lee's confidential orders fell into his hands, revealing +the fact that Jackson's whole force was absent, he still thought himself +outnumbered. + +The discovery of this order was a serious blow to Lee, for it not only +exposed his immediate weakness, but actually disclosed his entire plan. +How it was lost has never been explained, for its importance was so +fully realized that one of the officers who received a copy pinned it +in the inside pocket of his coat, another memorized his copy and then +chewed it up and others took similar precautions to protect its secret. + +Some officer, however, must have been careless, for when the Union +troops halted at Frederick City, through which the Confederates had just +passed, a private in an Indiana regiment found it lying on the ground +wrapped around some cigars and, recognizing its value, carried it +straight to his superiors who promptly bore it to Headquarters. + +Had Lee remained ignorant of this discovery it is possible that +McClellan might have effected the capture of his army. But a civilian, +favoring the South who happened to be present when the paper reached +Headquarters, slipped through the Union lines and put the Confederate +commander on his guard. + +Lee had already noted that McClellan was moving toward him at unusual +speed for so cautious an officer and, this was readily explained by +the news that his plans were known and Jackson's absence discovered. He +accordingly posted his troops so that he could form a junction with +the rest of the army at the earliest possible moment and halted in the +vicinity of Sharpsburg near Antietam Creek. + + + + +Chapter XVIII. -- The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg + + +Had McClellan not absurdly overestimated the number of troops opposed to +him when his army neared Sharpsburg on the 15th of September, 1862, he +might have defeated Lee and possibly destroyed or captured his entire +force. Never before had a Union commander had such an opportunity +to deliver a crushing blow. He had more than 80,000 men under his +control--fully twice as many as his adversary; he had the Confederate +plan of campaign in his hands and such fighting as had occurred with +the exception of that at Harper's Ferry had been decidedly in his favor. +Moreover, Lee had recently met with a serious accident, his horse having +knocked him down and trampled on him, breaking the bones of one hand, +and otherwise injuring him so severely that he had been obliged to +superintend most of the posting of his army from an ambulance. By a +curious coincidence, too, "Stonewall" Jackson had been hurt in a similar +manner a few days previously, so that if the battle had begun promptly, +it is highly probable that he, too, would have been physically +handicapped, and it is certain that his troops could not have reached +the field in time to be of any assistance. + +To Lee's immense relief, however, McClellan made no serious attack +on either the 15th or 16th of September, but spent those two days +in putting his finishing touches on his preparations, and before he +completed them that Opportunity "which knocks but once at each man's +gate" had passed him by, never to return. + +The battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg began at dawn of the 17th, but by +that time Jackson had arrived and both he and Lee had so far recovered +from their injuries that they were able to be in the saddle and +personally direct the movements of their men. The Confederate position +had been skillfully selected for defense on the hills back of Antietam +Creek and McClellan's plan was to break through his opponent's line, +gain his rear and cut him off from retreat. But Lee, who had closely +watched the elaborate massing of the Union forces for this attempt, +was fully prepared for it and the first assault against his line was +repulsed with fearful slaughter. No subtle strategy or brilliant tactics +of any kind marked McClellan's conduct of the battle. Time and again +he hurled his heavy battalions against his opponent's left, center and +right in a desperate effort to pierce the wall of gray, and once or +twice his heroic veterans almost succeeded in battering their way +through. But at every crisis Lee rose to the emergency and moved his +regiments as a skillful chess player manipulates his pieces on the +board, now massing his troops at the danger point and now diverting +his adversary's attack by a swift counter-stroke delivered by men +unacquainted with defeat. Both his hands were heavily swathed in +bandages and far too painful to admit of his even touching the bridle +rein, but he had had himself lifted into the saddle and for fully +fourteen hours he remained mounted on "Traveller," his famous war horse, +watching every movement with the inspiring calmness of a commander born +to rule the storm. + +The situation was perilous and no one realized its dangers more keenly +than he, but not a trace of anxiety appeared upon his face. Only twice +was he betrayed into an expression of his feelings, once when he asked +General Hood where the splendid division was which he had commanded in +the morning and received the reply: "They are lying in the field where +you sent them," and again when he directed the Rockbridge battery to +go into action for a second time after three of its four guns had been +disabled. The captain of this battery had halted to make a report of +its condition and receive instructions, and Lee, gazing at the group of +begrimed and tattered privates behind the officer, ordered them to renew +their desperate work before he recognized that among them stood his +youngest son, Robert. + +Very few men in the Confederate commander's position would have suffered +a son to serve in the ranks. A word from him would, of course, have +made the boy an officer. But that was not Lee's way. To advance an +inexperienced lad over the heads of older men was, to his mind, unjust +and he would not do it even for his own flesh and blood. Nor had his son +himself expected it, for he had eagerly accepted his father's permission +to enter the ranks and had cheerfully performed his full duty, never +presuming on his relationship to the Commander-in-Chief or asking favors +of any kind. All this was known to Lee but this unexpected meeting at +a moment when privates were being mowed down like grass was a terrible +shock and strain. Nevertheless, it was characteristic of the man that no +change was made in the orders of the Rockbridge battery, which continued +on its way to the post of danger and, with young Lee, gallantly +performed the work he had called on it to do. + +By night the Confederates still held the field, but the struggle had +cost them nearly 11,000 men, reducing their force to less than 45,000, +while McClellan, despite even heavier losses, had more than 74,000 left. +Lee, accordingly, withdrew his army under cover of darkness to another +part of the field and again awaited attack. But McClellan neither +attacked nor attempted anything like a pursuit until his opponent +was safely out of reach, being well satisfied with having checked +the advance of his formidable foe and spoiled his plans. This he was +certainly entitled to claim, for Lee's campaign against Maryland and +Pennsylvania was effectually balked by his enforced retreat. + +Indeed, it is quite possible that had McClellan been adventurous he +might have ended the war at Antietam, for the day after the battle he +outnumbered his opponents at least two to one and possessed enormous +advantage in the way of equipment and supplies. But the Union commander, +though he possessed a genius for army organization and knew the art of +inspiring confidence in his men, was no match for Lee in the field, and +he probably realized this. At all events, he displayed no anxiety to +renew hostilities and when urged, and at last positively ordered to +advance, he argued, protested, offered excuses for delay and in fact did +everything but obey. + +Weeks thus slipped by and finally Lee himself became impatient to know +what his adversary was doing. He, accordingly, again summoned Stuart and +ordered him to repeat the experiment of riding around the opposing army. +News of this second, almost derisive defiance of McClellan soon reached +the North, for Stuart, swiftly circling his right flank, suddenly +appeared with 1,800 men at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, terrorizing the +country and destroying vast quantities of stores. Stern and indignant +orders from Washington warned the Union Commander that this time he must +not permit the daring troopers to escape. But only a few scouts were +captured, and once more Stuart sped safely back to his chief with full +information as to the strength and position of the Federal lines. + +Even this did not arouse McClellan, and two more weeks of inaction +passed before he again set his vast army in motion. But by this time, +the demand for his dismissal had become clamorous and, on November 5, +1862, President Lincoln reluctantly removed him from command. + + + + +Chapter XIX. -- Lee against Burnside and Hooker + + +Lincoln had good reason for hesitating to change commanders, for, +unsatisfactory as McClellan had proved, the President was by no means +sure that any of his other generals would do better. In fact, with +all his defects, there was much to be said in McClellan's favor. As an +organizer of troops or chief of staff he had displayed talents of the +highest possible order, transforming the armed mob which had flocked to +the defense of the Union at the opening of the war into a well-drilled +and disciplined army. That he had not accomplished much with this great +engine of war after it had been constructed, had not been wholly his +fault, for he had never been entirely free from interference at the +hands of incompetent superiors, and he had had the misfortune to be +pitted against a past master of the art of war. Moreover, he had been +called to the chief command at a moment of panic and peril and, if he +had not succeeded in defeating Lee, he had, at Antietam, given the +North the only semblance of victory which it could claim in all its +campaigning in the South. But that one taste of triumph had whetted the +public appetite for more. Despite McClellan's continuous talk about the +overpowering numbers of his foes, the supporters of the Union knew +that they outmatched the Confederacy in men, arms, ships, money, and +resources of every kind. They accordingly insisted that the immense army +which had lain idle in its camps for almost two months after the drawn +battle at Antietam should be set to work. + +In response to this popular demand, General Ambrose Burnside was +appointed to take McClellan's place, and a more utterly unfitted man for +prosecuting a successful campaign against Lee could scarcely have been +selected. He himself fully realized this. Indeed, he had already twice +refused the chief command on the ground that he did not feel competent +to conduct a great campaign. But the public, which had become disgusted +with boasters, admired his modesty, and his preparations for carrying +the war again into Virginia were followed with high hopes for his +success. The officers of the army, however, did not share the popular +confidence in their new chief and some of those highest in authority +gave him only a half-hearted support. + +But nothing could have saved Burnside's extraordinary campaign. Had he +been assigned to lead a forlorn hope, regardless of consequences, his +plan, if it can be called a plan, might have been justified, but under +the existing circumstances it was reckless to the point of madness. His +first moves, however, were characterized by an excess of caution and so +slowly did he advance that before he was fairly started for the South, +Lee blocked the road, concentrating his whole army on the hills behind +the City of Fredericksburg in a position practically defying attack. + +To attempt a direct assault against this fortress-like post was +suicidal, but apparently no thought of maneuvering crossed Burnside's +mind. His one idea was to brush aside the foe. But before he could even +reach him his army had to cross the Rappahannock, a formidable river, +and march over an open plain, absolutely at the mercy of its intrenched +opponents, who could, as one of their artillery officers expressed it, +"comb the ground" with their cannon. Nevertheless, into this death trap +the Union troops were plunged on the 13th of December, 1862, and they +advanced to destruction with a dash and courage that won the admiration +of friends and foes alike. The result was, of course, inevitable. No +human beings could withstand the storm of shot and shell which burst +upon them, and though some of the devoted columns actually reached the +foot of the Confederate breastworks, they could do no more, and over +12,000 men fell victims to the disastrous attack. + +For once, Lee was at an utter loss to comprehend his adversary's plan. +He could not believe that this wanton butchery of men was all there was +to the contest. To his mind such an awful sacrifice of human life +would never have been made unless for the purpose of paving the way for +another enterprise absolutely certain of success. But nothing more was +attempted and the battle of Fredericksburg, reflecting the conception of +a disordered brain rather than the trained intelligence of a graduate +of West Point, was added to the already long list of blunders which +prolonged the war. + +Burnside brought severe charges against several of his generals for +their failure to support his sorry tactics, and even went so far as to +demand their dismissal from the army. There was undoubtedly some ground +for his complaints, but such obviously incompetent leadership was enough +to demoralize any army, and not long after his crippled battalions +retreated behind the Rappahannock he was relieved of his command, +which was given to General Joseph Hooker, one of the officers he most +seriously accused. + +Hooker was familiarly known to the country as "Fighting Joe," a name he +had well earned on many a hard-fought field. He, like his predecessors, +was a graduate of West Point and his record, in many respects worthy of +the best traditions of that famous school, inspired the army with +the belief that it had, at last, found a leader who would pilot it to +victory. + +Certainly, the new commander was not troubled with Burnside's +self-distrust. His confidence in himself and in his plans was unbounded, +and there was no little justification for his hopes, for his campaign +was well thought out and he had a force of over 130,000 men under his +orders--fully 70,000 more than his adversary could bring into the field. + +Lee still lay intrenched on the hills behind Fredericksburg, and there +Hooker ordered General Sedgwick to hold him with part of the army +while he himself, with another and more powerful part, crossed the +Rappahannock River by a ford twenty-seven miles above. By this move he +hoped to get behind Lee and then crush him, as nut-crackers would crush +a nut, by closing in on him with a front and rear attack. + +This was not a strikingly original plan. It was in fact merely +a flanking movement on a huge scale, but compared to Burnside's +performance it was highly scientific and the vast superiority of the +Union forces almost insured its success. Hooker was certainly convinced +that he had at last solved the great problem of the war and that Lee was +practically in his power. Indeed, as his flanking army forded the river, +he issued an address of congratulation in which he informed his troops +that they had the Confederates in a position from which they must either +"ingloriously fly" or come out in the open where certain defeat awaited +them. But "Fighting Joe" was soon to learn the folly of crowing until +one is out of the woods, for as he emerged from the forests sheltering +the fords, he discovered that Lee's army had not remained tamely in its +intrenchments, but had quietly slipped away and planted itself squarely +across his path. + +For a moment the Union commander was fairly astounded. He had prophesied +that his adversary would fly from Fredericksburg, but he had not +expected him to move so soon or in this direction. Indeed, his +well-matured plans were based on the supposition that Lee would remain +where he wanted him to be until he was ready to spring his trap, quite +forgetting that though it is easy to catch birds after you have put salt +on their tails, it is rather difficult to make them wait while you salt +them. As a matter of fact, Lee had taken alarm the moment his cavalry +scouts reported his opponent's movement towards the fords and, realizing +that he would be caught if he remained where he was, he had rapidly +departed from Fredericksburg, leaving only enough force to occupy +Sedgwick's attention. Even then he was in a precarious position, for +Hooker's flanking army alone outnumbered him and the force threatening +Fredericksburg would certainly start in pursuit of him as soon as it +discovered that the bulk of his army had withdrawn from that city. All +this was equally clear to Hooker after his first gasp of astonishment, +and as he hurriedly ordered Sedgwick to attack Fredericksburg with part +of his forces and to send the rest as reenforcement against Lee, he +confidently believed that his foe had delivered himself into his hands. + +But Lee, though cornered, was not yet caught. He had to think and act +quickly but though he had only 45,000 men and Hooker had 70,000 on the +spot, his idea was not to escape but to attack. A close examination +of the opposing lines in front and at the Federal left disclosed no +weakness, but the right beyond Chancellorsville looked more hopeful. +Then a brilliant idea suddenly occurred to his mind. The Union commander +was evidently awaiting or meditating a direct attack and had no fear +except that his prey might escape him. Might it not be possible to keep +him busily occupied in front, while a force stole behind his right wing +and caught it between two fires? + +This was precisely what Hooker had been endeavoring to do to him, but +Lee was well aware that what was safe for a large army might be ruinous +for a small one and that his proposed maneuver would require him to +divide his small army into two smaller parts, both of which would be +annihilated if the move was discovered. But capture or destruction +stared him in the face any way, so, learning from a certain Colonel +Welford that a road used by him in former years for transporting +materials to a local furnace could be utilized to swing a considerable +force behind Hooker's right, he determined to take the desperate chance. + +The necessary orders were accordingly issued during the night of May 1, +1863, and by daylight the next morning Jackson started off on the +back trail with about 30,000 men, leaving Lee with only 15,000 to +face Hooker's overwhelming array. The success of the whole enterprise +depended upon the secrecy and speed with which it was conducted, but +Jackson had already proved his ability in such work and his men set off +at a brisk pace well screened by vigilant cavalry. It was not possible, +however, wholly to conceal the march, and not long after it began +several quite definite reports of its progress reached Hooker. But +though he duly warned his Corps Commanders to be on their guard against +a flank movement, he himself evidently interpreted it as the beginning +of a retreat. Indeed, by four o'clock in the afternoon of May 2nd +he became convinced that his victims were striving to escape, for he +advised Sedgwick, "We know that the enemy is fleeing, trying to save his +trains." But even as he dispatched this message Jackson was behind at +the Union right and his men were forming in line of battle under cover +of a heavy curtain of woods. + +Meanwhile, some of the division commanders at the threatened position +had become disquieted by the reports that a large body of Confederates +was marching somewhere, though just where no one seemed to know. Two +of them accordingly faced their men toward the rear in readiness for an +attack from that direction. But the assurances which reached them from +headquarters that the enemy was in full flight discouraged precautions +of this kind, and when Jackson crept up a neighboring hill to examine +the Union position, he found most of the troops had their backs turned +to the point of danger. In fact, the camp, as a whole presented a most +inviting spectacle, for the soldiers were scattered about it, playing +cards or preparing their evening meal, with their arms stacked in the +rear, little dreaming that one of their most dreaded foes was watching +them from a hilltop, behind which crouched thousands of his men. Every +detail of the scene was impressed on Jackson's memory when he quietly +slipped back into the woods, and for the next two hours he busied +himself posting his troops to the best advantage. + +It was six o'clock when the order to attack was given and most of the +Union soldiers were still at their suppers when deer, foxes, rabbits and +other animals, alarmed by a mass of men advancing through the forest, +began to tear through the camp as though fleeing from a prairie fire. +But before the startled soldiers could ask an explanation of this +strange stampede, the answer came in the form of a scattering musketry +fire and the fearsome yells of 26,000 charging men. + +The panic that followed beggars description. Regiments huddled against +regiments in helpless confusion; artillery, infantry and cavalry became +wedged in narrow roads and remained hopelessly jammed; officers and men +fought with one another; generals were swept aside or carried forward +on the human waves, hoarsely bellowing orders which no one heeded, while +into the welter the Confederates poured a deadly fire and rounded up +masses of bewildered prisoners. It was well-nigh dusk before even the +semblance of a line of defense could be formed to cover the disorganized +masses of men, but the gathering darkness increased the terror of the +hapless fugitives, who, stumbling and crashing their way to safety, +carried confusion in their wake. + +Meanwhile Lee, advised of what was happening at the Union right, +vigorously attacked Hooker's left, and a fierce conflict at that point +added to the general turmoil until the contending forces could no longer +distinguish each other, save by the flashing of their guns. The fighting +then ceased all along the line and both sides busied themselves with +preparations for renewing the struggle at the earliest possible +moment. Jackson, accompanied by some of his staff, instantly began a +reconnoissance of the Union position. He had just completed this and was +returning to his lines when some of his own pickets, mistaking his party +for Union cavalry, fired on them killing a captain and a sergeant. The +Confederate commander immediately turned his horse and sought safety at +another point, but he had not progressed far before he drew the fire of +another picket squad and fell desperately wounded. + +General A. P. Hill then assumed command, but fighting had scarcely been +resumed the next morning before he was wounded and Jeb Stuart took his +place. Meanwhile, Hooker had been injured and the next day Lee fiercely +assailed Sedgwick. For the best part of two days the battle raged with +varying success. But, little by little, the Confederates edged their +opponents toward the Rappahannock, and by the night of May 5th, 1863, +Hooker withdrew his exhausted forces across the river. + +The battle of Chancellorsville cost Lee over 12,000 men; but with a +force which never exceeded 60,000, he had not only extricated himself +from a perilous position, but had inflicted a crushing blow on an army +of 130,000, an achievement which has passed into history as one of the +most brilliant feats of modern warfare. + + + + +Chapter XX. -- In the Hour of Triumph + + +Great as Lee's reputation had been before the battle of +Chancellorsville, it was immensely increased by that unexpected triumph. +But no trace of vanity or self-gratulation of any kind marked his +reception of the chorus of praise that greeted him. On the contrary, he +modestly disclaimed the honors from the very first and insisted that to +Jackson belonged the credit of the day. "Could I have directed events," +he wrote the wounded General, "I should have chosen to have been +disabled in your stead. I congratulate you on the victory which is due +to your skill and energy." Indeed, when the news first reached him that +Jackson's left arm had been amputated, he sent him a cheery message, +saying, "You are better off than I am, for while you have only lost +your LEFT, I have lost my RIGHT arm." And when, at last, he learned that +"Stonewall" had passed away, he no longer thought of the victory but +only of his dead comrade and friend. "Any victory would be dear at such +a price," was his sorrowful comment on the day. + +Jackson was indeed Lee's "right arm" and his place among the great +captains of the world is well indicated by the fact that a study of his +campaign is to-day part of the education of all English and American +officers. Nevertheless, it was unquestionably Lee's genius that enabled +his great Lieutenant to accomplish what he did, and this Jackson himself +fully realized. "Better that ten Jacksons should fall than one Lee," was +his response to his commander's generous words. + +But though Lee had won an international reputation, anyone seeing him in +the field among his soldiers might well have imagined that he was wholly +unaware that the world was ringing with his fame. He steadily declined +all offers to provide comfortable quarters for his accommodation, +preferring to live in a simple tent and share with his men the +discomforts of the field. Indeed, his thoughts were constantly of +others, never of himself, and when gifts of fruit and other dainties for +his table were tendered him, he thanked the givers but suggested that +they were needed for the sick and wounded in the hospitals, where they +would be gratefully received. + +"...I should certainly have endeavored to throw the enemy north of the +Potomac," he wrote his wife, "but thousands of our men were barefooted, +thousands with fragments of shoes, and all without overcoats, +blankets or warm clothing. I could not bear to expose them to certain +suffering.... I am glad you have some socks for the army. Send them to +me.... Tell the girls to send all they can. I wish they could make some +shoes, too." + +Even the hardships of the dumb animals moved him to a ready sympathy, +and he was constantly planning to spare them in every possible way. + +"Our horses and mules suffer most," he wrote one of his daughters. "They +have to bear the cold and rain, tug through the mud and suffer all the +time with hunger." + +And again on another occasion he wrote his wife: + +"This morning the whole country is covered with a mantle of snow, +fully a foot deep.... Our poor horses were enveloped. We have dug them +out...but it will be terrible.... I fear our short rations for man and +horse will have to be curtailed." + +The whole army realized the great-hearted nature of its Chief, and its +confidence in his thought and care is well illustrated by a letter +which a private addressed to him, asking him if he knew upon what +short rations the men were living. If he did, the writer stated, their +privations were doubtless necessary and everyone would cheerfully accept +them, knowing that he had the comfort of his men continually in mind. + +War had no illusions for this simple, God-fearing man. He regarded it as +a terrible punishment for the shortcomings of mankind. For him it had no +glory. + +"The country here looks very green and pretty, notwithstanding the +ravages of war," he wrote his wife. "What a beautiful world God, in His +loving kindness to His creatures, has given us! What a shame that men +endowed with reason and knowledge of right should mar His gifts." + +The awful responsibility of his public duty was almost more than any man +could bear, but he had also to endure personal anxiety and sorrow of the +keenest kind. During his absence in the field one of his daughters died, +his wife was in failing health and his three sons were in the army daily +exposed to injury and death. Fitzhugh and Custis had been made generals, +and Robert had been promoted to a lieutenancy and assigned to his elder +brother's staff. Up to the battle of Chancellorsville they had escaped +unharmed, but while the contending armies lay watching each other on +either side of the Rappahannock, Fitzhugh was severely wounded in a +cavalry engagement and Lee's first thought was to comfort and reassure +the young man's wife. + +"I am so grieved," ...he wrote her, "to send Fitzhugh to you wounded.... +With his youth and strength to aid him, and your tender care to nurse +him, I trust he will soon be well again. I know that you will unite with +me in thanks to Almighty God, who has so often sheltered him in the hour +of danger." + +Then came the news that the young General had been captured by Federal +troops who surrounded the house to which he had been removed, and again +Lee sought, in the midst of all his cares, to cheer his daughter-in-law +who was herself becoming ill. + +"I can see no harm that can result from Fitzhugh's capture except his +detention.... He will be in the hands of old army officers and surgeons, +most of whom are men of principle and humanity. His wound, I understand, +has not been injured by his removal, but is doing well. Nothing would +do him more harm than for him to learn that you were sick and sad. How +could he get well? So cheer up and prove your fortitude.... You may +think of Fitzhugh and love him as much as you please, but do not grieve +over him or grow sad." + +But the young wife grew steadily worse and, when her life was despaired +of, Custis Lee offered to take his brother's place in prison, if the +authorities would allow him to visit his dying wife. But, when this +was refused and news of her death reached Lee, he refrained from all +bitterness. + +"...I grieve," he wrote his wife, "...as a father only can grieve for a +daughter, and my sorrow is heightened by the thought of the anguish her +death will cause our dear son, and the poignancy it will give to +the bars of his prison. May God in His mercy enable him to bear the +blow...." + +It was in the midst of such severe afflictions that Lee conducted some +of the most important moves of his campaign, and while family anxieties +were beginning to crowd on him, the condition of his army and the +political situation were already demanding another invasion of the +North. As far as spirit and discipline were concerned, his troops +were never more ready for active service and their numbers had been +so considerably increased during the weeks that followed the battle of +Chancellorsville that by the 1st of June, 1863, he could count on almost +70,000 fairly well-armed men, supported by over two hundred cannon. + +But the question of supplying food for this great array was every day +becoming more urgent, and the remark of the Commissary-General that +his Chief would soon have to seek his provisions in Pennsylvania was +significant of the situation. Lee thoroughly realized that the strength +of the Confederacy was waning and that unless some great success in the +field should soon force the Union to make terms, the end of the struggle +was in sight. Great victories had already been won, but always on +Southern soil, and the news that Grant was closing in on Vicksburg +demanded that a supreme effort be made to offset that impending disaster +in the West. + +If the Southern army could force its way into the North and there +repeat its triumphs, England and France would probably recognize the +Confederacy and the half-hearted supporters of the Union, already +murmuring against the war, would clamor for peace. With this idea Lee +devoted the month following the battle of Chancellorsville to recruiting +his strength and watching for some move on Hooker's part. But Hooker +remained quietly within his lines, so on June 3, 1863, his opponent, +concealing his purpose, moved rapidly and secretly toward Pennsylvania. + + + + +Chapter XXI. -- Grant at Vicksburg + + +While Lee had been disposing of McClellan, Pope and Burnside, Grant had +remained in comparative idleness near Corinth, Mississippi. He had, +it is true, been assigned to high command in the West when Halleck +was ordered to Washington, but the battle of Shiloh had prejudiced the +authorities against him and his troops were gradually transferred to +other commanders, leaving him with an army barely sufficient to guard +the territory it already held. This treatment seriously depressed him +and with plenty of time to brood over his troubles, he was in some +danger of lapsing into the bad habits which had once had such a fatal +hold upon him. But at this crisis his wife was by his side to steady and +encourage him, and the Confederates soon diverted his thoughts from +his own grievances by giving him plenty of work to keep them at arm's +length. Meanwhile, however, something much more disturbing occurred, for +he suddenly discovered that preparations were being made to place his +long-cherished campaign for the opening of the Mississippi River in +the hands of McClernand, the political General whose conduct at Fort +Donelson had demonstrated his ignorance of military affairs. + +That aroused Grant to action and hastily summoning Admiral Porter and +General Sherman to his aid, he started towards Vicksburg, Mississippi, +on November 2, 1862, determined to be the first in the field and thus +head off any attempt to displace him from the command. + +McClernand's project was accordingly nipped in the bud, for, of course, +he could not be authorized to conduct a campaign already undertaken by +a superior officer, and the troops which had been intended for him +were immediately forwarded to Grant. Doubtless, the President was not +displeased at this turn of affairs, for although McClernand was a +highly important person in the political world and had rendered valuable +services in raising troops, his defects as a general were widely +recognized, and there had been grave doubts as to the wisdom of +permitting him to attempt so difficult an undertaking as the capture of +Vicksburg. Within a few months, however, there were even graver doubts +as to the wisdom of having entrusted the enterprise to Grant, for by the +end of March, 1863, the general opinion was that no one could have +made a worse mess of it than he was making, and that it was hopeless to +expect anything as long as he was in authority. + +As a matter of fact, the immense difficulty of capturing a city such as +Vicksburg had not been realized until the work was actually undertaken. +It was practically a fortress commanding the Mississippi, and whoever +held it ruled the river. The Confederate leaders understood this very +thoroughly and they had accordingly fortified the place, which was +admirably adapted for defense, with great care and skill. In front of +it flowed the Mississippi, twisting and turning in such snake-like +conditions that it could be navigated only by boats of a certain length +and build, and on either side of the city stretched wide swamp lands and +bayous completely commanded by batteries well posted on the high ground +occupied by the town. All this was formidable enough in itself, but +shortly after Grant began his campaign, the river overflowed its banks +and the whole country for miles was under water which, while not deep +enough for steamers, was an absolute barrier to the approach of an army. + +Indeed, the capture of the city seemed hopeless from a military +standpoint, but Grant would not abandon the task. Finding traces of an +abandoned canal, he attempted to complete it in the hope of changing the +course of the river, or at least of diverting some of the water from the +overflowed land, but the effort was a stupendous failure almost from +the start. Then he ordered the levees of the Mississippi protecting two +great lakes to be cut, with the idea of flooding the adjacent streams +and providing a waterway for his ships. This gigantic enterprise was +actually put into operation, the dams were removed, and gun-boats were +forced on the swollen watercourses far into the interior until some of +them became hopelessly tangled in the submerged forests and their crews, +attacked by the Confederate sharpshooters, were glad to make their +escape. Week after week and month after month this exhausting work +continued, but, at the end of it all, Vicksburg was no nearer capture +than before. Indeed, the only result of the campaign was the loss of +thousands of men who died of malaria, yellow fever, smallpox, and all +the diseases which swamp lands breed. For this, of course, Grant was +severely criticized and the denunciations at last became so bitter that +an order removing him from the command was entrusted to an official who +was directed to deliver it, if, on investigation, the facts seemed to +warrant it. + +But the visiting official, after arriving at the front, soon learned +that the army had complete confidence in its commander and that it would +be a mistake to interfere with him. Indeed, by this time "the silent +General," who had neither answered the numerous complaints against him +nor paid the least attention to the storm of public indignation raging +beyond his camp, had abandoned his efforts to reach Vicksburg from the +front and was busily engaged in swinging his army behind it by a long +overland route in the face of appalling difficulties, but with a grim +resolution which forced all obstructions from his path. Meanwhile, the +gun-boats under Admiral Porter were ordered to attempt to run the +land batteries, and April 16, 1863, was selected as the date for their +perilous mission. Each vessel had been carefully protected by cotton +bales, and the crews stood ready with great wads of cotton to stop +leaks, while all lights were extinguished except one in the stern of +each ship to guide the one that followed. + +It was a black night when the Admiral started down the river in his +flagship, and for a while it was hoped that the fleet would slip by +the batteries under cover of darkness. The leading vessels did, indeed, +escape the lookouts of the first forts, but before long a warning rocket +shot into the sky and the river was instantly lit by immense bonfires +which had been prepared for just this emergency, and by the glare of +their flames the gunners poured shot and shell at the black hulls as +they sped swiftly by. Shot after shot found its mark, but still the +fleet continued on its course. Then, after the bonfires died down, +houses were set on fire to enable the artillerists to see their targets, +but before daylight the whole fleet had run the gauntlet and lay almost +uninjured below Vicksburg, ready to cooeperate with Grant's advancing +army. + +By this time the Confederates must have realized that they were facing +defeat. Nevertheless, for fully a month they stubbornly contested every +foot of ground. But Grant, approaching the rear by his long, roundabout +marches, handled his veteran troops with rare good judgment, moving +swiftly and allowing his adversaries no rest, so that by the 17th of +May, 1863, General Pemberton, commanding the defenses of Vicksburg, was +forced to take refuge in the town. Grant immediately swung his army into +position, blocking every avenue of escape and began a close siege. The +prize for which he had been struggling for more than half a year was now +fairly within his grasp, but there was still a chance that it might slip +through his fingers, for close on his heels came General Joseph Johnston +with a powerful army intent upon rescuing General Pemberton and his +gallant garrison. + +If Johnston could come to Pemberton's relief or if Pemberton could break +through and unite with Johnston, they could together save Vicksburg. But +Grant had resolved that they should not join forces, and to the problem +confronting him he devoted himself body and mind. Constantly in the +saddle, watching every detail of the work as the attacking army slowly +dug its way toward the city and personally posting the troops holding +Johnston at bay, his quiet, determined face and mud-splashed uniform +became familiar sights to the soldiers, and his appearance on the lines +was invariably greeted with inspiring cheers. By July, the trenches of +the besieged and the besiegers were so close together that the opposing +pickets could take to each other, and the gun-boats threw shells night +and day into the town. Still Pemberton would not surrender and many of +the inhabitants of Vicksburg were forced to leave their houses and dig +caves in the cliffs upon which the city was built to protect themselves +and their families from the iron hail. + +It was only when food of every kind had been practically exhausted and +his garrison was threatened with starvation that Pemberton yielded. On +July 3, 1863, however, he realized that the end had come and raised +the white flag. Nearly twenty-four hours passed before the terms of +surrender were agreed upon, but Grant, who had served in the same +division with Pemberton in the Mexican War, was not inclined to exact +humiliating conditions upon his old acquaintance whose men had made +such a long and gallant fight. He, accordingly, offered to free all the +prisoners upon their signing a written promise not to take arms again +unless properly exchanged, and to allow all the officers to retain their +side arms and horses. These generous terms were finally accepted, and on +July 4, 1863, the Confederate army, numbering about 30,000, marched out +in the presence of their opponents and stacked their arms, receiving the +tribute of absolute silence from the 75,000 men who watched them from +the Union ranks. + +Four months before this event, Halleck, the Commander-in-Chief, had +advised Grant and other officers of his rank that there was a major +generalship in the Regular Army for the man who should first win a +decisive victory in the field. The captor of Vicksburg had certainly +earned this promotion, for with its fall the Mississippi River was +controlled by the Union and, in the words of Lincoln, "The Father of +Waters again ran unvexed to the sea." + + + + +Chapter XXII. -- The Battle of Gettysburg + +The news that Grant was slowly, but surely, tightening his grip upon +Vicksburg, and that nothing but an accident could prevent its capture, +was known to the whole country for fully a week before the surrender +occurred, but it neither encouraged the North nor discouraged the South. +To the minds of many people no victory in the West could save the +Union, for Lee was already in Pennsylvania, sweeping northward toward +Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and even threatening New York. Hooker, in +the field, and Halleck, in Washington, were squabbling as to what should +be done, and the Union army was groping blindly after the invaders +without any leadership worthy of the name. + +It was certainly a critical moment demanding absolute harmony on the +part of the Union leaders; but while the fate of the Union trembled in +the balance, Hooker and Halleck wrangled and contradicted each +other, apparently regardless of consequences, and the climax of this +disgraceful exhibition was a petulant telegram from Hooker (June 27, +1863) resigning his command. Had "Fighting Joe" been the greatest +general in the world this resignation, in the presence of the enemy, +would have ruined his reputation, and the moment President Lincoln +accepted it Hooker was a discredited man. + +To change commanders at such a crisis was a desperately perilous move, +but the President knew that the army had lost confidence in its leader +since the battle of Chancellorsville and the fact that he could even +think of resigning on the eve of a battle demonstrated his utter +unfitness for the task at hand. It was, therefore, with something of +relief that Lincoln ordered General Meade to take immediate charge +of all the troops in the field, and the new commander assumed the +responsibility in these words, "As a soldier I obey the order placing +me in command of this army and to the utmost of my ability will execute +it." + +At the moment he dispatched this manly and modest response to the +unexpected call to duty, Meade knew little of Hooker's plans and had +only a vague idea of where his troops were posted. Under such conditions +success in the coming battle was almost impossible, but he wasted no +time in complaints or excuses, but instantly began to move his forces +northward to incept the line of Lee's advance. Even up to this time, +however, the exact position of the Confederate army had not been +ascertained, for Lee had concealed his infantry behind his cavalry, +which effectually prevented his adversaries from getting near enough to +discover the direction of his march. + +Another "cavalry screen," however, covered the Union forces and though +Lee dispatched Stuart to break through and discover what lay behind it, +the daring officer for once failed to accomplish his purpose and Lee had +to proceed without the information he usually possessed. This was highly +advantageous to Meade, for his forces were badly scattered and had Lee +known that fact he might have crushed the various parts of the army +before they united, or at least have prevented some of them from +reaching the field in time. He soon learned, of course, that Meade had +taken Hooker's place, but if he had not heard the news directly, +he would have guessed that some great change had occurred in the +generalship of his opponents, for within twenty-four hours of his +appointment Meade had his army well in hand, and two days later the +rapid and skillful concentration of his force was clear to Lee's +experienced eyes. By this time both armies had passed beyond their +cavalry screens, and on the 30th of June, 1863, the advance of the +Confederate troops neared the little town of Gettysburg. + +But Lee was not yet ready to fight, for, although he was better prepared +than his adversary, he wanted to select the best possible ground before +joining battle. By a strange chance, however, it was not Lee but his +bare-footed followers who decided where the battle should be fought, for +as his advance-guard approached Gettysburg one of the brigade commanders +asked and received permission from his superior to enter the town and +procure shoes for his men. But Gettysburg was found to be occupied by +Union cavalry and the next day (July 1st) a larger force was ordered +forward to drive them away and "get the shoes." Meanwhile, the Union +cavalry had been reenforced and, to offset this, more Confederates were +ordered to the support of their comrades. Once more Union reenforcements +were hurried to the front, and again the Confederates responded to the +challenge, until over 50,000 men were engaged in a savage conflict, and +before noon the battle of Gettysburg, one of the greatest battles of +history, had begun. + +The men in gray, who thus unwittingly forced the fighting, were veterans +of many campaigns and they attacked with a fury that carried all before +them. The Union troops fought with courage, but General Reynolds, their +commander, one of the ablest officers in the army, was soon shot through +the head and instantly killed, and from that moment the Confederates +crowded them to the point of panic. Indeed, two of Meade's most +effective fighting corps were practically annihilated and the shattered +remnants of the defenders of Gettysburg were hurled through the town in +headlong flight toward what was known as Cemetery Hill, where their new +commander, General Hancock, found them huddled in confusion. + +Meade had displayed good judgment in selecting Hancock to take Reynolds' +place, for he was just the man to inspire confidence in the disheartened +soldiers and rise to the emergency that confronted him. But, though he +performed wonders in the way of restoring order and encouraging his +men to make a desperate resistance, it is more than probable that +the Confederates would have swept the field and gained the important +position of Cemetery Hill had they followed up their victory. +Fortunately for the Union cause, however, the pursuit was not continued +much beyond the limits of Gettysburg and, as though well satisfied to +have got the shoes they came for, the victors contented themselves with +the undisputed possession of the town. + +Neither Lee nor Meade took any part in this unexpected battle, but Lee +arrived during the afternoon while the Union troops were in full flight +for the hills and, seeing the opportunity of delivering a crushing +blow, advised Ewell, the commanding General, to pursue. His suggestion, +however, was disregarded, and being unwilling to interfere with another +officer in the midst of an engagement, he did not give a positive order, +with the result that Cemetery Hill was left in possession of the Federal +troops. Meanwhile Meade, having learned of the situation, was hurrying +to the scene of action, where he arrived late at night, half dead +with exhaustion and on the verge of nervous collapse from the fearful +responsibilities which had been heaped upon him during the previous +days. But the spirit of the man rose superior to his physical weakness +and, keeping his head in the whirlwind of hurry and confusion, he +issued orders rushing every available man to the front, made a careful +examination of the ground and chose an admirable position for defense. + +To this inspiring example the whole army made a magnificent response, +and before the 2nd of July dawned the widely scattered troops began +pouring in and silently moving into position for the desperate work +confronting them. Meade had determined to await an attack from Lee and +he had accordingly selected Cemetery Ridge as the position best adapted +for defense. This line of hills not only provided a natural breastwork, +but at the left and a little in front lay two hillocks knows as Round +Top and Little Round Top, which, when crowned by artillery, were perfect +fortresses of strength. Strange as it may seem, however, Round Top was +not immediately occupied by the Union troops and had it not been for the +quick eye and prompt action of General Warren, Little Round Top, the key +to the entire Union position, would have been similarly neglected. + +Lee was reasonably assured, at the end of the first day's fighting, that +his adversary had not succeeded in getting all his troops upon the field +and, realizing what an advantage this gave him, he determined to begin +the battle at daylight, before the Union reenforcements could arrive. +But for once, at least, the great commander received more objections +than obedience from his subordinates, General Longstreet, one of his +most trusted lieutenants, being the principal offender. Longstreet had, +up to this moment, made a splendid record in the campaigns and Lee had +such confidence in his skill that he seldom gave him a peremptory order, +finding that a suggestion carried all the weight of a command. But, on +this occasion, Longstreet did not agree with the Chief's plan of battle +and he accordingly took advantage of the discretion reposed in him to +postpone making an attack until he received a sharp and positive order +to put his force in action. By this time, the whole morning had passed +and every hour had brought more and more Union troops into the field, +so that by the afternoon Meade had over 90,000 men opposing Lee's 70,000 +veterans. + +There was nothing half-hearted about Longstreet once he was in motion +and the struggle for the possession of Little Round Top was as desperate +a conflict as was ever waged on any field. Again and again the gray +regiments hurled themselves into the very jaws of death to gain the +coveted vantage ground, and again and again the blue lines, torn, +battered and well-nigh crushed to earth, re-formed and hurled back +the assault. Dash and daring were met by courage and firmness, and +at nightfall, though the Confederates had gained some ground, their +opponents still held their original position. Both sides had paid +dearly, however, for whatever successes they had gained, the Union army +alone having lost at least 20,000 men [Note from Brett: While this is +possible, it is highly unlikely as the total casualties for the three +day battle from the Unionist side were 23,053 according to official +records. Current (circa 2000) estimates are that both sides lost about +9,000 soldiers on this day.]. Indeed, the Confederate attack had been +so formidable that Meade called a council of war at night to determine +whether the army should remain where it was for another day or retreat +to a still stronger position. The council, however, voted unanimously +to "stay and fight it out," and the next morning (July 3rd) saw the two +armies facing each other in much the same positions as they had occupied +the day before, the Unionists crowding the heights of Cemetery Ridge and +the Confederates holding the hills known as Seminary Ridge and clinging +to the bases of Round Top and Little Round Top, to which point the tide +of valor had carried them. + +A mile of valley and undulating slopes separated Cemetery Hill from +Seminary Ridge, and their crests were crowded with artillery when the +sun rose on July 3, 1863. But for a time the battle was confined to the +infantry, the Confederates continuing fierce assaults of the previous +evening. Then, suddenly, all their troops were withdrawn, firing ceased +and absolute silence ensued along their whole lines. At an utter loss to +understand this complete disappearance of the foe, the Union commanders +peered through their glasses at the silent and apparently deserted +heights of Seminary Ridge, growing more and more nervous as time wore +on. What was the explanation of this ominous silence? Was it possible +that Lee had retreated? Was he trying to lure them out of their position +and catch them in some giant ambuscade? Was he engaged in a flanking +movement such as had crumpled them to pieces at Chancellorsville? +Doubtless, more than one soldier shot an apprehensive glance toward the +rear during the strange hush as he remembered the terrifying appearance +of Jackson on that fearful day. + +But no Jackson stood at Lee's right hand, and suddenly two sharp reports +rang out from the opposing height. Then, in answer to this signal, came +the crash of a hundred and thirty cannon and instantly eighty Union guns +responded to the challenge with a roar which shook the earth, while +the air was filled with exploding shells and the ground was literally +ploughed with shot. For an hour and a half this terrific duel continued; +and then the Union chief of artillery, seeing that his supply of +ammunition was sinking, ordered the guns to cease firing and the +Confederates, believing that they had completely demolished the opposing +batteries, soon followed their example. Another awful silence ensued and +when the Union troops peered cautiously from behind the stone walls and +slopes which had completely protected them from the wild storm of shot +and shell, they saw a sight which filled them with admiration and awe. + +From the woods fringing the opposing heights 15,000 men [Note from +Brett: (circa 2000) just under 12,000 men] were sweeping in perfect +order with battle flags flying, bayonets glistening and guidons +fluttering as though on dress parade. Well to the front rode a gallant +officer with a cap perched jauntily over his right ear and his long +auburn hair hanging almost to his shoulders flying in the wind. This was +General Pickett, and he and the men behind him had almost a mile of open +ground to cross in the charge which was to bring them immortal fame. +For half the distance they moved triumphantly forward, unscathed by +the already thundering artillery, and then the Union cannon which had +apparently been silenced by the Confederate fire began to pour death and +destruction into their ranks. Whole rows of men were mowed down by the +awful cannonade, but their comrades pressed forward undismayed, halting +for a moment under cover of a ravine to re-form their ranks and then +springing on again with a heroism unsurpassed in the history of war. A +hail of bullets from the Union trenches fairly staggered them, yet +on and on they charged. Once they actually halted in the face of the +blazing breastworks, deliberately fired a volley and came on again +with a rush, seized some of the still smoking guns that had sought +to annihilate them and, beating back the gunners in a hand-to-hand +conflict, actually planted their battle flags on the crest of Cemetery +Ridge. Then the whole Union army seemed to leap from the ground and hurl +itself upon them. They reeled, turned, broke into fragments and fled, +leaving 5,000 dead and wounded in their trail. + +Such was Pickett's charge--a wave of human courage which recorded "the +high-water mark of the Rebellion." + + + + +Chapter XXIII. -- In the Face of Disaster + + +As the survivors of Pickett's heroic legion came streaming back toward +the Confederate lines Lee stood face to face with defeat for the first +time in his career. His long series of victories had not spoiled him and +the hour of triumph had always found him calm and thankful, rather than +elated and arrogant. But many a modest and generous winner has proved +himself a poor loser. It is the moment of adversity that tries men's +souls and revels the greatness or smallness of character, and subjected +to this test more than one commander in the war had been found wanting. +McClellan, staggering from his campaign against Richmond, blamed +almost everyone but himself for the result; Pope, scurrying toward the +fortifications of Washington, was as ready with excuses as he had been +with boasts; Burnside, reeling from the slaughter-pen of Fredericksburg, +had demanded the dismissal of his principal officers, and Hooker hurled +accusations right and left in explaining the Chancellorsville surprise. + +But Lee resorted neither to accusation nor excuse for the battle of +Gettysburg. With the tide of disaster sweeping relentlessly down upon +him, he hastened to assume entire responsibility for the result. "It is +all my fault," he exclaimed, as the exhausted and shattered troops were +seeking shelter from the iron hail, and then as calmly and firmly +as though no peril threatened, he strove to rally the disorganized +fugitives and present a bold front to the foe. It was no easy task, even +with a veteran army, to prevent a panic and restore order and confidence +in the midst of the uproar and confusion of defeat, but the quiet +dignity and perfect control of their commander steadied the men, and +at sight of him even the wounded raised themselves from the ground and +cheered. + +"All this will come right in the end," he assured the wavering troops, +as he passed among them. "We'll talk it over afterwards, but in the +meantime all good men must rally." + +Not a sign of excitement or alarm was to be detected in his face, as +he issued his orders and moved along the lines. "All this has been my +fault," he repeated soothingly to a discouraged officer. "It is I that +have lost this fight and you must help me out of it the best way you +can.... Don't whip your horse, Captain," he quietly remarked, as he +noted another officer belaboring his mount for shying at an exploding +shell.... "I've got just another foolish horse myself, and whipping does +no good." + +Nothing escaped his watchful eyes, nothing irritated him, and nothing +provoked him to hasty words or actions. Completely master of himself, he +rose superior to the whirling storm about him and, commanding order out +of chaos, held his shattered army under such perfect control that had +Meade rushed forward in pursuit he might have met with a decisive check. + +But Meade did not attempt to leave his intrenchments and the Confederate +army slowly and defiantly moved toward the South. The situation was +perilous--desperately perilous for Lee. His troops were in no condition +to fight after battling for three days, their ammunition was almost +exhausted, their food supply was low and they were retreating through a +hostile country with a victorious army behind them and a broad river in +their path. But not a man in the gray ranks detected even a shadow of +anxiety on his commander's face, and when the Potomac was reached and +it was discovered that the river was impassable owing to an unexpected +flood, the army faced about and awaited attack with sublime confidence +in the powers of its chief. + +Meanwhile Meade, who had been cautiously following his adversary, began +to receive telegrams and dispatches urging him to throw himself upon the +Confederates before they could recross the Potomac and thus end the war. +But this, in the opinion of the Union commander, was easier said than +done, and he continued to advance with the utmost deliberation while +Lee, momentarily expecting attack, ferried his sick and wounded across +the river and prepared for a desperate resistance. Absolute ruin now +stared him in the face, for no reenforcements of any kind could reach +him and a severe engagement would soon place him completely at his +opponent's mercy. Nevertheless, he presented a front so menacing and +unafraid that when Meade called his officers to a council of war all but +two voted against risking an attack. + +In the meantime the river began to fall, and without the loss of a +moment Lee commenced building a bridge across which his troops started +to safety on the night of July 13th, ten days after the battle. Even +then the situation was perilous in the extreme, for had Meade discovered +the movement in time he could undoubtedly have destroyed a large part of +the retreating forces, but when he appeared on the scene practically the +whole army was on the other side of the river and only a few stragglers +fell into his hands. + +Great as Lee's success had been he never appeared to better advantage +than during this masterly retreat, when, surrounded by difficulties and +confronted by overwhelming numbers, he held his army together and led it +to safety. Through the dust of defeat he loomed up greater as a man and +greater as a soldier than at any other moment of his career. + +Even the decisive victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg failed to offset +President Lincoln's bitter disappointment at Lee's miraculous escape, +and had it not been for his success on the field of battle, Meade +would undoubtedly have been removed from the chief command. As it was, +however, he retained his position and for months he lay comparatively +idle, watching his opponent who busied himself with filling the broken +ranks of his army for a renewal of the struggle. + +Meanwhile, the Confederate newspapers began a bitter criticism of Lee, +charging that he had displayed bad judgment and worse generalship +in attempting to invade the North. A man of different caliber would, +doubtless, have answered these attacks by exposing some of the officers +whose conduct was largely responsible for the failure of the campaign. +Indeed, the facts would have justified him in dismissing more than one +of his subordinates from the army in disgrace, and had he chosen to +speak the word he might easily have ruined the reputation of at least +one distinguished general. + +But no such selfish or vindictive thought ever crossed Lee's mind. +Keenly as he suffered from the abuse which was heaped upon him, he +endured it without a murmur and, when at last he felt obliged to notice +it, his reply took the form of a letter to the Confederate President +requesting his permission to resign. + +"The general remedy for the want of success in a military commander is +his removal," he wrote a month after the battle of Gettysburg. "I do not +know how far the expressions of discontent in the public journals extend +in the army. My brother officers have been too kind to report it and, so +far, the troops have been too generous to exhibit it. I, therefore, beg +you to take measures to supply my place, because if I cannot accomplish +what I myself desire, how can I fulfill the expectations of others? I +must confess, too that my eyesight is not good and that I am so dull +that in making use of the eyes of others I am frequently misled. +Everything, therefore, points to the advantages to be derived from a +new commander. A younger and abler man can readily be obtained--one that +would accomplish more than I can perform and all that I have wished. I +have no complaints to make of anyone but myself. I have received nothing +but kindness from those above me and the most considerate attention from +my comrades and companions in arms." + +This generous, dignified statement, modest to the point of +self-effacement, instantly hushed all discontent and, before it, even +the newspaper editors stood abashed. + +"Where am I to find the new commander who is to possess that greater +ability which you believe to be required?" wrote Jefferson Davis in +reply. "If Providence should kindly offer such a person I would +not hesitate to avail myself of his services. But my sight is not +sufficiently penetrating to discover such hidden merit, if it exists. To +ask me to substitute you by someone more fit to command is to demand an +impossibility." + +In the face of this graceful response Lee could no longer urge his +resignation, and after waiting for more than three months for Meade +to attack, he suddenly assumed the offensive and during the next five +months he and Meade maneuvered their armies as two chess experts handle +the pieces on the board. Again and again, Meade swung his powerful army +into a favorable position and, again and again, Lee responded with a +move which placed his opponent on the defensive. + +But while this game of check and countercheck was being played, the +North was becoming more and more impatient and events were rapidly +bringing another player to the fore. + + + + +Chapter XXIV. -- The Rescue of Two Armies + +The defeats and disappointments of the various campaigns in Virginia had +gradually convinced the authorities at Washington that too many people +were trying to direct the Union forces. With Lee there was practically +no interference; but the commanders who opposed him were subject to the +orders of the General-in-Chief at Washington, who was, to some extent, +controlled by the Secretary of War, whose superior was the President, +and after almost every engagement a Congressional Committee, known as +the "committee on the conduct of the war," held a solemn investigation +in which praise and blame were distributed with the best intentions and +worst possible results. All these offices and officials were accordingly +more or less responsible for everything that occurred, but not one of +them was ever wholly to blame. This mistake, however, was at last fully +realized and a careful search began for some one man to whom the supreme +command could be entrusted. But for a long time no one apparently +thought that the Western army contained any very promising material. +Nevertheless, Grant, Sheridan, Sherman and Rosecrans were then in that +army and, of these four; Rosecrans was regarded by many as the only real +possibility. + +Indeed, at the moment when Grant was closing in upon Vicksburg, and +Lee and Meade were struggling at Gettysburg, Rosecrans, who had been +entrusted with the important duty of conducting a campaign to drive the +Confederates out of Tennessee, was fully justifying the high opinions of +his admirers. Between June 24, 1863, and September 9th of that year +he certainly outmaneuvered his opponents, occupying the all-important +position of Chattanooga, and forcing the able Confederate General Bragg +to fall back with more speed than order. + +During all this time the North had been insisting that the army should +be placed in charge of some commander who could master Lee, and this +demand had found expression in a popular poem bearing the refrain +"Abraham Lincoln! Give us a Man!" To the minds of many people Rosecrans +had clearly demonstrated that he was "the Man," and it is possible that +his subsequent acts were prompted by over-eagerness to end his already +successful campaign with a startlingly brilliant feat of arms. At all +events, he determined not to rest satisfied with having driven the +Confederates from the field, but to capture or destroy their entire +force. + +With this idea he divided his army and rushed it by different routes +over the mountains in hot pursuit of the foe. But the trouble with this +program was that Bragg had not really retreated at all, having merely +moved his army aside waiting for an opportunity to strike. Indeed, +Rosecrans had barely plunged his troops into the various mountain passes +on their fruitless errand before the whole Confederate force loomed up, +threatening to destroy his widely-separated, pursuing columns, one by +one, before they could be united. + +This unexpected turn of affairs utterly unnerved the Union General, and +although he did manage by desperate exertions to collect his +scattered army, he completely lost his head when Bragg attacked him at +Chickamauga, Georgia, on the 19th of September, 1863, and before +the savage battle of that name had ended he retired from the field, +believing that his army had been totally destroyed. + +Such, undoubtedly, would have been its fate had not General Thomas and +his brave troops covered the retreat, by holding the whole Confederate +army in check for hours and even forcing it to yield portions of the +bloody field. From that day forward Thomas was known as "The Rock of +Chickamauga," but the heroic stand of his gallant men barely sufficed to +save the Union army, which reached the intrenchments of Chattanooga only +just in time, with the Confederates hot upon its trail. + +Had Bragg overtaken his flying opponent, he would doubtless have made an +end of him then and there, but it was not altogether with regret that he +saw him enter Chattanooga, for with the roads properly blocked he knew +the place would prove a perfect trap. He, accordingly, began a close +siege which instantly cut off all Rosecrans' communication with the +outside world, except by one road which was in such a wretched condition +as to be impossible for a retreating army. Indeed, the heavy autumn +rains soon rendered it impracticable even for provision wagons, and as +no supplies could reach the army by any other route, it was not long +before starvation began to stare the besieged garrison in the face. + +Meanwhile, Rosecrans, almost wild with anxiety and mortification, sent +dispatch after dispatch to Washington describing his condition and +imploring aid, but though he still had an effective army under his +command and plenty of ammunition, he made no attempt whatever to save +himself from his impending doom. Day by day the situation grew more and +more perilous; thousands upon thousands of horses and mules died for +lack of food and the men were so nearly reduced to starvation that they +greedily devoured the dry corn intended for the animals. + +All this time the authorities in Washington were straining every nerve +to rescue the beleaguered army. Sixteen thousand men under General +Hooker were rushed to its relief, provisions were forwarded within a +day's march of the town, awaiting the opening of new roads, and finally, +when the stream of frantic telegrams from the front showed that the army +had practically no leadership, hurried orders were forwarded to Grant, +authorizing him to remove Rosecrans, place Thomas temporarily in control +and take the field himself at the earliest possible moment. + +This unexpected summons found Grant in a serious condition, for some +weeks earlier his horse had fallen under him, crushing his leg so +severely that for a time it was feared he might be crippled for life, +and he was still on crutches suffering intense pain when the exciting +orders were placed in his hands. Nevertheless, he promptly started on +his desperate errand, traveling at first by rail and steamer and then +in an ambulance, until its jolting motion became unbearable when he had +himself lifted into the saddle with the grim determination of riding the +remainder of the way. Even for a man in perfect physical condition the +journey would have been distressing, for the roads, poor at their best, +were knee deep in mud and a wild storm of wind and rain was raging. Time +and again his escort had to lift the General from his horse and carry +him across dangerous washouts and unaffordable streams, but at the +earliest possible moment they were always ordered to swing him into the +saddle again. + +Thus, mile after mile and hour after hour, the little cavalcade crept +toward Chattanooga, Grant's face becoming more haggard and furrowed with +pain at every step, but showing a fixed determination to reach his goal +at any cost. On every side signs of the desperate plight of the besieged +garrison were only too apparent. Thousands of carcasses of starved +horses and mules lay beside the road amid broken-down wagons, abandoned +provisions and all the wreckage of a disorganized and demoralized army. + +But if the suffering officer noted these ominous evidences of disaster, +his face afforded no expression of his thought. Plastered with mud and +drenched to the skin, he rode steadily forward, speaking no word +and scarcely glancing to the right or left, and when at last the +excruciating journey came to an end, he hastened to interview Thomas and +hear his report, without even waiting to change his clothes or obtain +refreshment of any kind. + +It was not a very cheerful story which Thomas confided to his Chief +before the blazing headquarters' fire, but the dripping and exhausted +General listened to it with no indication of discouragement or dismay. +"What efforts have been made to open up other roads for provisioning the +army?" was the first question, and Thomas showed him a plan which he and +Rosecrans had worked out. Grant considered it in silence for a moment +and then nodded his approval. The only thing wrong with the plan was +that it had not been carried out, was his comment, and after a personal +inspection of the lines he gave the necessary authority for putting +it into immediate operation. Orders accordingly began flying right +and left, and within twenty-four hours the army was busily engaged in +gnawing a way out of the trap. + +Additional roads were essential for safety but to gain them the +Confederates had to be attacked and a heavy force was therefore ordered +to seize and hold a point known as Brown's Ferry. This relieved the +situation at once and meanwhile the new commander had hurried a special +messenger to Sherman, ordering him to drop everything else and march his +Vicksburg veterans toward Chattanooga without an instant's delay. The +advance of this strong reenforcement was promptly reported to Bragg, who +saw at a glance that unless it could be stopped there was every prospect +that his Chattanooga victims would escape. + +He accordingly determined upon a very bold but very dangerous move. +Not far away lay General Burnside and a small Union army, guarding the +important city of Knoxville, Tennessee, and against this the Confederate +commander dispatched a heavy force, in the hope that Grant would be +compelled to send Sherman to the rescue. + +But the effect of this news upon Grant was very different from Bragg's +expectations, for realizing that his adversary must have seriously +weakened himself in sending the expedition against Burnside, he ordered +Hooker, whose 16,000 men were already on hand, to make an immediate +attack with a force drawn from various parts of the army, and on +November 24, 1863, after a fierce engagement known as the battle of +Lookout Mountain, the Union troops drove their opponents from one of the +two important heights commanding Chattanooga. + +In this success Sherman had effectively cooperated by attacking and +holding the northern end of Missionary Ridge and Grant determined to +follow up his advantage by moving the very next morning against this +second and more formidable range of hills. Therefore, ordering Hooker to +attack the Confederate right on Missionary Ridge and get in their rear +at that point while Sherman assaulted their left, he held Thomas's +troops lying in their trenches at the front awaiting a favorable +opportunity to send them crashing through the center. + +The main field of battle was plainly visible to the silent commander as +he looked down upon it from a hill known as Orchard Knob, and he watched +the effect of the attacks on both wings of the Confederate line with +intense interest. Reenforcements were evidently being hurried to the +Confederate right and left and Hooker, delayed by the destruction of a +bridge, did not appear at the critical moment. Nevertheless, for some +time Sherman continued to advance, but as Grant saw him making slower +progress and noted the heavy massing of troops in his path, he ordered +Thomas's waiting columns to attack the center and carry the breastworks +at the foot of Missionary Ridge. + +With a blare of bugles, 20,000 blue-coated men seemed to leap from the +ground and 20,000 bayonets pointed at Missionary Ridge whose summits +began to blaze forth shot and shell. Death met them at every stride but +the charging troops covered the ground between them and the rifle pits +they had been ordered to take in one wild rush and tore over them like +an angry sea. Then, to the utter astonishment of all beholders, instead +of halting, they continued charging up the face of Missionary Ridge, +straight into the mouths of the murderous cannon. + +"By whose order is this?" Grant demanded sternly. + +"By their own, I fancy," answered Thomas. + +Incredible as this suggestion seemed, it offered the only possible +explanation of the scene. No officer would have dared to order troops to +such certain destruction as apparently awaited them on the fire-crowned +slopes of Missionary Ridge. Spellbound Grant followed the men as they +crept further and further up the height, expecting every instant to see +them hurled back as Pickett's heroes were at Gettysburg, when suddenly +wave upon wave of blue broke over the crest, the Union flags fluttered +all along the line and before this extraordinary charge the Confederates +broke and fled in disorder. + +Setting spur to his horse, Grant dashed across the hard-fought field and +up the formidable ridge, issuing orders for securing all that had been +gained. An opening wedge had now been inserted in Chattanooga's prison +doors, and by midnight the silent captain had thrown his whole weight +against them and they fell. Then calmly turning his attention to +Burnside, he ordered him to hold his position at every hazard until he +could come to the rescue and, setting part of his victorious veterans in +motion toward Knoxville, soon relieved its garrison from all danger. + +With the rescue of two Union armies to his credit Grant was generally +regarded as the most fitting candidate for the chief command of the +army, but by this time it was fully realized that the man who held that +position would have to be invested with far greater powers than any +Union general had thus far possessed. Halleck expressed himself as +only too anxious to resign; Congress passed a law reviving the grade of +lieutenant-general with powers which, up to that time, had never been +entrusted to anyone save Washington, and responded to the cry, "Abraham +Lincoln! Give us a MAN!" the President, on March 1st, 1864, nominated +Ulysses Grant as Commander-in-Chief of all the armies of the United +States. + + + + +Chapter XXV. -- Lieutenant-General Grant + +Until he arrived in Washington Lincoln had never met the man to whom he +had entrusted the supreme command of the army, and the new General was +a very different individual from those who had been previously appointed +to high rank. Some of his predecessors had possessed undoubted ability, +but most of them had soon acquired an exaggerated idea of their own +importance, surrounding themselves with showy staffs in gorgeous attire, +delighting in military pomp and etiquette of every kind, and generally +displaying a great weakness for popular admiration and applause. +Moreover, all of them, with the exception of Meade, had talked too much +for their own good and that of the army, so that many of their plans had +become known in Richmond almost as soon as they had been formed. Indeed, +they not only talked, but wrote too much, and in discussions with their +superiors and wrangling with their fellow officers more than one proved +far mightier with the pen than with the sword. All this, to a very large +extent, was the fault of the public, for it had made an idol of each new +General, deluging him with praise, flattering his vanity and fawning on +him until he came to regard the war as a sort of background for his own +greatness. Thus, for almost three years, the war was conducted more like +a great game than a grim business, and not until it began visibly to sap +the life blood and resources of the nation did the people, as a whole, +realize the awful task confronting them. + +Both sides had begun the conflict in much the same careless fashion, but +the South had immediately become the battle ground, and the horrors of +war actually seen and felt by its people quickly sobered even the most +irresponsible. But from the very first Lee had taken a serious view +of the whole situation. Every word he spoke or wrote concerning it +was distinctly tinged with solemnity, if not sadness, and his sense of +responsibility had a marked influence upon the whole Confederacy. It had +taken the North almost three years to respond in a similar spirit, but +by that time it was ready for a leader who knew what war really meant +and for whom it had no glory, and such a leader had undoubtedly been +found in Grant. + +In the evening of March 8, 1864, the new commander arrived in Washington +and made his way, without attracting any attention, to one of the +hotels. There was nothing in his presence or manner to indicate that +he was a person of any importance. Indeed, he presented a decidedly +commonplace appearance, for he walked with an awkward lurch and bore +himself in a slouchy fashion which made him even shorter than he was. +Moreover, his uniform was faded and travel-stained, his close-cropped +beard and hair were unkempt, and his attire was careless to the point +of slovenliness. There was, however, something in the man's clear-cut +features, firm mouth and chin and resolute blue eyes which suggested +strength, and while his face, as a whole, would not have attracted any +particular notice in a crowd, no one in glancing at it would have been +inclined to take any liberties with its owner. + +But though Grant had arrived unheralded and unrecognized at the national +capital, he had barely given his name to the hotel clerk before the +whole city was surging about him eager to catch a glimpse of the new +hero and cheer him to the echo. But however much notoriety of this sort +had pleased some of his predecessors, Grant soon showed that he wanted +no applauding mob to greet him in the streets, for he quickly escaped +to the seclusion of his own room. But the same public that had cheered +itself hoarse for McClellan, Pope and Hooker, and then hissed them all +in turn, had found another hero and was not to be cheated of its prey. +Indeed, the newcomer was not even allowed to eat his dinner in peace, +for a crowd of gaping and congratulating enthusiasts descended upon +him the moment he reappeared and soon drove him from the dining room in +sheer disgust. + +Possibly the fate of the fallen idols had warned Grant against making a +public exhibition of himself or encouraging the hysterical acclamations +of the crowd, but he was naturally a man of sound, common sense, +entirely free from conceit, and he had no idea of allowing the idle or +curious mob to amuse itself at his expense. He, therefore, quickly made +it plain that he had serious work to do and that he intended to do it +without nonsense of any kind. + +Ceremonies and forms with such a man would have been impossible, and +on March 9, 1864, President Lincoln handed him his commission as a +Lieutenant-General, with a few earnest words to which he made a modest +reply, and then, with the same calmness he had displayed in assuming the +colonelcy of the 21st Illinois, he turned to the duties involved in the +command of half a million men. + +From that time forward no more councils of war were held at the White +House and no more military secrets were disclosed to the Confederate +chiefs. "I do not know General Grant's plans, and I do not want to know +them!" exclaimed Lincoln with relief. But other people did want to know +them and the newspaper reporters and busybodies of all sorts incessantly +buzzed about him, employing every device from subtle flattery to masked +threats to discover his designs. But Grant knew "how to keep silent in +seven different languages" and no one could beguile him into opening +his lips. Neither had he time nor inclination to listen to other people +talk. His troops were spread over a thousand miles of territory, and +never before had they been under the absolute control of any one man. +With the Army of the Potomac he had had but little practical experience; +of the country in which its campaigns had been conducted he knew nothing +at first hand; with a few exceptions he had no personal acquaintance +with the officers under his immediate command, and there were countless +other difficulties which had to be overcome. He, therefore, had no +leisure for trifling and quickly sent all intruders about their business +while he attended to his own. + +The problem involved in a grand campaign was in many respects new to +him, but doing his own thinking in silence, instead of puzzling himself +with the contradictory opinions of other men, Grant reached a more +accurate conclusion in regard to the war than any of his predecessors. +In the first place, he saw that the various campaigns which had been +conducted in different parts of the country would have been far more +effective had they all formed part of one plan enabling the different +armies to cooeperate with each other. He, accordingly, determined to +conduct the war on a gigantic scale, keeping the Confederates in the +West so busy that they would not be able to reenforce Lee and giving Lee +no chance to help them. In a word, he intended to substitute team play +for individual effort all along the line. + +Again, he saw the capture of Richmond, upon which the Army of the +Potomac had expended all its efforts, would be futile if Lee's army +remained undefeated in the field, and he resolved that Lee and not +Richmond should thereafter be the main object of the campaign. "Where +Lee's army goes, there you will go also," was the substance of his first +order to Meade who virtually became his Chief of Staff, and those who +were straining every nerve to discover his plan and expecting something +very brilliant or subtle never guessed that those nine words contained +the open secret of his whole campaign. + +Such, however, was the fact. "I never maneuver," he remarked to his +Chief of Staff; and Meade, who had spent the best part of a year in a +great series of maneuvers with Lee, listened to this confession with +astonishment and dismay, scarcely believing that his superior really +meant what he said. But Grant did mean it. No elaborate moves or +delicate strategy had been employed in any of his campaigns and he +had yet to meet with a serious defeat. To make his first experiment in +maneuvering against such an expert in the science of war as Lee, would +have been to foredoom himself to defeat. With a far smaller force then +either McClellan, Pope, Burnside, Hooker or Meade had possessed, the +Confederate leader had practically fought a drawn battle with them for +three years. His science had not, it is true, been able to overcome +their numbers, but their numbers had not overpowered him. This, as far +as anyone could see, might go on forever. + +But Grant knew that the North had long been tiring of the war and that +unless it were speedily closed the Union might be sacrificed in order +to obtain peace. Moreover, he saw that every day the war lasted cost an +enormous sum of money, and that the loss of life on the battle field was +nothing compared to that in the hospitals and prisons, where disease and +starvation were claiming scores of victims every hour. + +He, therefore, determined to fight and continue fighting until +he pounded his opponent to pieces, well knowing that almost every +able-bodied man in the South was already in the army and that there was +practically no one left to take the place of those who fell. + +This policy, in the minds of many people, proves that Grant was no +general, but merely a brute and a butcher. But history has never yet +revealed a military leader who, having the advantage of numbers, did not +make the most of it. Had Grant been waging war for war's sake, or been +so enamored with his profession as to care more for its fine points than +for the success of his cause, he might have evolved some more subtle and +less brutal plan. But he had no love for soldiering and no sentimental +ideas whatever about the war. Common sense, with which he was liberally +supplied, told him that the only excuse for fighting was to uphold +principles which were vital to the national life and the only way to +have those principles upheld was to defeat those who opposed them and to +do this he determined to use all the resources at his command. + +The two men whom Fate or Chance had been drawing together for over two +hundred years were utterly different in appearance and manner, but in +other respects they were singularly alike. Lee was, at the time of their +meeting, already in his 58th year, his hair and beard were almost white, +but his calm, handsome face, clear eyes and ruddy complexion, made him +appear younger than he was. His bearing also was that of a young man, +for his erect, soldierly carriage showed his height to full advantage; +his well-knit figure was almost slight for a man standing over six +feet, and, mounted on his favorite horse "Traveller," he was the ideal +soldier. Grant was barely forty-two years of age, short of stature, +careless in dress and generally indifferent to appearances. His face, +though strong, was somewhat coarse, his manners were not polished and +he had nothing of the cultivation or charm which Lee so unmistakably +possessed. + +But though Grant thus reflected his Roundhead ancestors and Lee his +Cavalier descent, the contrast between them was mainly external. Both +were modest and courageous; both were self-contained; each had his +tongue and temper under complete control; each was essentially an +American in his ideas and ideals; each fought for a principle in which +he sincerely believed, and neither took the least delight in war. Had +they met in times of peace, it is not probable that they would have +become intimate friends, but it is certain that each would have +respected, if not admired the other for his fine qualities, and this was +undoubtedly their attitude toward each other from the beginning of the +struggle. + + + + +Chapter XXVI. -- A Duel to the Death + +For nearly two months after Grant assumed command no important move +was attempted by either the Union or the Confederate forces except in +Mississippi. Both sides realized that a desperate struggle was impending +and each needed all the time it could gain to prepare for the coming +fray. Heavy reenforcements were hurried to Grant, until the Army of the +Potomac under his immediate command included over 120,000 men; a hundred +thousand more were assembled at Chattanooga in charge of Sherman; and +two other forces of considerable size were formed to cooeperate with +Grant--one being entrusted to General Benjamin Butler and the other to +General Franz Sigel. + +To oppose this vast army Lee had less than 65,000 men in the Army of +Northern Virginia and the only other formidable Confederate force in +the field was that commanded by General Joseph Johnston, who, with some +53,000 men, was stationed in Georgia guarding the cotton states and +the far South. If these two armies could be captured or destroyed, +all organized resistance to the Union would be at an end, and Grant, +accordingly, determined to throw his entire weight upon them, sending +Sherman against Johnston, Butler against the City of Richmond and Sigel +against the rich Shenandoah Valley which supplied the Confederate armies +with food, while he himself attacked Lee with an overwhelming force. + +Never before had a Union general undertaken a campaign covering such a +vast extent of country and never before had such a united effort been +made to exhaust the armies and the resources of the South. With his own +forces threatened by superior numbers Lee would not be able to reenforce +Johnston with safety and, confronted by Sherman, Johnston would find it +impossible to send assistance to Lee. This promised to bring the war to +a speedy close, and the supporters of the Union redoubled their praises +of the Lieutenant-General as they began to understand his plan. Indeed, +the more he avoided publicity and applause and the more indifference +he showed for popular opinion, the more the newspapers and the general +public fawned upon him, and when, on May 3, 1864, he ordered his armies +to advance, the whole North was fairly aflame with enthusiasm. + +It was certainly a momentous occasion. Three years earlier Grant had +been utterly unknown to the country at large and the small group who +acknowledged his acquaintance had regarded him as a rather pitiful +failure, while the Government to whom he had offered his services had +ignored him altogether. Now, at his nod, hundreds of thousands of men +instantly sprang to arms and the most powerful armies that America +had ever seen moved forward in obedience to his will, Sherman marching +southward, Butler creeping toward Richmond, Sigel advancing into the +fertile Shenandoah Valley, and the Army of the Potomac crossing the +Rapidan River to renew its struggle with Lee. + +Lee had watched the elaborate preparations of his new antagonist with +keen interest and no little apprehension, for Grant's record as a +fighting man promised a duel to the death and the South had no more men. + +The situation was certainly serious but, anxious as he was, the +Confederate commander did not by any means despair. He was familiar with +every inch of the country through which Grant would have to advance and +the chances were that this would, sooner or later, give him not only +the advantage of position, but possibly the choice of weapons. With this +idea he allowed the Union forces to cross the Rapidan unopposed, hoping +that he would soon be able to drive them back and that the river would +then be as valuable as cavalry in hampering their retreat. Just beyond +the Rapidan lay the dense thickets and waste lands of scrub oak +and undergrowth known as the Wilderness, which had witnessed the +Chancellorsville surprise and virtually sealed the fate of Hooker's +army. If the Union forces advanced directly through this jungle, there +was more than a possibility that they might outflank their opponents +and gain the road to Richmond, but Lee scarcely dared hope that +his adversary would attempt so dangerous a route. Nevertheless, he +maneuvered to leave the trap undisturbed, and when he saw the Union +columns entering the forests he felt that they were actually being +delivered into his hands. Once in those tangled thickets he knew that +Grant's artillery and cavalry would be practically useless and without +them his superiority in numbers disappeared. Of course, it would be +impossible to conduct a scientific battle in such a region, for it +would virtually be fighting in the dark, but knowing that his men were +thoroughly familiar with the ground, Lee determined to hurl them upon +the advancing bluecoats, trusting to the gloom and the terrors of the +unknown to create confusion and panic in their ranks. + +But the men whom Grant commanded were no longer the inexperienced +volunteers who had been stampeded at Bull Run. They were veterans of +many campaigns and, though they staggered for a moment under the shock +of battle, they speedily rallied and fought with stubborn courage. The +conflict that followed was one of the most brutal recorded in the annals +of modern war. Whole regiments sprang at each other's throats, the men +fighting each other like animals; trees were cut down by the bullets +which tore through them from every direction; bursting shells set fire +to the woods, suffocating the wounded or burning them to death; wild +charges were made, ending in wilder stampedes or bloody repulses; the +crackle of flames rose high above the pandemonium of battle and dense +smoke-clouds drifted chokingly above this hideous carnival of death. +Thus for two days the armies staggered backward and forward with no +result save a horrible loss of life. Once the Union forces almost +succeeded in gaining a position which would have disposed of their +adversaries, but Lee saw the danger just in the nick of time and, +rushing a Texas brigade to the rescue, led the charge in person until +his troops recognized him and forced him to retire. + +It was May 7, 1864, when this blind slaughter known as the Battle of +the Wilderness ceased, but by that time nearly 18,000 Union soldiers and +12,000 Confederates lay upon the field. Lee could not claim a victory +but he still held his ground and he felt confident that Grant would fall +back behind the Rapidan River to recuperate his shattered forces. No +Union commander, thus far, had tarried long on Virginian soil after +such a baptism of blood, and when the news that Grant's columns were +retreating reached the Confederate commander he breathed a sigh of +thanksgiving and relief. + +To the veterans who had served under McClellan, Pope, Burnside and +Hooker, retreats were a wretchedly familiar experience, but they had not +been long on the road before they realized that they were not retreating +but were marching southward. As the truth of this dawned upon the +disheartened columns they burst into frantic cheers for Grant and +pressed forward with springy steps, shouting and singing for joy. + +A less able commander would have been fatally misled by Grant's apparent +retreat, but Lee knew that he might again attempt to swing around his +right flank and edge toward Richmond by way of Spotsylvania, and to +guard against this a body of troops had been ordered to block that road. +Therefore, by the time Grant began his great turning movement, Lee was +planted squarely across his path and another series of battles followed. +Here the Union commander was able to make some use of his cavalry +and artillery, but the Confederates offset this by fighting behind +intrenchments and they repulsed charge after charge with fearful +slaughter. Again, as at the Battle of the Wilderness, the gray line was +pierced, this time at a point known as the "Bloody Angle" or "Hell's +Half Acre," and twice Lee sprang forward to lead a desperate charge to +recover the lost ground. But each time the troops refused to advance +until their beloved leader retired to a point of safety, and when he +yielded they whirled forward, sweeping everything before them. + +These charges saved the battle of Spotsylvania for the Confederates. But +though Lee had again blocked his opponent, the fact that he had thrice +had to rally his troops at the peril of his life showed that he had +been harder pressed than in any of his other Virginia campaigns. +Nevertheless, when the last furious attack had been repulsed and Grant +began moving sullenly away, it seemed as though he had at last been +compelled to abandon the campaign. But the wearied Confederates had yet +to learn that their terrible opponent was a man who did not know when +he was beaten, for in spite of his awful losses he had written his +government May 11, 1864, "I propose to fight it out on this line if it +takes all summer," and his army, instead of retreating, continued to +move southward, crossing the North Anna River and circling once more +toward the left flank. + +Again Grant was on the road to Richmond, but in crossing the North Anna +River he left an opening between the two wings of his army and before he +could close it Lee threw his whole force into the breach and, completely +cutting off one part of the Union army from the other, held both firmly +in check. This masterly move might have brought Grant's campaign to a +disastrous end, but just as he was planning to take full advantage of +it, Lee fell ill and during his absence from the field Grant made his +first backward move, recrossing the North Anna River and, bringing the +two wings of his army together, rescued it from its perilous position. + +The moment he reached a point of safety, however, the persistent +commander recommenced his march by the left flank, sidling once more +toward Richmond until he reached Cold Harbor, only eight miles from the +Confederate capital. Here Lee once more interposed his battered forces, +strongly intrenching them in a position that fairly defied attack. With +any other adversary against him he would have concluded that the game +was won, for by all the rules of war the Union army was completely +balked and could not avoid a retreat. But Grant was a man of a different +caliber from any he had encountered heretofore. In spite of checks and +disasters and unheard-of slaughter he had pushed inexorably forward; +foiled in front he had merely turned aside to hew another bloody path. +To him defeat only seemed to mean delay, and apparently he could not be +shaken from his dogged purpose, no matter what the cost. At Cold Harbor, +however, the Confederate position was so strong that to assault it was +madness, and Lee could not believe that even his grim opponent would +resort to such a suicidal attempt. But retreat or attack offered no +choice to Grant's mind, and on June 2, 1864, the troops were fiercely +hurled against the Confederate works, only to be repulsed with fearful +slaughter. A few hours later orders were issued to renew the assault, +and then postponed for a day. + +That delay gave the soldiers an opportunity to understand the desperate +nature of the work that lay before them and, realizing that charging +against murderous batteries and trenches meant rushing into the jaws of +death, they offered a silent protest. Not a man refused to obey orders, +not one fell from his place in the line, but to their coats they sewed +strips of cloth bearing their names and addresses so that their bodies +might be identified upon the field. + +This dramatic spectacle might well have warned their commander of the +hopelessness of his attempt, but fixed in his resolve to thrust his +opponent from his path, he gave the fatal order to charge, and twenty +minutes later 3,000 of his best troops fell before the smoking trenches +and the balance reeled back aghast at the useless sacrifice. This +horrifying slaughter, which Grant himself confessed was a grievous +blunder, brought the first stage of his campaign to a close. In but +little over a month he had lost nearly 55,000 men--almost as many as +Lee had had in his entire army, and almost in sight of the spires of +Richmond his adversary held him securely at arm's length. + +A wave of horror, indignation and disappointment, swept over the North. +Another campaign had proved a failure. There were, however, two men who +did not agree with this conclusion. One was Grant, pouring over the maps +showing the movements of all his armies. The other was Lee, looking in +vain for reenforcements to fill the gaps in his fast thinning lines. + + + + +Chapter XXVII. -- Check and Countercheck + +The six-weeks' campaign in Virginia had been quite sufficient to check +all enthusiasm for Grant, but the fact that he was no longer a +popular hero did not trouble him at all. Indeed, he displayed the same +indifference to the storm of angry criticism that he had shown for the +salvos of applause. He had made no claims or boasts before he took the +field and he returned no answers to the accusations and complaints after +his apparent failures. Had he posed before the public as a hero or been +tempted to prophesy a speedy triumph for his army, the humiliation and +disappointment might have driven him to resign from the command. But +he had recognized the difficulty of his task from the outset, modestly +accepting it with no promise save that he would do his best, and he +silently resolved to pursue the campaign he had originally mapped out in +spite of all reverses. + +Certainly, he required all his calmness and steadfastness to overcome +his discouragement and disgust at the manner in which the cooeperating +armies had been handled. In the Shenandoah Valley Sigel had proved +utterly incompetent and the Confederates, instead of having been driven +from that important storehouse, had tightened their hold upon it. +Moreover, Butler, who was supposed to threaten Richmond while Grant +fought Lee, had made a sorry mess of that part of the program. In fact +he had maneuvered in such a ridiculous fashion that he and about 35,000 +troops were soon cooped up by a far smaller force of Confederates who +held them as a cork holds the contents of a bottle; and last, but not +least, the Army of Potomac lay badly mutilated before the impassable +intrenchments of Lee. + +In one particular, however, Grant's expectations bade fair to be +realized, for Sherman was steadily pushing his way through Georgia, +driving Johnston before him, and inflicting terrible damage upon the +country through which he passed. As Grant watched this triumphant +advance he silently resolved upon another move. The north or front door +of Richmond was closed and firmly barred. There was nothing to be gained +by further battering at that portal. But the southern or rear door +had not yet been thoroughly tried and upon that he concluded to make +a determined assault. To do this it would be necessary to renew his +movement around his opponent's right flank by crossing the formidable +James River--a difficult feat at any time, but double difficult at that +moment, owing to the fact that Butler's "bottled" force might be crushed +by a Confederate attack while the hazardous passage of the river was +being effected. Nevertheless, he decided to risk this bold stroke, and +during the night of June 12, 1864, about ten days after the repulse at +Cold Harbor, the great movement was begun. + +Meanwhile Lee, confident that he had completely checked his opponent, +but disappointed that he had not forced him to retreat, determined to +drive him away by carrying the war into the North and threatening the +Federal capital. That he should have been able to attempt this in the +midst of a campaign deliberately planned to destroy him, affords some +of the indication of the brilliant generalship he had displayed. But +it does not fully reflect his masterful daring. At the outset of the +campaign the Union forces had outnumbered him two to one and its losses +had been offset by reenforcements, while every man that had fallen in +the Confederate ranks had left an empty space. It is highly probable, +therefore, that at the moment he resolved to turn the tables on his +adversary and transform the campaign against Richmond into a campaign +against Washington, he had not much more than one man to his opponent's +three. Nevertheless, in the face of these overwhelming numbers, he +maintained a bold front towards Grant and detached General Jubal Early +with 20,000 men to the Shenandoah Valley, with orders to clear that +region of Union troops, cross the Potomac River and then march straight +on Washington. + +It was at this moment that Grant began creeping cautiously away toward +the rear door of Richmond. To keep a vigilant enemy in entire ignorance +of such a tremendous move was, of course, impossible, but the system and +discipline which he had instilled into his army almost accomplished the +feat. Indeed, so rapidly and silently did the troops move, so perfect +were the arrangements for transporting their baggage and supplies, +so completely were the details of the whole undertaking ordered and +systematized, that over a hundred thousand men, infantry, cavalry, and +artillery, with their horses, hospital and wagon trains, and all the +paraphernalia of a vast army virtually faded away, and when Lee gazed +from his intrenchments on June 13, 1864, there was no sign of his +opponent and he did not discover where he had gone for fully four days. + +In the meantime, Grant had thrown his entire army across the James +River and was advancing, horse and foot, on Petersburg, the key to the +approach to Richmond from the south, and Butler, whose troops had been +extricated from their difficulties, was ordered to seize it. Petersburg +was at that moment wholly unprepared to resist a strong attack. Indeed, +there were only a handful of men guarding the fortification, the capture +of which would case the fall of Richmond, but Butler was not the man to +take advantage of this great opportunity. On the contrary, he delayed +his advance and otherwise displayed such wretched judgment that the +Confederates had time to rush reenforcements to the rescue, and when +Grant arrived on the scene the intrenchments were strongly occupied. +Notwithstanding this the Union commander ordered a vigorous assault, and +for three days the troops were hurled against the breastworks without +result. The last attack was made on June 18, 1864, but by this time +10,000 Union soldiers had been sacrificed and Lee had arrived in person +with strong support. Grant accordingly, abandoning his efforts to carry +the place by storm, began to close in upon it for a grimly sullen siege. + +Meanwhile, General Early, to whom Lee had entrusted his counter-move, +was sweeping away the Federal forces in the Shenandoah Valley with +resistless fury, and suddenly, to the intense surprise and mortification +of the whole North, advanced upon Washington, threatening it with +capture. Washington was almost as completely unprepared for resistance +as Petersburg had been, its defenses being manned by only a small force +mainly composed of raw recruits and invalid soldiers, while outside +the city there was but one body of troops near enough to oppose the +Confederate advance. That little army, however, was commanded by General +Lew Wallace, later the famous author of "Ben Hur," and he had the +intelligence to see that he might at least delay Early by offering +battle and that gaining time might prove as valuable as gaining a +victory. Accordingly, he threw himself across the Confederate's path +and, though roughly handled and at last driven from the field, he hung +on long enough to accomplish his purpose and although his adversary +attempted to make up for lost time by rapid marching he did not succeed. +This undoubtedly saved Washington from capture, for shortly after +Early appeared on the 7th Street Road leading to the capital, the +reenforcements which Grant had rushed forward reached the city, and +before any attack on the intrenchments was attempted they were fully +defended and practically unassailable. Seeing this, Early retreated with +the Union troops following in half-hearted pursuit. + +It was the 12th of July, 1864, when, with a sigh of intense relief, +Washington saw the backs of the retreating Confederates, but its +satisfaction at its escape was mingled with indignation against Grant +for having left it open to attack. Indeed, he was regarded by many +people as the greatest failure of all the Union commanders, for he had +lost more men in sixty days than McClellan had lost in all his campaigns +without getting any nearer to Richmond, and by the end of July another +lamentable failure was recorded against him. + +In the intrenchments facing Petersburg lay the 48th Pennsylvania +Volunteers, largely composed of miners from the coal regions of that +state. Late in June Colonel Pleasants of this regiment had submitted a +plan whereby his men were to dig a tunnel to a point directly under one +of the Confederate forts, plant a gunpowder mine there and blow a +breach in the defenses through which troops could be poured and the town +carried by assault. The scheme was plausible, provided the tunnel could +be bored and Grant gave his consent, with the result that within a month +an underground passage over 500 feet long was completed, a mine was +planted with four tons of powder and elaborate preparations made +for storming the Confederate works. Grant's orders were that all +obstructions in front of the Union lines should be removed to enable the +troops to charge the moment the explosion occurred, and that they +should be rushed forward without delay until they were all within the +Confederate lines. Accordingly, in the dead of night on July 29th, the +assaulting columns were moved into position and when everything was in +apparent readiness the signal was given to explode the mine. But though +the match was applied no explosion occurred, and in the awful hush that +followed Lieut. Jacob Douty and Sergeant Henry Rees volunteered to crawl +into the tunnel and see what was wrong. To enter the passage at that +moment was almost defying death, but the two men took their lives in +their hands and, creeping in, discovered that the fuse had smoldered +and gone out. They then relit it and made their escape just as a fearful +explosion rent the air and great masses of earth, stones and timbers, +intermingled with human bodies, leaped toward the sky. + +For a moment the waiting troops watched this terrifying spectacle +and then, as the cloud of wreckage apparently swerved toward them +threatening to descend and bury them beneath it, they fell back in great +confusion and some time elapsed before order was restored and the charge +begun. But Grant's orders to clear their path had not been obeyed, and +the charging troops had to climb over their own breastworks, causing +more delay and confusion. Finally, however, the leading brigades reached +the great excavation torn by the mine, and there they halted awaiting +further orders. But no orders came, for their terror-stricken commander +had sought safety in a bomb-proof and when his hiding place was +discovered the miserable cur merely mumbled something about "moving +forward" and remained cowering in his refuge. Meanwhile, other regiments +rushed forward, tumbling in upon one another, until the chasm was +choked with men upon whom the Confederates began to pour shot, shell and +canister. From that moment everything was lost and at last orders came +from Grant to rescue the struggling mass of men from the awful death +trap into which they had been plunged, but despite all exertions fully +4,000 were killed, wounded or captured. + +Again his subordinates had blundered terribly but Grant accepted the +responsibility and assumed the blame, waiting patiently for the hour, +then near at hand, when he would find commanders he could trust to carry +out his plans. + + + + +Chapter XXVIII. -- The Beginning of the End + +The right man to conduct the Shenandoah campaign was already in the Army +of the Potomac, but it was not until about a week after the failure of +the Petersburg mine that circumstances enabled Grant to place General +Philip Sheridan in charge of that important task. + +Sheridan, like Sherman, had served with Grant in the West and had +developed into a brilliant cavalry leader. Indeed, he was the only man +in the Northern armies whose record could be compared with that of Jeb +Stuart and many other great cavalry commanders in the South. But Grant +felt that Sheridan could handle an entire army as well as he had handled +the cavalry alone and he soon showed himself fully worthy of this +confidence, for from the moment he took over the command of the Union +forces in the Shenandoah Valley, the Confederates were compelled to +fight for it as they had never fought before. + +Up to this time, the war had been conducted with comparatively little +destruction of private property on either side. But the moment had +now arrived for harsher measures, for Sherman had occupied Atlanta on +September 2, 1864, and was preparing to march to the sea coast and cut +the Confederacy in two. If Grant's plan of depriving Lee of the fertile +valley to the north was to be put in operation, there was no time +to lose. Sheridan, accordingly, at once proceeded to attack the +Confederates with the utmost vigor, defeating them in two engagements +at Winchester and Fisher's Hill, and following up this success by laying +waste the fields and ruthlessly destroying all the stores of grain and +provisions which might prove useful to Lee's army. For a month or more +he continued to sweep through the country practically unchecked. But +on October 19.1864, during his absence, his army was surprised and +furiously attacked by General Early's men at Cedar Creek, and before +long they had the Union troops in a perilous position which threatened +to end in their destruction and the recapture of the entire valley. + +Sheridan was at Winchester on his way to the front from Washington when +the news of this impending disaster reached him and, mounting his horse, +he dashed straight across country for the scene of action. He was then, +however, fully twenty miles from the field and there seemed but little +chance of his reaching it any time to be of any service. Nevertheless, +he spurred forward at a breakneck pace and his splendid horse, +responding gamely, fairly flew over the ground, racing along mile after +mile at killing speed in a lather of foam and sweat, until the +battle field was reached just as the Union troops came reeling back, +panic-stricken, under cover of a thin line of troops who had at last +succeeded in making a stand. + +Instantly, the General was among the fugitives ordering them to turn and +follow him and inspired by his presence, they wheeled as he dashed down +their broken lines and, madly cheering, hurled themselves upon their +pursuers. Completely surprised by this unexpected recovery, the +Confederates faltered and the Union troops, gathering force as they +charged, rolled them back with irresistible fury and finally swept them +completely from the field. Indeed, Early's force was so badly shattered +and scattered by this overwhelming defeat that it virtually abandoned +the Valley and Sheridan continued his work of destruction almost +unopposed, until the whole region was so barren that, as he reported, a +crow flying across it would have to carry his own provisions or starve +to death. + +Meanwhile, Sherman had begun to march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, +where he intended to get in touch with the navy guarding the coast and +then sweep northward to Grant. Behind him lay the Confederate army, +formerly commanded by General Joseph Johnston but now led by General +Hood, a daring officer who was expected to retrieve Johnston's failure +by some brilliant feat of arms. Whether he would attempt this by +following Sherman and attacking him at the first favorable moment +or take advantage of his departure to turn north and play havoc with +Tennessee and the region thus exposed to attack, was uncertain. To meet +either of these moves Sherman sent a substantial part of his army to +General Thomas at Nashville, Tennessee, and swung off with the rest of +his troops toward the sea. Hood instantly advanced against Thomas, +and Grant at Petersburg, closely watching the movement saw a +great opportunity to dispose of one of the Confederate armies. He, +accordingly, ordered Thomas to attack with his whole strength as soon as +Hood reached Nashville, but although the Confederates reached that +point considerably weakened by a partial defeat inflicted on them by +a retreating Union column, Thomas delayed his assault. Days of anxious +waiting followed and then Grant hurried General Logan, one of his most +trusted officers, to the scene of action with orders to take over the +command, unless Thomas immediately obeyed his instructions. In the +meantime, however, Thomas, slow but sure, had completed his preparations +and, hurling himself upon Hood with a vastly superior force, pursued his +retreating columns (Dec. 16, 1864) until they were split into fragments, +never again to be reunited as a fighting force. + +It was not until this practical annihilation of Hood that the North +began to realize how far reaching and complete Grant's plans were. +But that event and the Shenandoah campaign made it clear that he +had determined that no army worthy of the name should be left to +the Confederacy when he finally closed in upon Lee, so that with his +destruction or surrender there should be no excuse for prolonging the +war. It was in furtherance of this plan that Sherman left ruin and +desolation behind him as he blazed his way up from the South. The +inhabitants of the region through which he was marching had, up to this +time, been living in perfect security and Sherman intended to make war +so hideous that they would have no desire to prolong the contest. He, +accordingly, tore up the railroads, heating the rails and then twisting +them about trees so that they could never be used again, burned public +buildings and private dwellings, allowed his army to live on whatever +food they could find in the houses, stores or barns, and generally made +it a terror to all who lay in the broad path he was sweeping towards +Petersburg. + +Grant then had Lee fairly caught. His only possible chances of +prolonging the contest lay in taking refuge in the mountains or joining +his forces with the remnants of Hood's army which had been gathered +together and again entrusted with other troops to the command of General +Joseph Johnston. Had it been possible to do this, nothing practical +would have been achieved, for he had less than 30,000 effective men and +Johnston's whole force did not amount to much more than 30,000, while +Grant, Sherman and Sheridan together had a quarter of a million men +under arms. From a military standpoint Lee knew that the situation was +hopeless, but until the authorities who had placed him in the field gave +up the cause he felt in duty bound to continue the fight to the bitter +end. Had the Union army been his only opponent, it is possible that +he might have succeeded in escaping the rings of steel which Grant was +daily riveting around him. But he had to fight hunger, and from the day +that Sheridan mastered the Shenandoah Valley and Sherman cut off all +supplies from the South starvation stared him in the face. + +Meanwhile, his troops, though almost reduced to skeletons and clothed +in rags, confidently believed that in spite of everything he would find +some way of leading them out of Grant's clutches and, inspired by this +implicit faith, they hurled themselves again and again upon the masses +of troops which were steadily closing around them. But though they +frequently checked the advancing columns and sometimes even threw them +back, inflicting heavy losses and taking many prisoners, the blue lines +soon crept forward again, closing up gap after gap with a resistless +tide of men. At last the road to the west leading toward the mountains +beyond Lynchburg alone remained open. But to avail himself of this +Lee knew that he would have to abandon Petersburg and Richmond and he +hesitated to take this step; while Grant, seeing the opening and fearing +that his opponent would take advantage of it, strained every nerve to +get his troops into a position where they could block the road. + +Such was the condition of affairs at the end of March, 1865, but neither +the starving soldiers in the Confederate trenches nor the people of +Richmond or Petersburg imagined that the end was desperately near. While +"Marse Robert," as Lee's men affectionately called him, was in command +they felt that no real danger could come nigh them, and their idol was +outwardly as calm as in the hour of his greatest triumph. + + + + +Chapter XXIX. -- At Bay + + +It would be impossible to imagine a more hopeless situation than +that which had confronted Lee for many months. To guard the line of +intrenchments stretching around Petersburg and Richmond for more than +thirty-five miles, he had less than 30,000 effective men, and starvation +and disease were daily thinning their impoverished ranks; the soldiers +were resorting to the corn intended for the horses, and the cavalry were +obliged to disperse through the country seeking fodder for their animals +in the wasted fields; the defenders of the trenches, barefooted and +in rags, lay exposed to the cold and wet, day and night; there were no +medicines for the sick and no great supply of ammunition for the guns. + +Perhaps no one but Lee fully realized to what desperate straits his +army had been reduced. Certainly his opponents were ignorant of the real +condition of affairs or they would have smashed his feeble defenses at +a blow, and the fact that he held over a hundred thousand troops at bay +for months with a skeleton army shows how skillfully he placed his men. + +But though his brilliant career threatened to end in defeat and +disaster, no thought of himself ever crossed Lee's mind. Regardless of +his own comfort and convenience, he devoted himself day and night to +relieving the suffering of his men, who jestingly called themselves +"Lee's Miserables," but grimly stuck to their posts with unshaken faith +in their beloved chief who, in the midst of confusion and helplessness, +remained calm and resourceful, never displaying irritation, never +blaming anyone for mistakes, but courageously attempting to make the +best of everything and finding time, in spite of all distractions, for +the courtesy and the thoughtfulness of a gentleman unafraid. + +His letters to his wife and children during these perilous days reveal +no anxiety save for the comfort of his men, and no haste except to +provide for their wants. At home his wife--confined to an invalid's +chair--was busily knitting socks for the soldiers, and to her he wrote +in the face of impending disaster: + + +..."After sending my note this morning I received from the express +office a bag of socks. You will have to send down your offerings as soon +as you can, and bring your work to a close, for I think General Grant +will move against us soon--within a week if nothing prevents--and no man +can tell what will be the result; but trusting to a merciful God, who +does not always give the battle to the strong, I pray we may not be +overwhelmed. I shall, however, endeavor to do my duty and fight to the +last. Should it be necessary to abandon our position to prevent being +surrounded, what will you do? You must consider the question and make up +your mind. It is a fearful condition and we must rely for guidance and +protection upon a kind Providence...." + + +Shortly after this letter was written Lee made a desperate effort to +force his adversary to loosen his grip but though the exhausted and +starved troops attacked with splendid courage, they could not pierce the +solid walls of infantry and fell back with heavy losses. Then Sheridan, +who had been steadily closing in from the Shenandoah, swung 10,000 +sabres into position and the fate of Petersburg was practically sealed. +But, face to face with this calamity, Lee calmly wrote his wife: + + +"I have received your note with a bag of socks. I return the bag and +receipt. I have put in the bag General Scott's autobiography which +I thought you might like to read. The General, of course, stands out +prominently and does not hide his light under a bushel, but he appears +the bold, sagacious, truthful man that he is. I enclose a note from +little Agnes. I shall be very glad to see her to-morrow but cannot +recommend pleasure trips now...." + + +At every point Grant was tightening his hold upon the imprisoned +garrison and difficulties were crowding fast upon their commander, but +he exhibited neither excitement nor alarm. Bending all his energies upon +preparations for a retreat, he carefully considered the best plan for +moving his troops and supplying their needs on the march, quietly giving +his orders to meet emergencies, but allowing no one to see even a shadow +of despair on his face. Concerning the gravity of the situation he +neither deceived himself nor attempted to deceive others who were +entitled to know it, and with absolute accuracy he prophesied the +movements of his adversary long before they were made. + +..."You may expect Sheridan to move up the Valley," he wrote the +Confederate Secretary of War.... "Grant, I think, is now preparing to +draw out by his left with the intent of enveloping me. He may wait till +his other columns approach nearer, or he may be preparing to anticipate +my withdrawal. I cannot tell yet.... Everything of value should be +removed from Richmond. It is of the first importance to save all the +powder. The cavalry and artillery of the army are still scattered for +want of provender and our supply and ammunition trains, which ought to +be with the army in case of a sudden movement, are absent collecting +provisions and forage. You will see to what straits we are reduced; but +I trust to work out." + +At last, on March 29th, 1865, Grant pushed forward 50,000 cavalry and +infantry to execute the very move which Lee had outlined and for which +he was as thoroughly prepared as it was possible to be with the men he +had on hand. But to check this advance which threatened to surround his +army and cut off his retreat, he had to withdraw the troops guarding the +defenses of Petersburg, abandoning some of the intrenchments altogether +and leaving nothing much more formidable than a skirmish line anywhere +along his front. Even then he could not stop the onrush of the Union +troops, which, under Sheridan, circled his right on April 1st and drove +back his men in the fierce engagement known as the battle of Five Forks. +With the news of this success Grant promptly ordered an assault against +the intrenchments and his troops tore through the almost defenseless +lines in several places, encountering little or no resistance. + +Petersburg was not yet taken, but Lee immediately saw that to protect +it further would be to sacrifice his entire army. He, therefore, sent a +dispatch to Richmond, advising the immediate evacuation of the city. "I +see no prospect of doing more than hold our position here till night. +I am not certain that I can do that," he wrote. But he did hold on till +the Confederate authorities had made their escape, and then on the night +of April 2nd he abandoned the capital which he had successfully defended +for four years and started on a hazardous retreat. + +The one chance of saving his army lay in reaching the mountains to the +west, before Grant could bar the road, but his men were in no condition +for swift marching and the provision train which he had ordered to meet +him at Amelia Court House failed to put in an appearance, necessitating +a halt. Every moment was precious and the delay was exasperating, but he +did his best to provide some sort of food for his famished men and again +sent them on their way. + +By this time, however, the Union troops were hot upon their trail and +soon their rear-guard was fighting desperately to hold the pursuit in +check. Now and again they shook themselves free, but the moment they +paused for food or rest they were overtaken and the running fight went +on. Then, little by little, the pursuing columns began to creep past +the crumbling rear-guard; cavalry pounced on the foragers searching the +countryside for food and captured the lumbering provision-wagons and the +railroad supply trains which had been ordered to meet the fleeting army, +while hundreds upon hundreds of starving men dropped from the ranks as +they neared the bypaths leading to their homes. + +Still some thousands held together, many begging piteously for food at +every house they passed and growing weaker with each step, but turning +again and again with a burst of their old spirit to beat back the +advance-guard of the forces that were slowly enfolding them. + +"There was as much gallantry displayed by some of the Confederates in +these little engagements as was displayed at any time during the war, +notwithstanding the sad defeats of the past week," wrote Grant many +years later, and it was this splendid courage in the face of hardship +and disaster that enabled the remnants of the once invincible army to +keep up their exhausting flight. As they neared Appomattox Court House, +however, the blue battalions were closing in on them from every side +like a pack of hounds in full cry of a long-hunted quarry and escape was +practically cut off. + +For five days Grant had been in the saddle personally conducting the +pursuit with restless energy, and he knew that he was now in a position +to strike a crushing blow, but instead of ordering a merciless attack, +he sent the following letter to Lee: + + +"Headquarters Armies of the U.S. "5 P.M. Apr. 7, 1865. + +"General R. E. Lee,--Commanding Confederate States Armies. + +"The results of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of +further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern 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 Northern Virginia. + +"U. S. Grant, + +"Lieut. General." + + +Meanwhile the retreating columns staggered along, their pace growing +slower and slower with every mile, and at last a courier arrived bearing +Lee's reply. + + +"General: + +"I have received your note of this day. Though not entertaining the +opinion you express on the hopelessness of further resistance on the +part of the Army of Northern Virginia I reciprocate your desire to +avoid useless effusion of blood and therefore, before considering your +proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender. + +"R. E. Lee, + +"General." + + +Grant promptly responded that peace being his great desire, there +was only one condition he would insist upon and that was that the +surrendered men and officers should not again take up arms against the +United States until properly exchanged. + +But Lee was not yet ready to yield and continuing to move forward with +his faithful veterans, he sent a dignified reply, declining to surrender +but suggesting a meeting between himself and Grant, with the idea of +seeing if some agreement could not be reached for making peace between +the two sections of the country. + +This was not the answer that Grant had hoped for, but he had too much +admiration for his gallant adversary to ride rough shod over him when he +held him completely in his power, and while he gave the necessary orders +to prepare for closing in, he sent another courteous note to Lee dated +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. today could lead to +no good. I will state, however, General, that I am equally anxious for +peace with yourself and the whole North entertains the same feeling. +The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood.... Seriously +hoping that all our difficulties may be settled without the loss of +another life, I subscribe myself, etc., + +"U. S. Grant, + +"Lt. General." + + +The courier bearing this message dashed off and disappeared and the +chase continued, masses of blue infantry pressing forward under cover of +darkness and overlapping the weary columns of gray that stumbled on +with lagging steps. Meanwhile, the morning of April 9th dawned and Lee +determined to make one more desperate effort at escape. Behind him an +overwhelming force was crowding and threatening to crush his rear-guard; +on either flank the blue-coated lines were edging closer and closer; but +in front there appeared to be only a thin screen of cavalry which might +be pierced; and beyond lay the mountains and safety. At this cavalry +then he hurled his horsemen with orders to cut their way through and +force an opening for the rest of the army, who vigorously supported the +attack. It was, indeed, a forlorn hope that was thus entrusted to the +faithful squadrons, but they responded with matchless dash and spirit, +tearing a wide gap through the opposing cavalry and capturing guns and +prisoners. Then they suddenly halted and surveyed the field with dumb +despair. Behind the parted screen of horsemen lay a solid wall of blue +infantry arrayed in line of battle and hopelessly blocking the road. +One glance was enough to show them what Grant's night march had +accomplished, and the baffled riders wheeled and reported the situation +to their chief. + +Lee listened calmly to the news which was not wholly unexpected. There +was still a chance that a portion of his force might escape, if he was +willing to let them attempt to fight their way out against awful odds, +but no thought of permitting such a sacrifice crossed his mind. + +"Then there is nothing left for me but to go and see Gen. Grant," he +observed to those around him. + +But desperate as their plight had been for days, his officers were +unprepared for this announcement. + +"Oh, General!" one of them protested, "What will history say of the +surrender of the army in the field?" + +"Yes," he replied. "I know they will say hard things of us; they will +not understand how we were overwhelmed by numbers. But that is not the +question, Colonel. The question is, is it right to surrender this army? +If it is right, then I will take all the responsibility." + +No response was offered by the little group and turning to one of his +staff, Lee quietly gave an order. A few moments later white flags were +fluttering at the head of the halted columns and an officer rode out +slowly from the lines bearing a note to Grant. + + + + +Chapter XXX. -- The Surrender + + +While Lee's messenger was making his way toward the Union lines, +Grant was riding rapidly to the front where his forces had foiled the +Confederate cavalry. For more than a week he had been constantly in the +saddle, moving from one point on his lines to another and begrudging +even the time for food and sleep in his efforts to hasten the pursuit. +But the tremendous physical and mental strain to which he had subjected +himself had already begun to tell upon him, and he had passed the +previous night under a surgeon's care endeavoring to put himself in fit +condition for the final struggle which Lee's refusal to surrender led +him to expect. The dawn of April 9th, however, found him suffering with +a raging headache, and well-nigh exhausted after his sleepless night he +rode forward feeling more like going to the hospital than taking active +command in the field. He had already advanced some distance and was +within two or three miles of Appomattox Court House, when an officer +overtook him and handed him these lines from Lee: + + +"Apr. 9, 1865. + +"General: + +"I received your note of this morning on the picket line whither I had +come to meet you and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in +your proposal of yesterday with reference to the surrender of this army. +I now ask an interview in accordance with the offer contained in your +letter of yesterday for that purpose. + +"R. E. Lee, + +"General." + + +The moment Grant's eyes rested on these words his headache disappeared, +and instantly writing the following reply, he put spurs to his horse and +galloped on: + + +"Apr. 9, 1865. + +"Your note of this date is but this moment (11:50 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 Walker'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 will meet me. + +"U. S. Grant, + +"Lt. General." + + +The troops under Sheridan were drawn up in line of battle when Grant +arrived on the scene and his officers, highly excited at the favorable +opportunity for attacking the Confederates, urged him to allow no +cessation of hostilities until the surrender was actually made. But +Grant would not listen to anything of this sort, and directing that he +be at once conducted to General Lee, followed an orderly who led him +toward a comfortable two-story, brick dwelling in Appomattox village +owned by a Mr. McLean who had placed it at the disposal of the +Confederate commander. + +Mounting the broad piazza steps, Grant entered the house, followed by +his principal generals and the members of his staff, and was ushered +into a room at the left of the hall, where Lee, accompanied by only one +officer, awaited him. + +As the two commanders shook hands the Union officers passed toward the +rear of the room and remained standing apart. Then Lee motioned Grant +to a chair placed beside a small marble-topped table, at the same time +seating himself near another table close at hand. Neither man exhibited +the slightest embarrassment and Grant, recalling that they had served +together during the Mexican War, reminded Lee of this fact, saying that +he remembered him very distinctly as General Scott's Chief of Staff but +did not suppose that an older and superior officer would remember him. +But Lee did remember him and in a few minutes he was chatting quietly +with his former comrade about the Mexican campaign and old army days. + +It would be impossible to imagine a greater contrast than that afforded +by the two men as they thus sat conversing. Lee wore a spotless gray +uniform, long cavalry boots, spurs and gauntlets, and carried the +beautiful sword given to him by Virginia, presenting altogether a most +impressive appearance; and his tall, splendidly proportioned figure and +grave dignified bearing heightened the effect. His well-trimmed hair and +beard were almost snow white, adding distinction to his calm, handsome +face without suggesting age, and his clear eyes and complexion and erect +carriage were remarkable for a man of fifty-eight. Grant was barely +forty-three, and his hair and beard were brown with a touch of gray, +but his face was worn and haggard from recent illness, and his thickset +figure and drooping shoulders were those of a man well advanced in +years. For uniform he wore the blouse of a private, to which the +shoulder straps of a lieutenant-general had been stitched; his trousers +were tucked into top boots worn without spurs; he carried no sword and +from head to foot he was splashed with mud. + +He, himself, was conscious of the strange contrast between his +appearance and that of his faultlessly attired opponent, for he +apologized for his unkempt condition, explaining that he had come +straight from active duty in the field, and then as the conversation +regarding Mexico continued he grew so pleasantly interested that the +object of the meeting almost passed from his mind, and it was Lee who +first recalled it to his attention. + +He then called for pencil and paper, and without having previously +mapped out any phrases in his mind, he began to draft an informal letter +to Lee, outlining the terms of surrender. Nothing could have been more +clear and simple than the agreement which he drafted, nor could the +document have been more free from anything tending to humiliate or +offend his adversary. It provided merely for the stacking of guns, the +parking of cannon and the proper enrollment of the Confederate troops, +all of whom were to remain unmolested as long as they obeyed the laws +and did not again take up arms against the Government, and it concluded +with the statement that the side arms of the officers were not to be +surrendered and that all such officers who owned their own horses should +be permitted to retain them. + +Lee watched the writing of this letter in silence, and when Grant handed +it to him he read it slowly, merely remarking as he returned it that the +provision allowing the officers to keep their horses would have a happy +effect, but that in the Confederate army the cavalry and artillerymen +likewise owned their own horses. That hint was quite sufficient for +Grant, who immediately agreed to make the concession apply to all the +soldiers, whether officers or privates, observing as he again handed the +paper to Lee that his men would probably find their horses useful in the +spring ploughing when they returned to their farms. Lee responded that +the concession would prove most gratifying to his soldiers, and, turning +to his secretary, dictated a short, simple reply to his opponent, +accepting his conditions. + +While these letters were being copied in ink, Grant introduced his +officers to Lee and strove to make the situation as easy as possible +for him. Indeed, throughout the whole interview he displayed the most +admirable spirit, tactfully conceding all that his adversary might +reasonably have asked, thus saving him from the embarrassment of making +any request and generally exhibiting a delicate courtesy and generosity +which astonished those who judged him merely by his rough exterior. But +Grant, though uncouth in appearance and unpolished in manners, was a +gentleman in the best sense of the word, and he rose to the occasion +with an ease and grace that left nothing to be desired. + +As soon as the letters were signed the Confederate commander shook his +late opponent's hand and turned to leave the room. The Union officers +followed him to the door as he departed but tactfully refrained from +accompanying him further and attended only by his secretary, he passed +down the broad steps of the piazza, gravely saluted the group of +officers gathered there who respectfully rose at his approach, mounted +his old favorite "Traveller" and rode slowly toward his own lines. + +By this time the news of the surrender had reached the Union army and +cannon began booming a salute in honor of the joyful tidings. But +Grant instantly stopped this and ordered that there should be no +demonstrations or exultation of any kind which would offend Lee's men. +In the same generous spirit he kept his men strictly within their own +lines when the Confederates stacked their guns and no one, except the +officers assigned to receive the arms, was permitted to witness this +final act of surrender[1]. He likewise declined to visit Richmond lest +his presence should be regarded as the triumphal entry of a conqueror +or smack of exulting over his fallen foes, and with fully a million +bayonets behind him ready to win him further glory, his foremost thought +was to end the war without the loss of another life. With this idea, on +the morning after the surrender, he sought another interview with Lee. + +[1]Since the first edition of this volume was published the writer +has been furnished, through the courtesy of Mr. Jefferson K. Cole of +Massachusetts, with documentary proof that the formal surrender of +what remained of Lee's infantry was made in the presence of the First +Division of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac, General Joshua +L. Chamberlain commanding. Therefore, although it is true that Grant +avoided all humiliation of the Confederates, it is evident that a small +portion of his troops did witness the final act of surrender, and the +statement in the text should be accordingly amended. + + + + +Chapter XXXI. -- Lee's Years of Peace + + +Desperate as their plight had been for many days, Lee's men had not +wholly abandoned the hope of escape, but when their beloved commander +returned from the Federal lines they saw by his face that the end +had come, and crowding around him, they pressed his hands, even the +strongest among them shedding bitter tears. For a time he was unable +to respond in words to this touching demonstration, but finally, with a +great effort, he mastered his emotion and bravely faced his comrades. + +"Men," he said, "we have fought through the war together; I have done my +best for you; my heart is too full to say more." + +Brief as these words were, all who heard them realized that Lee saw +no prospect of continuing the struggle and meant to say so. He was, of +course, well aware that the Confederates had many thousand men still in +the field, and that by separating into armed bands they could postpone +the end for a considerable period. But this to his mind was not war +and he had no sympathy with such methods and no belief that they could +result in anything but more bloodshed and harsher terms for the South. +A word from him would have been quite sufficient to encourage the other +commanders to hold out and prolong the cruelly hopeless contest, but he +had determined not to utter it. + +Grant was firmly convinced that this would be his attitude, but whether +he would actually advise the abandonment of the cause was another +question, and it was to suggest this course that the Union commander +sought him out on the morning after the surrender. This second interview +occurred between the lines of the respective armies and as the former +adversaries sat conversing on horseback, Grant tactfully introduced the +subject of ending the war. + +He knew, he told Lee, that no man possessed more influence with the +soldiers and the South in general than he did, and that if he felt +justified in advising submission his word would doubtless have all the +effect of law. But to this suggestion Lee gravely shook his head. +He frankly admitted that further resistance was useless, but he was +unwilling to pledge himself to give the proposed advice until he had +consulted with the Confederate President, and Grant did not urge him, +feeling certain that he would do what he thought right. Nor was this +confidence misplaced, for though Lee never positively advised a general +surrender, his opinions soon came to be known and in a short time all +the Confederate forces in the field yielded. + +But though peace was thus restored, the war had left two countries where +it had found one, and to the minds of many people they could never be +united again. It was then that Lee showed his true greatness, for from +the moment of his surrender he diligently strove by voice and pen and +example to create harmony between the North and South and to help in the +rebuilding of the nation. To those who asked his opinion as to whether +they should submit to the Federal authorities and take the required oath +of allegiance, he unhesitatingly replied, "If you intend to reside in +this country and wish to do your part in the restoration of your state +and in the government of the country, which I think is the duty of every +citizen, I know of no objection to your taking the oath." + +He denounced the assassination of Lincoln as a crime to be abhorred by +every American, discountenanced the idea of Southerners seeking refuge +in foreign lands, scrupulously obeyed every regulation of the military +authorities regarding paroled prisoners and exerted all the influence +at his command to induce his friends to work with him for the +reconciliation of the country. Even when it was proposed to indict and +try him for treason he displayed no resentment or bitterness. "I have no +wish to avoid any trial that the Government may order. I hope others may +go unmolested," was his only comment. But no such persecution was to +be permitted, for Grant interfered the moment he heard of it, insisting +that his honor and that of the nation forbade that Lee should be +disturbed in any way, and his indignant protest straightway brought the +authorities to their senses. + +In the meanwhile, innumerable propositions reached Lee, offering +him great monetary inducements to lend his name and fame to business +enterprises of various kinds, but although he had lost all his property +and was practically penniless, he would not consent to undertake +work that he did not feel competent to perform and would listen to no +suggestion of receiving compensation merely for the use of his name. His +desire was to identify himself with an institution of learning where he +could be of some public service, and at the same time gain the peaceful +home life of which he had dreamed for so many years. As soon as this was +understood offers came to him from the University of Virginia and the +University of the South at Suwannee, Tennessee, but he feared that his +association with a State institution like the University of Virginia +might create a feeling of hostility against it on the part of the +Federal Government, and the Vice-Chancellorship of the Tennessee +university would have required him to leave his native state. + +Finally, the Trustees of Washington College offered him the Presidency +of that institution and the fact that it bore the name of the first +President and had been endowed by him straightway appealed to his +imagination. At one time the college had been in a flourishing condition +but it had suffered severely from the war, much of its property having +been destroyed and only a handful of students remained when he was +invited to take charge of its tottering fortunes. Indeed, the Trustees +themselves were so impoverished that none of them possessed even a +decent suit of clothes in which to appear before Lee and submit their +proposition. Nevertheless, one of them borrowed a respectable outfit for +the occasion and presented the offer with much dignity and effect +and Lee, after modestly expressing some doubts as to whether he could +"discharge the duties to the satisfaction of the Trustees or to the +benefit of the country," accepted the office at a merely nominal salary, +closing his formal acceptance of Aug. 11, 1865, with these words: "I +think it the duty of every citizen 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 oppose the policy of the state or general +Government directed to that object." + +This was the key-note of his thought from this time forward. "Life is +indeed gliding away and I have nothing of good to show for mine that is +past," he wrote shortly after assuming his new duties. "I pray I may be +spared to accomplish something for the benefit of mankind and the honor +of God." + +It was no easy task to reestablish an institution practically destitute +of resources in a poverty-stricken community struggling for a bare +subsistence after the ravages of war. But Lee devoted himself body and +soul to the work, living in the simplest possible fashion. Indeed, he +refused to accept an increase in his meager salary, which would have +provided him with some of the ordinary comforts of life, on the +ground that the institution needed every penny of its funds for its +development. But though the work was hard he took keen pleasure in +seeing it grow under his hands, and, little by little, the college +regained its prestige, while with the help of his daughters he made his +new home a place of beauty, planting flowers about the little house and +doing all in his power to make it attractive for his invalid wife. + +Thus, for five years he lived far removed from the turmoil of public +life, performing a constant public service by exerting a direct personal +influence upon the students who came under his charge, and by doing +everything in his power to reunite the nation. Suggestions were +constantly made to him to enter politics and had he cared to do so, he +could undoubtedly have been elected to the Governorship of Virginia. But +he steadily declined to consider this, declaring that it might injure +the state to have a man so closely identified with the war at its head +and that he could best help in restoring harmony to the country in the +capacity of a private citizen. + +During all this time he took an active interest in his sons, encouraging +them in their efforts to establish themselves and earn their own living, +visiting their farms and advising them in the comradely spirit which had +always characterized his relations with them. Indeed, every moment he +could spare from his collegiate duties was devoted to his family, +and his letters to his children, always cheerful and affectionate and +sometimes even humorously gay, expressed contentment and unselfishness +in every line. + +At times it required great self-restraint to avoid bitterness toward the +Government, but even when Congress refused his wife's petition for +the restoration of the mementos of Washington, taken from her home in +Arlington during the war, he refrained from making any public protest +and his private comment showed how completely he subordinated his +personal wishes to the good of the country. + +"In reference to certain articles which were taken from Arlington..." +he wrote, "Mrs. Lee is indebted...for the order from the present +Administration for their restoration to her. Congress, however, passed a +resolution forbidding their return. They were valuable to her as having +belonged to her great grandmother (Mrs. General Washington) and having +been bequeathed to her by her father. But as the country desires them +she must give them up. I hope their presence at the capital will keep +in the remembrance of all Americans the principles and virtues of +Washington." [These articles were restored to Lee's family by the order +of President McKinley in 1903.] + +Toward the individuals, however, who had looted his house and +appropriated its treasures to their own use, he felt rather differently. +But his rebuke to them was written rather more in sorrow than in anger +and it likewise reflects the regard for his country which was ever the +uppermost thought in his mind. + +"...A great many things formerly belonging to General Washington, +bequeathed to Mrs. Lee by her father, in the shape of books, furniture, +camp equipage, etc., were carried away by individuals and are now +scattered over the land," he wrote. "I hope the possessors appreciate +them and may imitate the example of their original owners whose conduct +must at times be brought to their recollection by these silent monitors. +In this way they will accomplish good to the country...." + +For his first four years at Washington College Lee accomplished his +arduous duties with scarcely a sign of fatigue, but from that time +forward his health began to fail and though he kept at his work, it told +so heavily upon him that his friends at last persuaded him to take a +vacation. He, accordingly, started south with his daughter in March, +1870. Had he permitted it, his journey would have been one continual +ovation, for this was the first time he had traveled any considerable +distance from his home since the war and people flocked to greet him +from all sides with bands and speeches and cart-loads of flowers +and fruits. Indeed, it was extremely difficult to escape the public +receptions, serenades and other honors thrust upon him, and though he +returned to his duties in somewhat better condition, he was soon obliged +to retire to Hot Springs, Virginia, for another rest, from which he +returned toward the end of the summer vacation apparently restored to +health. + +Meanwhile he had undertaken various other duties in addition to his +collegiate work and some two weeks after the reopening of the college he +attended a vestry meeting of the Episcopal Church. At this meeting the +subject of rebuilding the church and increasing the rector's salary was +under discussion and the session lasted for three hours, at the close +of which he volunteered to subscribe from his own meager funds the sum +needed to complete the proposed increase of the clergyman's salary. By +this time it was seven in the evening and he at once returned to his own +house, and finding his family ready for tea, stood at the head of the +table as he usually did to say grace. But no words came from his lips, +and with an expression of resignation on his face he quietly slipped +into his chair and sat there upright as though he had heard an order to +which he was endeavoring to respond by remaining at "attention." + +Physicians were immediately called who diagnosed the trouble as +hardening of the arteries combined with rheumatism of the heart, and +though their patient never quite lost consciousness, he gradually fell +asleep, and on October 12, 1870, passed quietly away. + +Three days later "Traveller," led by two old soldiers and followed by a +small but distinguished assemblage, accompanied his master to the grave +outside the little chapel which Lee had helped to build for the college +which soon thereafter changed its name to Washington and Lee University. + +Nothing could have been more grateful to Lee then to have his name thus +associated with that of the man whom he revered above all other men and +upon whom he had patterned his whole life, and in this graceful tribute +he had his heart's desire. + + + + +Chapter XXXII. -- The Head of the Nation + + +While Lee was passing the closing years of his life in tranquility, +Grant was entering upon a stormy career in politics. But before he had +any thought of the honors that lay before him he proved himself a +good friend to the South and a really great American. Toward his late +adversaries he maintained that the true policy was "to make friends of +enemies," and by word and deed he earnestly strove to accomplish that +result, never losing an opportunity to protect the people of the South +from humiliation and injustice. Indeed, if he and some of the other +Union commanders had been given complete authority directly after the +war, the South would have been spared much suffering and the nation +would have escaped some of the evils which inflict it to this day. But +Grant's service to the country, as a whole, was far greater than +that which he undertook on behalf of any particular section, for at a +critical moment he held the destiny of the nation in the hollow of his +hand and a word from him would have subjected the people to a military +control from which they might never have recovered. + +At the time of Lee's surrender the United States had probably the most +powerful and the most perfectly equipped army in the world. It was +absolutely at Grant's disposal and there were plenty of excuses for +employing it in the field, had he been ambitious for military glory. An +attack on the French in Mexico or the English in Canada would have been +regarded by many people as perfectly justified by their treatment of the +United States during the Civil War. But no idea of perpetuating his own +power or of making his country a military nation entered Grant's mind. +On the contrary, his first thought was to hasten by every possible means +the disbanding of the mighty army which hailed him as its chief. + +At the close of the war that army numbered over a million men. Six +months later only 183,000 remained in the service, and in eight months +more the whole force of volunteers had disappeared. No other great +commander in the history of the world ever strove thus to deprive +himself of power, or with a gigantic instrument of war under his control +thought only of peace. Grant was not the greatest military genius of +the ages, or even of his own time, but when, with a million bayonets +responsive to his nod, he uttered the benediction, "Let us have peace," +he took a place apart among those Americans whose fame will never die. + +One great triumphant pageant marked the success of the Union cause +when the returning armies were reviewed by the President in Washington, +cavalry, infantry and artillery by the tens of thousands passing +down Pennsylvania Avenue for two whole days, presenting a magnificent +spectacle never surpassed in the military annals of any land. But the +same spirit which had actuated Grant in refusing to visit Richmond +caused him to shun any part of this historic parade, and those who +expected to see him on a prancing horse at the head of his veteran +troops had little knowledge of his character. He had never made an +exhibition of himself at any time during the war, and though he was +present on this occasion, he kept in the background and few people +caught even a glimpse of him as the well-nigh endless ranks of blue +swept by in proud array. + +For a time the work of disbanding the army obliged him to remain at +Washington, but at the first opportunity he started west to revisit +Galena, Georgetown and the scenes of his boyhood days. But, if he hoped +to renew his acquaintance with old friends without public recognition +and acclaim he was speedily disillusioned, for the whole countryside +turned out to welcome him with processions, banners and triumphal +arches, hailing as a hero the man who had lived among them almost +unnoticed and somewhat despised. Many people had already declared that +he would be the next President of the United States, but when some +prophecy of this kind had been repeated to him, he had laughingly +replied that he did not want any political office, though he would like +to be Mayor of Galena long enough to have a sidewalk laid near his home, +and this rumor had reached the town. The first sight that greeted his +eyes, therefore, as he entered Galena was an arch bearing the words +"General, the sidewalk is laid!" and his fellow townsmen straightway +carried him off to inspect this improvement, at the same time showing +him a new house built and furnished by his neighbors for his use and in +which they begged that he would make himself at home. + +It was a proud moment for his father and mother when they saw the son +who had once disappointed them so deeply received with such marks of +affection and honored as the greatest man of his day, and their joy +was the most satisfying reward he was ever destined to obtain. But +gratifying as all these kindly attentions were the returning hero was +somewhat relieved to find that Georgetown, which had largely sympathized +with the Confederacy, offered him a less demonstrative welcome. +Nevertheless, even there curiosity and admiration combined to rob him of +all privacy, and he at last decided to avoid the public gaze by slipping +away for one of those long solitary drives which had been his delight +in boyhood days. But the residents of the village toward which he turned +received word of his coming and started a delegation out to meet him +half way. After journeying many miles, however, without seeing any signs +of the cavalcade they were expecting, the procession encountered a dusty +traveler driving a team in a light road wagon, and halting him asked if +he had heard anything of General Grant. "Yes," he reported, "he's on +the way," and clicking to his horses quickly disappeared from view. Then +someone suggested that perhaps the General might not be traveling on +horseback surrounded by his staff and that the dusty traveler who had +reported Grant as on the way looked somewhat like the man himself. But +the solitary stranger "who looked like Grant" was miles away before this +was realized, and when the procession started on his track he was safely +out of reach. Doubtless, the sight of this unpretentious man in citizen +attire was disappointing to many who expected to see a dashing hero in a +gorgeous uniform, but his dislike of all military parade soon came to be +widely known. His hosts at one village, however, were not well informed +of this, for they urged him to prolong his stay with them in order that +he might see and review the local troops which were to assemble in his +honor, but he quickly begged to be excused, remarking that he wished he +might never see a uniform again. + +Certainly there was nothing of the conquering hero or even of the +soldier about him when a little later in the course of his duty, he made +a tour of the South in order to report on its general condition, and in +many places he came and went entirely unnoticed. But though the mass of +the people did not know of his presence, he formed an unusually accurate +estimate of their views on public questions. "The citizens of the +Southern States,..." he reported, "are in earnest in wishing to do what +is required by the Government, not humiliating them as citizens, and if +such a course was pointed out they would pursue it in good faith." +Happy would it have been for the South and for the whole country if +this advice had been followed, but the President and Congress were soon +engaged in a violent struggle over the reconstruction of the seceded +states, and anger, rather than wisdom, ruled the day. In the course +of this quarrel Stanton, the Secretary of War, was removed and Grant, +temporarily appointed in his place (Aug. 12, 1867), held the office +for about five months, thus taking the first step in the long political +career which lay before him. + +Ten months later he was elected President of the United States and at +the end of his term (1872) he was reelected by an overwhelming vote. +Those eight years were years of stress and strain, and his judgment +in surrounding himself with men unworthy of his confidence made bitter +enemies of many of those who had once supported him. He was, however, +intensely loyal by nature and having once made a friend he stuck to him +through thick and thin, making his cause his own and defending him, even +in the face of the facts, against any and all attack. He, accordingly, +assumed a heavy burden of blame that did not rightly rest upon his +shoulders, but in spite of this many people desired to see him again +elected to the presidency and they were sorely disappointed when he +refused to become a candidate. On the whole, he had deserved well of the +country and the people recognized that he had done much to uphold their +honor and dignity, even though he had been too often imposed upon by +unreliable and even dangerous friends. + +A long tour around the world followed his retirement from the Presidency +and his reception in the various countries was a magnificent tribute to +his record as a general and a ruler. Meanwhile, an effort was being made +by his friends to secure his nomination for a third Presidential term, +and shortly after he returned home (1880) he was persuaded to enter the +field again. At first he regarded the result with indifference, but as +time wore on he warmed with the enthusiasm of his friends and keenly +desired to secure the honor. But no man had ever been elected three +times to the Presidency and there was a deep-centered prejudice against +breaking this tradition. Grant's candidacy therefore encountered bitter +opposition, and though a large number of his friends held out for him to +the last and almost forced his nomination, General Garfield was finally +selected in his place. + +This virtually retired him from politics, and to occupy himself and make +a living he went into business with one of his sons who had associated +himself with certain bankers in Wall Street. Here, however, his +notoriously bad judgment of men and his utter ignorance of the business +world soon brought him to grief, for he and his son left the management +of their firm to the other partners who outrageously imposed upon them +for a time and then left them face to face with ruin and disgrace. + +The shock of this disaster fairly staggered Grant, but he bravely met +the situation and stripping himself of every vestige of his property, +including the swords that had been presented him and the gifts bestowed +by foreign nations, strove to pay his debts. But, though reduced to +penury, he was able to prove his entire innocence of the rascality of +his partners and the general verdict of the country acquitted him of any +dishonorable act. + +To earn sufficient money for his family in their dire necessity he then +began to write the story of his military life and campaigns, but in the +midst of this employment he was stricken with a most painful disease +which incapacitated him for work and left him well-nigh helpless. At +this crisis Congress came to his rescue by restoring him to his former +rank in the army, with sufficient pay to meet his immediate needs. +Then, to the amazement of his physicians, he rallied, and, though still +suffering intensely and greatly enfeebled, he at once recommenced work +upon his book. + +From that time forward his one thought was to live long enough to +complete this task, and to it he devoted himself with almost superhuman +courage and persistence, in the hope of being able to provide for +his wife and family after he had gone. Indeed, in this daily struggle +against disease and death he showed, not only all the qualities that +had made him invincible in the field, but also the higher qualities of +patience and unselfishness with which he had not been fully credited. +Uncomplaining and considerate of everyone but himself, he looked death +steadily in the face and wrote on day after day while the whole nation, +lost in admiration of his dauntless courage, watched at his bedside with +tender solicitude. + +At last, on July 23, 1885, the pencil slipped from his fingers. But +his heroic task was done and no monument which has been or ever will +be erected to his memory will serve as will those pages to insure him +immortality, for "Grant's Memoirs," modest as the man himself, have +become a part of the literature of the world. + + + + +Authorities + + +The following is a partial list of the authorities relied upon in the +text: + +Grant's Personal Memoirs; Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. +Lee (Captain R. E. Lee); Life of Robert E. Lee (Fitzhugh Lee); Robert +E. Lee--Memoirs of His Military and Personal History (Long); Military +History of U. S. Grant (Badeau); Grant in Peace (Badeau); R. E. Lee--The +Southerner (Page); Robert E. Lee (Trent); Robert E. Lee and the Southern +Confederacy (White); McClelland's Own Story; Stonewall Jackson and the +American Civil War (Henderson); The Story of the Civil War (Ropes); +The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (Davis); History of +the United States (1850-1877 Rhodes); The Campaign of Chancellorsville +(Bigelow); Personal Memoirs (Sheridan); Memoirs of General Sherman; +Reminiscences of Carl Shurz; From Manassas to Appomattox (Longstreet); +Abraham Lincoln--A History (Nicolay and Hay); The Army Under Pope +(Ropes); The Antietam and Fredericksburg (Palfrey); The Virginia +Campaign of 1864 and 1865 (Humphreys); Chncellorsville (Doubleday); Life +and Letters of Robert E. Lee (Jones); Ulysses S. Grant (Wister); Ulysses +S. Grant (Garland); Campaigning with Grant (Porter); Autobiography of O. +O. Howard. + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of On the Trail of Grant and Lee, by +Frederick Trevor Hill + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF GRANT AND LEE *** + +***** This file should be named 4098.txt or 4098.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/9/4098/ + +Produced by William Fishburne and Jenny Francisco + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + +Typed by William Fishburne (william.fishburne@verizon.net) and proffed by Jenny Francisco + + + + + +On the Trail of Grant and Lee + +By Frederick Trevor Hill + + + + + +To Howard Ogden Wood, Jr. + + + + + +Forward + + + + +During the early years of the Civil War someone tauntingly asked +Mr. Charles Francis Adams, the United States Minister to England, +what he thought of the brilliant victories which the confederate +armies were then gaining in the field. "I think they have been +won by my fellow countrymen," was the quiet answer. + +Almost half a century has passed since that reproof was uttered, +but its full force is only just beginning to be understood. For +nearly fifty years the story of the Civil War has been twisted to +suit local pride or prejudice in various parts of the Union, with +the result that much which passes for American history is not history +at all, and whatever else it may be, it is certainly not American. + +Assuredly, the day has now arrived when such historical "make-believes" +should be discountenanced, both in the North and in the South. +Americans of the present and the coming generations are entitled +to take a common pride in whatever lent nobility to the fraternal +strife of the sixties, and to gather equal inspiration from every +achievement that reflected credit on American manhood during those +years when the existence of the Union was at stake. Until this is +rendered possible by the elimination of error and falsehood, the +sacrifices of the Civil War will, to a large extent, have been +endured in vain. + +In some respects this result has already been realized. Lincoln +is no longer a local hero. He is a national heritage. To distort +or belittle the characters of other men who strove to the end that +their land "might have a new birth of freedom," is to deprive the +younger generations of part of their birthright. They are entitled +to the facts from which to form a just estimate of the lives of +all such men, regardless of uniforms. + +It is in this spirit that the strangely interwoven trials of Grant +and Lee are followed in these pages. Both were Americans, and +widely as they differed in opinions, tastes and sympathies, each +exhibited qualities of mind and character which should appeal to +all their fellow countrymen and make them proud of the land that +gave them birth. Neither man, in his life, posed before the public +as a hero, and the writer has made no attempt to place either of +them on a pedestal. Theirs is a very human story, requiring neither +color nor concealment, but illustrating a high development of those +traits that make for manhood and national greatness. + +The writer hereby acknowledges his indebtedness to all those +historians whose scholarly research has made it possible to trace +the careers of these two great commanders with confidence in the +accuracy of the facts presented. Where equally high authorities +have differed he has been guided by those who, in his judgment, have +displayed the most scrupulous impartiality, and wherever possible +he has availed himself of official records and documents. + +The generous service rendered by Mr. Samuel Palmer Griffin in testing +the vast record upon which these pages are based, his exhaustive +research and scientific analysis of the facts, have given whatever +of authority may be claimed for the text, and of this the writer +hereby makes grateful acknowledgment. To Mr. Arthur Becher he is +likewise indebted for his careful studies at West Point and elsewhere +which have resulted in illustrations conforming to history. + +Frederick Trevor Hill. + +New York, September, 1911. + + + + + +Contents + + + + +Chapter Page + I.--Three Civil Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 + II.--Washington and Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 + III.--Lee at West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 + IV.--The Boyhood of Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 + V.--Grant at West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 + VI.--Lieutenant Grant Under Fire . . . . . . . . 35 + VII.--Captain Lee at the Front . . . . . . . . . . 44 + VIII.--Colonel Lee After the Mexican War . . . . . 52 + IX.--Captain Grant in a Hard Fight . . . . . . . 59 + X.--Grant's Difficulties in Securing a Command . 67 + XI.--Lee at the Parting of the Ways . . . . . . . 75 + XII.--Opening Moves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 + XIII.--Grant's First Success . . . . . . . . . . . 93 + XIV.--The Battle of Shiloh . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 + XV.--Lee in the Saddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 + XVI.--A Game of Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 + XVII.--Lee and the Invasion of Maryland . . . . . . 133 + XVIII.--The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg . . . . 141 + XIX.--Lee Against Burnside and Hooker . . . . . . 148 + XX.--In the Hour of Triumph . . . . . . . . . . . 163 + XXI.--Grant at Vicksburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 + XXII.--The Battle of Gettysburg . . . . . . . . . . 180 + XXIII.--In the Face of Disaster . . . . . . . . . . 193 + XXIV.--The Rescue of Two Armies . . . . . . . . . . 201 + XXV.--Lieutenant-General Grant . . . . . . . . . . 213 + XXVI.--A Duel to the Death . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 + XXVII.--Check and Countercheck . . . . . . . . . . . 238 + XXVIII.--The Beginning of the End . . . . . . . . . . 248 + XXIX.--At Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 + XXX.--The Surrender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 + XXXI.--Lee's Years of Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 + XXXII.--The Head of the Nation . . . . . . . . . . . 294 + + + + + +List of Illustrations + + + + +Illustrations in Color + + +Grant running the gauntlet of the Mexicans at Monterey + in riding to the relief of his comrades . . Frontispiece + September 23, 1846. + +Lee with Mrs. Lewis (Nellie Custis) applying to General + Andrew Jackson to aid in securing his cadetship at + West Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 + 1825. + +Grant on his horse, "York," making exhibition jump in + the Riding Academy at West Point . . . . . . . . . . 32 + June, 1843. + +Lee sending the Rockbridge battery into action for the + second time at Antietam or Sharpsburg . . . . . . . 144 + September 17, 1862. + +Lee rallying his troops at the Battle of the + Wilderness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 + May 6, 1864. + +Grant at the entrenchments before Petersburg . . . . . 260 + March, 1865. + + +Illustrations in the Text + + +Signature of Grant on reporting at West Point . . . . 25 + (From the original records of the U. S. Military + Academy.) + +First signature of Grant as U. S. Grant . . . . . . . 27 + (From the original records of the U.S. Military + Academy.) + +Grant's letter demanding unconditional surrender of + forces at Fort Donnelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 + +Diagram map (not drawn to scale) showing strategy of + the opening of the Battle of Chancellorsville, May + 1 and 2, 1863 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 + +Diagram map (not drawn to scale) showing Grant's series + of movements by the left flank from the Wilderness + to Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 + +Facsimile of telegraphic message drafted by Lieutenant- + General Grant, announcing Lee's surrender, May 9, + 1865 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 + +Lee's letter of August 3, 1866, acknowledging receipt of + the extension of his furlough . . . . . . . . . . . 283 + + + + + +Chapter I + + + + +Three Civil Wars + + +England was an uncomfortable place to live in during the reign +of Charles the First. Almost from the moment that that ill-fated +monarch ascended the throne he began quarreling with Parliament; +and when he decided to dismiss its members and make himself the +supreme ruler of the land, he practically forced his subjects into +a revolution. Twelve feverish years followed--years of discontent, +indignation and passion--which arrayed the Cavaliers, who supported +the King, against the Roundheads, who upheld Parliament, and finally +flung them at each other's throats to drench the soil of England +with their blood. + +Meanwhile, the gathering storm of civil war caused many a resident +of the British Isles to seek peace and security across the seas, +and among those who turned toward America were Mathew Grant and +Richard Lee. It is not probable that either of these men had ever +heard of the other, for they came from widely separated parts of +the kingdom and were even more effectually divided by the walls of +caste. There is no positive proof that Mathew Grant (whose people +probably came from Scotland) was a Roundhead, but he was a man of +humble origin who would naturally have favored the Parliamentary +or popular party, while Richard Lee, whose ancestors had fought +at Hastings and in the Crusades, is known to have been an ardent +Cavalier, devoted to the King. But whether their opinions on +politics differed or agreed, it was apparently the conflict between +the King and Parliament that drove them from England. In any event +they arrived in America at almost the same moment; Grant reaching +Massachusetts in 1630, the year after King Charles dismissed his +Parliament, and Lee visiting Virginia about this time to prepare +for his permanent residence in the Dominion which began when actual +hostilities opened in the mother land. + +The trails of Grant and Lee, therefore, first approach each other +from out of the smoke of a civil war. This is a strangely significant +fact, but it might be regarded merely as a curious coincidence were +it not for other and stranger events which seem to suggest that +the hand of Fate was guiding the destinies of these two men. + +Mathew Grant originally settled in Massachusetts but he soon moved +to Connecticut, where he became clerk of the town of Windsor and +official surveyor of the whole colony--a position which he held for +many years. Meanwhile Richard Lee became the Colonial Secretary and +a member of the King's Privy Council in Virginia, and thenceforward +the name of his family is closely associated with the history of +that colony. + +Lee bore the title of colonel, but it was to statesmanship and not +to military achievements that he and his early descendants owed +their fame; while the family of Grant, the surveyor, sought glory +at the cannon's mouth, two of its members fighting and dying for +their country as officers in the French and Indian war of 1756. In +that very year, however, a military genius was born to the Virginia +family in the person of Harry Lee, whose brilliant cavalry exploits +were to make him known to history as "Light Horse Harry." But +before his great career began, the house of Grant was represented +in the Revolution, for Captain Noah Grant of Connecticut drew his +sword in defense of the colonies at the outbreak of hostilities, +taking part in the battle of Bunker Hill; and from that time +forward he and "Light Horse Harry" served in the Continental army +under Washington until Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. + +Here the trails of the two families, AGAIN DRAWN TOGETHER BY A +CIVIL STRIFE, merge for an historic moment and then cross; that of +the Grants turning toward the West, and that of the Lees keeping +within the confines of Virginia. + +It was in 1799 that Captain Noah Grant migrated to Ohio, and during +the same year Henry Lee delivered the memorial address upon the +death of Washington, coining the immortal phrase "first in war, +first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." + +Ulysses Grant, the Commander of the Union forces in the Civil War, +was the grandson of Captain Grant, who served with "Light Horse +Harry" Lee during the Revolution; and Robert Lee, the Confederate +General, was "Light Horse Harry's" son. + +Thus, for the THIRD time in two and a half centuries, a civil +conflict between men of the English-speaking race blazed the trails +of Grant and Lee. + + + + + +Chapter II + + + + +Washington and Lee + + +"Wakefield," Westmoreland County, Virginia, was the birthplace of +Washington, and at Stratford in the same county and state, only +a few miles from Wakefield, Robert Edward Lee was born on January +19, 1807. Seventy-five years had intervened between those events +but, except in the matter of population, Westmoreland County remained +much the same as it had been during Washington's youth. Indians, +it is true, no longer lurked in he surrounding forests or paddled +the broad Potomac in their frail canoes, but the life had much of +the same freedom and charm which had endeared it to Washington. +All the streams and woods and haunts which he had known and loved +were known and loved by Lee, not only for their own sake, but because +they were associated with the memory of the great Commander-in-Chief +who had been his father's dearest friend. + +It would have been surprising, under such circumstances, if Washington +had not been Lee's hero, but he was more than a hero to the boy. +From his father's lips he had learned to know him, not merely as +a famous personage of history, but as a man and a leader of men. +Indeed, his influence and example were those of a living presence +in the household of "Light Horse Harry;" and thus to young Lee +he early became the ideal of manhood upon which, consciously or +unconsciously, he molded his own character and life. But quite +apart from this, the careers of these two great Virginians were +astonishingly alike. + +Washington's father had been married twice, and so had Lee's; each +was a son of the second marriage, and each had a number of brothers +and sisters. Washington lost his father when he was only eleven +years old, and Lee was exactly the same age when his father died. +Mrs. Washington had almost the entire care of her son during his +early years, and Lee was under the sole guidance of his mother until +he had almost grown to manhood. Washington repaid his mother's +devotion by caring for her and her affairs with notable fidelity, +and Lee's tenderness and consideration for his mother were such that +she was accustomed to remark that he was both a son and a daughter +to her. + +Washington's ancestors were notable, if not distinguished, people +in England; while Lee could trace his descent, through his father, +to Lancelot Lee, who fought at the battle of Hastings, and through +his mother to Robert the Bruce of Scotland. Neither man, however, +prided himself in the least on his ancestry. Indeed, neither of +them knew anything of his family history until his own achievements +brought the facts to light. + +Washington was a born and bred country boy and so was Lee. Both +delighted in outdoor life, loving horses and animals of all kinds +and each was noted for his skillful riding in a region which was +famous for its horsemanship. There was, however, a vast difference +between Washington's education and that of Lee. The Virginian schools +were very rudimentary in Washington's day; but Lee attended two +excellent institutions of learning, where he had every opportunity, +and of this he availed himself, displaying much the same thoroughness +that characterized Washington's work, and the same manly modesty +about any success that he achieved. + +By reason of his father's death and other circumstances Washington +was burdened with responsibility long before he arrived at manhood, +making him far more reserved and serious-minded than most school +boys. This was precisely the case with Lee, for his father's +death, the ill health of his mother and the care of younger children +virtually made him the head of the family, so that he became unusually +mature and self-contained at an early age. Neither boy, however, +held aloof from the sports and pastimes of his schoolmates and +both were regarded as quiet, manly fellows, with no nonsense about +them, and with those qualities of leadership that made each in turn +the great military leader of his age. + +Never has history recorded a stranger similarity in the circumstances +surrounding the youth of two famous men, but the facts which linked +their careers in later years are even stranger still. + + + + + +Chapter III + + + + +Lee at West Point + + +As his school days drew to a close, it became necessary for Lee to +determine his future calling. But the choice of a career, often so +perplexing to young men, presented no difficulty to "Light Horse +Harry's" son. He had apparently always intended to become a soldier +and no other thought had seemingly ever occurred to any member of +his family. Appointments to the United States Military Academy +were far more a matter of favor than they are to-day, and young +Lee, accompanied by Mrs. Lewis (better known as Nellie Custis, the +belle of Mount Vernon and Washington's favorite grandchild), sought +the assistance of General Andrew Jackson. Rough "Old Hickory" was +not the easiest sort of person to approach with a request of any +kind and, doubtless, his young visitor had grave misgivings as to +the manner in which his application would be received. But Jackson, +the hero of the battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, only +needed to be told that his caller was "Light Horse Harry's" son to +proffer assistance; and in his nineteenth year, the boy left home +for the first time in his life to enroll himself as a cadet at West +Point. + +Very few young men enter that institution so well prepared for military +life as was Lee, for he had been accustomed to responsibility and +had thoroughly mastered the art of self-control many years before +he stepped within its walls. He was neither a prig nor a "grind," +but he regarded his cadetship as part of the life work which he +had voluntarily chosen, and he had no inclination to let pleasure +interfere with it. With his comrades he was companionable, +entering into all their pastimes with zest and spirit, but he let +it be understood, without much talk, that attention to duty was a +principle with him and his serious purpose soon won respect. + +Rigid discipline was then, as it is to-day, strictly enforced at +West Point, and demerits were freely inflicted upon cadets for even +the slightest infraction of the rules. Indeed, the regulations +were so severe that it was almost impossible for a cadet to avoid +making at least a few slips at some time during his career. But +Lee accomplished the impossible, for not once throughout his entire +four years did he incur even a single demerit--a record that still +remains practically unique in the history of West Point. This and +his good scholarship won him high rank; first, as cadet officer of +his class, and finally, as adjutant of the whole battalion, the +most coveted honor of the Academy, from which he graduated in 1829, +standing second in a class of forty-six. + +Men of the highest rating at West Point may choose whatever arm +of the service they prefer, and Lee, selecting the Engineer Corps, +was appointed a second lieutenant and assigned to fortification +work at Hampton Roads, in his twenty-second year. The work there +was not hard but it was dull. There was absolutely no opportunity +to distinguish oneself in any way, and time hung heavy on most of +the officers' hands. But Lee was in his native state and not far +from his home, where he spent most of his spare time until his mother +died. Camp and garrison life had very little charm for him, but +he was socially inclined and, renewing his acquaintance with his +boyhood friends, he was soon in demand at all the dances and country +houses at which the young people of the neighborhood assembled. + +Among the many homes that welcomed him at this time was that of +Mr. George Washington Parke Custis (Washington's adopted grandson), +whose beautiful estate known as "Arlington" lay within a short +distance of Alexandria, where Lee had lived for many years. Here +he had, during his school days, met the daughter of the house and, +their boy-and-girl friendship culminating in an engagement shortly +after his return from West Point, he and Mary Custis were married +in his twenty-fifth year. Lee thus became related by marriage to +Washington, and another link was formed in the strange chain of +circumstances which unite their careers. + +A more ideal marriage than that of these two young people cannot be +imagined. Simple in their tastes and of home-loving dispositions, +they would have been well content to settle down quietly to country +life in their beloved Virginia, surrounded by their family and +friends. But the duties of an army officer did not admit of this, +and after a few years' service as assistant to the chief engineer +of the army in Washington, Lee was ordered to take charge of +the improvements of the Mississippi River at St. Louis, where, in +the face of violent opposition from the inhabitants, he performed +such valuable service that in 1839 he was offered the position of +instructor at West Point. This, however, he declined, and in 1842 +he was entrusted with the task of improving the defenses of New +York harbor and moved with his family to Fort Hamilton, where he +remained for several years. Meanwhile, he had been successively +promoted to a first lieutenancy and a captaincy, and in his +thirty-eighth year he was appointed one of the visitors to West +Point, whose duty it was to inspect the Academy and report at stated +intervals on its condition. This appointment, insignificant in +itself, is notable because it marks the point at which the trails +of Grant and Lee first approach each other, for at the time that +Captain Lee was serving as an official visitor, Ulysses Grant was +attempting to secure an assistant professorship at West Point. + + + + + +Chapter IV + + + + +The Boyhood of Grant + + +Deerfield, Ohio, was not a place of any importance when Captain Noah +Grant of Bunker Hill fame arrived there from the East. Indeed, it +was not then much more than a spot on the map and it has ever won +any great renown. Yet in this tiny Ohio village there lived at one +and the same time Owen Brown, the father of John Brown, who virtually +began the Civil War, and Jesse Grant, the father of Ulysses Grant, +who practically brought it to a close. + +It is certainly strange that these two men should, with all the +world to choose from, have chanced upon the same obscure little +village, but it is still stranger that one of them should have become +the employer of the other and that they should both have lived in +the very same house. Such, however, is the fact, for when Jesse +Grant first began to earn his living as a tanner, he worked for +and boarded with Owen Brown, little dreaming that his son and his +employer's son would some day shake the world. + +It was not at Deerfield, however, but at Point Pleasant, Ohio, +that Jesse Grant's distinguished son was born on April 27, 1822, in +a cottage not much larger than the cabin in which Abraham Lincoln +first saw the light. Mr. and Mrs. Grant and other members of +their family differed among themselves as to what the boy should +be called, but they settled the question by each writing his or +her favorite name on a slip of paper and then depositing all the +slips in a hat, with the understanding that the child should receive +the first two names drawn from that receptacle. This resulted in +the selection of Hiram and Ulysses, and the boy was accordingly +called Hiram Ulysses Grant until the United States government +re-christened him in a curious fashion many years later. To his +immediate family, however, he was always known as Ulysses, which +his playmates soon twisted into the nickname "Useless," more or +less good-naturedly applied. + +Grant's father moved to Georgetown, Ohio, soon after his son's +birth, and there his boyhood days were passed. The place was not +at that time much more than a frontier village and its inhabitants +were mostly pioneers--not the adventurous, exploring pioneers who +discover new countries, but the hardy advance-guard of civilization, +who clear the forests and transform the wilderness into farming +land. Naturally, there was no culture and very little education +among these people. They were a sturdy, self-respecting, hard-working +lot, of whom every man was the equal of every other, and to whom +riches and poverty were alike unknown. In a community of this sort +there was, of course, no pampering of the children, and if there +had been, Grant's parents would probably have been the last to +indulge in it. His father, Jesse Grant, was a stern and very busy +man who had neither the time nor the inclination to coddle the boy, +and his mother, absorbed in her household duties and the care of a +numerous family, gave him only such attention as was necessary to +keep him in good health. Young Ulysses was, therefore, left to +his own devices almost as soon as he could toddle, and he quickly +became self-reliant to a degree that alarmed the neighbors. Indeed, +some of them rushed into the house one morning shouting that the +boy was out in the barn swinging himself on the farm horses' tails +and in momentary danger of being kicked to pieces; but Mrs. Grant +received the announcement with perfect calmness, feeling sure that +Ulysses would not amuse himself in that way unless he knew the +animals thoroughly understood what he was doing. + +Certainly this confidence in the boy's judgment was entirely +justified as far as horses were concerned, for they were the joy +of his life and he was never so happy as when playing or working +in or about the stables. Indeed, he was not nine years old when +he began to handle a team in the fields. From that time forward +he welcomed every duty that involved riding, driving or caring for +horses, and shirked every other sort of work about the farm and +tannery. Fortunately, there was plenty of employment for him in +the line of carting materials or driving the hay wagons and harrows, +and his father, finding that he could be trusted with such duties, +allowed him, before he reached his teens, to drive a 'bus or +stage between Georgetown and the neighboring villages entirely by +himself. In fact, he was given such free use of the horses that +when it became necessary for him to help in the tannery, he would +take a team and do odd jobs for the neighbors until he earned enough, +with the aid of the horses, to hire a boy to take his place in the +hated tan-yard. + +This and other work was, of course, only done out of school hours, +for his parents sent him as early as possible to a local "subscription" +school, which he attended regularly for many years. "Spare the +rod and spoil the child" was one of the maxims of the school, and +the first duty of the boys on assembling each morning was to gather +a good-sized bundle of beech-wood switches, of which the schoolmaster +made such vigorous use that before the sessions ended the supply +was generally exhausted. Grant received his fair share of this +discipline, but as he never resented it, he doubtless got no more +of it than he deserved and it probably did him good. + +Among his schoolmates he had the reputation of talking less than +any of the other boys and of knowing more about horses than all of +them put together. An opportunity to prove this came when he was +about eleven, for a circus appeared in the village with a trick +pony, and during the performance the clown offered five dollars to +any boy who could ride him. Several of Ulysses' friends immediately +volunteered, but he sat quietly watching the fun while one after +another of the boys fell victim to the pony's powers. Finally, +when the little animal's triumph seemed complete, Grant stepped +into the ring and sprang upon his back. A tremendous tussle for +the mastery immediately ensued, but though he reared and shied and +kicked, the tricky little beast was utterly unable to throw its +fearless young rider, and amid the shouts of the audience the clown +at last stopped the contest and paid Ulysses the promised reward. + +From that time forward his superiority as a horseman was firmly +established, and as he grew older and his father allowed him to +take longer and longer trips with the teams, he came to be the most +widely traveled boy in the village. Indeed, he was only about +fifteen when he covered nearly a hundred and fifty miles in the +course of one of his journeys, taking as good care of his horses +as he did of himself, and transacting the business entrusted to him +with entire satisfaction to all concerned. These long, and often +lonely, trips increased his independence and so encouraged his +habit of silence that many of the village people began to think +him a dunce. + +His father, however, was unmistakably proud of the quiet boy who +did what he was told to do without talking about it, and though +he rarely displayed his feelings, the whole village knew that he +thought "Useless" was a wonder and smiled at his parental pride. +But the smile almost turned to a laugh when it became known that +he proposed to send the boy to West Point, for the last cadet +appointed from Georgetown had failed in his examinations before he +had been a year at the Academy, and few of the neighbors believed +that Ulysses would survive as long. Certainly, the boy himself had +never aspired to a cadetship, and when his father suddenly remarked +to him one morning that he was likely to obtain the appointment, +he receive the announcement with uncomprehending surprise. + +"What appointment?" he asked + +"To West Point," replied his father. "I have applied for it." + +"But I won't go!" gasped the astonished youth. + +"I think you will," was the quiet but firm response, and Grant, who +had been taught obedience almost from his cradle, decided that if +his father thought so, he did, too. + +But, though the young man yielded to his parent's wishes, he had +no desire to become a soldier and entirely agreed with the opinion +of the village that he had neither the ability nor the education +to acquit himself with credit. In fact, the whole idea of military +life was so distasteful to him that he almost hoped he would not +fulfill the physical and other requirements for admission. Indeed, +the only thought that reconciled him to the attempt was that +it necessitated a trip from Ohio to New York, which gratified his +longing to see more of the world. This was so consoling that it +was almost with a gay heart that he set out of the Hudson in the +middle of May, 1839. + +For a boy who had lived all his life in an inland village on the +outskirts of civilization the journey was absolutely adventurous, +for although he was then in his eighteenth year, he had never even +as much as seen a railroad and his experiences on the cars, canal +boats and steamers were all delightfully surprising. Therefore, +long as the journey was, it was far too short for him, and on May +25th he reached his destination. Two lonely and homesick weeks +followed, and then, much to his astonishment and somewhat to his +regret, he received word that he had passed the examination for +admission and was a full-fledged member of the cadet corps of West +Point. + + + + + +Chapter V + + + + +Grant at West Point + + +Grant's father had obtained his son's appointment to the Academy +through the intervention of a member of Congress, who, remembering +that the boy was known as Ulysses and that his mother's name before +her marriage was Simpson, had written to the Secretary of War at +Washington, requesting a cadetship for U. S. Grant. This mistake +in his initials was not discovered until the young man presented +himself at West Point, but when he explained that his name was +Hiram Ulysses Grant and not U. S. Grant, the officials would not +correct the error. The Secretary of War had appointed U. S. Grant +to the Academy and U. S. Grant was the only person they would +officially recognize without further orders. They, therefore, +intimated that he could either enroll himself as U. S. Grant or +stay out of the Academy, making it quite plain that they cared very +little which course he adopted. Confronted with this situation, +he signed the enlistment paper as U. S. Grant and the document, +bearing his name, which thus became his, can be seen to-day +among the records at West Point. This re-christening, of course, +supplied his comrades with endless suggestions for nicknames and +they immediately interpreted his new initials to suit themselves. +"United States," "Under Sized" and "Uncle Sam" all seemed to be +appropriate, but the last was the favorite until the day arrived when +a more significant meaning was found in "Unconditional Surrender" +Grant. + +The restrictions and discipline of West Point bore much more harshly +on country-bred boys in those years than they do to-day when so +many schools prepare students for military duties. But to a green +lad like Grant, who had been exceptionally independent all his +life, the preliminary training was positive torture. It was then +that his habitual silence stood him in good stead, for a talkative, +argumentative boy could never have survived the breaking-in process +which eventually transformed him from a slouchy bumpkin into a smart, +soldier-like young fellow who made the most of his not excessive +inches. Still, he hated almost every moment of his first year and +ardently hoped that the bill for abolishing the Academy, which was +under discussion in Congress, would become a law and enable him +to return home without disgrace. But no such law was passed and +more experience convinced him that West Point was a very valuable +institution which should be strengthened rather than abolished. He +had not reached this conclusion, however, at the time of his first +furlough, and when he returned to his more and found that his +father had procured a fine horse for his exclusive use during his +holiday, it was hard to tear himself away and resume his duties. +Nevertheless, he did so; and, considering the fact that he was not +fond of studying, he made fair progress, especially in mathematics, +never reaching the head of his class, but never quite sinking to +the bottom. Indeed, if he had not been careless in the matter of +incurring demerits from small infractions of the rules, he might +have attained respectable, if not high rank in the corps, for he +was a clean living, clean spoken boy, without a vicious trait of +any kind. Even as it was, he became a sergeant, but inattention +to details of discipline finally cost him his promotion and reduced +him again to the ranks. At no time, however, did he acquire any +real love for the military profession. His sole ambition was to +pass the examinations and retire from the service as soon as he +could obtain a professorship at some good school or college. At +this, he might easily have succeeded with his unmistakable talent +for mathematics, and it is even conceivable that he might have +qualified as a drawing master or an architect, if not as an artist, +for he was fond of sketching and some of his works in this line +which have been preserved shows a surprisingly artistic touch. + +Graduation day at the Academy brought no distinguished honors to +Grant, where he stood twenty-first in a class of thirty-nine, but +it did win him one small triumph. As almost everyone knows, the +West Point cadets are trained for all arms of the service, sometimes +doing duty as infantry, sometimes as artillery and at other times +acting as engineers or cavalry; and during the closing week of the +year, they give public exhibitions of their proficiency before the +official visitors. On this particular occasion the cavalry drill +was held in the great riding hall, and after the whole corps +had completed their evolutions and were formed in line ready to +be dismissed, the commanding officer ordered an extraordinarily +high hurdle to be placed in position, and while the great throng +of spectators were wondering what this meant they heard the sharp +command, "Cadet Grant." + +A young man of slight stature, not weighing more than a hundred +and twenty pounds, and mounted on a powerful chestnut horse, sprang +from the ranks with a quick salute, dashed to the further end of +the hall and, swinging his mount about, faced the hurdle. There +was a moment's pause and then the rider, putting spurs to his steed, +rushed him straight at the obstruction and, lifting him in masterly +fashion, cleared the bar as though he and the animal were one. A +thunder of applause followed as the horseman quietly resumed his +place in the ranks, and after the corps had been dismissed Grant +was sought out and congratulated on his remarkable feat. But his +response was characteristic of the boy that was, and the man that +was to be. "Yes, 'York' is a wonderfully good horse," was all he +said. + +A lieutenancy in the engineers or cavalry was more than a man of +low standing in the Academy could expect, and Grant was assigned +to the Fourth Infantry, with orders to report for duty at Jefferson +Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, at the end of a short leave of +absence. The prospect of active service, far from his native state, +was anything but pleasing to the new officer; but he had come home +with a bad cough, and had he not been ordered to the South, it is +highly probable that he would have fallen a victim to consumption, +of which two of his uncles had already died. The air of Camp +Salubrity, Louisiana, where his regiment was quartered, and the +healthy, outdoor life, however, quickly checked the disease, and +at the end of two years he had acquired a constitution of iron. + +Meanwhile, he had met Miss Julia Dent, the sister of one of +his classmates whose home was near St. Louis, and had written to +the Professor of Mathematics at West Point, requesting his aid in +securing an appointment there as his assistant, to which application +he received a most encouraging reply. Doubtless, his courtship +of Miss Dent made him doubly anxious to realize his long-cherished +plan of settling down to the quiet life of a professor. But all +hope of this was completely shattered by the orders of the Fourth +Infantry which directed it to proceed at once to Texas. Long +before the regiment marched, however, he was engaged to "the girl +he left behind him" and, although his dream of an instructorship +at West Point had vanished, he probably did not altogether abandon +his ambition for a career at teaching. But Fate had other plans +for him as he journeyed toward Mexico, where the war clouds were +gathering. Lee was moving in the same direction and their trails +were soon to merge at the siege of Vera Cruz. + + + + + +Chapter VI + + + + +Lieutenant Grant Under Fire + + +The movement of the United States troops towards Mexico did not take +the country by surprise. It was the direct result of the action +of Congress admitting Texas to the Union. Ever since it had won +its independence from Mexico, Texas had been seeking to become part +of the United States; but there had been violent objection in the +North to the admission of any new slave state, and this opposition +had effectually prevented its annexation. At the last election +(1844), however, a majority of the voters apparently favored the +admission of Texas, which was accordingly received into the Union, +and the long-standing dispute which it had waged with Mexico as to +its proper boundaries was assumed by the United States. + +Texas claimed to own far more territory than Mexico was willing to +concede, but the facts might easily have been ascertained had the +United States government desired to avoid a war. Unfortunately, it +had no such desire, and General Zachary Taylor was soon ordered to +occupy the disputed territory with about 3,000 men. This force, +of which Grant's regiment formed a part, was called the Army +of Observation, but it might better have been called the Army of +Provocation, for it was obviously intended to provoke an attack +on the part of Mexico and to give the United States an excuse for +declaring war and settling the boundary question to suit itself. + +Probably, there were not many in the army who thought much about +the rights or the wrongs of the impending war. There had been no +fighting in the United States for more than thirty years, and most +of the officers were more interested in seeing real service in the +field than they were in discussing the justice or injustice of the +cause. Grant was as anxious for glory as any of his comrades, but +he cherished no illusions as to the merits of the dispute in which +his country was involved. With the clear vision of the silent +man who reads and thinks for himself, he saw through the thinly +disguised pretenses of the politicians and, recognizing that force +was being used against a weaker nation in order to add more slave +states to the Union, he formed a very positive opinion that the war +was unjustifiable. But though he was forced to this disagreeable +conclusion, the young Lieutenant was not the sort of man to +criticize his country once she was attacked, or to shirk his duty +as a soldier because he did not agree with his superiors on questions +of national policy. He thought and said what he liked in private, +but he kept his mouth closed in public, feeling that his duties as +an officer were quite sufficient without assuming responsibilities +which belonged to the authorities in Washington. + +War was inevitable almost from the moment that Texas was annexed, +but with full knowledge of this fact neither the President nor +Congress made any effective preparations for meeting the impending +crisis, and when hostilities actually began, General Taylor was +directed to advance under conditions which virtually required him +to fight his way to safety. Indeed, he was practically cut off +from all hope of reënforcement as soon as the first shot was fired, +for his orders obliged him to move into the interior of the country, +and had his opponents been properly commanded, they could have +overwhelmed him and annihilated his whole force. The very audacity of +the little American army, however, seemed to paralyze the Mexicans +who practically made no resistance until Taylor reached a place +called Palo Alto, which in Spanish means "Tall Trees." + +Meanwhile Grant had been made regimental quartermaster, charged +with the duty of seeing that the troops were furnished with proper +food and caring for all property and supplies. Heartily as he +disliked this task, which was not only dull and difficult, but also +bade fair to prevent him from taking active part in the prospective +battles, he set to work with the utmost energy. By the time the enemy +began to dispute the road, he had overcome the immense difficulty +of supplying troops on a march through a tropical country and +was prepared to take part in any fighting that occurred. But the +Mexicans gathered at TALL TREES on May 8, 1846, were not prepared +for a serious encounter. They fired at the invaders, but their +short-range cannon loaded with solid shot rarely reached the +Americans, and when a ball did come rolling towards them on the +ground, the troops merely stepped to one side and allowed the missile +to pass harmlessly through their opened ranks. After the American +artillery reached the field, however, the enemy was driven from its +position and the next day the advance was resumed to Resaca de la +Palma, where stronger opposition was encountered. + +Grant was on the right wing of the army as it pressed forward through +dense undergrowth to drive the Mexicans from the coverts in which +they had taken shelter. It was impossible to give any exact orders +in advancing through this jungle, and the men under Grant's command +struggled forward until they reached a clearing where they caught +sight of a small body of Mexicans. The young Lieutenant instantly +ordered a charge and, dashing across the open ground, captured the +party only to discover that they were merely stragglers left behind +by other American troops who had already charged over the same +ground. No one appreciated the humor of this exploit more than +Grant. It reminded him, he said, of the soldier who boasted that +he had been in a charge and had cut off the leg of one of the +enemy's officers. "Why didn't you cut off his head?" inquired +his commander. "Oh, somebody had done that already," replied the +valiant hero. + +Slight as the fighting was at Resaca, it completely satisfied the +Mexicans, and for over three months they left the Americans severely +alone. Meanwhile, General Taylor received reënforcements and in +August, 1846, he proceeded against the town of Monterey, which the +enemy had fortified with considerable skill and where they were +evidently prepared to make a desperate resistance. Grant was again +quartermaster, and the terrific heat which forced the army to do +its marching at night or during the early hours of the morning, +greatly increased his labors and severely tested his patience. +Almost all the transportation animals were mules, and as very few +of them were trained for the work, they were hard to load and even +harder to handle after their burdens were adjusted. One refractory +animal would often stampede all the rest, scattering provisions +and ammunition in their tracks, driving the teamsters to the point +of frenzy and generally hurling confusion through the camp. Even +Grant, who never uttered an oath in his life, was often sorely +tried by these exasperating experiences, but he kept command of his +temper and by his quiet persistence brought order out of chaos in +spite of beasts and men. + +His disappointment was bitter, however, when the attack on Monterey +began and he found himself left without any assignment in the field. +Lieutenant Meade, destined at a later date to command the Union +forces at Gettysburg, was one of the officers entrusted with the +preliminary reconnoissance against the city, and when the fighting +actually commenced on September 21st, 1846, the deserted Quartermaster +mounted his horse and rode to the scene of the action, determined to +see something of the battle even if he could not take part in it. +He arrived at the moment when his regiment was ordered to charge +against what was known as the Black Fort, and dashed forward +with his men into the very jaws of death. Certainly "someone had +blundered," for the charge which had been intended merely as a +feint was carried too far and scores of men were mowed down under +the terrible fire of the enemy's guns. Temporary shelter was at +last reached, however, and under cover of it the Adjutant borrowed +Grant's horse; but he fell soon after the charge was renewed and the +Colonel, noticing the impetuous Quartermaster, promptly appointed +him to take the fallen officer's place. By this time the troops +had fought their way into the town and the enemy, posted in the +Plaza or Principal Square, commanded every approach to it. As long +as the Americans kept in the side streets they were comparatively +safe, but the moment they showed themselves in any of the avenues +leading to the Plaza, they encountered a hail of bullets. This +was serious enough; but at the end of two days the situation became +critical, for the ammunition began to run low, and it was realized +that, if the Mexicans discovered this, they would sweep down and +cut their defenseless opponents to pieces. Face to face with this +predicament, the Colonel on September 23rd, called for a volunteer +to carry a dispatch to Headquarters, and Grant instantly responded. + +To reach his destination it was necessary to run the gantlet of the +enemy, for every opening from the Plaza was completely exposed to +their fire. But trusting in the fleetness of his horse, the young +lieutenant leaped into the saddle and, swinging himself down, Indian +fashion, on one side of his steed so as to shield himself behind +its body, he dashed away on his perilous mission. A roar of muskets +greeted him at every corner, but he flashed safely by, leaping +a high wall which lay across his path and then, speeding straight +for the east end of the town, reached the commanding General and +reported the peril of his friends. + +Meanwhile the Americans began one of the most curious advances +ever made by an army, for General Worth, finding that he could not +force his troops through the streets leading to the Plaza without +great loss of life, ordered them to enter the houses and break down +the intervening walls, so that they could pass from one adjoining +house to another under cover, directly to the heart of the city. +This tunneling maneuver was executed with great skill, and when +the walls of the houses nearest the Plaza were reached and masses +of men stood ready to pour through the openings into the Square, +its astonished defenders gave up the fight and promptly surrendered +the city. + + + + + +Chapter VII + + + + +Captain Lee at the Front + + +Astonishing as General Taylor's success had been, the authorities +at Washington decided, largely for political reasons, to appoint +a new commander, and three months after the battle of Monterey, +General Winfield Scott, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States +army, was ordered to the seat of the war. + +It would be impossible to imagine two officers more utterly different +than Taylor and Scott, but each in his own way exerted a profound +influence upon the careers of Grant and Lee. Taylor was a rough, +uncultivated man, fearless, shrewd and entirely capable, but with +nothing to suggest the soldier in his appearance, dress or dignity. +On the contrary, he usually appeared sitting slouchily on some +woe-begone old animal, his long legs dangling on one side of the +saddle, the bridle rein looped over his arm and a straw hat on his +head, more like a ploughman than an officer of high rank. Indeed, +he seldom donned a uniform of any description, and his only known +appearance in full dress occurred during an official meeting with +an admiral, when, out of regard for naval etiquette, he attired +himself in his finest array. But this effort at politeness was not +calculated to encourage him, for the admiral, knowing his host's +objection to uniforms, had been careful to leave his on his ship +and appeared in civilian attire. + +Scott, on the other hand, was a fussy and rather pompous individual, +who delighted in brass buttons and gold lace and invariably presented +a magnificent appearance. But, like Taylor, he was an excellent +officer and thoroughly competent to handle an army in the field. +He was, moreover, entirely familiar with the material of which the +American army was composed, and his first move on assuming command +was to order practically all the regular United States troops and +their officers to join him near Vera Cruz, leaving Taylor virtually +nothing but volunteer regiments. The Fourth Infantry accordingly +parted with its old commander and reported to Scott, where it was +assigned to the division of General Worth, and for the first time +Grant met many of the men with and against whom he was to be thrown +during the Civil War. + +It was certainly a remarkable body of officers that Scott gathered +about him at the outset of his campaign, for it included such men +as Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, McClellan, Joseph Johnson, +Jubal Early, A. P. Hill, Meade, Beauregard, Hooker, Longstreet, +Hancock, Thomas and, last but not least, Ulysses Grant and Robert +Lee. Lee had arrived in Mexico soon after the battle of Monterey, +but he had no opportunity for distinction until the spring of 1847, +when preparations were begun for the siege of Vera Cruz. He had, +however, already demonstrated his ability as an engineer, and with +Lieutenant Beauregard who, fourteen years later, commanded the +attack on Fort Sumter, he was entrusted with posting the American +batteries at Vera Cruz. This he did to such advantage that they +made short work of the city which fell into the invaders' hands, +March 29, 1847, after a week's siege. Scott was quick to recognize +the merit of officers, and Lee was straightway attached to his +personal staff, with the result that when the army began its forward +movement most of the difficult and delicate work was confided to +his care. + +Scott's object was the capture of the City of Mexico, the capital +of the Republic, and against this stronghold he moved with energy +and skill. At Cerro Gordo the Mexicans opposed him with considerable +force, but maneuvers, suggested by Lee, enabled him to outflank the +enemy and drive them, without much trouble, from his path. Again +at Contreras a check occurred, part of the army having advanced +over a well-nigh impassable country and lost touch with the +Commander-in-Chief. One after another seven officers were dispatched +to carry the necessary orders, but all returned without effecting +their purpose. But at midnight, in the midst of a torrential storm +Lee arrived from the front, having overcome all difficulties--an +achievement which Scott subsequently described as "the greatest +feat of physical and moral courage performed by any individual in +my knowledge, pending the campaign." + +But Lee was more than merely brave and daring. He was thorough. +When work was entrusted to his care he performed it personally, +never relying on others further than was absolutely necessary, and +never resting satisfied until he was certain that he had accomplished +his task. On one of his most important reconnoissances he rode +into the interior of the country at night to locate the position +of the enemy, and after he had proceeded a considerable distance +his guide informed him that if he went any further he would be a +prisoner, for the whole Mexican army lay directly in his path. He, +accordingly, advanced more cautiously, but the guide again begged +him to halt, declaring that he could already see the enemies' tents +lying on the hillside below. Peering through the darkness in the +direction indicated, Lee discovered what appeared to be an encampment +of many thousand men, and for the moment he was tempted to accept +his companion's conclusion that this was the main force of the +Mexicans. Second thoughts, however, convinced him that he ought +not to make a report based upon the eyes of the guide, and, despite +the man's frightened protests, he decided to stay where he was and +see the situation for himself by daylight. But, before the morning +fairly dawned, it was apparent that the supposed army of Mexicans +was nothing but a huge flock of sheep and, galloping back with the +news that the road was clear, he led a troop of cavalry forward and +located the enemy posted many miles away in an entirely different +position. + +The Mexicans stubbornly, though unsuccessfully, resisted the American +army as it pushed toward their capital, and in the battles which +ensued Lee was so active that his gallant conduct was praised in +almost every dispatch of his Chief, who subsequently attributed much +of his success "to the skill and valor of Robert E. Lee," whom he +did not hesitate to describe as "the greatest military genius in +America." Continuous praise from such a source would have been +more than sufficient to turn the average officer's head, but Lee +continued to perform his duties without showing the least sign of +vanity or conceit. Quiet, thoughtful, quick to take advantage of +any opportunity, but greedy of neither honors nor personal distinction +of any kind, he won the admiration of his comrades as well as the +confidence of his superiors, and his promotion, first to the rank +of major and then to that of lieutenant-colonel, was universally +approved. + +Meanwhile, Grant had been acquitting himself with high credit in +all the work which fell to his share. He was in no position to +render service of anything like the importance of Lee's, but he +did what he was ordered to do and did it well, being brevetted a +first lieutenant for conspicuous gallantry at the battle of Molino del +Rey, September 8, 1847. Again, on September 13, in the fighting +around Chapultepec, where Lee, though wounded, remained in the saddle +until he fell fainting from his horse, Grant gained considerable +distinction by his quick action in relieving a dangerous pressure +on part of the American lines by posting a small gun in the belfry +of a church and galling the enemy with his deadly accurate fire. +It was characteristic of the man that when complimented upon this +achievement and told that a second gun would be sent to him, Grant +merely saluted. He might, with truth, have informed his commanding +officer that the belfry could not accommodate another gun, but it +was not his habit to talk when there was no need of it, or to question +the wisdom of his superior officer. He, therefore, quietly accepted +the praise and the superfluous gun and, returning to his post, +resumed his excellent service. This and other similar conduct won +him further promotion, and on September 14, 1847, when the Americans +marched triumphantly into the Mexican capital, he was brevetted a +captain. + +The war practically ended with this event and within a year Grant +was married to Miss Julia Dent and stationed at Sackett's Harbor, +New York, while Lee was assigned to the defenses of Baltimore, not +far from his old home. + + + + + +Chapter VIII + + + + +Colonel Lee After the Mexican War + + +It is probable that Lee would have been well content to remain +indefinitely at Baltimore, for his duties there enabled him to be +more with his family than had been possible for some years. To his +boys and girls he was both a companion and a friend and in their +company he took the keenest delight. In fact, he and his wife +made their home the center of attraction for all the young people +of the neighborhood, and no happier household existed within the +confines of their beloved Virginia. + +It was not to be expected, however, that an officer of Lee's reputation +would be allowed to remain long in obscurity, and in 1852, he was +appointed Superintendent at West Point. A wiser selection for this +important post could scarcely have been made, for Colonel Lee, +then in his forty-sixth year, possessed rare qualifications for +the duties entrusted to his charge. He was not only a man whose +splendid presence, magnificent physique and distinguished record +were certain to win the admiration and respect of young men, but +he combined in his character and temperament all the qualities of +a tactful teacher and an inspiring leader. Quiet and dignified, +but extremely sympathetic, he governed the cadets without seeming +to command them and, as at his own home, he exerted a peculiarly +happy influence upon all with whom he came into personal contact. +Among the cadets during his service at West Point were J. E. B. +Stuart, who was to prove himself one of the greatest cavalry leaders +that this country has ever produced, and his elder son, Custis Lee, +who, improving on his father's almost perfect record, graduated +first in his class. + +About this time certain important changes were effected in the +organization of the regular army, and the popular Superintendent +of West Point was immediately appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the +newly formed Second Cavalry, with orders to proceed to Texas and +protect the settlers against the attacks of hostile Indians. It +was with keen regret that Lee received this assignment, for, though +intended as a promotion, it removed him from the corps of engineers +to which he had always been attached and obliged him to break all +his home ties for what was practically police duty in the wilderness. +Nevertheless, no thought of resigning from the army apparently +crossed his mind. He soon joined his regiment in Texas, where, for +almost three years, he patrolled the country, ruling the Indians +by diplomacy or force, as occasion required, practically living in +the saddle and experiencing all the discomforts and privations of +garrison life at an outpost of civilization. + +Almost his only relaxation during this lonely and exhausting service +was his correspondence with his wife and children, and his letters +to them, written in rough camps and on the march, show that his +thoughts were constantly with his home and loved ones. "It has +been said that our letters are good representations of our minds," +he wrote his youngest daughter from Texas in 1857; and certainly +Lee's correspondence, exhibiting as it does, consideration for +others, modesty, conscientiousness, affection and a spirit of fun, +affords an admirable reflection of the writer. + +"Did I tell you that 'Jim Nooks,' Mrs. Waite's cat, was dead?" he +wrote one of his girls. "He died of apoplexy. I foretold his end. +Coffee and cream for breakfast, pound cake for lunch, turtle and +oysters for dinner, buttered toast for tea and Mexican rats, taken +raw, for supper! He grew enormously and ended in a spasm. His beauty +could not save him.... But I saw 'cats as is cats' at Sarassa.... +The entrance of Madame [his hostess] was foreshadowed by the +coming in of her stately cats with visages grim and tails erect, +who preceded, surrounded and followed her. They are of French +breed and education, and when the claret and water were poured out +for my refreshment they jumped on the table for a sit-to.... I +had to leave the wild-cat on the Rio Grande; he was too savage and +had grown as large as a small sized dog. He would pounce on a kid +as Tom Tita [his daughter's cat] would on a mouse and would whistle +like a tiger when you approached him." + +But it was not always in this chatty fashion that he wrote, for +in 1856, when the question of slavery was being fiercely discussed +throughout the country, he expressed his views on the subject with +a moderation and broadmindedness exceedingly rare in those excited +times. + +"In this enlightened age," he wrote his wife, "there are few, +I believe, but will acknowledge that slavery as an institution is +a moral and political evil in any country. I think it, however, +a greater evil to the white than to the black race; and while +my feelings are strongly interested in behalf of the latter, my +sympathies are stronger for the former. The blacks are immeasurably +better off here than in Africa--morally, socially and physically. +The painful discipline they are undergoing is necessary for their +instruction as a race and I hope it will prepare and lead them to +better things. How long this subjection may be necessary is known +and ordered by a wise and merciful Providence. Their emancipation +will sooner result from a mild and melting influence than from the +storms and contests of fiery controversy. This influence though +slow is sure." + +Such were the views of Robert Lee on this great question of the day, +and even as he wrote the country was beginning to notice a country +lawyer named Abraham Lincoln, who was expressing almost identically +the same opinions in no uncertain terms. + +But the calm advice of Lincoln and Lee did not appeal to the hot-heads +who were for abolishing slavery instantly at any and every cost. +In October, 1859, when Lee was on a short visit to Arlington, John +Brown, whose father had once lived with Grant's father, attempted +to take the whole matter into his already blood-stained hands. +It is a strange coincidence that Lee should have chanced to be in +Virginia just at this particular crisis, and still stranger that +the errand which had called him home should have related to the +emancipation of slaves. But the facts were that Mr. Custis, his +father-in-law, had died a few weeks previously, leaving him as the +executor of his will, which provided, among other things, for the +gradual emancipation of all his slaves. Lee had accordingly obtained +leave of absence to make a flying trip to Virginia for the purpose +of undertaking this duty, and he was actually making arrangements +to carry out Mr. Custis's wishes in respect to his slaves when +the news of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry reached Arlington. +Word of this reckless attempt to free the slaves by force reached +him in the form of a dispatch from the Secretary of War, ordering +him to take immediate charge of the United States marines who were +being hurried to the scene of action. He instantly obeyed and, +with Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart as his second in command, hastened +to Harper's Ferry and, directing his troops to storm the engine-house +where Brown and his followers had taken refuge, effected their +capture almost without striking a blow. Then, after delivering +his prisoners to the proper authorities, he completed his work at +Arlington and returned to Texas and the rough life of guarding the +frontier line. + +From this duty he was recalled to Washington in March, 1861, when +the Southern States were rapidly forming the Confederacy, the +whole country was in wild confusion and the nation was facing the +prospect of a terrific civil war. + + + + + +Chapter IX + + + + +Captain Grant in a Hard Fight + + +Meanwhile, what had become of Grant? The War Department did not +know and apparently did not care. Jefferson Davis, the Secretary +of War, responded to his father's anxious inquiry that Captain +U. S. Grant had resigned from the army in July, 1854, but that he +had no official knowledge as to why he had taken this action. Mr. +Grant, however, soon learned the facts from other sources, and in +his bitter disappointment was heard to exclaim that "West Point +had ruined one of his boys for him." + +It was natural enough that the stern and proud old gentleman +should have blamed West Point for the heart-breaking failure of +his favorite son, but, as a matter of fact, West Point was in no +way responsible for what had occurred. Neither during his cadetship +at the Academy nor for some years after his graduation from that +institution had Ulysses Grant touched wine or stimulants in any +form. He had, indeed, tried to learn to smoke during his West +Point days but had merely succeeded in making himself ill. During +his hard campaigning in Mexico, however, he had learned not only +to smoke, but to drink, though it was not until some years after +the war closed that he began to indulge to excess. As a matter +of fact, he ought never to have touched a drop of any intoxicant, +for a very little was always too much for him, and the result was +that he soon came to be known in the army as a drinking man. Had +he been at home, surrounded by his wife and children and busily +engaged, perhaps he might not have yielded to his weakness. But +his orders carried him to lonely posts on the Pacific, many hundreds +of miles away from his family, with no duties worthy of the name, +and the habit grew on him until the exasperated Colonel of his regiment +at last gave him the choice of resigning or being court-martialed +for conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. Face to face +with this ugly alternative, he chose resignation, and the army, +officially, knew him no more. + +It was not only social and professional disgrace, but financial +ruin which confronted the broken officer as he bade good-bye to +his regiment at its desolate quarters in California, after fifteen +years of service to the army. He was absolutely without money +and, at the age of thirty-two, it was by no means easy for him to +begin life all over again and earn his own living at a new calling. +His fellow officers provided him with enough cash for his immediate +wants, and with their help he managed to find his way back to +Sackett's Harbor, New York, where there was a little money owing +him. But he failed to collect this and remained hopelessly stranded +until another officer came to his rescue and provided him with +sufficient funds to take him to his home. This friend in time of +need was Simon B. Buckner, whom he was to meet again under strange +and dramatic circumstances. + +It was hardly to be expected, under such conditions, that stern +old Jesse Grant would welcome the home-coming of his eldest son. +Nevertheless, he helped him on his way to his wife and children, +and, sick at heart and broken in health, the young man joined his +family and began a desperate struggle to earn his own living. Mrs. +Grant's father was a slave owner and a sympathizer with the South +in the growing trouble between that section of the country and the +North. But the quarrel had not yet reached the breaking point, +and although he did not approve of his son-in-law's northern views +and heartily disapproved of his conduct, he gave him a start as a +farmer and then left him to work out his own salvation. + +Farming was the only occupation at which Grant could hope to make +a living, but he soon found that he did not know enough about this +to make a success of it, and gradually fell back on his youthful +experience as a teamster, hauling wood to the city where he sold +it to the railroad or to anyone that would buy. At this he was +fairly successful and, encouraged by his wife who stood bravely by +him, he built a house with his own hands, which, although it was +not much more than a log cabin, was sufficiently large to shelter +his small family. All this time he was making a hard fight to +conquer his drinking habits, but the vice had taken a terrible hold +on him and he could not easily shake it off. It was only a matter +of time, therefore, before his experiment at farming failed and with +the aid of his father-in-law he entered business as a real estate +broker in St. Louis. But for this calling he had no qualification +whatsoever, and after a disheartening experience in attempting +to secure the post of county engineer, he accepted his father's +suggestion that he join his brothers in the leather business in +Galena, Illinois, and retired there with his family in the spring +of 1860. + +The position which his father had made for him was not much more +than a clerkship and the work was dull for a man who had been +accustomed to active, outdoor life; but he was received with tact +and kindness, no reference was made to his past record of failure +and all this helped him to continue the successful struggle which +he was making to regain control of himself and his habits. + +Indeed, from the time he began his residence in Galena he already +had the battle well in hand and he fought it out with such grim +resolution that before a year had passed his victory was complete. +Scarcely anyone in the little town knew of this silent struggle for +self-mastery. Indeed, very few people knew anything at all about +the newcomer, save that he was a quiet, hard-working man who +occasionally appeared on the streets wearing a blue army overcoat +which had seen rough service. This weather-stained garment, +however, forced Grant to break his habitual silence, for he fully +shared General Taylor's prejudice against a uniform and felt +obliged to apologize for wearing even part of one. So one day he +explained to a neighbor that he wore the coat because it was made +of good material and he thought he ought to use it as long as +it lasted. That was all the citizens of Galena then learned of +the record of the man who had served with high honor in well-nigh +every battle of the Mexican War. Had it depended upon him, their +information would probably have begun and ended there. + +During all this time the feeling between the North and the South +was growing more and more bitter, but Galena was a town divided +against itself on the slavery question. Grant himself was a Democrat. +If he was not in favor of slavery, he certainly was not opposed to +it, for he favored Douglas and not Lincoln in the contest for the +Presidency, and Douglas was strongly against any interference with +slavery. Indeed, it is a curious coincidence that at or about the +time when Lee's family was ceasing to own slaves, Grant's family +acquired some. Such, however, is the fact, for on the death of +her father, Mrs. Grant inherited several Negroes and there is some +evidence that Grant himself sold or attempted to sell them. + +But, though he was at that time no champion of the black race, Grant +was always a strong Union man, opposed heart and soul to secession. +Indeed, when news of the attack upon Fort Sumter arrived in Galena, +he arrayed himself with the defenders of the flag gathered at a +mass meeting held in the town to form a company in response to the +President's call for 75,000 volunteers. Moreover, this meeting +had no sooner been called to order than someone proposed him as +chairman, and to his utter astonishment, he found himself pushed +from the rear of the room to the front and from the front to the +platform. Probably few in the audience knew who or what he was, +and his embarrassment was such that for a few minutes no words came +to his lips. Finally, however, he managed to announce the object +of the meeting, warning those who intended to enlist that they would +be engaged in serious business involving hard work and privation, +expressing his willingness to aid in forming the Galena Company +and ending with a simple statement of his own intention to reënter +the army. + +There was nothing eloquent about his short speech but it had the +tone of a man who knew what he was talking about, and the audience, +availing itself of his military experience, immediately voted +to entrust the organization and drilling of the volunteers to his +care, and from that moment he never again entered his father's +place of business. + + + + + +Chapter X + + + + +Grant's Difficulties in Securing a Command + + +The command of the local company was, of course, offered to Grant +as soon as it was formed, but he declined, believing himself +qualified for somewhat higher rank than a captaincy of volunteers. +Nevertheless, he did all he could to prepare the recruits for active +service in the field and when they were ordered to Springfield, +the capital of Illinois, he journeyed there to see them properly +mustered into the service of the state. + +Springfield was a hubbub of noise and a rallying point for well-meaning +incompetence when he arrived upon the scene. New officers in new +uniforms swaggered in every public meeting place, bands of music +played martial airs at every street corner and volunteers sky-larked +and paraded in all sorts of impossible uniforms and with every form +of theatric display. But system and order were absolutely lacking, +and the adjutant-general's office, littered with blanks and well-nigh +knee deep with papers, was the most helpless spot in the welter of +confusion. All the material for a respectable army was at hand, +but how to form it into an effective force was more than anyone +seemed to know. The mass of military forms and blanks intended +for that purpose was mere waste paper in the hands of the amiable +but ignorant insurance agent who bore the title of adjutant-general, +and no one of the patriotic mob had sufficient knowledge to instruct +him in his duties. In the midst of all this hopeless confusion, +however, someone suggested that a man by the name of Grant, who had +come down with the Galena Company, had been in the army and ought +to know about such things. The Governor accordingly sought out +"the man from Galena" just as he was starting for his home, with +the result that he was soon at a desk in the adjutant's office, +filling out the necessary papers at three dollars a day, while the +brand new captains, colonels and generals posed in the foreground +to the tune of popular applause. + +From this time forward order gradually took the place of chaos and +the political generals and comic-opera soldiers were slowly shifted +from the scene. But scarcely anyone noticed the silent man, hard +at work in his shirt sleeves in a corner of the adjutant's room, and +such inquiries as were made concerning him elicited the information +that he was a cast-off of the regular army, with a dubious reputation +for sobriety, who had been hired as a clerk. But the Governor +of Illinois was an intelligent man, and he was well aware of the +service which the ex-Captain of regulars was performing for the +State, and on the completion of his work in the adjutant's office +Grant was given a nominal title and assigned to visit the various +regiments at their encampments to see that they were properly +mustered in. He, accordingly, straightway set to work at this +task, and his brisk, business-like manner of handling it made an +impression upon those with whom he came in contact, for one of the +temporary camps became known as Camp Grant. + +Meanwhile, seeing his duties coming to an end without much +hope of further employment, he wrote the following letter to the +Adjutant-General of the United States Army at Washington: + + +"Sir: + +"Having served for fifteen years in the regular army, including four +years at West Point, and feeling it the duty of every one who has +been educated at the Government expense to offer their services for +the support of that Government, I have the honor, very respectfully, +to tender my services until the close of the war in such capacity +as may be offered. I would say in view of my present age and length +of service, I feel myself competent to command a regiment, if the +President, in his judgment, should see fit to entrust one to me. +Since the first call of the President I have been serving on the +staff of the Governor of this State, rendering such aid as I could +in the organization of our State militia, and am still engaged in +that capacity. A letter addressed to me at Springfield, Ill., will +reach me." + + +But the authorities at Washington took no notice whatsoever of +this modest letter, which was evidently tossed aside and completely +forgotten. Indeed, it was so completely buried in the files of +the War Department that it disappeared for years and, when it was +at last discovered, the war was a thing of the past. + +This silent rebuff was enough to discourage any sensitive man and +Grant felt it keenly, but he did not entirely despair of accomplishing +his end. He tried to gain an interview with General Frémont who +was stationed in a neighboring state and, failing in this, sought +out McClellan, his comrade in the Mexican War, who had been made a +major-general and was then in the vicinity of Covington, Kentucky, +where Grant had gone to visit his parents. But McClellan either +would not or could not see him. Indeed, he had about reached the +conclusion that his quest was hopeless, when he happened to meet a +friend who offered to tell the Governor of Ohio that he wished to +reenter the army, with the result that before long he was tendered +the colonelcy of an Ohio regiment. In the meantime, however, he +had unexpectedly received a telegram from the Governor of Illinois, +appointing him to the command of the 21st Illinois regiment, and +this he had instantly accepted. Had he known the exact circumstances +under which this post was offered him, perhaps he might not have +acted so promptly, but he knew enough to make him aware that the +appointment was not altogether complimentary and it is quite likely +that he would have accepted it in any event. + +The facts were, however, that the Colonel of the 21st Regiment had +proved to be an ignorant and bombastic adventurer, who had appeared +before his troops clothed in a ridiculous costume and armed like +a pirate king, and there was such dissatisfaction among both the +officers and men that a new commander was urgently demanded. Of +this Grant already knew something, but he was not advised that +the regiment had become so utterly demoralized by its incompetent +leader that it was nothing less than a dangerous and unruly mob, +of which the Governor could not induce any self-respecting officer +to take charge. He had, indeed, offered the command to at least +half a dozen other men before he tendered it to Grant, and he must +have been intensely relieved to receive his prompt acceptance. + +The new Colonel did not wait to procure a new uniform before reporting +for duty, but, hastening to the Fair Grounds close to Springfield +where his troops were stationed, ordered them to assemble for +inspection. But incompetent leadership had played havoc with the +discipline of the regiment, and the men shambled from their tents +without any attempt at military formation, more from curiosity than +in obedience to orders. + +The new Colonel stepped to the front, wearing a rusty suit of +civilian's clothes, his trousers tucked into his dusty boots, a +battered hat on his head, a bandanna handkerchief tied around his +waist in place of a sash and carrying a stick in place of a sword. +Altogether he presented a most unimpressive figure and it would +not have been surprising if a wild guffaw of laughter had greeted +him, but the troops, studying his strong, calm face, contented +themselves with calling for a speech. Then they waited in silence +for his response and they did not have to wait long. + +"Men!" he commanded sharply. "Go to your quarters!" + +The regiment fairly gasped its astonishment. It had never heard +a speech like that before and, taken completely by surprise, it +moved quietly from the field. + +Sentries were instantly posted, camp limits established and +preparations made for enforcing strict discipline. It was not to +be supposed that such prompt reforms would pass unchallenged, but +arrests followed the first signs of disobedience and punishment +swiftly followed the arrests. + +"For every minute I'm kept here I'll have an ounce of your blood!" +threatened a dangerous offender whom the Colonel had ordered to be +tied up. + +"Gag that man!" was the quiet response. "And when his time is up +I'll cut him loose myself." + +Before night, all was quiet in the camp of the 21st Regiment of +Illinois Volunteers. + +Grant was in command. + + + + + +Chapter XI + + + + +Lee at the Parting of the Ways + + +While Grant was thus striving to reënter the army, Lee was having +a struggle of a very different sort. Summoned from his distant +post in Texas, where only an occasional rumble of the coming tempest +reached his ears, he suddenly found himself in the center of the +storm which threatened to wreck the Republic. In the far South seven +states had already seceded; in Washington, Congressmen, Senators, +and members of the Cabinet were abandoning their posts; in the army +and navy his friends were daily tendering their resignations; and +his own state, divided between love for the Union and sympathy with +its neighbors, was hovering on the brink of secession. + +The issue in Lee's mind was not the existence of slavery. He had +long been in favor of emancipation, and Virginia had more than once +come so close to abolishing slavery by law that its disappearance +from her borders was practically assured within a very short period. +All his own slaves he had long since freed and he was gradually +emancipating his father-in-law's, according to the directions of +Mr. Custis's will. But the right of each state to govern itself +without interference from the Federal Government seemed to Lee +essential to the freedom of the people. He recognized, however, that +secession was revolution and, calmly and conscientiously examining +the question, he concluded that, if force were used to compel any +state to remain in the Union, resistance would be justifiable. +Most Virginians reached this decision impulsively, light-heartedly, +defiantly or vindictively, and more or less angrily, according to +their temperaments and the spirit of the times, but not so Lee. He +unaffectedly prayed God for guidance in the struggle between his +patriotism and his devotion to a principle which he deemed essential to +liberty and justice. He loved his country as only a man in close +touch with its history and with a deep reverence for its great +founder, Washington, could love it; he had fought for its flag; he +wore its uniform; he had been educated at its expense; and General +Scott, the Commander of the army, a devoted Union man, was his +warm personal friend. Patriotism, personal pride, loyalty and even +gratitude, therefore, urged him toward the support of the Union, +and only his adherence to a principle and the claims of his kinsmen +and friends forbade. + +For a time Virginia resisted every effort to induce her to cast +her lot with the Confederacy. Indeed she actually voted against +secession when the question was first presented. But when Fort +Sumter resisted attack on April 12, 1861, and the President called +upon the various states to furnish troops to enforce the national +authority, practically all affection for the Union disappeared and +by a decisive vote Virginia determined to uphold the Southern cause. + +At that crisis President Lincoln made a strong effort to induce +Lee to support the Union, for he actually offered him the command +of the United States Army which was about to take the field. The +full force of this remarkable tribute to his professional skill +was not lost upon Lee. He had devoted his whole life to the army, +and to be a successor of Washington in the command of that army +meant more to him than perhaps to any other soldier in the land. +Certainly, if he had consulted his own ambition or been influenced +by any but the most unselfish motives, he would have accepted the +call as the highest honor in the gift of the nation. But to do +so he would have been obliged to surrender his private principles +and desert his native state, and it is impossible to imagine that +a man of his character would, even for an instant, consider such a +course. Gravely and sadly he declined the mighty office, and two +days later he tendered his resignation from the service he had +honored for almost six and thirty years. + +For this and his subsequent action Lee has been called a traitor and +severely criticized for well-nigh fifty years. But, when a nation +has been divided against itself upon a great issue of government, +millions upon one side and millions upon the other, and half a +century has intervened, it is high time that justice be given to +the man who did what he thought right and honorably fought for a +principle which he could have surrendered only at the expense of his +conscience and his honor. Lee was a traitor to the United States +in the same sense that Washington was a traitor to England. No more +and no less. England takes pride to-day in having given Washington +to the world. Americans deprive their country of one of her claims +to greatness when they fail to honor the character and the genius +of Robert Lee. + +It was in a letter to his old commander, Scott, that Lee announced +his momentous decision, and its tone well indicated what the parting +cost him. + + +"Arlington, Va., April 20, 1861. + +"General: + +"Since my interview with you on the 18th inst., 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 at once but for the struggle +it has cost me to separate myself from a service to which I have +devoted the best years of my life and all the ability I possessed. +During the whole of that time...I have experienced nothing but +kindness from my superiors and a most cordial friendship from my +comrades. To no one, General, have I been as much indebted as to +yourself for uniform kindness and consideration.... Save in the +defense of my native State, I never desire again to draw my sword." + + +Lee was fully aware of the serious nature of the conflict in which +the country was about to engage. Americans were to be pitted +against Americans and he knew what that meant. Wise men, both North +and South, were prophesying that the war would not last more than +ninety days, and foolish ones were bragging of their own powers and +questioning the courage of their opponents, quite oblivious of the +adage that when Greek meets Greek there comes a tug of war. But Lee +did not concern himself with such childish exhibitions of judgment +and temper. + +"Do not put your faith in rumors of adjustment," he wrote his wife +before serious fighting had begun. "I see no prospect of it. It +cannot be while passions on both sides are so infuriated. MAKE +YOUR PLANS FOR SEVERAL YEARS OF WAR. I agree with you that the +inflammatory articles in the papers do us much harm. I object +particularly to those in the Southern papers, as I wish them to +take a firm, dignified course, free from bravado and boasting. The +times are indeed calamitous. The brightness of God's countenance +seems turned from us. It may not always be so dark and He may in +time pardon our sins and take us under his protection." + +Up to this time his son Custis, who had graduated first in his class +at West Point, was still in the service of the United States as +a lieutenant in the Engineers and of him Lee wrote to his wife in +the same comradely spirit that he had always shown toward his boys. +"Tell Custis he must consult his own judgment, reason and conscience, +as to the course he may take. The present is a momentous question +which every man must settle for himself, and upon principle. I do +not wish him to be guided by my wishes or example. If I have done +wrong let him do better." + +Virginia was not slow in recognizing that she had within her borders +the soldiers whom the chief general of the United States described +as the greatest military genius in America, and within three days +of his resignation from the old army, Lee was tendered the command +of all the Virginia troops. Convinced that the brunt of the heavy +fighting would fall on his native state, to whose defense he had +dedicated his sword, he accepted the offer and thus there came to +the aid of the Confederacy one of the few really great commanders +that the world has ever seen. + + + + + +Chapter XII + + + + +Opening Moves + + +It was to no very agreeable task that Lee was assigned at the +outset of his command. The forces of the Confederacy were even +less prepared to take the field than those of the United States, +and for three months Lee was hard at work organizing and equipping +the army for effective service. This important but dull duty +prevented him from taking any active part in the first great battle +of the War at Bull Run (July 21, 1861), but it was his rare judgment +in massing the troops where they could readily reënforce each other +that enabled the Confederate commanders on that occasion to form +the junction which resulted in the overwhelming defeat of the Union +army. This fact was well recognized by the authorities and, when +the situation in western Virginia assumed a threatening aspect, he +was ordered there with the highest hopes that he would repeat the +success of Bull Run and speedily expel the Union forces from that +part of the state. + +A more unpromising field of operation than western Virginia could +scarcely have been selected for the new commander. The people of +that region generally favored the Union, and the Federal troops +had already obtained possession of the strongest positions, while +some of the Confederate commanders were quarreling with each other +and otherwise working at cross purposes. For a time, therefore, +Lee had to devote himself to smoothing over the differences which +had arisen among his jealous subordinates, but when he at last +began an aggressive movement, bad weather and a lack of coöperation +between the various parts of his small army defeated his designs, +and in October, 1861, the three-months' campaign came to an inglorious +close. + +This complete failure was a bitter disappointment to the Confederate +hopes and Lee was severely blamed for the result. Indeed, for the +time being he was regarded as an overrated individual who had had +his opportunity and had proved unequal to the task of conducting +military operations on a large scale. It was not easy to suffer +this unjust criticism to pass unnoticed, but the discipline of +the army life had taught Lee to control his tongue, and he made +no protest even when he found himself removed from the front to +superintend the fortifying of the coast. A small-minded man would +probably have retired in sulky silence under such circumstances, but +Lee entered upon his new duties with cheerful energy, and in four +months he devised such skillful defenses for Charleston, Savannah +and other points on the Confederate coast line, that they were +enabled to defy all assaults of the Union army and navy until +almost the close of the war. This invaluable service attracted no +public attention, but it was fully appreciated by the Confederate +authorities, who in no wise shared the popular opinion concerning +Lee's talents. On the contrary, President Jefferson Davis, himself +a graduate of West Point, continued to have the highest regard for +his ability, and in March, 1862, he reappointed him as his chief +military adviser at Richmond. + +It was about this time that the roar of cannon in the West attracted +the attention of the country, making it realize for the first time +how far flung was the battle line of the contending armies; and +on hard-fought fields, hundreds and hundreds of miles away from +Washington and Richmond, the mud-splashed figure of Grant began to +loom through heavy clouds of smoke. + +It was by no brilliant achievement that Grant regained his standing +in the army. The unruly 21st Illinois had been sufficiently +disciplined within a fortnight after he assumed command to take +some pride in itself as an organization and when its short term of +service expired, it responded to the eloquence of McClernand and +Logan, two visiting orators, by reënlisting almost to a man. Then +the Colonel set to work in earnest to make his regiment ready for +the field, drilling and hardening the men for their duties and +waiting for an opportunity to show that this was a fighting force +with no nonsense about it. The opportunity came sooner than he +expected, for about two weeks after he had assumed command, his +regiment was ordered to northern Missouri, and a railroad official +called at his camp to inquire how many cars he would need for +the transportation of his men. "I don't want any," was the bluff +response; and, to the astonishment of the local authorities who, +at that period of the war, never dreamed of moving troops except +by rail or river, the energetic Colonel assembled his regiment +in marching order and started it at a brisk pace straight across +country. + +But, though he had moved with such commendable promptness, Grant +was not nearly so confident as his actions seemed to imply. In +fact, before he reached his destination, he heartily wished himself +back again, and by the time he arrived at the point where the enemy +was expected his nerves were completely unstrung. It was not the +fright of cowardice that unmanned him, but rather the terror of +responsibility. Again and again he had braved death in battle but +now, for the first time, the safety of an entire regiment depended +solely upon him as he approached the summit of the hill from which +he expected to catch sight of his opponents he dreaded to fight +them, lest he prove unequal to the emergency. But, while he was +tormenting himself with this over-anxiety, he suddenly remembered +that his opponent was just as new at his duties as he was and +probably quite as nervous, and from that moment his confidence +gradually returned. As a matter of fact, Colonel Harris, who +commanded the Confederate force, displayed far more prudence than +valor, for, on hearing of the advance of the Union troops, he +speedily retreated and the 21st Illinois encountered no opposition +whatever. But the march taught Grant a lesson he never forgot and, +thereafter, in the hour of peril, he invariably consoled himself +by remembering that his opponents were not free from danger and +the more he made them look to their own safety the less time they +would have for worrying him. + +It was in July, 1861, when Grant entered Missouri, and about a month +later the astonishing news reached his headquarters that President +Lincoln had appointed him a Brigadier General of Volunteers. The +explanation of this unexpected honor was that the Illinois +Congressmen had included his name with seven others on a list of +possible brigadiers, and the President had appointed four of them +without further evidence of their qualifications. Under such +circumstances, the promotion was not much of an honor, but it placed +Grant in immediate command of an important district involving the +control of an army of quite respectable size. + +For a time the new General was exclusively occupied with perfecting +the organization of his increased command, but to this hard, dull +work he devoted himself in a manner that astonished some of the other +brigadiers whose ideas of the position involved a showy staff of +officers and a deal of picturesque posing in resplendent uniforms. +But Grant had no patience with such foolery. He had work to do +and when his headquarters were established at Cairo, Illinois, he +took charge of them himself, keeping his eyes on all the details +like any careful business man. In fact he was, as far as appearances +were concerned, a man of business, for he seldom wore a uniform and +worked at his desk all day in his shirt sleeves, behind ramparts +of maps and papers, with no regard whatever for military ceremony +or display. + +A month of this arduous preparation found his force ready for active +duty and about this time he became convinced that the Confederates +intended to seize Paducah, an important position in Kentucky at +the mouth of the Tennessee River, just beyond the limits of his +command. He, accordingly, telegraphed his superiors for permission +to occupy the place. No reply came to this request and a more +timid man would have hesitated to move without orders. But Grant +saw the danger and, assuming the responsibility, landed his troops +in the town just in time to prevent its capture by the Confederates. +Paducah was in sympathy with the South, and on entering it the Union +commander issued an address to the inhabitants which attracted far +more attention than the occupation of the town, for it contained +nothing of the silly brag and bluster so common then in military +proclamations on both sides. On the contrary, it was so modest +and sensible, and yet so firm, that Lincoln, on reading it, is said +to have remarked: "The man who can write like that is fitted to +command." + +Paducah was destined to be the last of Grant's bloodless victories, +for in November, 1861, he was ordered to threaten the Confederates +near Belmont, Missouri, as a feint to keep them from reënforcing +another point where a real assault was planned. The maneuver was +conducted with great energy and promised to be completely successful, +but after Grant's raw troops had made their first onslaught and +had driven their opponents from the field, they became disorderly +and before he could control them the enemy reappeared in overwhelming +numbers and compelled them to fight their way back to the river +steamers which had carried them to the scene of action. This they +succeeded in doing, but such was their haste to escape capture +that they actually tumbled on board the boats and pushed off from +the shore without waiting for their commander. By this time the +Confederates were rapidly approaching with the intention of sweeping +the decks of the crowded steamboats before they could get out of +range, and Grant was apparently cut off from all chance of escape. +Directly in front of him lay the precipitous river bank, while below +only one transport was within hail and that had already started +from its moorings. Its captain, however, caught sight of him as +he came galloping through a corn field and instantly pushed his +vessel as close to the shore as he dared, at the same time throwing +out a single plank about fifteen feet in length to serve as an +emergency gangway. To force a horse down the cliff-like bank of the +river and up the narrow plank to the steamer's deck, was a daring +feat, but the officer who was riding for his life had not forgotten +the skill which had marked him at West Point and, compelling his +mount to slide on its haunches down the slippery mud precipice, he +trotted coolly up the dangerous incline to safety. + +The battle of Belmont (November 7, 1861), as this baptism of fire +was called, is said to have caused more mourning than almost any +other engagement of the war, for up to that time there had been but +little loss of life and its list of killed and wounded, mounting into +the hundreds, made a painfully deep impression. In this respect, +it was decidedly ominous of Grant's future record, but it accomplished +his purpose in detaining the Confederates and he was soon to prove +his willingness to accept defeats as necessary incidents to any +successful campaign and to fight on undismayed. + + + + + +Chapter XIII + + + + +Grant's First Success + + +Up to this time the war in the West had been largely an affair of +skirmishes. A body of Union troops would find itself confronting +a Confederate force, one of the two commanders would attack and +a fight would follow; or the Confederates would march into a town +and their opponents would attempt to drive them out of it, not +because it was of any particular value, but because the other side +held it. "See-a-head-and-hit-it" strategy governed the day and no +plan worthy of the name had been adopted for conducting the war on +scientific principles. + +But Grant had studied the maps to some purpose in his office at +Cairo and he realized that the possession of the Mississippi River +was the key to the situation in the West. As long as the Confederates +controlled that great waterway which afforded them free access to +the ocean and fairly divided the Eastern from the Western States, +they might reasonably hope to defy their opponents to the end of +time. But, if they lost it, one part of the Confederacy would be +almost completely cut off from the rest. Doubtless, other men saw +this just as clearly and quite as soon as Grant did; but having +once grasped an idea he never lost sight of it, and while others +were diverted by minor matters, he concentrated his whole attention +on what he believed to be the vital object of all campaigning in +the West. + +The Tennessee River and the Cumberland River both flow into the +Ohio, not far from where that river empties into the Mississippi. +They, therefore, formed the principal means of water communication +with the Mississippi for the State of Tennessee, and the Confederates +had created forts to protect them at points well within supporting +distance of each other. Fort Henry, guarding the Tennessee River, +and Fort Donelson, commanding the Cumberland River, were both +in Grant's district, and in January, 1862, he wrote to General +Halleck, his superior officer in St. Louis, calling attention to +the importance of these posts and offering suggestions for their +capture. But Halleck did not take any notice of this communication +and Grant thereupon resolved to go to St. Louis and present his +plans in person. This was the first time he had been in the city +since the great change in his circumstances and those who had +known him only a few years before as a poverty-stricken farmer and +wagoner could scarcely believe that he was the same man. He had, +as yet, done nothing very remarkable, but he held an important +command, his name was well and favorably known and he had already +begun to pay off his old debts. All this enabled his father and +mother to regain something of the pride they had once felt for +their eldest son, and his former friends were glad to welcome him +and claim his acquaintance. + +Pleasant as this was, the trip to St. Louis was a bitter disappointment +in other respects, for Halleck not only rejected his subordinate's +proposition for the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, but +dismissed him without even listening to the details of his plan. +Most officers would have been completely discouraged by such +treatment, but Grant had been accustomed to disappointments for +many years and did not readily despair. Meeting Flag-Officer Foote +who had charge of a fleet of gun boats near Cairo, he explained +his idea and finding him not only sympathetic, but enthusiastic, +he and Foote each sent a telegram to Halleck assuring him that Fort +Henry could be taken if he would only give his consent. These +messages brought no immediate response, but Grant continued to +request permission to advance until, on the 1st of February, 1862, +the necessary order was obtained and within twenty-four hours the +persistent officer had his expedition well upon its way. + +His force consisted of some 15,000 men and seven gun boats, and +Halleck promised him reënforcements, sending a capable officer to +see that they were promptly forwarded. This officer was Brigadier +General Sherman who thus, for the first time, came in touch with +the man with whom he was destined to bring the war to a close. +Four days after the troops started they were ready to attack and +the gun-boats at once proceeded to shell the fort, with the result +that its garrison almost immediately surrendered (February 6, 1862), +practically all of its defenders having retreated to Fort Donelson +as soon as they saw that their position was seriously threatened. + +Grant promptly notified his Chief of this easy conquest, at the +same time adding that he would take Fort Donelson within forty-eight +hours, but he soon had reason to regret this boast--one of the +few of which he was ever guilty. Indeed, his troops had scarcely +started on their journey when rapid progress became impossible, +for the rain descended in torrents, rendering the roads impassable +for wagons and cannon, and almost impracticable for infantry or +cavalry. Moreover, many of the men had foolishly thrown away their +blankets and overcoats during the march from Fort Henry and their +suffering under the freezing winter blasts was exceedingly severe, +especially as camp fires were not permitted for fear that their smoke +would attract the gunners in the fort. Under these circumstances +the advance was seriously delayed, and it was February 14, 1862--six +days after he had prophesied that he would take the place--before +Grant had his army in position. By this time, however, the gun-boats +had arrived and he determined to attack at once, although Halleck +had advised him to wait for reënforcements to occupy Fort Henry, +lest the Confederates should recapture it while his back was turned. +There was, of course, a chance of this, but Grant felt sure that +if he delayed the Confederates would seize the opportunity to +strengthen Fort Donelson, and then 50,000 men would not be able to +accomplish what 15,000 might immediately effect. He, accordingly, +directed Foote to bombard the fort at once from the river front +and try to run its batteries. Desperate as this attempt appeared +his orders were instantly obeyed, the fearless naval officer forcing +his little vessels into the very jaws of death under a terrific +fire, to which he responded with a hail of shot and shell. + +Grant watched this spectacular combat with intense interest, +waiting for a favorable moment to order an advance of his troops, +but to his bitter disappointment one after another of Foote's +vessels succumbed to the deadly fire of the water batteries and +drifted helplessly back with the current. Indeed, the flagship +was struck more than sixty times and Foote himself was so severely +wounded that he could not report in person, but requested that the +General come on board his ship for a conference, which disclosed +the fact that the fleet was in no condition to continue the combat +and must retire for repairs. + +There was nothing for Grant to do, therefore, but prepare for a +siege, and with a heavy heart he returned from the battered gun-boat +to give the necessary orders. He had scarcely set his foot on +shore, however, before a staff officer dashed up with the startling +intelligence that the Confederates had sallied forth and attacked +a division of the army commanded by General McClernand and that +his troops were fleeing in a panic which threatened to involve +the entire army. Grant knew McClernand well. He was one of the +Congressmen who had made speeches to the 21st Illinois and, realizing +that the man was almost wholly ignorant of military matters and +utterly incapable of handling such a situation, he leaped on his +horse and, spurring his way across the frozen ground to the sound +of the firing, confronted the huddled and beaten division just in +the nick of time. Meanwhile, General Lew Wallace--afterwards famous +as the author "Ben Hur"--had arrived and thrown forward a brigade +to cover the confused retreat, so that for the moment the Confederate +advance was held in check. But despite this, McClernand's men +continued to give way, muttering that their ammunition was exhausted. +There were tons of ammunition close at hand, as the officers ought +to have known had they understood their duties, but even when assured +of this the panic-stricken soldiers refused to return to the field. +They were in no condition to resist attack, they declared, and the +enemy was evidently intending to make a long fight of it, as the +haversacks of those who had fallen contained at least three days' +rations. This excuse was overheard by Grant and instantly riveted +his attention. + +"Let me see some of those haversacks," he commanded sharply, and +one glance at their contents convinced him that the Confederates +were not attempting to crush his army, but were trying to break +through his lines and escape. If they intended to stay and defend +the fortress, they would not carry haversacks at all; but if they +contemplated a retreat, they would not only take them, but fill +them with enough provisions to last for several days. In reaching +this conclusion Grant was greatly aided by his knowledge of the +men opposing him. He had served in Mexico with General Pillow, the +second in command at Fort Donelson, and, knowing him to be a timid +man, felt certain that nothing but desperation would ever induce +him to risk an attack. He also knew that Floyd, his immediate +superior, who had recently been the United States Secretary of War, +had excellent reasons for avoiding capture and, putting all these +facts together, he instantly rose to the occasion. + +"Fill your cartridge boxes, quick, and get into line," was his +order to the men as he dashed down the wavering lines. "The enemy +is trying to escape and he must not be permitted to do so!" + +The word flew through the disordered ranks, transforming them as +it passed, and at the same time orders were issued for the entire +left wing to advance and attack without a moment's delay. This +unexpected onslaught quickly threw the Confederates back into the +fortress, but before they again reached the shelter of its walls the +Union forces had carried all the outer defenses and had virtually +locked the door behind their retreating adversaries. + +From that moment the capture of the imprisoned garrison was only +a question of time, and within twenty-four hours Grant received +a communication from the Confederate commander asking for a truce +to consider the terms of surrender. To his utter astonishment, +however, this suggestion did not come from either General Floyd +or General Pillow but from Simon Buckner, his old friend at West +Point, who had so generously aided him when he reached New York, +penniless and disgraced after his resignation from the army. This +was an embarrassing situation, indeed, but while he would have done +anything he could for Buckner personally, Grant realized that he +must not allow gratitude or friendship to interfere with his duty. +He, therefore, promptly answered the proposal for a truce in these +words: + + +"No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be +accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." + + +[NOTE from Brett: The full letter is also shown in Grant's +handwriting which leaves something to be desired. I will do my +best to transcribe it below: + +Hd Qrs. Army in the Field +Camp Fort Donelson, Feb. 16th 1862 + +Cmdr. S. B. Buckner +Confed. Army. + +Sir, + +Yours of this inst. proposing armistice, and appointment of +Commissioners to settle terms of Capitulation is just received. No +terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be +accepted. + +I propose to move immediately upon your works. + +I am Sir, very respectfully, +your obt. svt. [obedient servant], +U. S. Grant +Brig. Gen. + +A portion of this letter is found at +http/www.livinghistoryonline.com/surrendr.htm] + + +But no more fighting was necessary, for Buckner yielded as gracefully +as he could, and on February 16, 1862, he and the entire garrison +of about 15,000 men became prisoners of war. Generals Pillow and +Floyd, it appeared, had fled with some 4,000 men the night before, +leaving Buckner in charge and as Grant's force had by that time +been increased to 27,000 men, further resistance would have been +useless. + +The capture of these two forts gave the Union forces command of +the Tennessee and the Cumberland Rivers, and to that extent cleared +the way for the control of the Mississippi. It was the first real +success which had greeted the Union cause and it raised Grant to +a Major-Generalship of Volunteers, gave him a national reputation +and supplied a better interpretation of his initial than West +Point had provided, for from the date of his letter to Buckner he +was known as "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. + + + + + +Chapter XIV + + + + +The Battle of Shiloh + + +Grant did not waste any time in rejoicing over his success. The +capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson was an important achievement +but it was only one step toward the control of the Mississippi River, +which was the main object of the campaign. The next step in that +direction was toward Corinth a strategically important point in +Mississippi, and he immediately concentrated his attention upon +getting the army in position to attack that stronghold. Some of +his fellow commanders, however, were extremely cautious and he had +to labor for days before he could persuade General Buell, who was +stationed at Nashville, Tennessee, with a large army, to advance +his troops to a point where they could be of service. But in the +midst of this work he was suddenly interrupted by an order which +removed him from his command and virtually placed him under arrest +on charges of disregarding instructions and of being absent from +his department without permission. + +These astonishing accusations were caused by his failure to answer +dispatches from Headquarters which had never reached him, and by +his visit to General Buell which had obliged him to travel beyond +the strict limits of his command. The whole matter was soon +explained by the discovery that a Confederate had been tampering +with the dispatches in the telegraph office, but it was exceedingly +annoying to Grant to find himself publicly condemned without a hearing. +Nevertheless, it supplied a very fair test of his character, for +he neither lost his temper nor displayed any excitement whatsoever. +On the contrary, he remained perfectly calm in the face of +grave provocation, replying firmly but respectfully to the harsh +criticisms of his superiors, and behaving generally with a dignity +and composure that won the silent approval of all observers. + +Of course, as soon as the facts were known he was restored to his +command with an ample apology, but his preparations for the advance +against Corinth had been seriously interrupted and it was some time +before he again had the work in hand. Nevertheless, within five +weeks of the surrender of Fort Donelson, he was headed toward +Mississippi with over 30,000 men, having arranged with General Buell +to follow and support him with his army of 40,000, the combined +forces being amply sufficient to overpower the Confederates who +were guarding Corinth. This vast superiority, however, probably +served to put Grant off his guard, for on March 16, 1862, his +advance under General Sherman reached Pittsburg Landing, not far +from Corinth, and encamped there without taking the precaution +to intrench. Sherman reported on April 5th that he had no fear +of being attacked and Grant, who had been injured the day before +by the fall of his horse and was still on crutches, remained some +distance in the rear, feeling confident that there would be no +serious fighting for several days. + +But the Union commander, who had studied his opponents with such +good results at Fort Donelson, made a terrible mistake in failing +to do so on this occasion, for he knew, or ought to have known, +that General Albert Sidney Johnston and General Beauregard, the +Confederate commanders were bold and energetic officers who were +well advised of the military situation and ready to take advantage +of every opportunity. Indeed, their sharp eyes had already noted +the gap between Grant's and Buell's armies and at the moment Sherman +was penning his dispatch to his superior, informing him that all was +well, a force of 40,000 men was preparing to crush his unprotected +advance guard before Buell could reach the field. + +It was Sunday morning, April 6, 1862, when the ominous sound of +firing in the direction of Shiloh Church smote Grant's ears. For +a few moments he could not believe that it indicated a serious attack, +but the roar of heavy guns soon convinced him that a desperate +battle had begun and, directing his orderlies to lift him into +the saddle, he dashed to the nearest boat landing and proceeded to +the front with all possible speed. Before he reached the ground, +however, the Confederates had driven the Union outposts from +the field in frightful disorder and were hurling themselves with +ferocious energy upon those who still held fast. The surprise had +been well-nigh complete and the first rush of the gray infantry +carried everything before it, leaving the foremost Union camp +in their hands. Indeed, for a time the Federal army was not much +more than a disorganized mob, completely bewildered by the shock +of battle, and thousands of men blindly sought refuge in the rear, +heedless of their officers who, with a few exceptions, strove +valiantly to organize an effective defense. + +The tumult and confusion were at their worst when Grant reached the +field and it seemed almost hopeless to check the panic and prevent +the destruction of his entire army. But in the midst of the maddening +turmoil and wild scenes of disaster he kept his head and, dashing +from one end of the line to the other, ordered regiments into +position with a force and energy that compelled obedience. There +was no time to formulate any plan of battle. Each officer had to +do whatever he thought best to hold back the Confederates in his +immediate front, and for hours the fight was conducted practically +without orders. But Grant supplied his gallant subordinates with +something far more important than orders at that crisis. Undismayed +by the chaos about him he remained cool and inspired them with +confidence. Not for one instant would he admit the possibility of +defeat, and under his strong hand the huddled lines were quickly +reformed, the onrush of the Confederates was gradually checked and +a desperate conflict begun for every inch of ground. + +For a time the victorious gray-coats continued to push their opponents +back and another line of tents fell into their hands. But their +advance was stubbornly contested and knowing that Buell was at +hand, Grant fought hard for delay, using every effort to encourage +his men to stand fast and present the boldest possible front to the +foe. Meanwhile, however, Sherman was wounded, and when darkness +put an end to the furious combat the shattered Union army was on +the verge of collapse. So perilous, indeed, was the situation that +when Buell arrived on the field his first inquiry was as to what +preparations Grant had made to effect a retreat. But the silent +commander instantly shook his head and announced, to the intense +astonishment of his questioner, that he did not intend to retreat +but to attack at daylight the next morning with every man at his +disposal, leaving no reserves. + +Such was Grant at one of the darkest moments of his career. Behind +him lay the battered remnants of regiments, screening a welter of +confusion and fear; before him stretched the blood-soaked field of +Shiloh held by the confident Confederate host; while at his elbow +stood anxious officers, well satisfied to have saved the army from +destruction and ready to point out a convenient line of retreat. +All his surroundings, in fact, were calculated to discourage him +and the intense pain of his injured leg, which allowed him neither +rest nor sleep, was a severe strain upon his nerves. Yet he would +not yield to weakness of any kind. He was responsible for the +position in which the Union army found itself and he determined to +retrieve its fortunes. Therefore, all night long while reënforcements +were steadily arriving, he developed his plans for assuming the +offensive, and at break of day his troops hurled themselves against +the opposing lines with dauntless energy. + +Meanwhile the Confederates had sustained an irreparable loss, +for Albert Sidney Johnston, their brilliant leader, had fallen. +Moreover, they had no reserves to meet the Union reënforcements. +Nevertheless, they received the vigorous onslaught with splendid +courage and another terrible day of carnage followed. Again and +again Grant exposed himself with reckless daring, narrowly escaping +death from a bullet which carried away the scabbard of his sword +as he reconnoitered in advance of his men, but despite his utmost +efforts the gray lines held fast, and for hours no apparent advantage +was gained. Then, little by little, the heavy Union battalions +began to push them back until all the lost ground was recovered, +but the Confederates conducted their retreat in good order and +finally reached a point of safety, leaving very few prisoners in +their pursuers' hands. + +Grant had saved his army from destruction and had even driven his +adversary from the field, but at a fearful cost, for no less than +10,000 Union soldiers were killed or wounded in the two days' +desperate fighting at Shiloh and almost 3,000 had been captured. +The Confederates, it is true, had lost nearly 10,000 men, but their +army, which should have been crushed by the combined efforts of +Grant and Buell, was still in possession of Corinth and had come +dangerously near to annihilating half of the Union forces. + +The results of the battle were, therefore, received at Washington +with surprise and indignation; the country at large, horrified at +the frightful slaughter, denounced it as a useless butchery; Halleck +hastily assumed charge of all the forces in the field and from that +time forward Grant, though nominally the second in command, was +deprived of all power and virtually reduced to the rôle of a mere +spectator. Indeed, serious efforts were made to have him dismissed +from the service, but Lincoln after carefully considering the charges, +refused to act. "I can't spare this man," was his comment. "He +FIGHTS." + +Lincoln intended to imply by that remark that there were generals +in the army who did not fight, and Halleck was certainly one +of them, for he took thirty-one days to march the distance that +the Confederates had covered in three. Indeed, he displayed such +extraordinary caution that with an army of 100,000 at his back +he inched his way toward Corinth, erecting intrenchments at every +halt, only to find, after a month, that he had been frightened +by shadows and dummy guns and that the city had been abandoned by +the Confederates. No commander responsible for such a ridiculous +performance could retain the confidence of an army in the field, +and Sherman assured Grant that Halleck would not long survive the +fiasco. This advice was sorely needed, for Grant had grown tired +of being constantly humiliated and had already requested Halleck +to relieve him from duty when Sherman persuaded him to remain and +wait for something to happen. + +Something happened sooner then either man expected, for Halleck +was suddenly "kicked up stairs" by his appointment to the chief +command with headquarters in Washington, and on July 11, 1862, +about three months after the battle of Shiloh, Grant found himself +again at the head of a powerful army. + + + + + +Chapter XV + + + + +Lee in the Saddle + + +While Grant was earning a reputation as a fighting general in the +West, Lee had been at a desk in Richmond attending to his duties as +chief military adviser to the Confederate President, which prevented +him from taking active part in any operations in the field. As a +matter of fact, however, there had been no important engagements +in the East, for "On to Richmond!" had become the war cry of the +North, and all the energies of the Federal government had been +centered on preparations for the capture of the Southern capital. +Indeed, if Richmond had been the treasure house and last refuge of +the Confederacy, no greater efforts could have been made to secure +it, although it was by no means essential to either the North or +the South and the war would have continued no matter which flag +floated above its roofs. Nevertheless, the idea of marching into +the enemy's capital appealed to the popular imagination and this +undoubtedly dictated much of the early strategy of the war. + +At all events, while the opening moves in the campaign for the +possession of the Mississippi were being made, a vast army was +being equipped near Washington for the express purpose of capturing +Richmond. The preparation of this force had been entrusted to +General George B. McClellan whose ability in organizing, drilling +and disciplining the troops had made him a popular hero and given +him such a reputation as a military genius that he was universally +hailed as "the young Napoleon." He had, indeed, created the most +thoroughly equipped army ever seen in America, and when he advanced +toward Virginia in April, 1862, at the head of over 100,000 men the +supporters of the Union believed that the doom of the Confederacy +was already sealed. + +From this office in Richmond Lee watched these formidable preparations +for invading the South with no little apprehension. He knew that +the Confederates had only about 50,000 available troops with which +to oppose McClellan's great army and had the Union commander been +aware of this he might have moved straight against the city and +swept its defenders from his path. But McClellan always believed +that he was outnumbered and on this occasion he wildly exaggerated +his opponents' strength. In fact, he crept forward so cautiously +that the Confederates, who had almost resigned themselves to losing +the city, hastened to bring up reënforcements and erect defensive +works of a really formidable character. The best that was hoped +for, however, was to delay the Union army. To defeat it, or even +to check its advance, seemed impossible, and doubtless it would +have proved so had it not been for the brilliant exploits of the +man who was destined to become Lee's "right hand." + +This man was General Thomas Jonathan Jackson, who had earned the +nickname of "Stonewall" at Bull Run and was at that time in command +of about 15,000 men guarding the fertile Shenandoah Valley, the +"granary of Virginia." Opposing this comparatively small army were +several strong Union forces which were considered amply sufficient +to capture or destroy it, and McClellan proceeded southward, with +no misgivings concerning Jackson. But the wily Confederate had +no intention of remaining idle and McClellan's back was scarcely +turned before he attacked and utterly routed his nearest opponents. +A second, third and even a fourth army was launched against him, +but he twisted, turned and doubled on his tracks with bewildering +rapidity, cleverly luring his opponents apart; and then, falling on +each in turn with overwhelming numbers, hurled them from his path +with astonishing ease and suddenly appeared before Washington +threatening its capture. + +Astounded and alarmed at this unexpected peril, the Federal authorities +instantly ordered McDowell's corps of 40,000 men, which was on +the point of joining McClellan, to remain and defend the capital. +This was a serious blow to McClellan who had counted upon using +these troops, though even without them he greatly outnumbered the +Confederates. But the idea that he was opposed by an overwhelming +force had taken such a firm hold on his mind that he was almost +afraid to move, and while he was timidly feeling his way General +Joseph Johnston, commanding the defenses at Richmond, attacked +his advance corps at Seven Pines, May 31, 1862. A fierce contest +followed, during which Johnston was severely wounded, and Jefferson +Davis, who was on the field, promptly summoned General Lee to the +command. + +It was a serious situation which confronted Lee when he was thus +suddenly recalled to active duty, for McClellan's army outnumbered +his by at least 40,000 men and it was within six miles of Richmond, +from the roofs of whose houses the glow of the Union campfires +was plainly visible. Nevertheless, he determined to put on a bold +front and attack his opponent at his weakest point. But how to +discover this was a difficult problem and the situation did not admit +of a moment's delay. Under ordinary circumstances the information +might have been secured through spies, but there was no time for +this and confronted by the necessity for immediate action, Lee +thought of "Jeb" Stuart, his son's classmate at West Point, who +had acted as aide in the capture of John Brown. + +Stuart was only twenty-nine years old but he had already made a name +for himself as a general of cavalry, and Lee knew him well enough +to feel confident that, if there was any one in the army who could +procure the needed information, he was the man. He, accordingly, +ordered him to take 1,200 troopers and a few field guns and ride +straight at the right flank of the Union army until he got near +enough to learn how McClellan's forces were posted at that point. + +This perilous errand was just the opportunity for which Stuart had +been waiting, and without the loss of a moment he set his horsemen +in motion. Directly in his path lay the Federal cavalry but within +twenty-four hours he had forced his way through them and carefully +noted the exact position of the Union troops. His mission was +then accomplished, but by this time the Federal camp was thoroughly +aroused and, knowing that if he attempted to retrace his steps his +capture was almost certain, he pushed rapidly forward and, passing +around the right wing, proceeded to circle the rear of McClellan's +entire army. So speedily did he move that the alarm of his approach +was no sooner given in one quarter than he appeared in another and +thus, like a boy disturbing a row of hornets' nests with a long +stick, he flashed by the whole line, reached the Union left, swung +around it and reported to Lee with his command practically intact. + +That a few squadrons of cavalry should have been able to ride +around his army of 100,000 men and escape unscathed astonished and +annoyed McClellan but he utterly failed to grasp the true purpose +of this brilliant exploit, and Lee took the utmost care to see that +his suspicions were not aroused. Stuart's information had convinced +him that the right wing of the Union army was badly exposed and might +be attacked with every prospect of success, but to insure this it +was necessary that McClellan's attention should be distracted from +the real point of danger. The Confederate commander thoroughly +understood his opponent's character and failings, for he had taken +his measure during the Mexican War and knowing his cautious nature, +he spread the news that heavy reënforcements had been forwarded to +Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. This he felt sure would confirm +McClellan's belief that he had such overwhelming numbers that he +could afford to withdraw troops from Richmond, and the ruse was +entirely successful, for the Union commander hesitated to advance, +and the Federal authorities, hearing of Jackson's supposed reënforcement, +became increasingly alarmed for the safety of Washington. + +Meanwhile, a courier had been secretly hurried to Jackson, ordering +him to rush his troops from the Shenandoah Valley and attack +McClellan's right wing from the rear while Lee assaulted it from +the front. But the Union right wing numbered fully 25,000 men and +Jackson had only 15,000. So to make the attack overwhelming it +was necessary for Lee to withdraw 40,000 men from the defenses of +Richmond, leaving the city practically unprotected. Unquestionably, +this was a most dangerous move, for had McClellan suspected +the truth he might have forced his way into the capital without +much difficulty. But here again Lee counted upon his adversary's +character, for he directed the troops that remained in the trenches +to keep up a continuous feint of attacking the Union left wing, in +the hope that this show of force would cause McClellan to look to +his safety in that quarter, which is precisely what he did. Indeed, +he was still busy reporting the threatening movements against his +left, when Lee and Jackson's combined force of 55,000 men fell +upon his right with fearful effect at Gaines' Mill (June 27, 1862). +From that moment his campaign for the capture of Richmond became +a struggle to save his own army from capture or destruction. + +The only safety lay in flight but at the moment of defeat and +impending disaster it was not easy to extricate the troops from +their dangerous position, and McClellan showed high skill in masking +his line of retreat. Lee did not, therefore, immediately discover +the direction in which he was moving and this delay probably prevented +him from annihilating the remnants of the Union army. Once on the +trail, however, he lost no time and, loosing "his dogs of war," they +fell upon the retreating columns again and again in the series of +terrible conflicts known as the "Seven Days' Battles." But the +Union army was struggling for its life and, like a stag at bay, it +fought off its pursuers with desperate courage, until finally at +Malvern Hill (July 1, 1862), it rolled them back with such slaughter +that a bolder leader might have been encouraged to advance again +toward Richmond. As it was, however, McClellan was well content +to remove his shattered legions to a point of safety at Harrison's +Landing, leaving Lee in undisturbed possession of the field dyed +with the blood of well-nigh 30,000 men. + + + + + +Chapter XVI + + + + +A Game of Strategy + + +While the remnants of McClellan's fine army were recuperating from +the rough handling they had received, Lee was developing a plan to +remove them still further from the vicinity of Richmond. Harrison's +Landing was too close to the Confederate capital for comfort and +the breastworks which the Union commander erected there were too +formidable to be attacked. But, though he could not hope to drive +his adversary away by force, Lee believed that he could lure him from +his stronghold by carrying the war into another part of Virginia. +The opportunity to do this was particularly favorable, for the +Union forces in front of Washington, consisting of about 45,000 +men, had been placed under the command of General John Pope. Pope +had served with Grant in the Mississippi campaign and had begun his +career in the East by boasting of the great things he was about to +accomplish, referring contemptuously to his opponents and otherwise +advertising himself as a braggart and a babbler. He had come, so +he told his soldiers in a flamboyant address, from an army which +had seen only the backs of its enemies. He had come to lead them +to victories. He wanted to hear no more of "lines of retreat" +or backward movements of any kind. His headquarters were "in the +saddle" and his mission was to terrorize the foe. + +These absurd proclamations pretty thoroughly exposed Pope's +character, but he had been at West Point with General Longstreet, +one of Lee's ablest advisers, and that officer speedily acquainted +his chief with the full measure of his opponent's weaknesses. This +was exceedingly useful to Lee and when he discovered that McClellan +and Pope were pulling at different directions like balky circus +horses, while Halleck with one foot on each was in imminent peril +of a fall, he determined to take advantage of the situation and +hasten the disaster. + +McClellan, having 90,000 men, wanted Pope to reënforce him with his +45,000, and thus insure a renewal of his campaign against Richmond. +But this, of course, did not suit Pope who wished McClellan's army +to reënforce him and march to victory under his banner. But while +each of the rivals was insisting that his plan should be adopted +and Halleck, who held the chief of command, was wobbling between +them, trying to make up his mind to favor one or the other, Lee +took the whole matter out of his hands and decided it for him. He +did not want McClellan to be reënforced; first, because he was the +abler officer and, second, because he had or soon would have more +than sufficient men to capture Richmond and might wake to a realization +of this fact at any moment. From the Confederate standpoint it +was much safer to have Pope reënforced, for he did not have the +experience necessary to handle a large army. Therefore, the more +troops he had to mismanage the better. Moreover, Lee knew that +McClellan would cease to be dangerous as soon as he was obliged to +send any part of his forces away, for, as usual, he imagined that +his opponents already outnumbered him and that the withdrawal of +even a single regiment would place him practically at their mercy. + +Carefully bearing all these facts in mind and thinking that it was +about time to force Halleck to transfer some of McClellan's troops +to Pope, Lee ordered Jackson to attack the man who thus far had +seen "only the backs of his foes." But at the Battle of Cedar +Mountain, which followed (August 9, 1862), his enemies would not turn +their backs and the fact evidently alarmed him, for he immediately +began shouting lustily for help. Perhaps he called a little louder +than was necessary in order to get as many of his rival's men as +possible under his own command, but the result was that McClellan's +army began rapidly melting away under orders to hurry to the rescue. + +Lee's first object was, therefore, accomplished at one stroke and, +as fast as McClellan's troops moved northward, he withdrew the forces +guarding Richmond and rushed them by shorter routes to confront +Pope, whom he had determined to destroy before his reënforcements +reached the field. Indeed, a very neat trap had already been +prepared for that gentleman who was on the point of stepping into +it when he intercepted one of his adversary's letters which gave +him sufficient warning to escape by beating a hasty retreat across +the Rappahannock River. This was a perfectly proper movement +under the circumstances, but in view of his absurd ideas concerning +retreats it opened him up to public ridicule which was almost +more than a man of his character could endure. He was soon busy, +therefore, complaining, explaining, and protesting his readiness +to recross the river at a moment's notice. + +But, while he was thus foolishly wearing out the telegraph lines +between his headquarters and Washington, Lee was putting into +operation a plan which would have been rash to the point of folly +against a really able soldier but which was perfectly justified +against an incompetent. This plan was to divide his army, which +numbered less than 50,000 men, into two parts, sending "Stonewall" +Jackson with 25,000 to get behind the Union forces, while he attracted +their commander's attention at the front. Of course, if Pope had +discovered this audacious move, he could easily have crushed the +divided Confederate forces in turn before either could have come +to the other's rescue, for he had 70,000 at his command. But the +armies were not far from Manassas or Bull Run, where the first +important engagement of the war had been fought and Lee know every +inch of the ground. Moreover, he believed that all Pope's provisions +and supplies upon which he depended for feeding his army were behind +him, and that, if Jackson succeeded in seizing them and getting +between the Union army and Washington, Pope would lose his head +and dash to the rescue regardless of consequences. + +Great, therefore, as the risk was he determined to take it, and +Jackson circled away with his 25,000 men, leaving Lee with the +same number confronting an army of 70,000 which might have swept +the field. But its commander never dreamed of the opportunity +which lay before him and he remained utterly unsuspicious until the +night of August 26, 1862, when his flow of telegrams was suddenly +checked and he was informed that there was something the matter +with the wires connecting him to Washington. There was, indeed, +something the matter with them, for Jackson's men had cut them +down and were at that moment greedily devouring Pope's provisions, +helping themselves to new uniforms and shoes and leaving facetious +letters complaining of the quality of the supplies. + +For a while, however, the Union general had no suspicion of what was +happening, for he interpreted the interference with the telegraph +wires as the work of cavalry riders whom a comparatively small +force could quickly disperse. But when the troops dispatched for +this purpose came hurrying back with the news that Jackson's whole +army was behind them, he acted precisely as Lee had expected, and +completely forgetting to close the doors behind him, dashed madly +after "Stonewall," whom he regarded as safe as a cat in a bag. + +The door which he should have closed was Thoroughfare Gap, for that +was the only opening through which Lee could have led his men with +any hope of arriving in time to help his friends, and a few troops +could have blocked it with the utmost ease. But it was left unguarded +and Pope had scarcely turned his back to spring on Jackson before +Lee slid through the Gap and sprang on him. + +The contest that followed, called the Second Battle of Bull Run or +Manassas (August 30, 1862), was almost a repetition of the first, +except that in the earlier battle the Union soldiers had a fair +chance and on this occasion they had none at all. Indeed, Lee and +Jackson had Pope so situated that, despite the bravery of his men, +they battered and pounded him until he staggered from the field +in a state of hysterical confusion, wildly telegraphing that the +enemy was badly crippled and that everything would be well, and +following up this by asking if the capital would be safe, if his +army should be destroyed. It is indeed possible that his army would +have been reduced to a mere mob, had it not been for the proximity +of the fortifications of Washington, into which his exhausted +regiments were safely tumbled on the 2nd of September, 1862. + +Thus, for the second time in two months, Lee calmly confronted the +wreck of an opposing host, which, at the outset, had outnumbered +him and confidently planned for his destruction. + + + + + +Chapter XVII + + + + +Lee and the Invasion of Maryland + + +Lee's masterly defense of Richmond, and his complete triumph over +McClellan and Pope had, in three months, made him the idol of the +Confederacy. In all military matters his word was law, while the +army adored him and the people of the South as a whole regarded +him with a feeling akin to reverence. This was not entirely the +result of his achievements on the field. Jackson had displayed an +equal genius for the art of war and in the opinion of many experts +he was entitled to more credit than his chief. But Jackson was +regarded with awe and curiosity rather than affection. He was +hailed as a great commander, while Lee was recognized as a great +man. + +It was not by spectacular efforts or assertiveness of any kind that +Lee had gained this hold upon his countrymen. He avoided everything +that even tended toward self-display. His army reports were not +only models of modesty, but generous acknowledgements of all he +owed to his officers and men. He addressed none but respectful +words to his superiors and indulged in no criticisms or complaints. +He accepted the entire responsibility for whatever reverses occurred +to the forces under his command and never attempted to place the +blame on the shoulders of any other man. In a word, he was so +absolutely free from personal ambition that the political schemers +unconsciously stood abashed in his presence, and citizens and +soldiers alike instinctively saluted the mere mention of his name. + +Never by any chance did he utter a word of abuse against the North. +Even when his beloved Arlington was seized, and the swords, pictures, +silverware and other precious mementos of Washington were carried +off, his protest was couched in quiet and dignified language, well +calculated to make those to whom it was addressed (and later every +American) blush with shame. Likewise in the heat of battle, when +wild tongues were loosed and each side accused the other of all +that hate could suggest, he never forgot that his opponents were +Americans. "Drive those people back," or "Don't let those people +pass you," were the harshest words he ever uttered of his foes. + +To him war was not a mere license to destroy human life. It was +a terrible weapon to be used scientifically, not with the idea of +slaughtering as many of the enemy as possible, but to protect the +State for whose defense he had drawn his sword. This was distinctly +his attitude as he watched Pope's defeated columns reeling from +the field. Neither by word nor deed did he exult over the fallen +foe or indulge in self-glorification at his expense. His sole +thought was to utilize the victory that the war would be speedily +brought to a successful close; and, spreading out his maps in the +quiet of his tent, he proceeded to study them with this idea. + +Almost directly in front of his victorious army stretched the +intrenchments of Washington but, although he knew something of +the panic into which that city had been thrown by the last battle, +he had not troops enough to risk assaulting fortifications to the +defense of which well-nigh every able-bodied man in the vicinity +had been called. The fall of Washington might perhaps have ended +the war, but the loss of the neighboring state of Maryland and an +attack on some of the Pennsylvania cities, such as Harrisburg and +Philadelphia, promised to prove equally effective. The chances +of wresting Maryland from the Union seemed particularly favorable, +for it had come very close to casting its lot with the Confederacy +and thousands of its citizens were serving in the Southern ranks. +He, accordingly, made up his mind to march through Maryland, arousing +its people to the support of the Confederate cause, and then carry +the war into Pennsylvania where a decisive victory might pave the +way to an acknowledgment of the independence of the Southern States +and satisfactory terms of peace. + +Thus, four days after Pope's defeat at Manassas saw Lee's tattered +battle flags slanted toward the North, and on September 6, 1862, +the vanguard under "Stonewall" Jackson passed through the streets +of Frederick City, singing "Maryland, My Maryland!" This was the +moment which Whittier immortalized in his verses recording the +dramatic meeting between "Stonewall" and Barbara Frietchie [Note +from Brett: The poem is entitled "Barbara Frietchie" and there is +some question as to the accuracy of the details of the poem. In +general, however, Whittier retold the story (poetically) that he +claims he heard ("from respectable and trustworthy sources") and +Barbara Frietchie was strongly against the Confederacy and was not +a fictional character. It is believed that Ms. Frietchie, who was +95 at the time, was sick in bed on the day the soldiers marched +through, but did wave her flag when the Union army marched through +two days later. A Ms. Quantrill and her daughters, however, did +wave the Union flag as the Confederate soldiers marched through +the town, so there is some thought that the two got combined.]; +but, though no such event ever took place, the poet was correctly +informed as to the condition of Jackson's men, for they certainly +were a "famished rebel horde." Indeed, several thousand of them +had to be left behind because they could no longer march in their +bare feet, and those who had shoes were sorry-looking scarecrows +whose one square meal had been obtained at Pope's expense. For +all practical purposes Maryland was the enemy's country, but into +this hostile region they advanced carrying very little in the way +of provisions except salt for the ears of corn that they might pick +up in the fields. + +The authorities at Washington watched Lee's movement with mingled +feelings of anxiety and relief. They were relieved because he was +evidently not aiming at the national capital. They were alarmed +because the real point of attack was unknown. Sixty thousand men, +flushed with triumph and under seemingly invincible leadership were +headed somewhere, and as the rumor spread that that "somewhere" was +Harrisburg or Philadelphia, the North stood aghast with consternation. + +Face to face with this desperate crisis, McClellan, who had been +practically removed from command, was restored to duty and given +charge of all the Union forces in the field. Had he been invested +with supreme authority, at least one grievous blunder might have +been avoided, for as he proceeded to the front, calling loudly as +usual for reënforcements, he advised the evacuation of Harper's +Ferry, garrisoned by some 12,000 men who were exposed to capture by +Lee's advance on Frederick City. But Halleck rejected this advice +and on September 15, 1862, "Stonewall" Jackson, with about 20,000 +men, swooped down upon the defenseless post and gobbled up almost +the entire garrison with all its guns and stores. To accomplish +this, however, he was forced to separate himself from Lee, and while +McClellan, with over 87,000 men, was protesting that his opponent +had 120,000 and that it was impossible to win against such odds, +Lee's strength had been reduced to about 35,000 and his safety +absolutely depended upon his adversary's fears. It was hardly to +be hoped, however, that McClellan's imagination would cause him to +see three men for every one opposed to him, but such was the fact, +and even when one of Lee's confidential orders fell into his hands, +revealing the fact that Jackson's whole force was absent, he still +thought himself outnumbered. + +The discovery of this order was a serious blow to Lee, for it not +only exposed his immediate weakness, but actually disclosed his entire +plan. How it was lost has never been explained, for its importance +was so fully realized that one of the officers who received a copy +pinned it in the inside pocket of his coat, another memorized his +copy and then chewed it up and others took similar precautions to +protect its secret. + +Some officer, however, must have been careless, for when the Union +troops halted at Frederick City, through which the Confederates +had just passed, a private in an Indiana regiment found it lying on +the ground wrapped around some cigars and, recognizing its value, +carried it straight to his superiors who promptly bore it to +Headquarters. + +Had Lee remained ignorant of this discovery it is possible that +McClellan might have effected the capture of his army. But a +civilian, favoring the South who happened to be present when the +paper reached Headquarters, slipped through the Union lines and +put the Confederate commander on his guard. + +Lee had already noted that McClellan was moving toward him at unusual +speed for so cautious an officer and, this was readily explained by +the news that his plans were known and Jackson's absence discovered. +He accordingly posted his troops so that he could form a junction +with the rest of the army at the earliest possible moment and halted +in the vicinity of Sharpsburg near Antietam Creek. + + + + + +Chapter XVIII + + + + +The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg + + +Had McClellan not absurdly overestimated the number of troops opposed +to him when his army neared Sharpsburg on the 15th of September, +1862, he might have defeated Lee and possibly destroyed or captured +his entire force. Never before had a Union commander had such an +opportunity to deliver a crushing blow. He had more than 80,000 +men under his control--fully twice as many as his adversary; he +had the Confederate plan of campaign in his hands and such fighting +as had occurred with the exception of that at Harper's Ferry had +been decidedly in his favor. Moreover, Lee had recently met with +a serious accident, his horse having knocked him down and trampled +on him, breaking the bones of one hand, and otherwise injuring him +so severely that he had been obliged to superintend most of the +posting of his army from an ambulance. By a curious coincidence, +too, "Stonewall" Jackson had been hurt in a similar manner a few +days previously, so that if the battle had begun promptly, it is +highly probable that he, too, would have been physically handicapped, +and it is certain that his troops could not have reached the field +in time to be of any assistance. + +To Lee's immense relief, however, McClellan made no serious attack +on either the 15th or 16th of September, but spent those two days +in putting his finishing touches on his preparations, and before +he completed them that Opportunity "which knocks but once at each +man's gate" had passed him by, never to return. + +The battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg began at dawn of the 17th, but +by that time Jackson had arrived and both he and Lee had so far +recovered from their injuries that they were able to be in the saddle +and personally direct the movements of their men. The Confederate +position had been skillfully selected for defense on the hills +back of Antietam Creek and McClellan's plan was to break through +his opponent's line, gain his rear and cut him off from retreat. +But Lee, who had closely watched the elaborate massing of the Union +forces for this attempt, was fully prepared for it and the first +assault against his line was repulsed with fearful slaughter. No +subtle strategy or brilliant tactics of any kind marked McClellan's +conduct of the battle. Time and again he hurled his heavy battalions +against his opponent's left, center and right in a desperate effort +to pierce the wall of gray, and once or twice his heroic veterans +almost succeeded in battering their way through. But at every +crisis Lee rose to the emergency and moved his regiments as a +skillful chess player manipulates his pieces on the board, now massing +his troops at the danger point and now diverting his adversary's +attack by a swift counter-stroke delivered by men unacquainted +with defeat. Both his hands were heavily swathed in bandages and +far too painful to admit of his even touching the bridle rein, but +he had had himself lifted into the saddle and for fully fourteen +hours he remained mounted on "Traveller," his famous war horse, +watching every movement with the inspiring calmness of a commander +born to rule the storm. + +The situation was perilous and no one realized its dangers more +keenly than he, but not a trace of anxiety appeared upon his face. +Only twice was he betrayed into an expression of his feelings, once +when he asked General Hood where the splendid division was which +he had commanded in the morning and received the reply: "They are +lying in the field where you sent them," and again when he directed +the Rockbridge battery to go into action for a second time after +three of its four guns had been disabled. The captain of this +battery had halted to make a report of its condition and receive +instructions, and Lee, gazing at the group of begrimed and tattered +privates behind the officer, ordered them to renew their desperate +work before he recognized that among them stood his youngest son, +Robert. + +Very few men in the Confederate commander's position would have +suffered a son to serve in the ranks. A word from him would, of +course, have made the boy an officer. But that was not Lee's way. +To advance an inexperienced lad over the heads of older men was, +to his mind, unjust and he would not do it even for his own flesh +and blood. Nor had his son himself expected it, for he had eagerly +accepted his father's permission to enter the ranks and had cheerfully +performed his full duty, never presuming on his relationship to +the Commander-in-Chief or asking favors of any kind. All this was +known to Lee but this unexpected meeting at a moment when privates +were being mowed down like grass was a terrible shock and strain. +Nevertheless, it was characteristic of the man that no change was +made in the orders of the Rockbridge battery, which continued on its +way to the post of danger and, with young Lee, gallantly performed +the work he had called on it to do. + +By night the Confederates still held the field, but the struggle +had cost them nearly 11,000 men, reducing their force to less than +45,000, while McClellan, despite even heavier losses, had more than +74,000 left. Lee, accordingly, withdrew his army under cover of +darkness to another part of the field and again awaited attack. But +McClellan neither attacked nor attempted anything like a pursuit +until his opponent was safely out of reach, being well satisfied +with having checked the advance of his formidable foe and spoiled +his plans. This he was certainly entitled to claim, for Lee's +campaign against Maryland and Pennsylvania was effectually balked +by his enforced retreat. + +Indeed, it is quite possible that had McClellan been adventurous he +might have ended the war at Antietam, for the day after the battle +he outnumbered his opponents at least two to one and possessed +enormous advantage in the way of equipment and supplies. But the +Union commander, though he possessed a genius for army organization +and knew the art of inspiring confidence in his men, was no match +for Lee in the field, and he probably realized this. At all events, +he displayed no anxiety to renew hostilities and when urged, and at +last positively ordered to advance, he argued, protested, offered +excuses for delay and in fact did everything but obey. + +Weeks thus slipped by and finally Lee himself became impatient to +know what his adversary was doing. He, accordingly, again summoned +Stuart and ordered him to repeat the experiment of riding around +the opposing army. News of this second, almost derisive defiance +of McClellan soon reached the North, for Stuart, swiftly circling +his right flank, suddenly appeared with 1,800 men at Chambersburg, +Pennsylvania, terrorizing the country and destroying vast quantities +of stores. Stern and indignant orders from Washington warned +the Union Commander that this time he must not permit the daring +troopers to escape. But only a few scouts were captured, and once +more Stuart sped safely back to his chief with full information as +to the strength and position of the Federal lines. + +Even this did not arouse McClellan, and two more weeks of inaction +passed before he again set his vast army in motion. But by this +time, the demand for his dismissal had become clamorous and, on +November 5, 1862, President Lincoln reluctantly removed him from +command. + + + + + +Chapter XIX + + + + +Lee against Burnside and Hooker + + +Lincoln had good reason for hesitating to change commanders, +for, unsatisfactory as McClellan had proved, the President was by +no means sure that any of his other generals would do better. In +fact, with all his defects, there was much to be said in McClellan's +favor. As an organizer of troops or chief of staff he had displayed +talents of the highest possible order, transforming the armed mob +which had flocked to the defense of the Union at the opening of +the war into a well-drilled and disciplined army. That he had not +accomplished much with this great engine of war after it had been +constructed, had not been wholly his fault, for he had never been +entirely free from interference at the hands of incompetent superiors, +and he had had the misfortune to be pitted against a past master of +the art of war. Moreover, he had been called to the chief command +at a moment of panic and peril and, if he had not succeeded +in defeating Lee, he had, at Antietam, given the North the only +semblance of victory which it could claim in all its campaigning +in the South. But that one taste of triumph had whetted the public +appetite for more. Despite McClellan's continuous talk about the +overpowering numbers of his foes, the supporters of the Union knew +that they outmatched the Confederacy in men, arms, ships, money, +and resources of every kind. They accordingly insisted that the +immense army which had lain idle in its camps for almost two months +after the drawn battle at Antietam should be set to work. + +In response to this popular demand, General Ambrose Burnside was +appointed to take McClellan's place, and a more utterly unfitted +man for prosecuting a successful campaign against Lee could scarcely +have been selected. He himself fully realized this. Indeed, he +had already twice refused the chief command on the ground that he +did not feel competent to conduct a great campaign. But the public, +which had become disgusted with boasters, admired his modesty, +and his preparations for carrying the war again into Virginia were +followed with high hopes for his success. The officers of the army, +however, did not share the popular confidence in their new chief +and some of those highest in authority gave him only a half-hearted +support. + +But nothing could have saved Burnside's extraordinary campaign. Had +he been assigned to lead a forlorn hope, regardless of consequences, +his plan, if it can be called a plan, might have been justified, +but under the existing circumstances it was reckless to the point +of madness. His first moves, however, were characterized by an +excess of caution and so slowly did he advance that before he was +fairly started for the South, Lee blocked the road, concentrating +his whole army on the hills behind the City of Fredericksburg in +a position practically defying attack. + +To attempt a direct assault against this fortress-like post was +suicidal, but apparently no thought of maneuvering crossed Burnside's +mind. His one idea was to brush aside the foe. But before he could +even reach him his army had to cross the Rappahannock, a formidable +river, and march over an open plain, absolutely at the mercy of its +intrenched opponents, who could, as one of their artillery officers +expressed it, "comb the ground" with their cannon. Nevertheless, +into this death trap the Union troops were plunged on the 13th of +December, 1862, and they advanced to destruction with a dash and +courage that won the admiration of friends and foes alike. The +result was, of course, inevitable. No human beings could withstand +the storm of shot and shell which burst upon them, and though some +of the devoted columns actually reached the foot of the Confederate +breastworks, they could do no more, and over 12,000 men fell victims +to the disastrous attack. + +For once, Lee was at an utter loss to comprehend his adversary's +plan. He could not believe that this wanton butchery of men was +all there was to the contest. To his mind such an awful sacrifice +of human life would never have been made unless for the purpose of +paving the way for another enterprise absolutely certain of success. +But nothing more was attempted and the battle of Fredericksburg, +reflecting the conception of a disordered brain rather than the +trained intelligence of a graduate of West Point, was added to the +already long list of blunders which prolonged the war. + +Burnside brought severe charges against several of his generals for +their failure to support his sorry tactics, and even went so far +as to demand their dismissal from the army. There was undoubtedly +some ground for his complaints, but such obviously incompetent +leadership was enough to demoralize any army, and not long after +his crippled battalions retreated behind the Rappahannock he was +relieved of his command, which was given to General Joseph Hooker, +one of the officers he most seriously accused. + +Hooker was familiarly known to the country as "Fighting Joe," +a name he had well earned on many a hard-fought field. He, like +his predecessors, was a graduate of West Point and his record, in +many respects worthy of the best traditions of that famous school, +inspired the army with the belief that it had, at last, found a +leader who would pilot it to victory. + +Certainly, the new commander was not troubled with Burnside's +self-distrust. His confidence in himself and in his plans was +unbounded, and there was no little justification for his hopes, +for his campaign was well thought out and he had a force of over +130,000 men under his orders--fully 70,000 more than his adversary +could bring into the field. + +Lee still lay intrenched on the hills behind Fredericksburg, and +there Hooker ordered General Sedgwick to hold him with part of the +army while he himself, with another and more powerful part, crossed +the Rappahannock River by a ford twenty-seven miles above. By this +move he hoped to get behind Lee and then crush him, as nut-crackers +would crush a nut, by closing in on him with a front and rear +attack. + +This was not a strikingly original plan. It was in fact merely +a flanking movement on a huge scale, but compared to Burnside's +performance it was highly scientific and the vast superiority of +the Union forces almost insured its success. Hooker was certainly +convinced that he had at last solved the great problem of the war +and that Lee was practically in his power. Indeed, as his flanking +army forded the river, he issued an address of congratulation +in which he informed his troops that they had the Confederates in +a position from which they must either "ingloriously fly" or come +out in the open where certain defeat awaited them. But "Fighting +Joe" was soon to learn the folly of crowing until one is out of the +woods, for as he emerged from the forests sheltering the fords, +he discovered that Lee's army had not remained tamely in its +intrenchments, but had quietly slipped away and planted itself +squarely across his path. + +For a moment the Union commander was fairly astounded. He had +prophesied that his adversary would fly from Fredericksburg, but he +had not expected him to move so soon or in this direction. Indeed, +his well-matured plans were based on the supposition that Lee would +remain where he wanted him to be until he was ready to spring his +trap, quite forgetting that though it is easy to catch birds after +you have put salt on their tails, it is rather difficult to make +them wait while you salt them. As a matter of fact, Lee had taken +alarm the moment his cavalry scouts reported his opponent's movement +towards the fords and, realizing that he would be caught if he +remained where he was, he had rapidly departed from Fredericksburg, +leaving only enough force to occupy Sedgwick's attention. Even +then he was in a precarious position, for Hooker's flanking army +alone outnumbered him and the force threatening Fredericksburg +would certainly start in pursuit of him as soon as it discovered +that the bulk of his army had withdrawn from that city. All this +was equally clear to Hooker after his first gasp of astonishment, +and as he hurriedly ordered Sedgwick to attack Fredericksburg with +part of his forces and to send the rest as reënforcement against +Lee, he confidently believed that his foe had delivered himself +into his hands. + +But Lee, though cornered, was not yet caught. He had to think and +act quickly but though he had only 45,000 men and Hooker had 70,000 +on the spot, his idea was not to escape but to attack. A close +examination of the opposing lines in front and at the Federal left +disclosed no weakness, but the right beyond Chancellorsville looked +more hopeful. Then a brilliant idea suddenly occurred to his mind. +The Union commander was evidently awaiting or meditating a direct +attack and had no fear except that his prey might escape him. Might +it not be possible to keep him busily occupied in front, while a +force stole behind his right wing and caught it between two fires? + +This was precisely what Hooker had been endeavoring to do to him, +but Lee was well aware that what was safe for a large army might +be ruinous for a small one and that his proposed maneuver would +require him to divide his small army into two smaller parts, both +of which would be annihilated if the move was discovered. But +capture or destruction stared him in the face any way, so, learning +from a certain Colonel Welford that a road used by him in former +years for transporting materials to a local furnace could be utilized +to swing a considerable force behind Hooker's right, he determined +to take the desperate chance. + +The necessary orders were accordingly issued during the night of +May 1, 1863, and by daylight the next morning Jackson started off +on the back trail with about 30,000 men, leaving Lee with only +15,000 to face Hooker's overwhelming array. The success of the +whole enterprise depended upon the secrecy and speed with which it +was conducted, but Jackson had already proved his ability in such +work and his men set off at a brisk pace well screened by vigilant +cavalry. It was not possible, however, wholly to conceal the +march, and not long after it began several quite definite reports +of its progress reached Hooker. But though he duly warned his +Corps Commanders to be on their guard against a flank movement, +he himself evidently interpreted it as the beginning of a retreat. +Indeed, by four o'clock in the afternoon of May 2nd he became +convinced that his victims were striving to escape, for he advised +Sedgwick, "We know that the enemy is fleeing, trying to save his +trains." But even as he dispatched this message Jackson was behind +at the Union right and his men were forming in line of battle under +cover of a heavy curtain of woods. + +Meanwhile, some of the division commanders at the threatened +position had become disquieted by the reports that a large body +of Confederates was marching somewhere, though just where no one +seemed to know. Two of them accordingly faced their men toward +the rear in readiness for an attack from that direction. But the +assurances which reached them from headquarters that the enemy +was in full flight discouraged precautions of this kind, and when +Jackson crept up a neighboring hill to examine the Union position, +he found most of the troops had their backs turned to the point of +danger. In fact, the camp, as a whole presented a most inviting +spectacle, for the soldiers were scattered about it, playing +cards or preparing their evening meal, with their arms stacked in +the rear, little dreaming that one of their most dreaded foes was +watching them from a hilltop, behind which crouched thousands of his +men. Every detail of the scene was impressed on Jackson's memory +when he quietly slipped back into the woods, and for the next two +hours he busied himself posting his troops to the best advantage. + +It was six o'clock when the order to attack was given and most of +the Union soldiers were still at their suppers when deer, foxes, +rabbits and other animals, alarmed by a mass of men advancing through +the forest, began to tear through the camp as though fleeing from +a prairie fire. But before the startled soldiers could ask an +explanation of this strange stampede, the answer came in the form +of a scattering musketry fire and the fearsome yells of 26,000 +charging men. + +The panic that followed beggars description. Regiments huddled +against regiments in helpless confusion; artillery, infantry +and cavalry became wedged in narrow roads and remained hopelessly +jammed; officers and men fought with one another; generals were +swept aside or carried forward on the human waves, hoarsely bellowing +orders which no one heeded, while into the welter the Confederates +poured a deadly fire and rounded up masses of bewildered prisoners. +It was well-nigh dusk before even the semblance of a line of defense +could be formed to cover the disorganized masses of men, but the +gathering darkness increased the terror of the hapless fugitives, +who, stumbling and crashing their way to safety, carried confusion +in their wake. + +Meanwhile Lee, advised of what was happening at the Union right, +vigorously attacked Hooker's left, and a fierce conflict at that +point added to the general turmoil until the contending forces +could no longer distinguish each other, save by the flashing of +their guns. The fighting then ceased all along the line and both +sides busied themselves with preparations for renewing the struggle +at the earliest possible moment. Jackson, accompanied by some of +his staff, instantly began a reconnoissance of the Union position. +He had just completed this and was returning to his lines when some +of his own pickets, mistaking his party for Union cavalry, fired on +them killing a captain and a sergeant. The Confederate commander +immediately turned his horse and sought safety at another point, +but he had not progressed far before he drew the fire of another +picket squad and fell desperately wounded. + +General A. P. Hill then assumed command, but fighting had scarcely +been resumed the next morning before he was wounded and Jeb Stuart +took his place. Meanwhile, Hooker had been injured and the next +day Lee fiercely assailed Sedgwick. For the best part of two days +the battle raged with varying success. But, little by little, the +Confederates edged their opponents toward the Rappahannock, and by +the night of May 5th, 1863, Hooker withdrew his exhausted forces +across the river. + +The battle of Chancellorsville cost Lee over 12,000 men; but with +a force which never exceeded 60,000, he had not only extricated +himself from a perilous position, but had inflicted a crushing +blow on an army of 130,000, an achievement which has passed into +history as one of the most brilliant feats of modern warfare. + + + + + +Chapter XX + + + + +In the Hour of Triumph + + +Great as Lee's reputation had been before the battle of Chancellorsville, +it was immensely increased by that unexpected triumph. But no trace +of vanity or self-gratulation of any kind marked his reception of +the chorus of praise that greeted him. On the contrary, he modestly +disclaimed the honors from the very first and insisted that to +Jackson belonged the credit of the day. "Could I have directed +events," he wrote the wounded General, "I should have chosen to have +been disabled in your stead. I congratulate you on the victory +which is due to your skill and energy." Indeed, when the news +first reached him that Jackson's left arm had been amputated, he +sent him a cheery message, saying, "You are better off than I am, +for while you have only lost your LEFT, I have lost my RIGHT arm." +And when, at last, he learned that "Stonewall" had passed away, +he no longer thought of the victory but only of his dead comrade +and friend. "Any victory would be dear at such a price," was his +sorrowful comment on the day. + +Jackson was indeed Lee's "right arm" and his place among the great +captains of the world is well indicated by the fact that a study +of his campaign is to-day part of the education of all English +and American officers. Nevertheless, it was unquestionably Lee's +genius that enabled his great Lieutenant to accomplish what he did, +and this Jackson himself fully realized. "Better that ten Jacksons +should fall than one Lee," was his response to his commander's +generous words. + +But though Lee had won an international reputation, anyone seeing +him in the field among his soldiers might well have imagined that +he was wholly unaware that the world was ringing with his fame. He +steadily declined all offers to provide comfortable quarters for +his accommodation, preferring to live in a simple tent and share +with his men the discomforts of the field. Indeed, his thoughts +were constantly of others, never of himself, and when gifts of fruit +and other dainties for his table were tendered him, he thanked the +givers but suggested that they were needed for the sick and wounded +in the hospitals, where they would be gratefully received. + +"...I should certainly have endeavored to throw the enemy north +of the Potomac," he wrote his wife, "but thousands of our men were +barefooted, thousands with fragments of shoes, and all without +overcoats, blankets or warm clothing. I could not bear to expose +them to certain suffering.... I am glad you have some socks for +the army. Send them to me.... Tell the girls to send all they +can. I wish they could make some shoes, too." + +Even the hardships of the dumb animals moved him to a ready sympathy, +and he was constantly planning to spare them in every possible way. + +"Our horses and mules suffer most," he wrote one of his daughters. +"They have to bear the cold and rain, tug through the mud and suffer +all the time with hunger." + +And again on another occasion he wrote his wife: + +"This morning the whole country is covered with a mantle of snow, +fully a foot deep.... Our poor horses were enveloped. We have dug +them out...but it will be terrible.... I fear our short rations +for man and horse will have to be curtailed." + +The whole army realized the great-hearted nature of its Chief, +and its confidence in his thought and care is well illustrated by +a letter which a private addressed to him, asking him if he knew +upon what short rations the men were living. If he did, the writer +stated, their privations were doubtless necessary and everyone +would cheerfully accept them, knowing that he had the comfort of +his men continually in mind. + +War had no illusions for this simple, God-fearing man. He regarded +it as a terrible punishment for the shortcomings of mankind. For +him it had no glory. + +"The country here looks very green and pretty, notwithstanding the +ravages of war," he wrote his wife. "What a beautiful world God, +in His loving kindness to His creatures, has given us! What a +shame that men endowed with reason and knowledge of right should +mar His gifts." + +The awful responsibility of his public duty was almost more than +any man could bear, but he had also to endure personal anxiety and +sorrow of the keenest kind. During his absence in the field one +of his daughters died, his wife was in failing health and his three +sons were in the army daily exposed to injury and death. Fitzhugh +and Custis had been made generals, and Robert had been promoted to +a lieutenancy and assigned to his elder brother's staff. Up to +the battle of Chancellorsville they had escaped unharmed, but while +the contending armies lay watching each other on either side of the +Rappahannock, Fitzhugh was severely wounded in a cavalry engagement +and Lee's first thought was to comfort and reassure the young man's +wife. + +"I am so grieved," ...he wrote her, "to send Fitzhugh to +you wounded.... With his youth and strength to aid him, and your +tender care to nurse him, I trust he will soon be well again. I +know that you will unite with me in thanks to Almighty God, who +has so often sheltered him in the hour of danger." + +Then came the news that the young General had been captured by +Federal troops who surrounded the house to which he had been removed, +and again Lee sought, in the midst of all his cares, to cheer his +daughter-in-law who was herself becoming ill. + +"I can see no harm that can result from Fitzhugh's capture except +his detention.... He will be in the hands of old army officers +and surgeons, most of whom are men of principle and humanity. His +wound, I understand, has not been injured by his removal, but is +doing well. Nothing would do him more harm than for him to learn +that you were sick and sad. How could he get well? So cheer up +and prove your fortitude.... You may think of Fitzhugh and love +him as much as you please, but do not grieve over him or grow sad." + +But the young wife grew steadily worse and, when her life was +despaired of, Custis Lee offered to take his brother's place in +prison, if the authorities would allow him to visit his dying wife. +But, when this was refused and news of her death reached Lee, he +refrained from all bitterness. + +"...I grieve," he wrote his wife, "...as a father only can grieve +for a daughter, and my sorrow is heightened by the thought of the +anguish her death will cause our dear son, and the poignancy it +will give to the bars of his prison. May God in His mercy enable +him to bear the blow...." + +It was in the midst of such severe afflictions that Lee conducted +some of the most important moves of his campaign, and while family +anxieties were beginning to crowd on him, the condition of his army +and the political situation were already demanding another invasion +of the North. As far as spirit and discipline were concerned, his +troops were never more ready for active service and their numbers +had been so considerably increased during the weeks that followed +the battle of Chancellorsville that by the 1st of June, 1863, he +could count on almost 70,000 fairly well-armed men, supported by +over two hundred cannon. + +But the question of supplying food for this great array was every +day becoming more urgent, and the remark of the Commissary-General +that his Chief would soon have to seek his provisions in Pennsylvania +was significant of the situation. Lee thoroughly realized that the +strength of the Confederacy was waning and that unless some great +success in the field should soon force the Union to make terms, +the end of the struggle was in sight. Great victories had already +been won, but always on Southern soil, and the news that Grant was +closing in on Vicksburg demanded that a supreme effort be made to +offset that impending disaster in the West. + +If the Southern army could force its way into the North and there +repeat its triumphs, England and France would probably recognize the +Confederacy and the half-hearted supporters of the Union, already +murmuring against the war, would clamor for peace. With this idea +Lee devoted the month following the battle of Chancellorsville +to recruiting his strength and watching for some move on Hooker's +part. But Hooker remained quietly within his lines, so on June +3, 1863, his opponent, concealing his purpose, moved rapidly and +secretly toward Pennsylvania. + + + + + +Chapter XXI + + + + +Grant at Vicksburg + + +While Lee had been disposing of McClellan, Pope and Burnside, Grant +had remained in comparative idleness near Corinth, Mississippi. +He had, it is true, been assigned to high command in the West when +Halleck was ordered to Washington, but the battle of Shiloh had +prejudiced the authorities against him and his troops were gradually +transferred to other commanders, leaving him with an army barely +sufficient to guard the territory it already held. This treatment +seriously depressed him and with plenty of time to brood over his +troubles, he was in some danger of lapsing into the bad habits +which had once had such a fatal hold upon him. But at this crisis +his wife was by his side to steady and encourage him, and the +Confederates soon diverted his thoughts from his own grievances by +giving him plenty of work to keep them at arm's length. Meanwhile, +however, something much more disturbing occurred, for he suddenly +discovered that preparations were being made to place his long-cherished +campaign for the opening of the Mississippi River in the hands of +McClernand, the political General whose conduct at Fort Donelson +had demonstrated his ignorance of military affairs. + +That aroused Grant to action and hastily summoning Admiral Porter +and General Sherman to his aid, he started towards Vicksburg, +Mississippi, on November 2, 1862, determined to be the first in the +field and thus head off any attempt to displace him from the command. + +McClernand's project was accordingly nipped in the bud, for, of +course, he could not be authorized to conduct a campaign already +undertaken by a superior officer, and the troops which had been +intended for him were immediately forwarded to Grant. Doubtless, +the President was not displeased at this turn of affairs, for +although McClernand was a highly important person in the political +world and had rendered valuable services in raising troops, his +defects as a general were widely recognized, and there had been grave +doubts as to the wisdom of permitting him to attempt so difficult +an undertaking as the capture of Vicksburg. Within a few months, +however, there were even graver doubts as to the wisdom of having +entrusted the enterprise to Grant, for by the end of March, 1863, +the general opinion was that no one could have made a worse mess of +it than he was making, and that it was hopeless to expect anything +as long as he was in authority. + +As a matter of fact, the immense difficulty of capturing a city such +as Vicksburg had not been realized until the work was actually +undertaken. It was practically a fortress commanding the +Mississippi, and whoever held it ruled the river. The Confederate +leaders understood this very thoroughly and they had accordingly +fortified the place, which was admirably adapted for defense, +with great care and skill. In front of it flowed the Mississippi, +twisting and turning in such snake-like conditions that it could +be navigated only by boats of a certain length and build, and +on either side of the city stretched wide swamp lands and bayous +completely commanded by batteries well posted on the high ground +occupied by the town. All this was formidable enough in itself, +but shortly after Grant began his campaign, the river overflowed +its banks and the whole country for miles was under water which, +while not deep enough for steamers, was an absolute barrier to the +approach of an army. + +Indeed, the capture of the city seemed hopeless from a military +standpoint, but Grant would not abandon the task. Finding traces +of an abandoned canal, he attempted to complete it in the hope of +changing the course of the river, or at least of diverting some of +the water from the overflowed land, but the effort was a stupendous +failure almost from the start. Then he ordered the levees of the +Mississippi protecting two great lakes to be cut, with the idea +of flooding the adjacent streams and providing a waterway for his +ships. This gigantic enterprise was actually put into operation, +the dams were removed, and gun-boats were forced on the swollen +watercourses far into the interior until some of them became hopelessly +tangled in the submerged forests and their crews, attacked by the +Confederate sharpshooters, were glad to make their escape. Week +after week and month after month this exhausting work continued, +but, at the end of it all, Vicksburg was no nearer capture than +before. Indeed, the only result of the campaign was the loss of +thousands of men who died of malaria, yellow fever, smallpox, and +all the diseases which swamp lands breed. For this, of course, +Grant was severely criticized and the denunciations at last became +so bitter that an order removing him from the command was entrusted +to an official who was directed to deliver it, if, on investigation, +the facts seemed to warrant it. + +But the visiting official, after arriving at the front, soon learned +that the army had complete confidence in its commander and that it +would be a mistake to interfere with him. Indeed, by this time "the +silent General," who had neither answered the numerous complaints +against him nor paid the least attention to the storm of public +indignation raging beyond his camp, had abandoned his efforts to +reach Vicksburg from the front and was busily engaged in swinging +his army behind it by a long overland route in the face of appalling +difficulties, but with a grim resolution which forced all obstructions +from his path. Meanwhile, the gun-boats under Admiral Porter were +ordered to attempt to run the land batteries, and April 16, 1863, +was selected as the date for their perilous mission. Each vessel +had been carefully protected by cotton bales, and the crews stood +ready with great wads of cotton to stop leaks, while all lights +were extinguished except one in the stern of each ship to guide +the one that followed. + +It was a black night when the Admiral started down the river in his +flagship, and for a while it was hoped that the fleet would slip +by the batteries under cover of darkness. The leading vessels did, +indeed, escape the lookouts of the first forts, but before long a +warning rocket shot into the sky and the river was instantly lit by +immense bonfires which had been prepared for just this emergency, +and by the glare of their flames the gunners poured shot and shell +at the black hulls as they sped swiftly by. Shot after shot found +its mark, but still the fleet continued on its course. Then, +after the bonfires died down, houses were set on fire to enable the +artillerists to see their targets, but before daylight the whole +fleet had run the gauntlet and lay almost uninjured below Vicksburg, +ready to coöperate with Grant's advancing army. + +By this time the Confederates must have realized that they were +facing defeat. Nevertheless, for fully a month they stubbornly +contested every foot of ground. But Grant, approaching the rear +by his long, roundabout marches, handled his veteran troops with +rare good judgment, moving swiftly and allowing his adversaries no +rest, so that by the 17th of May, 1863, General Pemberton, commanding +the defenses of Vicksburg, was forced to take refuge in the town. +Grant immediately swung his army into position, blocking every +avenue of escape and began a close siege. The prize for which he +had been struggling for more than half a year was now fairly within +his grasp, but there was still a chance that it might slip through +his fingers, for close on his heels came General Joseph Johnston +with a powerful army intent upon rescuing General Pemberton and +his gallant garrison. + +If Johnston could come to Pemberton's relief or if Pemberton +could break through and unite with Johnston, they could together +save Vicksburg. But Grant had resolved that they should not join +forces, and to the problem confronting him he devoted himself body +and mind. Constantly in the saddle, watching every detail of the +work as the attacking army slowly dug its way toward the city and +personally posting the troops holding Johnston at bay, his quiet, +determined face and mud-splashed uniform became familiar sights +to the soldiers, and his appearance on the lines was invariably +greeted with inspiring cheers. By July, the trenches of the besieged +and the besiegers were so close together that the opposing pickets +could take to each other, and the gun-boats threw shells night and +day into the town. Still Pemberton would not surrender and many +of the inhabitants of Vicksburg were forced to leave their houses +and dig caves in the cliffs upon which the city was built to protect +themselves and their families from the iron hail. + +It was only when food of every kind had been practically exhausted +and his garrison was threatened with starvation that Pemberton +yielded. On July 3, 1863, however, he realized that the end had +come and raised the white flag. Nearly twenty-four hours passed +before the terms of surrender were agreed upon, but Grant, who had +served in the same division with Pemberton in the Mexican War, was +not inclined to exact humiliating conditions upon his old acquaintance +whose men had made such a long and gallant fight. He, accordingly, +offered to free all the prisoners upon their signing a written promise +not to take arms again unless properly exchanged, and to allow all +the officers to retain their side arms and horses. These generous +terms were finally accepted, and on July 4, 1863, the Confederate +army, numbering about 30,000, marched out in the presence of their +opponents and stacked their arms, receiving the tribute of absolute +silence from the 75,000 men who watched them from the Union ranks. + +Four months before this event, Halleck, the Commander-in-Chief, +had advised Grant and other officers of his rank that there was a +major generalship in the Regular Army for the man who should first +win a decisive victory in the field. The captor of Vicksburg had +certainly earned this promotion, for with its fall the Mississippi +River was controlled by the Union and, in the words of Lincoln, +"The Father of Waters again ran unvexed to the sea." + + + + + +Chapter XXII + + + + +The Battle of Gettysburg + +The news that Grant was slowly, but surely, tightening his grip +upon Vicksburg, and that nothing but an accident could prevent its +capture, was known to the whole country for fully a week before +the surrender occurred, but it neither encouraged the North nor +discouraged the South. To the minds of many people no victory in +the West could save the Union, for Lee was already in Pennsylvania, +sweeping northward toward Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and +even threatening New York. Hooker, in the field, and Halleck, in +Washington, were squabbling as to what should be done, and the Union +army was groping blindly after the invaders without any leadership +worthy of the name. + +It was certainly a critical moment demanding absolute harmony +on the part of the Union leaders; but while the fate of the Union +trembled in the balance, Hooker and Halleck wrangled and contradicted +each other, apparently regardless of consequences, and the climax +of this disgraceful exhibition was a petulant telegram from Hooker +(June 27, 1863) resigning his command. Had "Fighting Joe" been +the greatest general in the world this resignation, in the presence +of the enemy, would have ruined his reputation, and the moment +President Lincoln accepted it Hooker was a discredited man. + +To change commanders at such a crisis was a desperately perilous +move, but the President knew that the army had lost confidence in +its leader since the battle of Chancellorsville and the fact that +he could even think of resigning on the eve of a battle demonstrated +his utter unfitness for the task at hand. It was, therefore, +with something of relief that Lincoln ordered General Meade to +take immediate charge of all the troops in the field, and the new +commander assumed the responsibility in these words, "As a soldier +I obey the order placing me in command of this army and to the +utmost of my ability will execute it." + +At the moment he dispatched this manly and modest response to the +unexpected call to duty, Meade knew little of Hooker's plans and +had only a vague idea of where his troops were posted. Under such +conditions success in the coming battle was almost impossible, but +he wasted no time in complaints or excuses, but instantly began +to move his forces northward to incept the line of Lee's advance. +Even up to this time, however, the exact position of the Confederate +army had not been ascertained, for Lee had concealed his infantry +behind his cavalry, which effectually prevented his adversaries +from getting near enough to discover the direction of his march. + +Another "cavalry screen," however, covered the Union forces and +though Lee dispatched Stuart to break through and discover what +lay behind it, the daring officer for once failed to accomplish his +purpose and Lee had to proceed without the information he usually +possessed. This was highly advantageous to Meade, for his forces +were badly scattered and had Lee known that fact he might have +crushed the various parts of the army before they united, or at +least have prevented some of them from reaching the field in time. +He soon learned, of course, that Meade had taken Hooker's place, +but if he had not heard the news directly, he would have guessed +that some great change had occurred in the generalship of his +opponents, for within twenty-four hours of his appointment Meade +had his army well in hand, and two days later the rapid and skillful +concentration of his force was clear to Lee's experienced eyes. +By this time both armies had passed beyond their cavalry screens, +and on the 30th of June, 1863, the advance of the Confederate troops +neared the little town of Gettysburg. + +But Lee was not yet ready to fight, for, although he was better +prepared than his adversary, he wanted to select the best possible +ground before joining battle. By a strange chance, however, it was +not Lee but his bare-footed followers who decided where the battle +should be fought, for as his advance-guard approached Gettysburg +one of the brigade commanders asked and received permission from +his superior to enter the town and procure shoes for his men. But +Gettysburg was found to be occupied by Union cavalry and the next +day (July 1st) a larger force was ordered forward to drive them +away and "get the shoes." Meanwhile, the Union cavalry had been +reënforced and, to offset this, more Confederates were ordered to +the support of their comrades. Once more Union reënforcements were +hurried to the front, and again the Confederates responded to the +challenge, until over 50,000 men were engaged in a savage conflict, +and before noon the battle of Gettysburg, one of the greatest +battles of history, had begun. + +The men in gray, who thus unwittingly forced the fighting, were +veterans of many campaigns and they attacked with a fury that +carried all before them. The Union troops fought with courage, +but General Reynolds, their commander, one of the ablest officers +in the army, was soon shot through the head and instantly killed, +and from that moment the Confederates crowded them to the point of +panic. Indeed, two of Meade's most effective fighting corps were +practically annihilated and the shattered remnants of the defenders of +Gettysburg were hurled through the town in headlong flight toward +what was known as Cemetery Hill, where their new commander, General +Hancock, found them huddled in confusion. + +Meade had displayed good judgment in selecting Hancock to take +Reynolds' place, for he was just the man to inspire confidence in +the disheartened soldiers and rise to the emergency that confronted +him. But, though he performed wonders in the way of restoring +order and encouraging his men to make a desperate resistance, it +is more than probable that the Confederates would have swept the +field and gained the important position of Cemetery Hill had they +followed up their victory. Fortunately for the Union cause, however, +the pursuit was not continued much beyond the limits of Gettysburg +and, as though well satisfied to have got the shoes they came for, +the victors contented themselves with the undisputed possession of +the town. + +Neither Lee nor Meade took any part in this unexpected battle, but +Lee arrived during the afternoon while the Union troops were in +full flight for the hills and, seeing the opportunity of delivering +a crushing blow, advised Ewell, the commanding General, to pursue. +His suggestion, however, was disregarded, and being unwilling to +interfere with another officer in the midst of an engagement, he +did not give a positive order, with the result that Cemetery Hill +was left in possession of the Federal troops. Meanwhile Meade, +having learned of the situation, was hurrying to the scene of +action, where he arrived late at night, half dead with exhaustion +and on the verge of nervous collapse from the fearful responsibilities +which had been heaped upon him during the previous days. But +the spirit of the man rose superior to his physical weakness and, +keeping his head in the whirlwind of hurry and confusion, he issued +orders rushing every available man to the front, made a careful +examination of the ground and chose an admirable position for +defense. + +To this inspiring example the whole army made a magnificent response, +and before the 2nd of July dawned the widely scattered troops began +pouring in and silently moving into position for the desperate work +confronting them. Meade had determined to await an attack from +Lee and he had accordingly selected Cemetery Ridge as the position +best adapted for defense. This line of hills not only provided +a natural breastwork, but at the left and a little in front lay +two hillocks knows as Round Top and Little Round Top, which, when +crowned by artillery, were perfect fortresses of strength. Strange +as it may seem, however, Round Top was not immediately occupied by +the Union troops and had it not been for the quick eye and prompt +action of General Warren, Little Round Top, the key to the entire +Union position, would have been similarly neglected. + +Lee was reasonably assured, at the end of the first day's fighting, +that his adversary had not succeeded in getting all his troops +upon the field and, realizing what an advantage this gave him, he +determined to begin the battle at daylight, before the Union reënforcements +could arrive. But for once, at least, the great commander received +more objections than obedience from his subordinates, General +Longstreet, one of his most trusted lieutenants, being the principal +offender. Longstreet had, up to this moment, made a splendid +record in the campaigns and Lee had such confidence in his skill +that he seldom gave him a peremptory order, finding that a suggestion +carried all the weight of a command. But, on this occasion, Longstreet +did not agree with the Chief's plan of battle and he accordingly +took advantage of the discretion reposed in him to postpone making +an attack until he received a sharp and positive order to put his +force in action. By this time, the whole morning had passed and +every hour had brought more and more Union troops into the field, +so that by the afternoon Meade had over 90,000 men opposing Lee's +70,000 veterans. + +There was nothing half-hearted about Longstreet once he was in +motion and the struggle for the possession of Little Round Top was +as desperate a conflict as was ever waged on any field. Again and +again the gray regiments hurled themselves into the very jaws of +death to gain the coveted vantage ground, and again and again the +blue lines, torn, battered and well-nigh crushed to earth, re-formed +and hurled back the assault. Dash and daring were met by courage +and firmness, and at nightfall, though the Confederates had gained +some ground, their opponents still held their original position. +Both sides had paid dearly, however, for whatever successes they +had gained, the Union army alone having lost at least 20,000 men +[Note from Brett: While this is possible, it is highly unlikely +as the total casualties for the three day battle from the Unionist +side were 23,053 according to official records. Current (circa +2000) estimates are that both sides lost about 9,000 soldiers on +this day.]. Indeed, the Confederate attack had been so formidable +that Meade called a council of war at night to determine whether +the army should remain where it was for another day or retreat to +a still stronger position. The council, however, voted unanimously +to "stay and fight it out," and the next morning (July 3rd) saw +the two armies facing each other in much the same positions as they +had occupied the day before, the Unionists crowding the heights +of Cemetery Ridge and the Confederates holding the hills known as +Seminary Ridge and clinging to the bases of Round Top and Little +Round Top, to which point the tide of valor had carried them. + +A mile of valley and undulating slopes separated Cemetery Hill from +Seminary Ridge, and their crests were crowded with artillery when +the sun rose on July 3, 1863. But for a time the battle was confined +to the infantry, the Confederates continuing fierce assaults of the +previous evening. Then, suddenly, all their troops were withdrawn, +firing ceased and absolute silence ensued along their whole lines. +At an utter loss to understand this complete disappearance of +the foe, the Union commanders peered through their glasses at the +silent and apparently deserted heights of Seminary Ridge, growing +more and more nervous as time wore on. What was the explanation +of this ominous silence? Was it possible that Lee had retreated? +Was he trying to lure them out of their position and catch them in +some giant ambuscade? Was he engaged in a flanking movement such +as had crumpled them to pieces at Chancellorsville? Doubtless, +more than one soldier shot an apprehensive glance toward the rear +during the strange hush as he remembered the terrifying appearance +of Jackson on that fearful day. + +But no Jackson stood at Lee's right hand, and suddenly two sharp +reports rang out from the opposing height. Then, in answer to this +signal, came the crash of a hundred and thirty cannon and instantly +eighty Union guns responded to the challenge with a roar which shook +the earth, while the air was filled with exploding shells and the +ground was literally ploughed with shot. For an hour and a half +this terrific duel continued; and then the Union chief of artillery, +seeing that his supply of ammunition was sinking, ordered the +guns to cease firing and the Confederates, believing that they had +completely demolished the opposing batteries, soon followed their +example. Another awful silence ensued and when the Union troops +peered cautiously from behind the stone walls and slopes which had +completely protected them from the wild storm of shot and shell, +they saw a sight which filled them with admiration and awe. + +From the woods fringing the opposing heights 15,000 men [Note +from Brett: (circa 2000) just under 12,000 men] were sweeping in +perfect order with battle flags flying, bayonets glistening and +guidons fluttering as though on dress parade. Well to the front +rode a gallant officer with a cap perched jauntily over his right +ear and his long auburn hair hanging almost to his shoulders flying +in the wind. This was General Pickett, and he and the men behind +him had almost a mile of open ground to cross in the charge which +was to bring them immortal fame. For half the distance they moved +triumphantly forward, unscathed by the already thundering artillery, +and then the Union cannon which had apparently been silenced by +the Confederate fire began to pour death and destruction into their +ranks. Whole rows of men were mowed down by the awful cannonade, +but their comrades pressed forward undismayed, halting for a moment +under cover of a ravine to re-form their ranks and then springing +on again with a heroism unsurpassed in the history of war. A hail +of bullets from the Union trenches fairly staggered them, yet on +and on they charged. Once they actually halted in the face of the +blazing breastworks, deliberately fired a volley and came on again +with a rush, seized some of the still smoking guns that had sought +to annihilate them and, beating back the gunners in a hand-to-hand +conflict, actually planted their battle flags on the crest of +Cemetery Ridge. Then the whole Union army seemed to leap from the +ground and hurl itself upon them. They reeled, turned, broke into +fragments and fled, leaving 5,000 dead and wounded in their trail. + +Such was Pickett's charge--a wave of human courage which recorded +"the high-water mark of the Rebellion." + + + + + +Chapter XXIII + + + + +In the Face of Disaster + + +As the survivors of Pickett's heroic legion came streaming back +toward the Confederate lines Lee stood face to face with defeat +for the first time in his career. His long series of victories had +not spoiled him and the hour of triumph had always found him calm +and thankful, rather than elated and arrogant. But many a modest +and generous winner has proved himself a poor loser. It is the +moment of adversity that tries men's souls and revels the greatness +or smallness of character, and subjected to this test more than one +commander in the war had been found wanting. McClellan, staggering +from his campaign against Richmond, blamed almost everyone but +himself for the result; Pope, scurrying toward the fortifications +of Washington, was as ready with excuses as he had been with boasts; +Burnside, reeling from the slaughter-pen of Fredericksburg, had +demanded the dismissal of his principal officers, and Hooker hurled +accusations right and left in explaining the Chancellorsville +surprise. + +But Lee resorted neither to accusation nor excuse for the battle of +Gettysburg. With the tide of disaster sweeping relentlessly down +upon him, he hastened to assume entire responsibility for the +result. "It is all my fault," he exclaimed, as the exhausted and +shattered troops were seeking shelter from the iron hail, and then +as calmly and firmly as though no peril threatened, he strove to +rally the disorganized fugitives and present a bold front to the +foe. It was no easy task, even with a veteran army, to prevent a +panic and restore order and confidence in the midst of the uproar +and confusion of defeat, but the quiet dignity and perfect control +of their commander steadied the men, and at sight of him even the +wounded raised themselves from the ground and cheered. + +"All this will come right in the end," he assured the wavering +troops, as he passed among them. "We'll talk it over afterwards, +but in the meantime all good men must rally." + +Not a sign of excitement or alarm was to be detected in his face, +as he issued his orders and moved along the lines. "All this has +been my fault," he repeated soothingly to a discouraged officer. +"It is I that have lost this fight and you must help me out of +it the best way you can.... Don't whip your horse, Captain," he +quietly remarked, as he noted another officer belaboring his mount +for shying at an exploding shell.... "I've got just another foolish +horse myself, and whipping does no good." + +Nothing escaped his watchful eyes, nothing irritated him, and +nothing provoked him to hasty words or actions. Completely master +of himself, he rose superior to the whirling storm about him and, +commanding order out of chaos, held his shattered army under such +perfect control that had Meade rushed forward in pursuit he might +have met with a decisive check. + +But Meade did not attempt to leave his intrenchments and the +Confederate army slowly and defiantly moved toward the South. The +situation was perilous--desperately perilous for Lee. His troops +were in no condition to fight after battling for three days, their +ammunition was almost exhausted, their food supply was low and they +were retreating through a hostile country with a victorious army +behind them and a broad river in their path. But not a man in the +gray ranks detected even a shadow of anxiety on his commander's +face, and when the Potomac was reached and it was discovered that +the river was impassable owing to an unexpected flood, the army faced +about and awaited attack with sublime confidence in the powers of +its chief. + +Meanwhile Meade, who had been cautiously following his adversary, +began to receive telegrams and dispatches urging him to throw +himself upon the Confederates before they could recross the Potomac +and thus end the war. But this, in the opinion of the Union +commander, was easier said than done, and he continued to advance +with the utmost deliberation while Lee, momentarily expecting +attack, ferried his sick and wounded across the river and prepared +for a desperate resistance. Absolute ruin now stared him in the +face, for no reënforcements of any kind could reach him and a severe +engagement would soon place him completely at his opponent's mercy. +Nevertheless, he presented a front so menacing and unafraid that +when Meade called his officers to a council of war all but two +voted against risking an attack. + +In the meantime the river began to fall, and without the loss of +a moment Lee commenced building a bridge across which his troops +started to safety on the night of July 13th, ten days after the +battle. Even then the situation was perilous in the extreme, for +had Meade discovered the movement in time he could undoubtedly +have destroyed a large part of the retreating forces, but when he +appeared on the scene practically the whole army was on the other +side of the river and only a few stragglers fell into his hands. + +Great as Lee's success had been he never appeared to better advantage +than during this masterly retreat, when, surrounded by difficulties +and confronted by overwhelming numbers, he held his army together +and led it to safety. Through the dust of defeat he loomed up +greater as a man and greater as a soldier than at any other moment +of his career. + +Even the decisive victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg failed to +offset President Lincoln's bitter disappointment at Lee's miraculous +escape, and had it not been for his success on the field of battle, +Meade would undoubtedly have been removed from the chief command. +As it was, however, he retained his position and for months he lay +comparatively idle, watching his opponent who busied himself with +filling the broken ranks of his army for a renewal of the struggle. + +Meanwhile, the Confederate newspapers began a bitter criticism of Lee, +charging that he had displayed bad judgment and worse generalship +in attempting to invade the North. A man of different caliber +would, doubtless, have answered these attacks by exposing some of +the officers whose conduct was largely responsible for the failure +of the campaign. Indeed, the facts would have justified him +in dismissing more than one of his subordinates from the army in +disgrace, and had he chosen to speak the word he might easily have +ruined the reputation of at least one distinguished general. + +But no such selfish or vindictive thought ever crossed Lee's mind. +Keenly as he suffered from the abuse which was heaped upon him, he +endured it without a murmur and, when at last he felt obliged to +notice it, his reply took the form of a letter to the Confederate +President requesting his permission to resign. + +"The general remedy for the want of success in a military commander +is his removal," he wrote a month after the battle of Gettysburg. +"I do not know how far the expressions of discontent in the public +journals extend in the army. My brother officers have been too +kind to report it and, so far, the troops have been too generous +to exhibit it. I, therefore, beg you to take measures to supply +my place, because if I cannot accomplish what I myself desire, +how can I fulfill the expectations of others? I must confess, too +that my eyesight is not good and that I am so dull that in making +use of the eyes of others I am frequently misled. Everything, +therefore, points to the advantages to be derived from a new +commander. A younger and abler man can readily be obtained--one +that would accomplish more than I can perform and all that I have +wished. I have no complaints to make of anyone but myself. I +have received nothing but kindness from those above me and the most +considerate attention from my comrades and companions in arms." + +This generous, dignified statement, modest to the point of +self-effacement, instantly hushed all discontent and, before it, +even the newspaper editors stood abashed. + +"Where am I to find the new commander who is to possess that greater +ability which you believe to be required?" wrote Jefferson Davis in +reply. "If Providence should kindly offer such a person I would +not hesitate to avail myself of his services. But my sight is +not sufficiently penetrating to discover such hidden merit, if it +exists. To ask me to substitute you by someone more fit to command +is to demand an impossibility." + +In the face of this graceful response Lee could no longer urge +his resignation, and after waiting for more than three months for +Meade to attack, he suddenly assumed the offensive and during the +next five months he and Meade maneuvered their armies as two chess +experts handle the pieces on the board. Again and again, Meade +swung his powerful army into a favorable position and, again and +again, Lee responded with a move which placed his opponent on the +defensive. + +But while this game of check and countercheck was being played, the +North was becoming more and more impatient and events were rapidly +bringing another player to the fore. + + + + + +Chapter XXIV + + + + +The Rescue of Two Armies + +The defeats and disappointments of the various campaigns in Virginia +had gradually convinced the authorities at Washington that too many +people were trying to direct the Union forces. With Lee there was +practically no interference; but the commanders who opposed him +were subject to the orders of the General-in-Chief at Washington, +who was, to some extent, controlled by the Secretary of War, whose +superior was the President, and after almost every engagement a +Congressional Committee, known as the "committee on the conduct of +the war," held a solemn investigation in which praise and blame were +distributed with the best intentions and worst possible results. +All these offices and officials were accordingly more or less +responsible for everything that occurred, but not one of them was +ever wholly to blame. This mistake, however, was at last fully +realized and a careful search began for some one man to whom the +supreme command could be entrusted. But for a long time no one +apparently thought that the Western army contained any very promising +material. Nevertheless, Grant, Sheridan, Sherman and Rosecrans +were then in that army and, of these four; Rosecrans was regarded +by many as the only real possibility. + +Indeed, at the moment when Grant was closing in upon Vicksburg, +and Lee and Meade were struggling at Gettysburg, Rosecrans, who had +been entrusted with the important duty of conducting a campaign to +drive the Confederates out of Tennessee, was fully justifying the +high opinions of his admirers. Between June 24, 1863, and September +9th of that year he certainly outmaneuvered his opponents, occupying +the all-important position of Chattanooga, and forcing the able +Confederate General Bragg to fall back with more speed than order. + +During all this time the North had been insisting that the army +should be placed in charge of some commander who could master Lee, +and this demand had found expression in a popular poem bearing +the refrain "Abraham Lincoln! Give us a Man!" To the minds of +many people Rosecrans had clearly demonstrated that he was "the +Man," and it is possible that his subsequent acts were prompted +by over-eagerness to end his already successful campaign with a +startlingly brilliant feat of arms. At all events, he determined +not to rest satisfied with having driven the Confederates from the +field, but to capture or destroy their entire force. + +With this idea he divided his army and rushed it by different routes +over the mountains in hot pursuit of the foe. But the trouble with +this program was that Bragg had not really retreated at all, having +merely moved his army aside waiting for an opportunity to strike. +Indeed, Rosecrans had barely plunged his troops into the various +mountain passes on their fruitless errand before the whole Confederate +force loomed up, threatening to destroy his widely-separated, +pursuing columns, one by one, before they could be united. + +This unexpected turn of affairs utterly unnerved the Union General, +and although he did manage by desperate exertions to collect his +scattered army, he completely lost his head when Bragg attacked +him at Chickamauga, Georgia, on the 19th of September, 1863, and +before the savage battle of that name had ended he retired from +the field, believing that his army had been totally destroyed. + +Such, undoubtedly, would have been its fate had not General Thomas +and his brave troops covered the retreat, by holding the whole +Confederate army in check for hours and even forcing it to yield +portions of the bloody field. From that day forward Thomas was +known as "The Rock of Chickamauga," but the heroic stand of his +gallant men barely sufficed to save the Union army, which reached +the intrenchments of Chattanooga only just in time, with the +Confederates hot upon its trail. + +Had Bragg overtaken his flying opponent, he would doubtless +have made an end of him then and there, but it was not altogether +with regret that he saw him enter Chattanooga, for with the roads +properly blocked he knew the place would prove a perfect trap. +He, accordingly, began a close siege which instantly cut off all +Rosecrans' communication with the outside world, except by one road +which was in such a wretched condition as to be impossible for a +retreating army. Indeed, the heavy autumn rains soon rendered it +impracticable even for provision wagons, and as no supplies could +reach the army by any other route, it was not long before starvation +began to stare the besieged garrison in the face. + +Meanwhile, Rosecrans, almost wild with anxiety and mortification, +sent dispatch after dispatch to Washington describing his condition +and imploring aid, but though he still had an effective army under +his command and plenty of ammunition, he made no attempt whatever +to save himself from his impending doom. Day by day the situation +grew more and more perilous; thousands upon thousands of horses and +mules died for lack of food and the men were so nearly reduced to +starvation that they greedily devoured the dry corn intended for +the animals. + +All this time the authorities in Washington were straining every +nerve to rescue the beleaguered army. Sixteen thousand men under +General Hooker were rushed to its relief, provisions were forwarded +within a day's march of the town, awaiting the opening of new +roads, and finally, when the stream of frantic telegrams from the +front showed that the army had practically no leadership, hurried +orders were forwarded to Grant, authorizing him to remove Rosecrans, +place Thomas temporarily in control and take the field himself at +the earliest possible moment. + +This unexpected summons found Grant in a serious condition, for some +weeks earlier his horse had fallen under him, crushing his leg so +severely that for a time it was feared he might be crippled for +life, and he was still on crutches suffering intense pain when the +exciting orders were placed in his hands. Nevertheless, he promptly +started on his desperate errand, traveling at first by rail and +steamer and then in an ambulance, until its jolting motion became +unbearable when he had himself lifted into the saddle with the grim +determination of riding the remainder of the way. Even for a man +in perfect physical condition the journey would have been distressing, +for the roads, poor at their best, were knee deep in mud and a wild +storm of wind and rain was raging. Time and again his escort had +to lift the General from his horse and carry him across dangerous +washouts and unaffordable streams, but at the earliest possible +moment they were always ordered to swing him into the saddle again. + +Thus, mile after mile and hour after hour, the little cavalcade +crept toward Chattanooga, Grant's face becoming more haggard and +furrowed with pain at every step, but showing a fixed determination +to reach his goal at any cost. On every side signs of the desperate +plight of the besieged garrison were only too apparent. Thousands +of carcasses of starved horses and mules lay beside the road amid +broken-down wagons, abandoned provisions and all the wreckage of +a disorganized and demoralized army. + +But if the suffering officer noted these ominous evidences of +disaster, his face afforded no expression of his thought. Plastered +with mud and drenched to the skin, he rode steadily forward, +speaking no word and scarcely glancing to the right or left, and +when at last the excruciating journey came to an end, he hastened +to interview Thomas and hear his report, without even waiting to +change his clothes or obtain refreshment of any kind. + +It was not a very cheerful story which Thomas confided to his +Chief before the blazing headquarters' fire, but the dripping and +exhausted General listened to it with no indication of discouragement +or dismay. "What efforts have been made to open up other roads for +provisioning the army?" was the first question, and Thomas showed +him a plan which he and Rosecrans had worked out. Grant considered +it in silence for a moment and then nodded his approval. The only +thing wrong with the plan was that it had not been carried out, was +his comment, and after a personal inspection of the lines he gave +the necessary authority for putting it into immediate operation. +Orders accordingly began flying right and left, and within twenty-four +hours the army was busily engaged in gnawing a way out of the trap. + +Additional roads were essential for safety but to gain them the +Confederates had to be attacked and a heavy force was therefore +ordered to seize and hold a point known as Brown's Ferry. This +relieved the situation at once and meanwhile the new commander +had hurried a special messenger to Sherman, ordering him to drop +everything else and march his Vicksburg veterans toward Chattanooga +without an instant's delay. The advance of this strong reënforcement +was promptly reported to Bragg, who saw at a glance that unless +it could be stopped there was every prospect that his Chattanooga +victims would escape. + +He accordingly determined upon a very bold but very dangerous move. +Not far away lay General Burnside and a small Union army, guarding +the important city of Knoxville, Tennessee, and against this the +Confederate commander dispatched a heavy force, in the hope that +Grant would be compelled to send Sherman to the rescue. + +But the effect of this news upon Grant was very different from Bragg's +expectations, for realizing that his adversary must have seriously +weakened himself in sending the expedition against Burnside, he +ordered Hooker, whose 16,000 men were already on hand, to make an +immediate attack with a force drawn from various parts of the army, +and on November 24, 1863, after a fierce engagement known as the +battle of Lookout Mountain, the Union troops drove their opponents +from one of the two important heights commanding Chattanooga. + +In this success Sherman had effectively cooperated by attacking and +holding the northern end of Missionary Ridge and Grant determined +to follow up his advantage by moving the very next morning against +this second and more formidable range of hills. Therefore, ordering +Hooker to attack the Confederate right on Missionary Ridge and get +in their rear at that point while Sherman assaulted their left, he +held Thomas's troops lying in their trenches at the front awaiting +a favorable opportunity to send them crashing through the center. + +The main field of battle was plainly visible to the silent commander +as he looked down upon it from a hill known as Orchard Knob, and he +watched the effect of the attacks on both wings of the Confederate +line with intense interest. Reënforcements were evidently being +hurried to the Confederate right and left and Hooker, delayed by +the destruction of a bridge, did not appear at the critical moment. +Nevertheless, for some time Sherman continued to advance, but as +Grant saw him making slower progress and noted the heavy massing of +troops in his path, he ordered Thomas's waiting columns to attack +the center and carry the breastworks at the foot of Missionary +Ridge. + +With a blare of bugles, 20,000 blue-coated men seemed to leap from +the ground and 20,000 bayonets pointed at Missionary Ridge whose +summits began to blaze forth shot and shell. Death met them at +every stride but the charging troops covered the ground between +them and the rifle pits they had been ordered to take in one wild +rush and tore over them like an angry sea. Then, to the utter +astonishment of all beholders, instead of halting, they continued +charging up the face of Missionary Ridge, straight into the mouths +of the murderous cannon. + +"By whose order is this?" Grant demanded sternly. + +"By their own, I fancy," answered Thomas. + +Incredible as this suggestion seemed, it offered the only possible +explanation of the scene. No officer would have dared to order +troops to such certain destruction as apparently awaited them +on the fire-crowned slopes of Missionary Ridge. Spellbound Grant +followed the men as they crept further and further up the height, +expecting every instant to see them hurled back as Pickett's heroes +were at Gettysburg, when suddenly wave upon wave of blue broke over +the crest, the Union flags fluttered all along the line and before +this extraordinary charge the Confederates broke and fled in +disorder. + +Setting spur to his horse, Grant dashed across the hard-fought +field and up the formidable ridge, issuing orders for securing all +that had been gained. An opening wedge had now been inserted in +Chattanooga's prison doors, and by midnight the silent captain had +thrown his whole weight against them and they fell. Then calmly +turning his attention to Burnside, he ordered him to hold his +position at every hazard until he could come to the rescue and, +setting part of his victorious veterans in motion toward Knoxville, +soon relieved its garrison from all danger. + +With the rescue of two Union armies to his credit Grant was generally +regarded as the most fitting candidate for the chief command of +the army, but by this time it was fully realized that the man who +held that position would have to be invested with far greater powers +than any Union general had thus far possessed. Halleck expressed +himself as only too anxious to resign; Congress passed a law +reviving the grade of lieutenant-general with powers which, up to +that time, had never been entrusted to anyone save Washington, and +responded to the cry, "Abraham Lincoln! Give us a MAN!" the President, +on March 1st, 1864, nominated Ulysses Grant as Commander-in-Chief +of all the armies of the United States. + + + + + +Chapter XXV + + + + +Lieutenant-General Grant + +Until he arrived in Washington Lincoln had never met the man to +whom he had entrusted the supreme command of the army, and the new +General was a very different individual from those who had been +previously appointed to high rank. Some of his predecessors had +possessed undoubted ability, but most of them had soon acquired an +exaggerated idea of their own importance, surrounding themselves +with showy staffs in gorgeous attire, delighting in military pomp +and etiquette of every kind, and generally displaying a great weakness +for popular admiration and applause. Moreover, all of them, with +the exception of Meade, had talked too much for their own good +and that of the army, so that many of their plans had become known +in Richmond almost as soon as they had been formed. Indeed, they +not only talked, but wrote too much, and in discussions with their +superiors and wrangling with their fellow officers more than one +proved far mightier with the pen than with the sword. All this, to +a very large extent, was the fault of the public, for it had made +an idol of each new General, deluging him with praise, flattering +his vanity and fawning on him until he came to regard the war as a +sort of background for his own greatness. Thus, for almost three +years, the war was conducted more like a great game than a grim +business, and not until it began visibly to sap the life blood and +resources of the nation did the people, as a whole, realize the +awful task confronting them. + +Both sides had begun the conflict in much the same careless +fashion, but the South had immediately become the battle ground, +and the horrors of war actually seen and felt by its people quickly +sobered even the most irresponsible. But from the very first Lee +had taken a serious view of the whole situation. Every word he +spoke or wrote concerning it was distinctly tinged with solemnity, +if not sadness, and his sense of responsibility had a marked influence +upon the whole Confederacy. It had taken the North almost three +years to respond in a similar spirit, but by that time it was ready +for a leader who knew what war really meant and for whom it had no +glory, and such a leader had undoubtedly been found in Grant. + +In the evening of March 8, 1864, the new commander arrived in +Washington and made his way, without attracting any attention, to +one of the hotels. There was nothing in his presence or manner +to indicate that he was a person of any importance. Indeed, he +presented a decidedly commonplace appearance, for he walked with +an awkward lurch and bore himself in a slouchy fashion which made +him even shorter than he was. Moreover, his uniform was faded and +travel-stained, his close-cropped beard and hair were unkempt, and +his attire was careless to the point of slovenliness. There was, +however, something in the man's clear-cut features, firm mouth and +chin and resolute blue eyes which suggested strength, and while his +face, as a whole, would not have attracted any particular notice +in a crowd, no one in glancing at it would have been inclined to +take any liberties with its owner. + +But though Grant had arrived unheralded and unrecognized at +the national capital, he had barely given his name to the hotel +clerk before the whole city was surging about him eager to catch +a glimpse of the new hero and cheer him to the echo. But however +much notoriety of this sort had pleased some of his predecessors, +Grant soon showed that he wanted no applauding mob to greet him +in the streets, for he quickly escaped to the seclusion of his +own room. But the same public that had cheered itself hoarse for +McClellan, Pope and Hooker, and then hissed them all in turn, had +found another hero and was not to be cheated of its prey. Indeed, +the newcomer was not even allowed to eat his dinner in peace, for +a crowd of gaping and congratulating enthusiasts descended upon him +the moment he reappeared and soon drove him from the dining room +in sheer disgust. + +Possibly the fate of the fallen idols had warned Grant against +making a public exhibition of himself or encouraging the hysterical +acclamations of the crowd, but he was naturally a man of sound, +common sense, entirely free from conceit, and he had no idea of +allowing the idle or curious mob to amuse itself at his expense. +He, therefore, quickly made it plain that he had serious work to +do and that he intended to do it without nonsense of any kind. + +Ceremonies and forms with such a man would have been impossible, +and on March 9, 1864, President Lincoln handed him his commission +as a Lieutenant-General, with a few earnest words to which he made +a modest reply, and then, with the same calmness he had displayed +in assuming the colonelcy of the 21st Illinois, he turned to the +duties involved in the command of half a million men. + +From that time forward no more councils of war were held at the +White House and no more military secrets were disclosed to the +Confederate chiefs. "I do not know General Grant's plans, and I do +not want to know them!" exclaimed Lincoln with relief. But other +people did want to know them and the newspaper reporters and busybodies +of all sorts incessantly buzzed about him, employing every device +from subtle flattery to masked threats to discover his designs. +But Grant knew "how to keep silent in seven different languages" +and no one could beguile him into opening his lips. Neither had +he time nor inclination to listen to other people talk. His troops +were spread over a thousand miles of territory, and never before +had they been under the absolute control of any one man. With the +Army of the Potomac he had had but little practical experience; +of the country in which its campaigns had been conducted he knew +nothing at first hand; with a few exceptions he had no personal +acquaintance with the officers under his immediate command, and +there were countless other difficulties which had to be overcome. +He, therefore, had no leisure for trifling and quickly sent all +intruders about their business while he attended to his own. + +The problem involved in a grand campaign was in many respects new +to him, but doing his own thinking in silence, instead of puzzling +himself with the contradictory opinions of other men, Grant reached +a more accurate conclusion in regard to the war than any of his +predecessors. In the first place, he saw that the various campaigns +which had been conducted in different parts of the country would +have been far more effective had they all formed part of one plan +enabling the different armies to coöperate with each other. He, +accordingly, determined to conduct the war on a gigantic scale, +keeping the Confederates in the West so busy that they would not +be able to reënforce Lee and giving Lee no chance to help them. In +a word, he intended to substitute team play for individual effort +all along the line. + +Again, he saw the capture of Richmond, upon which the Army of the +Potomac had expended all its efforts, would be futile if Lee's +army remained undefeated in the field, and he resolved that Lee and +not Richmond should thereafter be the main object of the campaign. +"Where Lee's army goes, there you will go also," was the substance +of his first order to Meade who virtually became his Chief of Staff, +and those who were straining every nerve to discover his plan and +expecting something very brilliant or subtle never guessed that +those nine words contained the open secret of his whole campaign. + +Such, however, was the fact. "I never maneuver," he remarked +to his Chief of Staff; and Meade, who had spent the best part of +a year in a great series of maneuvers with Lee, listened to this +confession with astonishment and dismay, scarcely believing that +his superior really meant what he said. But Grant did mean it. +No elaborate moves or delicate strategy had been employed in any +of his campaigns and he had yet to meet with a serious defeat. To +make his first experiment in maneuvering against such an expert +in the science of war as Lee, would have been to foredoom himself +to defeat. With a far smaller force then either McClellan, Pope, +Burnside, Hooker or Meade had possessed, the Confederate leader had +practically fought a drawn battle with them for three years. His +science had not, it is true, been able to overcome their numbers, +but their numbers had not overpowered him. This, as far as anyone +could see, might go on forever. + +But Grant knew that the North had long been tiring of the war and +that unless it were speedily closed the Union might be sacrificed +in order to obtain peace. Moreover, he saw that every day the war +lasted cost an enormous sum of money, and that the loss of life +on the battle field was nothing compared to that in the hospitals +and prisons, where disease and starvation were claiming scores of +victims every hour. + +He, therefore, determined to fight and continue fighting until +he pounded his opponent to pieces, well knowing that almost every +able-bodied man in the South was already in the army and that there +was practically no one left to take the place of those who fell. + +This policy, in the minds of many people, proves that Grant was no +general, but merely a brute and a butcher. But history has never +yet revealed a military leader who, having the advantage of numbers, +did not make the most of it. Had Grant been waging war for war's +sake, or been so enamored with his profession as to care more for +its fine points than for the success of his cause, he might have +evolved some more subtle and less brutal plan. But he had no love +for soldiering and no sentimental ideas whatever about the war. +Common sense, with which he was liberally supplied, told him that +the only excuse for fighting was to uphold principles which were +vital to the national life and the only way to have those principles +upheld was to defeat those who opposed them and to do this he +determined to use all the resources at his command. + +The two men whom Fate or Chance had been drawing together for over +two hundred years were utterly different in appearance and manner, +but in other respects they were singularly alike. Lee was, at +the time of their meeting, already in his 58th year, his hair and +beard were almost white, but his calm, handsome face, clear eyes +and ruddy complexion, made him appear younger than he was. His +bearing also was that of a young man, for his erect, soldierly +carriage showed his height to full advantage; his well-knit figure +was almost slight for a man standing over six feet, and, mounted +on his favorite horse "Traveller," he was the ideal soldier. Grant +was barely forty-two years of age, short of stature, careless in +dress and generally indifferent to appearances. His face, though +strong, was somewhat coarse, his manners were not polished and he +had nothing of the cultivation or charm which Lee so unmistakably +possessed. + +But though Grant thus reflected his Roundhead ancestors and Lee his +Cavalier descent, the contrast between them was mainly external. +Both were modest and courageous; both were self-contained; each had +his tongue and temper under complete control; each was essentially +an American in his ideas and ideals; each fought for a principle +in which he sincerely believed, and neither took the least delight +in war. Had they met in times of peace, it is not probable that +they would have become intimate friends, but it is certain that +each would have respected, if not admired the other for his fine +qualities, and this was undoubtedly their attitude toward each +other from the beginning of the struggle. + + + + + +Chapter XXVI + + + + +A Duel to the Death + +For nearly two months after Grant assumed command no important move +was attempted by either the Union or the Confederate forces except +in Mississippi. Both sides realized that a desperate struggle was +impending and each needed all the time it could gain to prepare +for the coming fray. Heavy reënforcements were hurried to Grant, +until the Army of the Potomac under his immediate command included +over 120,000 men; a hundred thousand more were assembled at Chattanooga +in charge of Sherman; and two other forces of considerable size +were formed to coöperate with Grant--one being entrusted to General +Benjamin Butler and the other to General Franz Sigel. + +To oppose this vast army Lee had less than 65,000 men in the Army +of Northern Virginia and the only other formidable Confederate +force in the field was that commanded by General Joseph Johnston, +who, with some 53,000 men, was stationed in Georgia guarding the +cotton states and the far South. If these two armies could be +captured or destroyed, all organized resistance to the Union would be +at an end, and Grant, accordingly, determined to throw his entire +weight upon them, sending Sherman against Johnston, Butler against +the City of Richmond and Sigel against the rich Shenandoah Valley +which supplied the Confederate armies with food, while he himself +attacked Lee with an overwhelming force. + +Never before had a Union general undertaken a campaign covering +such a vast extent of country and never before had such a united +effort been made to exhaust the armies and the resources of the +South. With his own forces threatened by superior numbers Lee +would not be able to reënforce Johnston with safety and, confronted +by Sherman, Johnston would find it impossible to send assistance +to Lee. This promised to bring the war to a speedy close, and the +supporters of the Union redoubled their praises of the Lieutenant-General +as they began to understand his plan. Indeed, the more he avoided +publicity and applause and the more indifference he showed for +popular opinion, the more the newspapers and the general public +fawned upon him, and when, on May 3, 1864, he ordered his armies +to advance, the whole North was fairly aflame with enthusiasm. + +It was certainly a momentous occasion. Three years earlier Grant +had been utterly unknown to the country at large and the small +group who acknowledged his acquaintance had regarded him as a rather +pitiful failure, while the Government to whom he had offered his +services had ignored him altogether. Now, at his nod, hundreds +of thousands of men instantly sprang to arms and the most powerful +armies that America had ever seen moved forward in obedience to his +will, Sherman marching southward, Butler creeping toward Richmond, +Sigel advancing into the fertile Shenandoah Valley, and the Army of +the Potomac crossing the Rapidan River to renew its struggle with +Lee. + +Lee had watched the elaborate preparations of his new antagonist +with keen interest and no little apprehension, for Grant's record +as a fighting man promised a duel to the death and the South had +no more men. + +The situation was certainly serious but, anxious as he was, the +Confederate commander did not by any means despair. He was familiar +with every inch of the country through which Grant would have to +advance and the chances were that this would, sooner or later, give +him not only the advantage of position, but possibly the choice of +weapons. With this idea he allowed the Union forces to cross the +Rapidan unopposed, hoping that he would soon be able to drive them +back and that the river would then be as valuable as cavalry in +hampering their retreat. Just beyond the Rapidan lay the dense +thickets and waste lands of scrub oak and undergrowth known as the +Wilderness, which had witnessed the Chancellorsville surprise and +virtually sealed the fate of Hooker's army. If the Union forces +advanced directly through this jungle, there was more than a +possibility that they might outflank their opponents and gain the +road to Richmond, but Lee scarcely dared hope that his adversary +would attempt so dangerous a route. Nevertheless, he maneuvered +to leave the trap undisturbed, and when he saw the Union columns +entering the forests he felt that they were actually being delivered +into his hands. Once in those tangled thickets he knew that Grant's +artillery and cavalry would be practically useless and without +them his superiority in numbers disappeared. Of course, it would +be impossible to conduct a scientific battle in such a region, for +it would virtually be fighting in the dark, but knowing that his +men were thoroughly familiar with the ground, Lee determined to +hurl them upon the advancing bluecoats, trusting to the gloom and +the terrors of the unknown to create confusion and panic in their +ranks. + +But the men whom Grant commanded were no longer the inexperienced +volunteers who had been stampeded at Bull Run. They were veterans +of many campaigns and, though they staggered for a moment under +the shock of battle, they speedily rallied and fought with stubborn +courage. The conflict that followed was one of the most brutal +recorded in the annals of modern war. Whole regiments sprang at +each other's throats, the men fighting each other like animals; +trees were cut down by the bullets which tore through them from +every direction; bursting shells set fire to the woods, suffocating +the wounded or burning them to death; wild charges were made, ending +in wilder stampedes or bloody repulses; the crackle of flames rose +high above the pandemonium of battle and dense smoke-clouds drifted +chokingly above this hideous carnival of death. Thus for two days +the armies staggered backward and forward with no result save a +horrible loss of life. Once the Union forces almost succeeded in +gaining a position which would have disposed of their adversaries, +but Lee saw the danger just in the nick of time and, rushing a Texas +brigade to the rescue, led the charge in person until his troops +recognized him and forced him to retire. + +It was May 7, 1864, when this blind slaughter known as the Battle +of the Wilderness ceased, but by that time nearly 18,000 Union +soldiers and 12,000 Confederates lay upon the field. Lee could not +claim a victory but he still held his ground and he felt confident +that Grant would fall back behind the Rapidan River to recuperate +his shattered forces. No Union commander, thus far, had tarried +long on Virginian soil after such a baptism of blood, and when the +news that Grant's columns were retreating reached the Confederate +commander he breathed a sigh of thanksgiving and relief. + +To the veterans who had served under McClellan, Pope, Burnside and +Hooker, retreats were a wretchedly familiar experience, but they had +not been long on the road before they realized that they were not +retreating but were marching southward. As the truth of this dawned +upon the disheartened columns they burst into frantic cheers for +Grant and pressed forward with springy steps, shouting and singing +for joy. + +A less able commander would have been fatally misled by Grant's +apparent retreat, but Lee knew that he might again attempt to +swing around his right flank and edge toward Richmond by way of +Spotsylvania, and to guard against this a body of troops had been +ordered to block that road. Therefore, by the time Grant began his +great turning movement, Lee was planted squarely across his path +and another series of battles followed. Here the Union commander +was able to make some use of his cavalry and artillery, but the +Confederates offset this by fighting behind intrenchments and they +repulsed charge after charge with fearful slaughter. Again, as at +the Battle of the Wilderness, the gray line was pierced, this time +at a point known as the "Bloody Angle" or "Hell's Half Acre," and +twice Lee sprang forward to lead a desperate charge to recover the +lost ground. But each time the troops refused to advance until +their beloved leader retired to a point of safety, and when he +yielded they whirled forward, sweeping everything before them. + +These charges saved the battle of Spotsylvania for the Confederates. +But though Lee had again blocked his opponent, the fact that he +had thrice had to rally his troops at the peril of his life showed +that he had been harder pressed than in any of his other Virginia +campaigns. Nevertheless, when the last furious attack had been +repulsed and Grant began moving sullenly away, it seemed as though +he had at last been compelled to abandon the campaign. But the +wearied Confederates had yet to learn that their terrible opponent +was a man who did not know when he was beaten, for in spite of his +awful losses he had written his government May 11, 1864, "I propose +to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer," and his army, +instead of retreating, continued to move southward, crossing the +North Anna River and circling once more toward the left flank. + +Again Grant was on the road to Richmond, but in crossing the North +Anna River he left an opening between the two wings of his army and +before he could close it Lee threw his whole force into the breach +and, completely cutting off one part of the Union army from the +other, held both firmly in check. This masterly move might have +brought Grant's campaign to a disastrous end, but just as he was +planning to take full advantage of it, Lee fell ill and during +his absence from the field Grant made his first backward move, +recrossing the North Anna River and, bringing the two wings of his +army together, rescued it from its perilous position. + +The moment he reached a point of safety, however, the persistent +commander recommenced his march by the left flank, sidling once +more toward Richmond until he reached Cold Harbor, only eight miles +from the Confederate capital. Here Lee once more interposed his +battered forces, strongly intrenching them in a position that fairly +defied attack. With any other adversary against him he would have +concluded that the game was won, for by all the rules of war the +Union army was completely balked and could not avoid a retreat. But +Grant was a man of a different caliber from any he had encountered +heretofore. In spite of checks and disasters and unheard-of slaughter +he had pushed inexorably forward; foiled in front he had merely +turned aside to hew another bloody path. To him defeat only seemed to +mean delay, and apparently he could not be shaken from his dogged +purpose, no matter what the cost. At Cold Harbor, however, the +Confederate position was so strong that to assault it was madness, +and Lee could not believe that even his grim opponent would resort +to such a suicidal attempt. But retreat or attack offered no choice +to Grant's mind, and on June 2, 1864, the troops were fiercely +hurled against the Confederate works, only to be repulsed with +fearful slaughter. A few hours later orders were issued to renew +the assault, and then postponed for a day. + +That delay gave the soldiers an opportunity to understand the +desperate nature of the work that lay before them and, realizing +that charging against murderous batteries and trenches meant rushing +into the jaws of death, they offered a silent protest. Not a man +refused to obey orders, not one fell from his place in the line, +but to their coats they sewed strips of cloth bearing their names +and addresses so that their bodies might be identified upon the +field. + +This dramatic spectacle might well have warned their commander of +the hopelessness of his attempt, but fixed in his resolve to thrust +his opponent from his path, he gave the fatal order to charge, +and twenty minutes later 3,000 of his best troops fell before the +smoking trenches and the balance reeled back aghast at the useless +sacrifice. This horrifying slaughter, which Grant himself confessed +was a grievous blunder, brought the first stage of his campaign +to a close. In but little over a month he had lost nearly 55,000 +men--almost as many as Lee had had in his entire army, and almost +in sight of the spires of Richmond his adversary held him securely +at arm's length. + +A wave of horror, indignation and disappointment, swept over the +North. Another campaign had proved a failure. There were, however, +two men who did not agree with this conclusion. One was Grant, +pouring over the maps showing the movements of all his armies. +The other was Lee, looking in vain for reënforcements to fill the +gaps in his fast thinning lines. + + + + + +Chapter XXVII + + + + +Check and Countercheck + +The six-weeks' campaign in Virginia had been quite sufficient to +check all enthusiasm for Grant, but the fact that he was no longer +a popular hero did not trouble him at all. Indeed, he displayed +the same indifference to the storm of angry criticism that he +had shown for the salvos of applause. He had made no claims or +boasts before he took the field and he returned no answers to the +accusations and complaints after his apparent failures. Had he posed +before the public as a hero or been tempted to prophesy a speedy +triumph for his army, the humiliation and disappointment might have +driven him to resign from the command. But he had recognized the +difficulty of his task from the outset, modestly accepting it with +no promise save that he would do his best, and he silently resolved +to pursue the campaign he had originally mapped out in spite of +all reverses. + +Certainly, he required all his calmness and steadfastness +to overcome his discouragement and disgust at the manner in which +the coöperating armies had been handled. In the Shenandoah Valley +Sigel had proved utterly incompetent and the Confederates, instead +of having been driven from that important storehouse, had tightened +their hold upon it. Moreover, Butler, who was supposed to threaten +Richmond while Grant fought Lee, had made a sorry mess of that part +of the program. In fact he had maneuvered in such a ridiculous +fashion that he and about 35,000 troops were soon cooped up by +a far smaller force of Confederates who held them as a cork holds +the contents of a bottle; and last, but not least, the Army of +Potomac lay badly mutilated before the impassable intrenchments of +Lee. + +In one particular, however, Grant's expectations bade fair to be +realized, for Sherman was steadily pushing his way through Georgia, +driving Johnston before him, and inflicting terrible damage upon the +country through which he passed. As Grant watched this triumphant +advance he silently resolved upon another move. The north or front +door of Richmond was closed and firmly barred. There was nothing +to be gained by further battering at that portal. But the southern +or rear door had not yet been thoroughly tried and upon that he +concluded to make a determined assault. To do this it would be +necessary to renew his movement around his opponent's right flank +by crossing the formidable James River--a difficult feat at any +time, but double difficult at that moment, owing to the fact that +Butler's "bottled" force might be crushed by a Confederate attack +while the hazardous passage of the river was being effected. +Nevertheless, he decided to risk this bold stroke, and during the +night of June 12, 1864, about ten days after the repulse at Cold +Harbor, the great movement was begun. + +Meanwhile Lee, confident that he had completely checked his opponent, +but disappointed that he had not forced him to retreat, determined +to drive him away by carrying the war into the North and threatening +the Federal capital. That he should have been able to attempt this +in the midst of a campaign deliberately planned to destroy him, +affords some of the indication of the brilliant generalship he had +displayed. But it does not fully reflect his masterful daring. +At the outset of the campaign the Union forces had outnumbered him +two to one and its losses had been offset by reënforcements, while +every man that had fallen in the Confederate ranks had left an +empty space. It is highly probable, therefore, that at the moment +he resolved to turn the tables on his adversary and transform the +campaign against Richmond into a campaign against Washington, he had +not much more than one man to his opponent's three. Nevertheless, +in the face of these overwhelming numbers, he maintained a bold +front towards Grant and detached General Jubal Early with 20,000 +men to the Shenandoah Valley, with orders to clear that region of +Union troops, cross the Potomac River and then march straight on +Washington. + +It was at this moment that Grant began creeping cautiously away +toward the rear door of Richmond. To keep a vigilant enemy in entire +ignorance of such a tremendous move was, of course, impossible, +but the system and discipline which he had instilled into his army +almost accomplished the feat. Indeed, so rapidly and silently did +the troops move, so perfect were the arrangements for transporting +their baggage and supplies, so completely were the details of the +whole undertaking ordered and systematized, that over a hundred +thousand men, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, with their horses, +hospital and wagon trains, and all the paraphernalia of a vast army +virtually faded away, and when Lee gazed from his intrenchments +on June 13, 1864, there was no sign of his opponent and he did not +discover where he had gone for fully four days. + +In the meantime, Grant had thrown his entire army across the James +River and was advancing, horse and foot, on Petersburg, the key to +the approach to Richmond from the south, and Butler, whose troops +had been extricated from their difficulties, was ordered to seize +it. Petersburg was at that moment wholly unprepared to resist a +strong attack. Indeed, there were only a handful of men guarding +the fortification, the capture of which would case the fall +of Richmond, but Butler was not the man to take advantage of this +great opportunity. On the contrary, he delayed his advance and +otherwise displayed such wretched judgment that the Confederates had +time to rush reënforcements to the rescue, and when Grant arrived +on the scene the intrenchments were strongly occupied. Notwithstanding +this the Union commander ordered a vigorous assault, and for three +days the troops were hurled against the breastworks without result. +The last attack was made on June 18, 1864, but by this time 10,000 +Union soldiers had been sacrificed and Lee had arrived in person +with strong support. Grant accordingly, abandoning his efforts to +carry the place by storm, began to close in upon it for a grimly +sullen siege. + +Meanwhile, General Early, to whom Lee had entrusted his counter-move, +was sweeping away the Federal forces in the Shenandoah Valley with +resistless fury, and suddenly, to the intense surprise and mortification +of the whole North, advanced upon Washington, threatening it with +capture. Washington was almost as completely unprepared for resistance +as Petersburg had been, its defenses being manned by only a small +force mainly composed of raw recruits and invalid soldiers, while +outside the city there was but one body of troops near enough to +oppose the Confederate advance. That little army, however, was +commanded by General Lew Wallace, later the famous author of "Ben +Hur," and he had the intelligence to see that he might at least +delay Early by offering battle and that gaining time might prove +as valuable as gaining a victory. Accordingly, he threw himself +across the Confederate's path and, though roughly handled and at +last driven from the field, he hung on long enough to accomplish +his purpose and although his adversary attempted to make up for +lost time by rapid marching he did not succeed. This undoubtedly +saved Washington from capture, for shortly after Early appeared +on the 7th Street Road leading to the capital, the reënforcements +which Grant had rushed forward reached the city, and before any +attack on the intrenchments was attempted they were fully defended +and practically unassailable. Seeing this, Early retreated with +the Union troops following in half-hearted pursuit. + +It was the 12th of July, 1864, when, with a sigh of intense relief, +Washington saw the backs of the retreating Confederates, but its +satisfaction at its escape was mingled with indignation against +Grant for having left it open to attack. Indeed, he was regarded +by many people as the greatest failure of all the Union commanders, +for he had lost more men in sixty days than McClellan had lost in +all his campaigns without getting any nearer to Richmond, and by +the end of July another lamentable failure was recorded against +him. + +In the intrenchments facing Petersburg lay the 48th Pennsylvania +Volunteers, largely composed of miners from the coal regions of +that state. Late in June Colonel Pleasants of this regiment had +submitted a plan whereby his men were to dig a tunnel to a point +directly under one of the Confederate forts, plant a gunpowder +mine there and blow a breach in the defenses through which troops +could be poured and the town carried by assault. The scheme was +plausible, provided the tunnel could be bored and Grant gave his +consent, with the result that within a month an underground passage +over 500 feet long was completed, a mine was planted with four +tons of powder and elaborate preparations made for storming the +Confederate works. Grant's orders were that all obstructions in +front of the Union lines should be removed to enable the troops +to charge the moment the explosion occurred, and that they should +be rushed forward without delay until they were all within the +Confederate lines. Accordingly, in the dead of night on July 29th, +the assaulting columns were moved into position and when everything +was in apparent readiness the signal was given to explode the +mine. But though the match was applied no explosion occurred, and +in the awful hush that followed Lieut. Jacob Douty and Sergeant +Henry Rees volunteered to crawl into the tunnel and see what was +wrong. To enter the passage at that moment was almost defying death, +but the two men took their lives in their hands and, creeping in, +discovered that the fuse had smoldered and gone out. They then +relit it and made their escape just as a fearful explosion rent +the air and great masses of earth, stones and timbers, intermingled +with human bodies, leaped toward the sky. + +For a moment the waiting troops watched this terrifying spectacle +and then, as the cloud of wreckage apparently swerved toward them +threatening to descend and bury them beneath it, they fell back +in great confusion and some time elapsed before order was restored +and the charge begun. But Grant's orders to clear their path had +not been obeyed, and the charging troops had to climb over their own +breastworks, causing more delay and confusion. Finally, however, +the leading brigades reached the great excavation torn by the +mine, and there they halted awaiting further orders. But no orders +came, for their terror-stricken commander had sought safety in a +bomb-proof and when his hiding place was discovered the miserable +cur merely mumbled something about "moving forward" and remained +cowering in his refuge. Meanwhile, other regiments rushed forward, +tumbling in upon one another, until the chasm was choked with men +upon whom the Confederates began to pour shot, shell and canister. +From that moment everything was lost and at last orders came from +Grant to rescue the struggling mass of men from the awful death +trap into which they had been plunged, but despite all exertions +fully 4,000 were killed, wounded or captured. + +Again his subordinates had blundered terribly but Grant accepted +the responsibility and assumed the blame, waiting patiently for +the hour, then near at hand, when he would find commanders he could +trust to carry out his plans. + + + + + +Chapter XXVIII + + + + +The Beginning of the End + +The right man to conduct the Shenandoah campaign was already in +the Army of the Potomac, but it was not until about a week after +the failure of the Petersburg mine that circumstances enabled Grant +to place General Philip Sheridan in charge of that important task. + +Sheridan, like Sherman, had served with Grant in the West and had +developed into a brilliant cavalry leader. Indeed, he was the +only man in the Northern armies whose record could be compared with +that of Jeb Stuart and many other great cavalry commanders in the +South. But Grant felt that Sheridan could handle an entire army +as well as he had handled the cavalry alone and he soon showed +himself fully worthy of this confidence, for from the moment he +took over the command of the Union forces in the Shenandoah Valley, +the Confederates were compelled to fight for it as they had never +fought before. + +Up to this time, the war had been conducted with comparatively little +destruction of private property on either side. But the moment had +now arrived for harsher measures, for Sherman had occupied Atlanta +on September 2, 1864, and was preparing to march to the sea coast +and cut the Confederacy in two. If Grant's plan of depriving Lee +of the fertile valley to the north was to be put in operation, there +was no time to lose. Sheridan, accordingly, at once proceeded to +attack the Confederates with the utmost vigor, defeating them in +two engagements at Winchester and Fisher's Hill, and following up +this success by laying waste the fields and ruthlessly destroying +all the stores of grain and provisions which might prove useful +to Lee's army. For a month or more he continued to sweep through +the country practically unchecked. But on October 19.1864, during +his absence, his army was surprised and furiously attacked by +General Early's men at Cedar Creek, and before long they had the +Union troops in a perilous position which threatened to end in +their destruction and the recapture of the entire valley. + +Sheridan was at Winchester on his way to the front from Washington +when the news of this impending disaster reached him and, mounting +his horse, he dashed straight across country for the scene of action. +He was then, however, fully twenty miles from the field and there +seemed but little chance of his reaching it any time to be of any +service. Nevertheless, he spurred forward at a breakneck pace and +his splendid horse, responding gamely, fairly flew over the ground, +racing along mile after mile at killing speed in a lather of foam +and sweat, until the battle field was reached just as the Union +troops came reeling back, panic-stricken, under cover of a thin +line of troops who had at last succeeded in making a stand. + +Instantly, the General was among the fugitives ordering them +to turn and follow him and inspired by his presence, they wheeled +as he dashed down their broken lines and, madly cheering, hurled +themselves upon their pursuers. Completely surprised by this +unexpected recovery, the Confederates faltered and the Union troops, +gathering force as they charged, rolled them back with irresistible +fury and finally swept them completely from the field. Indeed, +Early's force was so badly shattered and scattered by this overwhelming +defeat that it virtually abandoned the Valley and Sheridan continued +his work of destruction almost unopposed, until the whole region +was so barren that, as he reported, a crow flying across it would +have to carry his own provisions or starve to death. + +Meanwhile, Sherman had begun to march from Atlanta to Savannah, +Georgia, where he intended to get in touch with the navy guarding +the coast and then sweep northward to Grant. Behind him lay the +Confederate army, formerly commanded by General Joseph Johnston +but now led by General Hood, a daring officer who was expected to +retrieve Johnston's failure by some brilliant feat of arms. Whether +he would attempt this by following Sherman and attacking him at the +first favorable moment or take advantage of his departure to turn +north and play havoc with Tennessee and the region thus exposed to +attack, was uncertain. To meet either of these moves Sherman sent +a substantial part of his army to General Thomas at Nashville, +Tennessee, and swung off with the rest of his troops toward the sea. +Hood instantly advanced against Thomas, and Grant at Petersburg, +closely watching the movement saw a great opportunity to dispose +of one of the Confederate armies. He, accordingly, ordered Thomas +to attack with his whole strength as soon as Hood reached Nashville, +but although the Confederates reached that point considerably +weakened by a partial defeat inflicted on them by a retreating +Union column, Thomas delayed his assault. Days of anxious waiting +followed and then Grant hurried General Logan, one of his most +trusted officers, to the scene of action with orders to take over +the command, unless Thomas immediately obeyed his instructions. +In the meantime, however, Thomas, slow but sure, had completed his +preparations and, hurling himself upon Hood with a vastly superior +force, pursued his retreating columns (Dec. 16, 1864) until they +were split into fragments, never again to be reunited as a fighting +force. + +It was not until this practical annihilation of Hood that the North +began to realize how far reaching and complete Grant's plans were. +But that event and the Shenandoah campaign made it clear that he +had determined that no army worthy of the name should be left to +the Confederacy when he finally closed in upon Lee, so that with his +destruction or surrender there should be no excuse for prolonging +the war. It was in furtherance of this plan that Sherman left ruin +and desolation behind him as he blazed his way up from the South. +The inhabitants of the region through which he was marching had, up +to this time, been living in perfect security and Sherman intended +to make war so hideous that they would have no desire to prolong +the contest. He, accordingly, tore up the railroads, heating the +rails and then twisting them about trees so that they could never +be used again, burned public buildings and private dwellings, +allowed his army to live on whatever food they could find in the +houses, stores or barns, and generally made it a terror to all who +lay in the broad path he was sweeping towards Petersburg. + +Grant then had Lee fairly caught. His only possible chances of +prolonging the contest lay in taking refuge in the mountains or +joining his forces with the remnants of Hood's army which had been +gathered together and again entrusted with other troops to the +command of General Joseph Johnston. Had it been possible to do this, +nothing practical would have been achieved, for he had less than +30,000 effective men and Johnston's whole force did not amount to +much more than 30,000, while Grant, Sherman and Sheridan together had +a quarter of a million men under arms. From a military standpoint +Lee knew that the situation was hopeless, but until the authorities +who had placed him in the field gave up the cause he felt in duty +bound to continue the fight to the bitter end. Had the Union army +been his only opponent, it is possible that he might have succeeded +in escaping the rings of steel which Grant was daily riveting around +him. But he had to fight hunger, and from the day that Sheridan +mastered the Shenandoah Valley and Sherman cut off all supplies +from the South starvation stared him in the face. + +Meanwhile, his troops, though almost reduced to skeletons and +clothed in rags, confidently believed that in spite of everything +he would find some way of leading them out of Grant's clutches and, +inspired by this implicit faith, they hurled themselves again and +again upon the masses of troops which were steadily closing around +them. But though they frequently checked the advancing columns and +sometimes even threw them back, inflicting heavy losses and taking +many prisoners, the blue lines soon crept forward again, closing +up gap after gap with a resistless tide of men. At last the road +to the west leading toward the mountains beyond Lynchburg alone +remained open. But to avail himself of this Lee knew that he would +have to abandon Petersburg and Richmond and he hesitated to take +this step; while Grant, seeing the opening and fearing that his +opponent would take advantage of it, strained every nerve to get +his troops into a position where they could block the road. + +Such was the condition of affairs at the end of March, 1865, but +neither the starving soldiers in the Confederate trenches nor the +people of Richmond or Petersburg imagined that the end was desperately +near. While "Marse Robert," as Lee's men affectionately called +him, was in command they felt that no real danger could come nigh +them, and their idol was outwardly as calm as in the hour of his +greatest triumph. + + + + + +Chapter XXIX + + + + +At Bay + + +It would be impossible to imagine a more hopeless situation than +that which had confronted Lee for many months. To guard the line +of intrenchments stretching around Petersburg and Richmond for +more than thirty-five miles, he had less than 30,000 effective men, +and starvation and disease were daily thinning their impoverished +ranks; the soldiers were resorting to the corn intended for +the horses, and the cavalry were obliged to disperse through the +country seeking fodder for their animals in the wasted fields; the +defenders of the trenches, barefooted and in rags, lay exposed to +the cold and wet, day and night; there were no medicines for the +sick and no great supply of ammunition for the guns. + +Perhaps no one but Lee fully realized to what desperate straits +his army had been reduced. Certainly his opponents were ignorant +of the real condition of affairs or they would have smashed his +feeble defenses at a blow, and the fact that he held over a hundred +thousand troops at bay for months with a skeleton army shows how +skillfully he placed his men. + +But though his brilliant career threatened to end in defeat and +disaster, no thought of himself ever crossed Lee's mind. Regardless +of his own comfort and convenience, he devoted himself day and +night to relieving the suffering of his men, who jestingly called +themselves "Lee's Miserables," but grimly stuck to their posts +with unshaken faith in their beloved chief who, in the midst of +confusion and helplessness, remained calm and resourceful, never +displaying irritation, never blaming anyone for mistakes, but +courageously attempting to make the best of everything and finding +time, in spite of all distractions, for the courtesy and the +thoughtfulness of a gentleman unafraid. + +His letters to his wife and children during these perilous days +reveal no anxiety save for the comfort of his men, and no haste +except to provide for their wants. At home his wife--confined to +an invalid's chair--was busily knitting socks for the soldiers, +and to her he wrote in the face of impending disaster: + + +..."After sending my note this morning I received from the express +office a bag of socks. You will have to send down your offerings +as soon as you can, and bring your work to a close, for I think +General Grant will move against us soon--within a week if nothing +prevents--and no man can tell what will be the result; but trusting +to a merciful God, who does not always give the battle to the strong, +I pray we may not be overwhelmed. I shall, however, endeavor to do +my duty and fight to the last. Should it be necessary to abandon +our position to prevent being surrounded, what will you do? You +must consider the question and make up your mind. It is a fearful +condition and we must rely for guidance and protection upon a kind +Providence...." + + +Shortly after this letter was written Lee made a desperate effort +to force his adversary to loosen his grip but though the exhausted +and starved troops attacked with splendid courage, they could not +pierce the solid walls of infantry and fell back with heavy losses. +Then Sheridan, who had been steadily closing in from the Shenandoah, +swung 10,000 sabres into position and the fate of Petersburg was +practically sealed. But, face to face with this calamity, Lee +calmly wrote his wife: + + +"I have received your note with a bag of socks. I return the bag +and receipt. I have put in the bag General Scott's autobiography +which I thought you might like to read. The General, of course, +stands out prominently and does not hide his light under a bushel, +but he appears the bold, sagacious, truthful man that he is. I +enclose a note from little Agnes. I shall be very glad to see her +to-morrow but cannot recommend pleasure trips now...." + + +At every point Grant was tightening his hold upon the imprisoned +garrison and difficulties were crowding fast upon their commander, +but he exhibited neither excitement nor alarm. Bending all his +energies upon preparations for a retreat, he carefully considered +the best plan for moving his troops and supplying their needs on the +march, quietly giving his orders to meet emergencies, but allowing +no one to see even a shadow of despair on his face. Concerning the +gravity of the situation he neither deceived himself nor attempted +to deceive others who were entitled to know it, and with absolute +accuracy he prophesied the movements of his adversary long before +they were made. + +..."You may expect Sheridan to move up the Valley," he wrote the +Confederate Secretary of War.... "Grant, I think, is now preparing +to draw out by his left with the intent of enveloping me. He may +wait till his other columns approach nearer, or he may be preparing +to anticipate my withdrawal. I cannot tell yet.... Everything of +value should be removed from Richmond. It is of the first importance +to save all the powder. The cavalry and artillery of the army are +still scattered for want of provender and our supply and ammunition +trains, which ought to be with the army in case of a sudden movement, +are absent collecting provisions and forage. You will see to what +straits we are reduced; but I trust to work out." + +At last, on March 29th, 1865, Grant pushed forward 50,000 cavalry +and infantry to execute the very move which Lee had outlined and for +which he was as thoroughly prepared as it was possible to be with +the men he had on hand. But to check this advance which threatened +to surround his army and cut off his retreat, he had to withdraw +the troops guarding the defenses of Petersburg, abandoning some of +the intrenchments altogether and leaving nothing much more formidable +than a skirmish line anywhere along his front. Even then he could +not stop the onrush of the Union troops, which, under Sheridan, +circled his right on April 1st and drove back his men in the fierce +engagement known as the battle of Five Forks. With the news of this +success Grant promptly ordered an assault against the intrenchments +and his troops tore through the almost defenseless lines in several +places, encountering little or no resistance. + +Petersburg was not yet taken, but Lee immediately saw that to protect +it further would be to sacrifice his entire army. He, therefore, +sent a dispatch to Richmond, advising the immediate evacuation of +the city. "I see no prospect of doing more than hold our position +here till night. I am not certain that I can do that," he wrote. +But he did hold on till the Confederate authorities had made their +escape, and then on the night of April 2nd he abandoned the capital +which he had successfully defended for four years and started on +a hazardous retreat. + +The one chance of saving his army lay in reaching the mountains +to the west, before Grant could bar the road, but his men were in +no condition for swift marching and the provision train which he +had ordered to meet him at Amelia Court House failed to put in an +appearance, necessitating a halt. Every moment was precious and +the delay was exasperating, but he did his best to provide some +sort of food for his famished men and again sent them on their way. + +By this time, however, the Union troops were hot upon their trail +and soon their rear-guard was fighting desperately to hold the +pursuit in check. Now and again they shook themselves free, but +the moment they paused for food or rest they were overtaken and +the running fight went on. Then, little by little, the pursuing +columns began to creep past the crumbling rear-guard; cavalry pounced +on the foragers searching the countryside for food and captured +the lumbering provision-wagons and the railroad supply trains which +had been ordered to meet the fleeting army, while hundreds upon +hundreds of starving men dropped from the ranks as they neared the +bypaths leading to their homes. + +Still some thousands held together, many begging piteously for food +at every house they passed and growing weaker with each step, but +turning again and again with a burst of their old spirit to beat +back the advance-guard of the forces that were slowly enfolding +them. + +"There was as much gallantry displayed by some of the Confederates +in these little engagements as was displayed at any time during +the war, notwithstanding the sad defeats of the past week," wrote +Grant many years later, and it was this splendid courage in the +face of hardship and disaster that enabled the remnants of the +once invincible army to keep up their exhausting flight. As they +neared Appomattox Court House, however, the blue battalions were +closing in on them from every side like a pack of hounds in full +cry of a long-hunted quarry and escape was practically cut off. + +For five days Grant had been in the saddle personally conducting +the pursuit with restless energy, and he knew that he was now in +a position to strike a crushing blow, but instead of ordering a +merciless attack, he sent the following letter to Lee: + + +"Headquarters Armies of the U.S. +"5 P.M. Apr. 7, 1865. + +"General R. E. Lee,--Commanding Confederate States Armies. + +"The results of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness +of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern 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 Northern Virginia. + +"U. S. Grant, +"Lieut. General." + + +Meanwhile the retreating columns staggered along, their pace growing +slower and slower with every mile, and at last a courier arrived +bearing Lee's reply. + + +"General: + +"I have received your note of this day. Though not entertaining +the opinion you express on the hopelessness of further resistance +on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia I reciprocate your +desire to avoid useless effusion of blood and therefore, before +considering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on +condition of its surrender. + +"R. E. Lee, +"General." + + +Grant promptly responded that peace being his great desire, there +was only one condition he would insist upon and that was that the +surrendered men and officers should not again take up arms against +the United States until properly exchanged. + +But Lee was not yet ready to yield and continuing to move forward +with his faithful veterans, he sent a dignified reply, declining +to surrender but suggesting a meeting between himself and Grant, +with the idea of seeing if some agreement could not be reached for +making peace between the two sections of the country. + +This was not the answer that Grant had hoped for, but he had too +much admiration for his gallant adversary to ride rough shod over +him when he held him completely in his power, and while he gave +the necessary orders to prepare for closing in, he sent another +courteous note to Lee dated 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. today +could lead to no good. I will state, however, General, that I am +equally anxious for peace with yourself and the whole North entertains +the same feeling. The terms upon which peace can be had are well +understood.... Seriously hoping that all our difficulties may be +settled without the loss of another life, I subscribe myself, etc., + +"U. S. Grant, +"Lt. General." + + +The courier bearing this message dashed off and disappeared and +the chase continued, masses of blue infantry pressing forward under +cover of darkness and overlapping the weary columns of gray that +stumbled on with lagging steps. Meanwhile, the morning of April +9th dawned and Lee determined to make one more desperate effort +at escape. Behind him an overwhelming force was crowding and +threatening to crush his rear-guard; on either flank the blue-coated +lines were edging closer and closer; but in front there appeared to +be only a thin screen of cavalry which might be pierced; and beyond +lay the mountains and safety. At this cavalry then he hurled his +horsemen with orders to cut their way through and force an opening +for the rest of the army, who vigorously supported the attack. It +was, indeed, a forlorn hope that was thus entrusted to the faithful +squadrons, but they responded with matchless dash and spirit, +tearing a wide gap through the opposing cavalry and capturing guns +and prisoners. Then they suddenly halted and surveyed the field +with dumb despair. Behind the parted screen of horsemen lay a +solid wall of blue infantry arrayed in line of battle and hopelessly +blocking the road. One glance was enough to show them what Grant's +night march had accomplished, and the baffled riders wheeled and +reported the situation to their chief. + +Lee listened calmly to the news which was not wholly unexpected. +There was still a chance that a portion of his force might escape, +if he was willing to let them attempt to fight their way out against +awful odds, but no thought of permitting such a sacrifice crossed +his mind. + +"Then there is nothing left for me but to go and see Gen. Grant," +he observed to those around him. + +But desperate as their plight had been for days, his officers were +unprepared for this announcement. + +"Oh, General!" one of them protested, "What will history say of +the surrender of the army in the field?" + +"Yes," he replied. "I know they will say hard things of us; +they will not understand how we were overwhelmed by numbers. But +that is not the question, Colonel. The question is, is it right +to surrender this army? If it is right, then I will take all the +responsibility." + +No response was offered by the little group and turning to one of +his staff, Lee quietly gave an order. A few moments later white +flags were fluttering at the head of the halted columns and an +officer rode out slowly from the lines bearing a note to Grant. + + + + + +Chapter XXX + + + + +The Surrender + + +While Lee's messenger was making his way toward the Union lines, +Grant was riding rapidly to the front where his forces had foiled +the Confederate cavalry. For more than a week he had been constantly +in the saddle, moving from one point on his lines to another +and begrudging even the time for food and sleep in his efforts to +hasten the pursuit. But the tremendous physical and mental strain +to which he had subjected himself had already begun to tell upon +him, and he had passed the previous night under a surgeon's care +endeavoring to put himself in fit condition for the final struggle +which Lee's refusal to surrender led him to expect. The dawn of +April 9th, however, found him suffering with a raging headache, +and well-nigh exhausted after his sleepless night he rode forward +feeling more like going to the hospital than taking active command +in the field. He had already advanced some distance and was within +two or three miles of Appomattox Court House, when an officer +overtook him and handed him these lines from Lee: + + +"Apr. 9, 1865. + +"General: + +"I received your note of this morning on the picket line whither I +had come to meet you and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced +in your proposal of yesterday with reference to the surrender of +this army. I now ask an interview in accordance with the offer +contained in your letter of yesterday for that purpose. + +"R. E. Lee, +"General." + + +The moment Grant's eyes rested on these words his headache disappeared, +and instantly writing the following reply, he put spurs to his +horse and galloped on: + + +"Apr. 9, 1865. + +"Your note of this date is but this moment (11:50 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 Walker'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 will meet me. + +"U. S. Grant, +"Lt. General." + + +The troops under Sheridan were drawn up in line of battle when +Grant arrived on the scene and his officers, highly excited at the +favorable opportunity for attacking the Confederates, urged him to +allow no cessation of hostilities until the surrender was actually +made. But Grant would not listen to anything of this sort, and +directing that he be at once conducted to General Lee, followed an +orderly who led him toward a comfortable two-story, brick dwelling +in Appomattox village owned by a Mr. McLean who had placed it at +the disposal of the Confederate commander. + +Mounting the broad piazza steps, Grant entered the house, followed +by his principal generals and the members of his staff, and was +ushered into a room at the left of the hall, where Lee, accompanied +by only one officer, awaited him. + +As the two commanders shook hands the Union officers passed toward +the rear of the room and remained standing apart. Then Lee motioned +Grant to a chair placed beside a small marble-topped table, at the +same time seating himself near another table close at hand. Neither +man exhibited the slightest embarrassment and Grant, recalling that +they had served together during the Mexican War, reminded Lee of +this fact, saying that he remembered him very distinctly as General +Scott's Chief of Staff but did not suppose that an older and superior +officer would remember him. But Lee did remember him and in a few +minutes he was chatting quietly with his former comrade about the +Mexican campaign and old army days. + +It would be impossible to imagine a greater contrast than that +afforded by the two men as they thus sat conversing. Lee wore +a spotless gray uniform, long cavalry boots, spurs and gauntlets, +and carried the beautiful sword given to him by Virginia, presenting +altogether a most impressive appearance; and his tall, splendidly +proportioned figure and grave dignified bearing heightened the +effect. His well-trimmed hair and beard were almost snow white, +adding distinction to his calm, handsome face without suggesting +age, and his clear eyes and complexion and erect carriage were +remarkable for a man of fifty-eight. Grant was barely forty-three, +and his hair and beard were brown with a touch of gray, but his face +was worn and haggard from recent illness, and his thickset figure +and drooping shoulders were those of a man well advanced in years. +For uniform he wore the blouse of a private, to which the shoulder +straps of a lieutenant-general had been stitched; his trousers were +tucked into top boots worn without spurs; he carried no sword and +from head to foot he was splashed with mud. + +He, himself, was conscious of the strange contrast between his +appearance and that of his faultlessly attired opponent, for he +apologized for his unkempt condition, explaining that he had come +straight from active duty in the field, and then as the conversation +regarding Mexico continued he grew so pleasantly interested that +the object of the meeting almost passed from his mind, and it was +Lee who first recalled it to his attention. + +He then called for pencil and paper, and without having previously +mapped out any phrases in his mind, he began to draft an informal +letter to Lee, outlining the terms of surrender. Nothing could +have been more clear and simple than the agreement which he drafted, +nor could the document have been more free from anything tending +to humiliate or offend his adversary. It provided merely for the +stacking of guns, the parking of cannon and the proper enrollment +of the Confederate troops, all of whom were to remain unmolested +as long as they obeyed the laws and did not again take up arms +against the Government, and it concluded with the statement that +the side arms of the officers were not to be surrendered and that +all such officers who owned their own horses should be permitted +to retain them. + +Lee watched the writing of this letter in silence, and when Grant +handed it to him he read it slowly, merely remarking as he returned +it that the provision allowing the officers to keep their horses +would have a happy effect, but that in the Confederate army the +cavalry and artillerymen likewise owned their own horses. That hint +was quite sufficient for Grant, who immediately agreed to make the +concession apply to all the soldiers, whether officers or privates, +observing as he again handed the paper to Lee that his men would +probably find their horses useful in the spring ploughing when they +returned to their farms. Lee responded that the concession would +prove most gratifying to his soldiers, and, turning to his secretary, +dictated a short, simple reply to his opponent, accepting his +conditions. + +While these letters were being copied in ink, Grant introduced his +officers to Lee and strove to make the situation as easy as possible +for him. Indeed, throughout the whole interview he displayed the +most admirable spirit, tactfully conceding all that his adversary +might reasonably have asked, thus saving him from the embarrassment +of making any request and generally exhibiting a delicate courtesy +and generosity which astonished those who judged him merely by +his rough exterior. But Grant, though uncouth in appearance and +unpolished in manners, was a gentleman in the best sense of the +word, and he rose to the occasion with an ease and grace that left +nothing to be desired. + +As soon as the letters were signed the Confederate commander shook +his late opponent's hand and turned to leave the room. The Union +officers followed him to the door as he departed but tactfully +refrained from accompanying him further and attended only by his +secretary, he passed down the broad steps of the piazza, gravely +saluted the group of officers gathered there who respectfully rose +at his approach, mounted his old favorite "Traveller" and rode +slowly toward his own lines. + +By this time the news of the surrender had reached the Union army +and cannon began booming a salute in honor of the joyful tidings. +But Grant instantly stopped this and ordered that there should +be no demonstrations or exultation of any kind which would offend +Lee's men. In the same generous spirit he kept his men strictly +within their own lines when the Confederates stacked their guns +and no one, except the officers assigned to receive the arms, was +permitted to witness this final act of surrender[1]. He likewise +declined to visit Richmond lest his presence should be regarded as +the triumphal entry of a conqueror or smack of exulting over his +fallen foes, and with fully a million bayonets behind him ready +to win him further glory, his foremost thought was to end the war +without the loss of another life. With this idea, on the morning +after the surrender, he sought another interview with Lee. + +[1]Since the first edition of this volume was published the writer +has been furnished, through the courtesy of Mr. Jefferson K. Cole +of Massachusetts, with documentary proof that the formal surrender +of what remained of Lee's infantry was made in the presence of the +First Division of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac, General +Joshua L. Chamberlain commanding. Therefore, although it is true +that Grant avoided all humiliation of the Confederates, it is +evident that a small portion of his troops did witness the final act +of surrender, and the statement in the text should be accordingly +amended. + + + + + +Chapter XXXI + + + + +Lee's Years of Peace + + +Desperate as their plight had been for many days, Lee's men had +not wholly abandoned the hope of escape, but when their beloved +commander returned from the Federal lines they saw by his face that +the end had come, and crowding around him, they pressed his hands, +even the strongest among them shedding bitter tears. For a time +he was unable to respond in words to this touching demonstration, +but finally, with a great effort, he mastered his emotion and +bravely faced his comrades. + +"Men," he said, "we have fought through the war together; I have +done my best for you; my heart is too full to say more." + +Brief as these words were, all who heard them realized that Lee +saw no prospect of continuing the struggle and meant to say so. He +was, of course, well aware that the Confederates had many thousand +men still in the field, and that by separating into armed bands +they could postpone the end for a considerable period. But this +to his mind was not war and he had no sympathy with such methods +and no belief that they could result in anything but more bloodshed +and harsher terms for the South. A word from him would have been +quite sufficient to encourage the other commanders to hold out and +prolong the cruelly hopeless contest, but he had determined not to +utter it. + +Grant was firmly convinced that this would be his attitude, but +whether he would actually advise the abandonment of the cause was +another question, and it was to suggest this course that the Union +commander sought him out on the morning after the surrender. This +second interview occurred between the lines of the respective +armies and as the former adversaries sat conversing on horseback, +Grant tactfully introduced the subject of ending the war. + +He knew, he told Lee, that no man possessed more influence with +the soldiers and the South in general than he did, and that if he +felt justified in advising submission his word would doubtless have +all the effect of law. But to this suggestion Lee gravely shook +his head. He frankly admitted that further resistance was useless, +but he was unwilling to pledge himself to give the proposed advice +until he had consulted with the Confederate President, and Grant +did not urge him, feeling certain that he would do what he thought +right. Nor was this confidence misplaced, for though Lee never +positively advised a general surrender, his opinions soon came +to be known and in a short time all the Confederate forces in the +field yielded. + +But though peace was thus restored, the war had left two countries +where it had found one, and to the minds of many people they could +never be united again. It was then that Lee showed his true greatness, +for from the moment of his surrender he diligently strove by voice +and pen and example to create harmony between the North and South +and to help in the rebuilding of the nation. To those who asked his +opinion as to whether they should submit to the Federal authorities +and take the required oath of allegiance, he unhesitatingly replied, +"If you intend to reside in this country and wish to do your part +in the restoration of your state and in the government of the +country, which I think is the duty of every citizen, I know of no +objection to your taking the oath." + +He denounced the assassination of Lincoln as a crime to be abhorred +by every American, discountenanced the idea of Southerners seeking +refuge in foreign lands, scrupulously obeyed every regulation of +the military authorities regarding paroled prisoners and exerted +all the influence at his command to induce his friends to work with +him for the reconciliation of the country. Even when it was proposed +to indict and try him for treason he displayed no resentment or +bitterness. "I have no wish to avoid any trial that the Government +may order. I hope others may go unmolested," was his only comment. +But no such persecution was to be permitted, for Grant interfered +the moment he heard of it, insisting that his honor and that of +the nation forbade that Lee should be disturbed in any way, and +his indignant protest straightway brought the authorities to their +senses. + +In the meanwhile, innumerable propositions reached Lee, offering him +great monetary inducements to lend his name and fame to business +enterprises of various kinds, but although he had lost all his property +and was practically penniless, he would not consent to undertake +work that he did not feel competent to perform and would listen +to no suggestion of receiving compensation merely for the use of +his name. His desire was to identify himself with an institution +of learning where he could be of some public service, and at the +same time gain the peaceful home life of which he had dreamed for +so many years. As soon as this was understood offers came to him +from the University of Virginia and the University of the South +at Suwannee, Tennessee, but he feared that his association with a +State institution like the University of Virginia might create a +feeling of hostility against it on the part of the Federal Government, +and the Vice-Chancellorship of the Tennessee university would have +required him to leave his native state. + +Finally, the Trustees of Washington College offered him the +Presidency of that institution and the fact that it bore the name +of the first President and had been endowed by him straightway +appealed to his imagination. At one time the college had been in +a flourishing condition but it had suffered severely from the war, +much of its property having been destroyed and only a handful of +students remained when he was invited to take charge of its tottering +fortunes. Indeed, the Trustees themselves were so impoverished +that none of them possessed even a decent suit of clothes in which +to appear before Lee and submit their proposition. Nevertheless, +one of them borrowed a respectable outfit for the occasion and +presented the offer with much dignity and effect and Lee, after +modestly expressing some doubts as to whether he could "discharge +the duties to the satisfaction of the Trustees or to the benefit +of the country," accepted the office at a merely nominal salary, +closing his formal acceptance of Aug. 11, 1865, with these words: +"I think it the duty of every citizen 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 oppose the policy of the state +or general Government directed to that object." + +This was the key-note of his thought from this time forward. "Life +is indeed gliding away and I have nothing of good to show for mine +that is past," he wrote shortly after assuming his new duties. "I +pray I may be spared to accomplish something for the benefit of +mankind and the honor of God." + +It was no easy task to reëstablish an institution practically +destitute of resources in a poverty-stricken community struggling +for a bare subsistence after the ravages of war. But Lee devoted +himself body and soul to the work, living in the simplest possible +fashion. Indeed, he refused to accept an increase in his meager +salary, which would have provided him with some of the ordinary +comforts of life, on the ground that the institution needed every +penny of its funds for its development. But though the work was +hard he took keen pleasure in seeing it grow under his hands, and, +little by little, the college regained its prestige, while with +the help of his daughters he made his new home a place of beauty, +planting flowers about the little house and doing all in his power +to make it attractive for his invalid wife. + +Thus, for five years he lived far removed from the turmoil of public +life, performing a constant public service by exerting a direct +personal influence upon the students who came under his charge, and +by doing everything in his power to reunite the nation. Suggestions +were constantly made to him to enter politics and had he cared to +do so, he could undoubtedly have been elected to the Governorship +of Virginia. But he steadily declined to consider this, declaring +that it might injure the state to have a man so closely identified +with the war at its head and that he could best help in restoring +harmony to the country in the capacity of a private citizen. + +During all this time he took an active interest in his sons, +encouraging them in their efforts to establish themselves and earn +their own living, visiting their farms and advising them in the +comradely spirit which had always characterized his relations with +them. Indeed, every moment he could spare from his collegiate +duties was devoted to his family, and his letters to his children, +always cheerful and affectionate and sometimes even humorously gay, +expressed contentment and unselfishness in every line. + +At times it required great self-restraint to avoid bitterness toward +the Government, but even when Congress refused his wife's petition +for the restoration of the mementos of Washington, taken from her +home in Arlington during the war, he refrained from making any +public protest and his private comment showed how completely he +subordinated his personal wishes to the good of the country. + +"In reference to certain articles which were taken from Arlington..." +he wrote, "Mrs. Lee is indebted...for the order from the present +Administration for their restoration to her. Congress, however, +passed a resolution forbidding their return. They were valuable +to her as having belonged to her great grandmother (Mrs. General +Washington) and having been bequeathed to her by her father. But +as the country desires them she must give them up. I hope their +presence at the capital will keep in the remembrance of all Americans +the principles and virtues of Washington." [These articles were +restored to Lee's family by the order of President McKinley in +1903.] + +Toward the individuals, however, who had looted his house +and appropriated its treasures to their own use, he felt rather +differently. But his rebuke to them was written rather more in +sorrow than in anger and it likewise reflects the regard for his +country which was ever the uppermost thought in his mind. + +"...A great many things formerly belonging to General Washington, +bequeathed to Mrs. Lee by her father, in the shape of books, furniture, +camp equipage, etc., were carried away by individuals and are now +scattered over the land," he wrote. "I hope the possessors appreciate +them and may imitate the example of their original owners whose +conduct must at times be brought to their recollection by these +silent monitors. In this way they will accomplish good to the +country...." + +For his first four years at Washington College Lee accomplished +his arduous duties with scarcely a sign of fatigue, but from that +time forward his health began to fail and though he kept at his +work, it told so heavily upon him that his friends at last persuaded +him to take a vacation. He, accordingly, started south with his +daughter in March, 1870. Had he permitted it, his journey would +have been one continual ovation, for this was the first time he had +traveled any considerable distance from his home since the war and +people flocked to greet him from all sides with bands and speeches +and cart-loads of flowers and fruits. Indeed, it was extremely +difficult to escape the public receptions, serenades and other honors +thrust upon him, and though he returned to his duties in somewhat +better condition, he was soon obliged to retire to Hot Springs, +Virginia, for another rest, from which he returned toward the end +of the summer vacation apparently restored to health. + +Meanwhile he had undertaken various other duties in addition to +his collegiate work and some two weeks after the reopening of the +college he attended a vestry meeting of the Episcopal Church. At +this meeting the subject of rebuilding the church and increasing +the rector's salary was under discussion and the session lasted +for three hours, at the close of which he volunteered to subscribe +from his own meager funds the sum needed to complete the proposed +increase of the clergyman's salary. By this time it was seven in +the evening and he at once returned to his own house, and finding +his family ready for tea, stood at the head of the table as he +usually did to say grace. But no words came from his lips, and +with an expression of resignation on his face he quietly slipped +into his chair and sat there upright as though he had heard an order +to which he was endeavoring to respond by remaining at "attention." + +Physicians were immediately called who diagnosed the trouble as +hardening of the arteries combined with rheumatism of the heart, and +though their patient never quite lost consciousness, he gradually +fell asleep, and on October 12, 1870, passed quietly away. + +Three days later "Traveller," led by two old soldiers and followed +by a small but distinguished assemblage, accompanied his master to +the grave outside the little chapel which Lee had helped to build +for the college which soon thereafter changed its name to Washington +and Lee University. + +Nothing could have been more grateful to Lee then to have his name +thus associated with that of the man whom he revered above all +other men and upon whom he had patterned his whole life, and in +this graceful tribute he had his heart's desire. + + + + + +Chapter XXXII + + + + +The Head of the Nation + + +While Lee was passing the closing years of his life in tranquility, +Grant was entering upon a stormy career in politics. But before +he had any thought of the honors that lay before him he proved +himself a good friend to the South and a really great American. +Toward his late adversaries he maintained that the true policy was +"to make friends of enemies," and by word and deed he earnestly +strove to accomplish that result, never losing an opportunity to +protect the people of the South from humiliation and injustice. +Indeed, if he and some of the other Union commanders had been given +complete authority directly after the war, the South would have +been spared much suffering and the nation would have escaped some +of the evils which inflict it to this day. But Grant's service +to the country, as a whole, was far greater than that which he +undertook on behalf of any particular section, for at a critical +moment he held the destiny of the nation in the hollow of his hand +and a word from him would have subjected the people to a military +control from which they might never have recovered. + +At the time of Lee's surrender the United States had probably the +most powerful and the most perfectly equipped army in the world. +It was absolutely at Grant's disposal and there were plenty of +excuses for employing it in the field, had he been ambitious for +military glory. An attack on the French in Mexico or the English +in Canada would have been regarded by many people as perfectly +justified by their treatment of the United States during the Civil +War. But no idea of perpetuating his own power or of making his +country a military nation entered Grant's mind. On the contrary, +his first thought was to hasten by every possible means the disbanding +of the mighty army which hailed him as its chief. + +At the close of the war that army numbered over a million men. Six +months later only 183,000 remained in the service, and in eight +months more the whole force of volunteers had disappeared. No +other great commander in the history of the world ever strove thus +to deprive himself of power, or with a gigantic instrument of war +under his control thought only of peace. Grant was not the greatest +military genius of the ages, or even of his own time, but when, +with a million bayonets responsive to his nod, he uttered the +benediction, "Let us have peace," he took a place apart among those +Americans whose fame will never die. + +One great triumphant pageant marked the success of the Union +cause when the returning armies were reviewed by the President in +Washington, cavalry, infantry and artillery by the tens of thousands +passing down Pennsylvania Avenue for two whole days, presenting +a magnificent spectacle never surpassed in the military annals of +any land. But the same spirit which had actuated Grant in refusing +to visit Richmond caused him to shun any part of this historic parade, +and those who expected to see him on a prancing horse at the head +of his veteran troops had little knowledge of his character. He +had never made an exhibition of himself at any time during the war, +and though he was present on this occasion, he kept in the background +and few people caught even a glimpse of him as the well-nigh endless +ranks of blue swept by in proud array. + +For a time the work of disbanding the army obliged him to remain at +Washington, but at the first opportunity he started west to revisit +Galena, Georgetown and the scenes of his boyhood days. But, if +he hoped to renew his acquaintance with old friends without public +recognition and acclaim he was speedily disillusioned, for the whole +countryside turned out to welcome him with processions, banners and +triumphal arches, hailing as a hero the man who had lived among them +almost unnoticed and somewhat despised. Many people had already +declared that he would be the next President of the United States, +but when some prophecy of this kind had been repeated to him, he +had laughingly replied that he did not want any political office, +though he would like to be Mayor of Galena long enough to have a +sidewalk laid near his home, and this rumor had reached the town. +The first sight that greeted his eyes, therefore, as he entered Galena +was an arch bearing the words "General, the sidewalk is laid!" and +his fellow townsmen straightway carried him off to inspect this +improvement, at the same time showing him a new house built and +furnished by his neighbors for his use and in which they begged +that he would make himself at home. + +It was a proud moment for his father and mother when they saw the +son who had once disappointed them so deeply received with such +marks of affection and honored as the greatest man of his day, +and their joy was the most satisfying reward he was ever destined +to obtain. But gratifying as all these kindly attentions were +the returning hero was somewhat relieved to find that Georgetown, +which had largely sympathized with the Confederacy, offered him +a less demonstrative welcome. Nevertheless, even there curiosity +and admiration combined to rob him of all privacy, and he at last +decided to avoid the public gaze by slipping away for one of those +long solitary drives which had been his delight in boyhood days. +But the residents of the village toward which he turned received +word of his coming and started a delegation out to meet him half +way. After journeying many miles, however, without seeing any signs +of the cavalcade they were expecting, the procession encountered +a dusty traveler driving a team in a light road wagon, and halting +him asked if he had heard anything of General Grant. "Yes," he +reported, "he's on the way," and clicking to his horses quickly +disappeared from view. Then someone suggested that perhaps the +General might not be traveling on horseback surrounded by his staff +and that the dusty traveler who had reported Grant as on the way +looked somewhat like the man himself. But the solitary stranger +"who looked like Grant" was miles away before this was realized, +and when the procession started on his track he was safely out of +reach. Doubtless, the sight of this unpretentious man in citizen +attire was disappointing to many who expected to see a dashing hero +in a gorgeous uniform, but his dislike of all military parade soon +came to be widely known. His hosts at one village, however, were +not well informed of this, for they urged him to prolong his stay +with them in order that he might see and review the local troops +which were to assemble in his honor, but he quickly begged to +be excused, remarking that he wished he might never see a uniform +again. + +Certainly there was nothing of the conquering hero or even of the +soldier about him when a little later in the course of his duty, +he made a tour of the South in order to report on its general +condition, and in many places he came and went entirely unnoticed. +But though the mass of the people did not know of his presence, +he formed an unusually accurate estimate of their views on public +questions. "The citizens of the Southern States,..." he reported, +"are in earnest in wishing to do what is required by the Government, +not humiliating them as citizens, and if such a course was pointed +out they would pursue it in good faith." Happy would it have been +for the South and for the whole country if this advice had been +followed, but the President and Congress were soon engaged in +a violent struggle over the reconstruction of the seceded states, +and anger, rather than wisdom, ruled the day. In the course of +this quarrel Stanton, the Secretary of War, was removed and Grant, +temporarily appointed in his place (Aug. 12, 1867), held the office +for about five months, thus taking the first step in the long +political career which lay before him. + +Ten months later he was elected President of the United States and +at the end of his term (1872) he was reëlected by an overwhelming +vote. Those eight years were years of stress and strain, and his +judgment in surrounding himself with men unworthy of his confidence +made bitter enemies of many of those who had once supported him. +He was, however, intensely loyal by nature and having once made +a friend he stuck to him through thick and thin, making his cause +his own and defending him, even in the face of the facts, against +any and all attack. He, accordingly, assumed a heavy burden of +blame that did not rightly rest upon his shoulders, but in spite of +this many people desired to see him again elected to the presidency +and they were sorely disappointed when he refused to become a +candidate. On the whole, he had deserved well of the country and +the people recognized that he had done much to uphold their honor +and dignity, even though he had been too often imposed upon by +unreliable and even dangerous friends. + +A long tour around the world followed his retirement from the +Presidency and his reception in the various countries was a magnificent +tribute to his record as a general and a ruler. Meanwhile, an +effort was being made by his friends to secure his nomination for +a third Presidential term, and shortly after he returned home (1880) +he was persuaded to enter the field again. At first he regarded +the result with indifference, but as time wore on he warmed with the +enthusiasm of his friends and keenly desired to secure the honor. +But no man had ever been elected three times to the Presidency and +there was a deep-centered prejudice against breaking this tradition. +Grant's candidacy therefore encountered bitter opposition, and +though a large number of his friends held out for him to the last +and almost forced his nomination, General Garfield was finally +selected in his place. + +This virtually retired him from politics, and to occupy himself +and make a living he went into business with one of his sons who +had associated himself with certain bankers in Wall Street. Here, +however, his notoriously bad judgment of men and his utter ignorance +of the business world soon brought him to grief, for he and his +son left the management of their firm to the other partners who +outrageously imposed upon them for a time and then left them face +to face with ruin and disgrace. + +The shock of this disaster fairly staggered Grant, but he bravely +met the situation and stripping himself of every vestige of his +property, including the swords that had been presented him and the +gifts bestowed by foreign nations, strove to pay his debts. But, +though reduced to penury, he was able to prove his entire innocence +of the rascality of his partners and the general verdict of the +country acquitted him of any dishonorable act. + +To earn sufficient money for his family in their dire necessity he +then began to write the story of his military life and campaigns, +but in the midst of this employment he was stricken with a most +painful disease which incapacitated him for work and left him +well-nigh helpless. At this crisis Congress came to his rescue +by restoring him to his former rank in the army, with sufficient +pay to meet his immediate needs. Then, to the amazement of his +physicians, he rallied, and, though still suffering intensely and +greatly enfeebled, he at once recommenced work upon his book. + +From that time forward his one thought was to live long enough +to complete this task, and to it he devoted himself with almost +superhuman courage and persistence, in the hope of being able +to provide for his wife and family after he had gone. Indeed, in +this daily struggle against disease and death he showed, not only +all the qualities that had made him invincible in the field, but +also the higher qualities of patience and unselfishness with which +he had not been fully credited. Uncomplaining and considerate +of everyone but himself, he looked death steadily in the face and +wrote on day after day while the whole nation, lost in admiration of +his dauntless courage, watched at his bedside with tender solicitude. + +At last, on July 23, 1885, the pencil slipped from his fingers. +But his heroic task was done and no monument which has been or +ever will be erected to his memory will serve as will those pages +to insure him immortality, for "Grant's Memoirs," modest as the +man himself, have become a part of the literature of the world. + + + + + +Authorities + + + + +The following is a partial list of the authorities relied upon in +the text: + +Grant's Personal Memoirs; Recollections and Letters of General +Robert E. Lee (Captain R. E. Lee); Life of Robert E. Lee (Fitzhugh +Lee); Robert E. Lee--Memoirs of His Military and Personal History +(Long); Military History of U. S. Grant (Badeau); Grant in Peace +(Badeau); R. E. Lee--The Southerner (Page); Robert E. Lee (Trent); +Robert E. Lee and the Southern Confederacy (White); McClelland's Own +Story; Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (Henderson); The +Story of the Civil War (Ropes); The Rise and Fall of the Confederate +Government (Davis); History of the United States (1850-1877 Rhodes); +The Campaign of Chancellorsville (Bigelow); Personal Memoirs +(Sheridan); Memoirs of General Sherman; Reminiscences of Carl +Shurz; From Manassas to Appomattox (Longstreet); Abraham Lincoln--A +History (Nicolay and Hay); The Army Under Pope (Ropes); The Antietam +and Fredericksburg (Palfrey); The Virginia Campaign of 1864 and +1865 (Humphreys); Chncellorsville (Doubleday); Life and Letters of +Robert E. Lee (Jones); Ulysses S. Grant (Wister); Ulysses S. Grant +(Garland); Campaigning with Grant (Porter); Autobiography of O. O. +Howard. + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of On the Trail of Grant and Lee +by Frederick Trevor Hill + diff --git a/old/8tlgl10.zip b/old/8tlgl10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1802bfa --- /dev/null +++ b/old/8tlgl10.zip |