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diff --git a/42892-8.txt b/42892-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d30a8e1..0000000 --- a/42892-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9207 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Recollections of the Civil War, by Charles A. Dana - -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: Recollections of the Civil War - With the Leader at Washington and in the Field in the Sixties - -Author: Charles A. Dana - -Release Date: June 8, 2013 [EBook #42892] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RECOLLECTIONS OF THE CIVIL WAR *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Julia Neufeld and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - RECOLLECTIONS - - OF THE CIVIL WAR - - _With the Leaders at Washington - and in the Field in the Sixties_ - - BY - - CHARLES A. DANA - - _ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR FROM 1863 TO 1865_ - - WITH PORTRAIT - - - [Illustration: Publisher's seal] - - - NEW YORK - _D. Appleton and Company_ - 1902 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1898, - BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - - - - -[Illustration: C. A. Dana. (Signature)] - - - - -RECOLLECTIONS OF THE CIVIL WAR - - - - - THE WORKS OF CHARLES A. DANA. - - - =Recollections of the Civil War.= - - By CHARLES A. DANA. With Portrait. Large 12mo. - Cloth, gilt top, uncut, $2.00. - - The late Charles A. Dana's "Recollections of the Civil War" forms - one of the most remarkable volumes of historical, political, and - personal reminiscences which have been given to the public. Mr. Dana - was not only practically a member of the Cabinet and in the - confidence of the leaders of Washington, but he was also the chosen - representative of the War Department with General Grant and other - military commanders, and he was present at many of the councils - which preceded movements of the greatest importance. - - - =Appletons' American Cyclopædia.= - - A Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge. Edited by - CHARLES A. DANA and GEORGE RIPLEY. Complete in - 16 volumes of over 800 pages each. Fully illustrated with - several thousand Wood Engravings and numerous Colored - Lithographic Maps. _Sold only by subscription._ - - - =The Household Book of Poetry.= - - Edited by CHARLES A. DANA. Illustrated with Steel Engravings. - New and enlarged edition. Royal 8vo. Cloth, - $5.00; morocco, antique, $10.00; tree calf, $12.00. - - - =Fifty Perfect Poems.= - - Selected and edited by CHARLES A. DANA and ROSSITER - JOHNSON. Royal 8vo. Illustrated. White silk, $10.00; - morocco, $15.00. - - - =The Household Book of Songs.= - - Collected and arranged by CHARLES A. DANA and F. A. - BOWMAN. Half roan, cloth sides, $2.50. - - - =The Art of Newspaper Making.= - - Three Lectures. 16mo. Cloth, $1.00. - - - =Eastern Journeys.= - - Some Notes of Travel in Russia, in the Caucasus, and to - Jerusalem. 16mo. Cloth, $1.00. - - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Mr. Dana wrote these Recollections of the civil war according to a -purpose which he had entertained for several years. They were completed -only a few months before his death on October 17, 1897. A large part of -the narrative has been published serially in McClure's Magazine. In the -chapter about Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln Cabinet Mr. Dana has drawn -from a lecture which he delivered in 1896 before the New Haven Colony -Historical Society. The incident of the self-wounded spy, in the chapter -relating to the secret service of the war, was first printed in the -North American Review for August, 1891. A few of the anecdotes about Mr. -Lincoln which appear in this book were told by Mr. Dana originally in a -brief contribution to a volume entitled Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln -by Distinguished Men of his Time, edited by the late Allen Thorndike -Rice, and published in 1886. - -Although Mr. Dana was in one sense the least reminiscent of men, living -actively in the present, and always more interested in to-morrow than -in yesterday, and although it was his characteristic habit to toss into -the wastebasket documents for history which many persons would have -treasured, he found in the preparation of the following chapters -abundant material wherewith to stimulate and confirm his own memory, in -the form of his official and unofficial reports written at the front for -the information of Mr. Stanton and Mr. Lincoln, and private letters to -members of his family and intimate friends. - -Charles Anderson Dana was forty-four years old when his appointment as -Assistant Secretary of War put him behind the scenes of the great drama -then enacting, and brought him into personal relations with the -conspicuous civilians and soldiers of the war period. Born in New -Hampshire on August 8, 1819, he had passed by way of western New York, -Harvard College, and Brook Farm into the profession which he loved and -in which he labored almost to the last day of his life. When Secretary -Stanton called him to Washington he had been engaged for nearly fifteen -years in the management of the New York Tribune, the journal most -powerful at that time in solidifying Northern sentiment for the crisis -that was to come. When the war was over and the Union preserved, he -returned at once to journalism. His career subsequently as the editor of -The Sun for thirty years is familiar to most Americans. - -It is proper to note the circumstance that the three years covered by -Mr. Dana's Recollections as here recorded constitute the only term -during which he held any public office, and the only break in more than -half a century of continuous experience in the making of newspapers. His -connection with the Government during those momentous years is an -episode in the story of a life that throbbed from boyhood to age with -intellectual energy, and was crowded with practical achievement. - - NEW YORK, _October 17, 1898_. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAP. PAGE - - I.--FROM THE TRIBUNE TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT 1 - - First meeting with Mr. Lincoln--Early correspondence - with Mr. Stanton--A command obtained for General - Frémont--The new energy in the military operations--Mr. - Stanton disclaims the credit--The War Secretary's opinion - of McClellan--Mr. Dana called into Government service--The - Cairo investigation and its results--First acquaintance - with General Grant. - - II.--AT THE FRONT WITH GRANT'S ARMY 16 - - War speculation in cotton--In business partnership - with Roscoe Conkling--Appointed special commissioner - to Grant's army--The story of a cipher code--From Memphis - to Milliken's Bend--The various plans for taking - Vicksburg--At Grant's headquarters--The beginning of - trouble with McClernand. - - III.--BEFORE AND AROUND VICKSBURG 35 - - The hard job of reopening the Mississippi--Admiral - Porter runs the Confederate batteries--Headquarters moved - to Smith's plantation--Delay and confusion in McClernand's - command--The unsuccessful attack on Grand Gulf--The - move to the east shore--Mr. Dana manages with - Grant's help to secure a good horse. - - IV.--IN CAMP AND BATTLE WITH GRANT AND HIS GENERALS 47 - - Marching into the enemy's country--A night in a - church with a Bible for pillow--Our communications are - cut--Entering the capital of Mississippi--The War - Department gives Grant full authority--Battle of Champion's - Hill--General Logan's peculiarity--Battlefield - incidents--Vicksburg invested and the siege begun--Personal - traits of Sherman, McPherson, and McClernand. - - V.--SOME CONTEMPORARY PORTRAITS 61 - - Grant before his great fame--His friend and mentor, - General Rawlins--James Harrison Wilson--Two semi-official - letters to Stanton--Character sketches for the information - of the President and Secretary--Mr. Dana's early - judgment of soldiers who afterward won distinction. - - VI.--THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG 78 - - Life behind Vicksburg--Grant's efforts to procure - reinforcements--The fruitless appeal to General Banks--Mr. - Stanton responds to Mr. Dana's representations--A steamboat - trip with Grant--Watching Joe Johnston--Visits to Sherman - and Admiral Porter--The negro troops win glory--Progress - and incidents of the siege--Vicksburg wakes up--McClernand's - removal. - - VII.--PEMBERTON'S SURRENDER 91 - - The artillery assault of June 20th--McPherson springs - a mine--Grant decides to storm the city--Pemberton asks - for an interview and terms--The "unconditional surrender" - note--At the meeting of Grant and Pemberton between - the lines--The ride into Vicksburg and the Fourth - of July celebration there. - - VIII.--WITH THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND 103 - - Appointment as Assistant Secretary of War--Again to - the far front--An interesting meeting with Andrew - Johnson--Rosecrans's complaints--His view of the situation - at Chattanooga--At General Thomas's headquarters--The - first day of Chickamauga--The battlefield telegraph - service--A night council of war at Widow Glenn's--Personal - experiences of the disastrous second day's battle--The - "Rock of Chickamauga." - - IX.--THE REMOVAL OF ROSECRANS 120 - - Preparing to defend Chattanooga--Effect on the army - of the day of disaster and glory--Mr. Dana suggests Grant - or Thomas as Rosecrans's successor--Portrait of Thomas--The - dignity and loyalty of his character illustrated--The - army reorganized--It is threatened with starvation--An - estimate of Rosecrans--He is relieved of the command - of the Army of the Cumberland. - - X.--CHATTANOOGA AND MISSIONARY RIDGE 132 - - Thomas succeeds Rosecrans in the Army of the - Cumberland--Grant supreme at Chattanooga--A visit to the - army at Knoxville--A Tennessee Unionist's family--Impressions - of Burnside--Grant against Bragg at Chattanooga--The - most spectacular fighting of the war--Watching - the first day's battle--With Sherman the second day--The - moonlight fight on Lookout Mountain--Sheridan's - whisky flask--The third day's victory and the glorious - spectacle it afforded--The relief of General Burnside. - - XI.--THE WAR DEPARTMENT IN WAR TIMES 156 - - Grant's plans blocked by Halleck--Mr. Dana on duty at - Washington--Edwin McMasters Stanton--His deep religious - feeling--His swift intelligence and almost superhuman - energy--The Assistant Secretary's functions--Contract - supplies and contract frauds--Lincoln's intercession - for dishonest contractors with political influence--A - characteristic letter from Sherman. - - XII.--ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND HIS CABINET 168 - - Daily intercourse with Lincoln--The great civil leaders - of the period--Seward and Chase--Gideon Welles--Friction - between Stanton and Blair--Personal traits of the - President--Lincoln's surpassing ability as a politician--His - true greatness of character and intellect--His genius - for military judgment--Stanton's comment on the Gettysburg - speech--The kindness of Abraham Lincoln's heart. - - XIII.--THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC IN '64 186 - - Mr. Lincoln sends Mr. Dana again to the front--General - Halleck's character--First visit to the Army of the - Potomac--General Meade's good qualities and bad--Winfield - Scott Hancock--Early acquaintance with Sedgwick--His - death--Humphreys's accomplishments as a soldier and as - a swearer--Grant's plan of campaign against Lee--Incidents - at Spottsylvania--The "Bloody Angle." - - XIV.--THE GREAT GAME BETWEEN GRANT AND LEE 200 - - Maneuvering and fighting in the rain, mud, and - thickets--Virginian conditions of warfare--Within eight - miles of Richmond--The battle of Cold Harbor--The - tremendous losses of the campaign--The charge of butchery - against Grant considered in the light of statistics--What - it cost in life and blood to take Richmond. - - XV.--THE MARCH ON PETERSBURG 212 - - In camp at Cold Harbor--Grant's opinion of Lee--Trouble - with newspaper correspondents--Moving south of - the James River--The great pontoon bridge--The fighting - of the colored troops--Failure to take Petersburg at first - attack--Lee loses Grant and Beauregard finds him--Beauregard's - service to the Confederacy. - - XVI.--EARLY'S RAID AND THE WASHINGTON PANIC 224 - - President Lincoln visits the lines at Petersburg--Trouble - with General Meade--Jubal Early menaces the Federal - capital--The excitement in Washington and Baltimore--Clerks - and veteran reserves called out to defend Washington--Grant - sends troops from the front--Plenty of generals, but no - head--Early ends the panic by withdrawing--A fine letter - from Grant about Hunter. - - XVII.--THE SECRET SERVICE OF THE WAR 235 - - Mr. Stanton's agents and spies--Regular subterranean - traffic between Washington and Richmond--A man who - spied for both sides--The arrest of the Baltimore - merchants--Stanton's remarkable speech on the meaning - of disloyalty--Intercepting Jefferson Davis's letters - to Canada--Detecting the plot to burn New York, and the - plan to invade Vermont--Story of the cleverest and - pluckiest of spies and his remarkable adventures. - - XVIII.--A VISIT TO SHERIDAN IN THE VALLEY 248 - - Mr. Dana carries to Sheridan his major-general's - commission--A ride through the Army of the Shenandoah--The - affection of Sheridan's soldiers for the general--How - he explained it--His ideas about personal courage in - battle--The War Department and the railroads--How the - department worked for Lincoln's re-election--Election - night of November, 1864--Lincoln reads aloud passages - from Petroleum V. Nasby while the returns come in. - - XIX.--"ON TO RICHMOND" AT LAST! 263 - - The fall of the Confederacy--In Richmond just after - the evacuation--A search for Confederate archives--Lincoln's - propositions to the Virginians--A meeting with the - Confederate Assistant Secretary of War--Andrew Johnson - turns up at Richmond--His views as to the necessity of - punishing rebels--The first Sunday services at the - Confederate capital under the old flag--News of Lee's - surrender reaches Richmond--Back to Washington with Grant. - - XX.--THE CLOSING SCENES AT WASHINGTON 273 - - Last interview with Mr. Lincoln--Why Jacob Thompson - escaped--At the deathbed of the murdered President--Searching - for the assassins--The letters which Mr. Lincoln - had docketed "Assassination"--At the conspiracy - trial--The Confederate secret cipher--Jefferson Davis's - capture and imprisonment--A visit to the Confederate - President at Fortress Monroe--The grand review of the - Union armies--The meeting between Stanton and Sherman--End - of Mr. Dana's connection with the War Department. - - INDEX. 293 - - - - -RECOLLECTIONS OF THE CIVIL WAR. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -FROM THE TRIBUNE TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT. - - First meeting with Mr. Lincoln--Early correspondence with Mr. - Stanton--A command obtained for General Frémont--The new energy in - the military operations--Mr. Stanton disclaims the credit--The War - Secretary's opinion of McClellan--Mr. Dana called into Government - service--The Cairo investigation and its results--First acquaintance - with General Grant. - - -I had been associated with Horace Greeley on the New York Tribune for -about fifteen years when, one morning early in April, 1862, Mr. -Sinclair, the advertising manager of the paper, came to me, saying that -Mr. Greeley would be glad to have me resign. I asked one of my -associates to find from Mr. Greeley if that was really his wish. In a -few hours he came to me saying that I had better go. I stayed the day -out in order to make up the paper and give them an opportunity to find a -successor, but I never went into the office after that. I think I then -owned a fifth of the paper--twenty shares; this stock my colleagues -bought. - -Mr. Greeley never gave a reason for dismissing me, nor did I ever ask -for one. I know, though, that the real explanation was that while he -was for peace I was for war, and that as long as I stayed on the Tribune -there was a spirit there which was not his spirit--that he did not like. - -My retirement from the Tribune was talked of in the newspapers for a day -or two, and brought me a letter from the Secretary of War, Edwin M. -Stanton, saying he would like to employ me in the War Department. I had -already met Mr. Lincoln, and had carried on a brief correspondence with -Mr. Stanton. My meeting with Mr. Lincoln was shortly after his -inauguration. He had appointed Mr. Seward to be his Secretary of State, -and some of the Republican leaders of New York who had been instrumental -in preventing Mr. Seward's nomination to the presidency, and in securing -that of Mr. Lincoln, had begun to fear that they would be left out in -the cold in the distribution of the offices. General James S. Wadsworth, -George Opdyke, Lucius Robinson, T. B. Carroll, and Henry B. Stanton were -among the number of these gentlemen. Their apprehensions were somewhat -mitigated by the fact that Mr. Chase, to whom we were all friendly, was -Secretary of the Treasury. But, notwithstanding, they were afraid that -the superior tact and pertinacity of Mr. Seward and of Mr. Thurlow Weed, -Seward's close friend and political manager, would get the upper hand, -and that the power of the Federal administration would be put into the -control of the rival faction; accordingly, several of them determined to -go to Washington, and I was asked to go with them. - -I believe the appointment for our interview with the President was made -through Mr. Chase; but at any rate we all went up to the White House -together, except Mr. Henry B. Stanton, who stayed away because he was -himself an applicant for office. - -Mr. Lincoln received us in the large room upstairs in the east wing of -the White House, where he had his working office. The President stood up -while General Wadsworth, who was our principal spokesman, and Mr. Opdyke -stated what was desired. After the interview had begun, a big Indian, -who was a messenger in attendance in the White House, came into the room -and said to the President: - -"She wants you." - -"Yes, yes," said Mr. Lincoln, without stirring. - -Soon afterward the messenger returned again, exclaiming, "I say, she -wants you!" - -The President was evidently annoyed, but instead of going out after the -messenger he remarked to us: - -"One side shall not gobble up everything. Make out a list of places and -men you want, and I will endeavor to apply the rule of give and take." - -General Wadsworth answered: - -"Our party will not be able to remain in Washington, but we will leave -such a list with Mr. Carroll, and whatever he agrees to will be -agreeable to us." - -Mr. Lincoln continued: "Let Mr. Carroll come in to-morrow, and we will -see what can be done." - -This is the substance of the interview, and what most impressed me was -the evident fairness of the President. We all felt that he meant to do -what was right and square in the matter. While he was not the man to -promote factious quarrels and difficulties within his party, he did not -intend to leave in the lurch the friends through whose exertions his -nomination and election had finally been brought about. At the same time -he understood perfectly that we of New York and our associates in the -Republican body had not gone to Chicago for the purpose of nominating -him, or of nominating any one in particular, but only to beat Mr. -Seward, and thereupon to do the best that could be done as regards the -selection of the candidate. - -My acquaintance with Mr. Stanton had come about through an editorial -which I had written for the Tribune on his entrance to the War -Department. I had sent it to him with a letter calling his attention to -certain facts with which it seemed to me the War Department ought to -deal. In reply I received the following letter: - - - WASHINGTON, _January 24, 1862_. - - MY DEAR SIR: Yours of the 22d only reached me this evening. The - facts you mention were new to me, but there is too much reason to - fear they are true. But that matter will, I think, be corrected - _very speedily_. - - You can not tell how much obligation I feel myself under for your - kindness. Every man who wishes the country to pass through this - trying hour should stand on watch, and aid me. Bad passions and - little passions and mean passions gather around and hem in the - great movements that should deliver this nation. - - Two days ago I wrote you a long letter--a three pager--expressing - my thanks for your admirable article of the 21st, stating my - position and purposes; and in that letter I mentioned some of the - circumstances of my unexpected appointment. But, interrupted before - it was completed, I will not inflict, or afflict, you with it. - - I know the task that is before us--I say _us_, because the Tribune - has its mission as plainly as I have mine, and they tend to the - same end. But I am not in the smallest degree dismayed or - disheartened. By God's blessing we shall prevail. I feel a deep, - _earnest_ feeling growing up around me. We have no jokes or - trivialities, but all with whom I act show that they are now in - dead earnest. - - I know you will rejoice to know this. - - As soon as I can get the machinery of the office working, the rats - cleared out, and the rat holes stopped we shall _move_. This army - has got to fight or run away; and while men are striving nobly in - the West, the champagne and oysters on the Potomac must be stopped. - But patience for a short while only is all I ask, if you and others - like you will rally around me. - - Yours truly, - EDWIN M. STANTON. - - C. A. DANA, Esq. - - -A few days after this I wrote Mr. Stanton a second letter, in which I -asked him to give General Frémont a chance. At the breaking out of the -war Frémont had been made a major general in the regular army and the -command of the Western Department had been given to him. His campaign in -Missouri in the summer of 1861 gave great dissatisfaction, and in -November, 1861, he was relieved, after an investigation by the Secretary -of War. Since that time he had been without a command. I believed, as -did many others, that political intrigue was keeping Frémont back. I was -anxious that he should have fair play, in order that the great mass of -people who had supported him for the presidency in 1856, and who still -were his warm friends, might not be dissatisfied. To my letter Mr. -Stanton replied: - - - WASHINGTON, _February 1, 1862_. - - DEAR SIR: If General Frémont has any fight in him, he shall (so far - as I am concerned) have a chance to show it, and I have told _him_ - so. The times require the help of every man according to his gifts, - and, having neither partialities nor grudges to indulge, it will be - my aim to practice on the maxim, "the tools to him that can handle - them."[A] - - There will be serious trouble between Hunter and Lane. What Lane's - expedition has in view, how it came to be set on foot, and what is - expected to be accomplished by it, I do not know and have tried in - vain to find out. It seems to be a haphazard affair that no one - will admit himself to be responsible for. But believing that Lane - has pluck, and is an earnest man, he _shall have fair play_. If you - know anything about him or his expedition pray tell it to me. - - To bring the War Department up to the standard of the times, and - work an army of five hundred thousand with machinery adapted to a - peace establishment of twelve thousand, is no easy task. This was - Mr. Cameron's great trouble, and the cause of much of the - complaints against him. All I ask is reasonable time and patience. - The pressure of members of Congress for clerk and army - appointments, notwithstanding the most stringent rules, and the - persistent strain against all measures essential to obtain time for - thought, combination, and conference, is discouraging in the - extreme--it often tempts me to quit the helm in despair. The only - consolation is the confidence and support of good and patriotic - men; to their aid I look for strength. - - Yours truly, EDWIN M. STANTON. - - C. A. DANA, Esq., Tribune Office. - - -Very soon after Mr. Stanton went into office military affairs were -energized, and a forward movement of the armies was apparent. It was -followed by several victories, notably those of Fort Henry and Fort -Donelson. On several occasions the Tribune credited to the head of the -War Department this new spirit which seemed to inspire officers and men. -Mr. Stanton, fearful of the effect of this praise, sent to the paper the -following dispatch: - - - _To the Editor of the New York Tribune:_ - - SIR: I can not suffer undue merit to be ascribed to my official - action. The glory of our recent victories belongs to the gallant - officers and soldiers that fought the battles. No share of it - belongs to me. - - Much has recently been said of military combinations and organizing - victory. I hear such phrases with apprehension. They commenced in - infidel France with the Italian campaign, and resulted in Waterloo. - Who can organize victory? Who can combine the elements of success - on the battlefield? We owe our recent victories to the spirit of - the Lord that moved our soldiers to rush into battle and filled the - heart of our enemies with dismay. The inspiration that conquered in - battle was in the hearts of the soldiers and from on high; and - wherever there is the same inspiration there will be the same - results. Patriotic spirit, with resolute courage in officers and - men, is a military combination that never failed. - - We may well rejoice at the recent victories, for they teach us that - battles are to be won now and by us in the same and only manner - that they were ever won by any people, or in any age, since the - days of Joshua, by boldly pursuing and striking the foe. What, - under the blessing of Providence, I conceive to be the true - organization of victory and military combination to end this war, - was declared in a few words by General Grant's message to General - Buckner: "_I propose to move immediately on your works._" - - Yours truly, EDWIN M. STANTON. - - -On receiving this I at once wired to our representative in Washington to -know if Mr. Stanton meant to "repudiate" the Tribune. I received my -answer from Mr. Stanton himself: - - - WASHINGTON, _February 19, 1862_. - - DEAR SIR: It occurred to me that your kind notice of myself might - be perverted into a disparagement of the Western officers and - soldiers to whom the merit of the recent victories justly belongs, - and that it might create an antagonism between them and the head of - the War Department. To avoid _that_ misconstruction was the object - of my dispatch--leaving the matter to be determined as to - publication to the better judgment of the Tribune, my own mind not - being clear on the point of its expediency. Mr. Hill called to see - me this evening, and from the tenor of your dispatch it seemed to - me that your judgment did not approve the publication, or you would - not speak of me as "repudiating" anything the Tribune says. On - reflection _I am convinced the communication should not be - published_, as it might imply an antagonism between myself and the - Tribune. On this, as on any future occasion, I defer to your - judgment. We have one heart and mind in this great cause, and upon - many essential points you have a wider range of observation and - clearer sight than myself; I am therefore willing to be guided by - your wisdom. - - Yours truly, EDWIN M. STANTON. - - C. A. DANA, Esq. - - -On receiving this letter we of course published his telegram at once. - -When Mr. Stanton went into the War Department there was great -dissatisfaction in the Tribune office with McClellan. He had been placed -in command of the Army of the Potomac in the preceding August, and since -November 1st had been in command of all the armies of the United States; -but while he had proved himself an excellent drillmaster, he had at the -same time proved that he was no general at all. His friends were loyal, -however, and whatever success our armies met with was attributed to his -generalship. - -When the capture of Fort Donelson was announced, McClellan's friends -claimed that he had directed it by telegraph from his headquarters on -the Potomac. Now the terminus of the telegraph toward Fort Donelson was -many miles from the battlefield. Besides, the absurdity of a general -directing the movements of a battle a thousand miles off, even if he had -fifty telegraph wires leading to every part of the field, was apparent. -Nevertheless, McClellan's supporters kept up their claim. On February -20th the Associated Press agent at Washington, in reporting a railroad -convention in Washington at which Mr. Stanton had spoken, said: - -"Secretary Stanton in the course of his address paid a high compliment -to the young and gallant friend at his side, Major-General McClellan, in -whom he had the utmost confidence, and the results of whose military -schemes, gigantic and well matured, were now exhibited to a rejoicing -country. The Secretary, with upraised hands, implored Almighty God to -aid them and himself, and all occupying positions under the Government, -in crushing out this unholy rebellion." - -I did not believe Stanton had done any such thing, so I sent the -paragraph to him. The Secretary replied: - - - [Private.] - - WASHINGTON, _February 23, 1862_. - - DEAR SIR: The paragraph to which you called my attention was a - ridiculous and impudently impertinent effort to puff the general by - a false publication of words I never uttered. Sam Barlow, one of - the secretaries of the meeting, was its author, as I have been - informed. It is too small a matter for _me_ to contradict, but I - told Mr. Kimlen, the other secretary, that I thought the gentlemen - who invited me to be present at their meeting owed it to themselves - to see that one of their own officers should not misrepresent what - I said. It was for them, and due to their own honor, to see that an - officer of the Government might communicate with them in safety; - and if it was not done, I should take care to afford no other - opportunity for such practices. - - The fact is that the agents of the Associated Press and a gang - around the Federal Capitol appear to be organized for the purpose - of magnifying their idol. - - And if such men as those who composed the railroad convention in - this city do not rebuke such a practice as that perpetrated in this - instance, they can not be conferred with in future. - - You will of course see the propriety of my not noticing the matter - and thereby giving it importance beyond the contempt it inspires. I - think you are well enough acquainted with me to judge in future the - value of any such statement. - - I notice the Herald telegraphic reporter announces that I had a - second attack of illness on Friday and could not attend the - department. I was in the department, or in the Cabinet, from nine - in the morning until nine at night, and never enjoyed more perfect - health than on that day and at present. - - For _your_ kind solicitude accept my thanks. I shall not needlessly - impair my means of usefulness. - - Yours truly, EDWIN M. STANTON. - - C. A. DANA, Esq. - - P.S.--Was it not a funny sight to see a certain military hero in - the telegraph office at Washington last Sunday organizing victory, - and by sublime military combinations capturing Fort Donelson _six - hours_ after Grant and Smith had taken it sword in hand and had - victorious possession! It would be a picture worthy of Punch. - - -Thus, when the newspapers announced my unexpected retirement from the -Tribune, I was not unknown to either the President or the Secretary of -War. - -To Mr. Stanton's letter asking me to go into the service of the War -Department, I replied that I would attempt anything he wanted me to do, -and in May he wrote me that I was to be appointed on a commission to -audit unsettled claims against the quartermaster's department at Cairo, -Ill. I was directed to be in Cairo on June 17th. My formal appointment, -which I did not receive until after I reached Cairo, read thus: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, D.C., _June 16, 1862_. - - SIR: By direction of the President, a commission has been - appointed, consisting of Messrs. George S. Boutwell, Stephen T. - Logan, and yourself, to examine and report upon all unsettled - claims against the War Department, at Cairo, Ill., that may have - originated prior to the first day of April, 1862. - - Messrs. Boutwell and Logan have been requested to meet with you at - Cairo on the eighteenth day of June instant, in order that the - commission may be organized on that day and enter immediately upon - the discharge of its duties. - - You will be allowed a compensation of eight dollars per day and - mileage. - - Mr. Thomas Means, who has been appointed solicitor for the - Government, has been directed to meet you at Cairo on the - eighteenth instant, and will act, under the direction of the - commission, in the investigation of such claims as may be - presented. - - EDWIN M. STANTON, - _Secretary of War_. - - Hon. CHARLES A. DANA, of New York, - Cairo, Ill. - - -On reaching Cairo on the appointed day, I found my associates, Judge -Logan, of Springfield, Ill., one of Mr. Lincoln's friends, and Mr. -Boutwell, of Massachusetts, afterward Governor of his State, Secretary -of the Treasury, and a United States senator. We organized on the 18th, -as directed. Two days after we met Judge Logan was compelled by illness -to resign from the commission, and Shelby M. Cullom, now United States -senator from Illinois, was appointed in his place. - -The main Union armies had by this time advanced far to the front, but -Cairo was still an important military depot, almost an outpost, in -command of General William K. Strong, whom I had known well in New York -as a politician. There was a large number of troops stationed in the -town, and from there the armies on the Mississippi River, in Missouri, -and in Kentucky, got all their supplies and munitions of war. The -quartermaster's department at Cairo had been organized hastily, and the -demands upon it had increased rapidly. Much of the business had been -done by green volunteer officers who did not understand the technical -duties of making out military requisitions and returns. The result was -that the accounts were in great confusion, and hysterical newspapers -were charging the department with fraud and corruption. The War -Department decided to make a full investigation of all disbursements at -Cairo from the beginning. Little actual cash had thus far been paid out -upon contracts, and it was not too late to correct overcharges and -straighten out the system. The matter could not be settled by any -ordinary means, and the commission went there as a kind of supreme -authority, accepting or rejecting claims and paying them as we thought -fit after examining the evidence. - -Sixteen hundred and ninety-six claims, amounting to $599,219.36, were -examined by us. Of those approved and certified for payment the amount -was $451,105.80. Of the claims rejected, a considerable portion were for -losses suffered in the active operations of the army, either through -departure from discipline on the part of soldiers, or from requisitions -made by officers who failed to give receipts and certificates to the -persons concerned, who were thus unable to support their claims by -sufficient evidence. Many claims of this description were also presented -by men whose loyalty to the Government was impeached by credible -witnesses. In rejecting these the commission set forth the disloyalty of -the claimants, in the certificates written on the face of their -accounts. Other accounts, whose rightfulness was established, were -rejected on proof of disloyalty. The commission regarded complicity in -the rebellion as barring all claims against the United States. - -A question of some interest was raised by the claim of the trustees of -the Cairo city property to be paid for the use by the Government wharf -boats of the paved portion of the levee which protected the town against -the Ohio River. We were unable to see the matter in the light presented -by the trustees. Our judgment was that the Government ought not to pay -for the use of necessary landing places on these rivers or elsewhere -during the exigencies of the war, and we so certified upon the face of -the claims. A similar principle guided our decision upon several claims -for the rent of vacant lots in Cairo, which had been used by the -military authorities for the erection of temporary barracks or stables. -We determined that for these no rent ought, under the circumstances, to -be allowed, but we suggested that in justice to the owners this -temporary occupation should be terminated as soon as possible by the -sale and removal of the buildings. - -A very small percentage of the claims were rejected because of fraud. In -almost every case it was possible to suppose that the apparent fraud was -accident. My observation throughout the war was the same. I do not -believe that so much business could be transacted with a closer -adherence to the line of honesty. That there were frauds is a matter of -course, because men, and even some women, are wicked, but frauds were -the exception. - -Our commission finished its labors at Cairo on July 31, 1862, and I went -at once to Washington with the report, placing it in the hands of Mr. -Stanton on August 5th. It was never printed, and the manuscript is still -in the files of the War Department. - -There was a great deal of curiosity among officers in Washington about -the result of our investigation, and all the time that I was in the city -I was being questioned on the subject. It was natural enough that they -should have felt interested in our report. The charges of fraud and -corruption against officers and contractors had become so reckless and -general that the mere sight of a man in conference with a high official -led to the suspicion and often the charge that he was conspiring to rob -the Government. That in this case, where the charges seemed so well -based, so small a percentage of corruption had been proved was a source -of solid satisfaction to every one in the War Department. - -All the leisure that I had while in Cairo I spent in horseback riding up -and down the river banks and in visiting the adjacent military posts. My -longest and most interesting trip was on the Fourth of July, when I went -down the Mississippi to attend a big celebration at Memphis. I remember -it particularly because it was there that I first met General Grant. The -officers stationed in the city gave a dinner that day, to which I was -invited. At the table I was seated between Grant and Major John A. -Rawlins, of his staff. I remember distinctly the pleasant impression -Grant made--that of a man of simple manners, straightforward, cordial, -and unpretending. He had already fought the successful battles of Fort -Donelson and Shiloh, and, when I met him, was a major general in command -of the district of West Tennessee, Department of the Missouri, under -Halleck, with headquarters at Memphis. Although one would not have -suspected it from his manners, he was really under a cloud at the time -because of his operations at Shiloh. Those who did not like Grant had -accused him of having been taken by surprise there, and had declared -that he would have been beaten if Buell had not come up. I often talked -later with Grant's staff officers about Shiloh, and they always affirmed -that he would have been successful if Buell had not come to his relief. -I believe Grant himself thought so, although he never said so directly -in any one of the many talks I had with him about the battle. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[A] A month later General Frémont was assigned to the command of the -"Mountain Department," composed of parts of Virginia, Kentucky, and -Tennessee. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -AT THE FRONT WITH GRANT'S ARMY. - - War speculation in cotton--In business partnership with Roscoe - Conkling--Appointed special commissioner to Grant's army--The story - of a cipher code--From Memphis to Milliken's Bend--The various plans - for taking Vicksburg--At Grant's headquarters--The beginning of - trouble with McClernand. - - -As Mr. Stanton had no immediate need of my services, I returned in -August to New York, where I was occupied with various private affairs -until the middle of November, when I received a telegram from -Assistant-Secretary-of-War P. H. Watson, asking me to go immediately to -Washington to enter upon another investigation. I went, and was received -by Mr. Stanton, who offered me the place of Assistant Secretary of War. -I said I would accept. - -"All right," said he; "consider it settled." - -As I went out from the War Department into the street I met Major -Charles G. Halpine--"Miles O'Reilly"--of the Sixty-ninth New York -Infantry. I had known Halpine well as a newspaper man in New York, and I -told him of my appointment as Mr. Stanton's assistant. He immediately -repeated what I had told him to some newspaper people. It was reported -in the New York papers the next morning. The Secretary was greatly -offended and withdrew the appointment. When I told Halpine I had, of -course, no idea he was going to repeat it; besides, I did not think -there was any harm in telling. - -Immediately after this episode I formed a partnership with Roscoe -Conkling and George W. Chadwick to buy cotton. The outcry which the -manufacturers had raised over the inability to get cotton for their -industries had induced the Government to permit trading through the -lines of the army, and the business looked profitable. Conkling and I -each put ten thousand dollars into the firm, and Chadwick gave his -services, which, as he was an expert in cotton, was considered equal to -our capital. To facilitate our operations, I went to Washington to ask -Mr. Stanton for letters of recommendation to the generals on and near -the Mississippi, where we proposed to begin our purchases. Mr. Stanton -and I had several conversations about the advisability of allowing such -traffic, but he did not hesitate about giving me the letters I asked. -There were several of them: one to General Hurlbut, then at Memphis; -another to General Grant, who had begun his movement against Vicksburg; -and another to General Curtis, who commanded in Arkansas. The general -purport of them was: "Mr. Dana is my friend; you can rely upon what he -says, and if you can be kind to him in any way you will oblige me." - -It was in January, 1863, that Chadwick and I went to Memphis, where we -stayed at the Gayoso House, at that time the swell hotel of the town and -the headquarters of several officers. - -It was not long after I began to study the trade in cotton before I saw -it was a bad business and ought to be stopped. I at once wrote Mr. -Stanton the following letter, which embodied my observations and gave my -opinion as to what should be done: - - - MEMPHIS, _January 21, 1863_. - - DEAR SIR: You will remember our conversations on the subject of - excluding cotton speculators from the regions occupied by our - armies in the South. I now write to urge the matter upon your - attention as a measure of military necessity. - - The mania for sudden fortunes made in cotton, raging in a vast - population of Jews and Yankees scattered throughout this whole - country, and in this town almost exceeding the numbers of the - regular residents, has to an alarming extent corrupted and - demoralized the army. Every colonel, captain, or quartermaster is - in secret partnership with some operator in cotton; every soldier - dreams of adding a bale of cotton to his monthly pay. I had no - conception of the extent of this evil until I came and saw for - myself. - - Besides, the resources of the rebels are inordinately increased - from this source. Plenty of cotton is brought in from beyond our - lines, especially by the agency of Jewish traders, who pay for it - ostensibly in Treasury notes, but really in gold. - - What I would propose is that no private purchaser of cotton shall - be allowed in any part of the occupied region. - - Let quartermasters buy the article at a fixed price, say twenty or - twenty-five cents per pound, and forward it by army transportation - to proper centers, say Helena, Memphis, or Cincinnati, to be sold - at public auction on Government account. Let the sales take place - on regular fixed days, so that all parties desirous of buying can - be sure when to be present. - - But little capital will be required for such an operation. The - sales being frequent and for cash, will constantly replace the - amount employed for the purpose. I should say that two hundred - thousand dollars would be sufficient to conduct the movement. - - I have no doubt that this two hundred thousand dollars so employed - would be more than equal to thirty thousand men added to the - national armies. - - My pecuniary interest is in the continuance of the present state of - things, for while it lasts there are occasional opportunities of - profit to be made by a daring operator; but I should be false to my - duty did I, on that account, fail to implore you to put an end to - an evil so enormous, so insidious, and so full of peril to the - country. - - My first impulse was to hurry to Washington to represent these - things to you in person; but my engagements here with other persons - will not allow me to return East so speedily. I beg you, however, - to act without delay, if possible. An excellent man to put at the - head of the business would be General Strong. I make this - suggestion without any idea whether the employment would be - agreeable to him. - - Yours faithfully, CHARLES A. DANA. - - Mr. STANTON. - - P.S.--Since writing the above I have seen General Grant, who fully - agrees with all my statements and suggestions, except that imputing - corruption to every officer, which of course I did not intend to be - taken literally. - - I have also just attended a public sale by the quartermaster here - of five hundred bales of cotton confiscated by General Grant at - Oxford and Holly Springs. It belonged to Jacob Thompson and other - notorious rebels. This cotton brought to-day over a million and a - half of dollars, cash. This sum alone would be five times enough to - set on foot the system I recommend, without drawing upon the - Treasury at all. In fact, there can be no question that by adopting - this system the quartermaster's department in this valley _would - become self-supporting_, while the army would become honest again, - and the slaveholders would no longer find that the rebellion had - quadrupled the price of their great staple, but only doubled it. - - -As soon as I could get away from Memphis I went to Washington, where I -had many conversations with Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Stanton about -restricting the trade in cotton. They were deeply interested in my -observations, and questioned me closely about what I had seen. My -opinion that the trade should be stopped had the more weight because I -was able to say, "General Grant and every general officer whom I have -seen hopes it will be done." - -The result of these consultations was that on March 31, 1863, Mr. -Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring unlawful all commercial -intercourse with the States in insurrection, except when carried on -according to the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the -Treasury. These regulations Mr. Chase prepared at once. At the same time -that Mr. Lincoln issued his proclamation, Mr. Stanton issued an order -forbidding officers and all members of the army to have anything to do -with the trade. In spite of all these regulations, however, and the -modifications of them which experience brought, there was throughout the -war more or less difficulty over cotton trading. - -From Washington I went back to New York. I had not been there long -before Mr. Stanton sent for me to come to Washington. He wanted some one -to go to Grant's army, he said, to report daily to him the military -proceedings, and to give such information as would enable Mr. Lincoln -and himself to settle their minds as to Grant, about whom at that time -there were many doubts, and against whom there was some complaint. - -"Will you go?" Mr. Stanton asked. "Yes," I said. "Very well," he -replied. "The ostensible function I shall give you will be that of -special commissioner of the War Department to investigate the pay -service of the Western armies, but your real duty will be to report to -me every day what you see." - -On March 12th Mr. Stanton wrote me the following letter: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, _March 12, 1863_. - - DEAR SIR: I inclose you a copy of your order of appointment and the - order fixing your compensation, with a letter to Generals - Sumner,[B] Grant, and Rosecrans, and a draft for one thousand - dollars. Having explained the purposes of your appointment to you - personally, no further instructions will be given unless specially - required. Please acknowledge the receipt of this, and proceed as - early as possible to your duties. - - Yours truly, EDWIN M. STANTON. - - C. A. DANA, Esq., New York. - - -My commission read: - - ORDERED, That C. A. Dana, Esq., be and he is hereby appointed - special commissioner of the War Department to investigate and report - upon the condition of the pay service in the Western armies. All - paymasters and assistant paymasters will furnish to the said - commissioner for the Secretary of War information upon any matters - concerning which he may make inquiry of them as fully and - completely and promptly as if directly called for by the Secretary - of War. Railroad agents, quartermasters, and commissioners will give - him transportation and subsistence. All officers and persons in the - service will aid him in the performance of his duties, and will - afford him assistance, courtesy, and protection. The said - commissioner will make report to this department as occasion may - require. - - -The letters of introduction and explanation to the generals were -identical: - - - GENERAL: Charles A. Dana, Esq., has been appointed a special - commissioner of this department to investigate and report upon the - condition of the pay service in the Western armies. You will please - aid him in the performance of his duties, and communicate to him - fully your views and wishes in respect to that branch of the service - in your command, and also give to him such information as you may - deem beneficial to the service. He is specially commended to your - courtesy and protection. Yours truly, - - EDWIN M. STANTON. - - -I started at once for Memphis, going by way of Cairo and Columbus. - -I sent my first dispatch to the War Department from Columbus, on March -20th. It was sent by a secret cipher furnished by the War Department, -which I used myself, for throughout the war I was my own cipher clerk. -The ordinary method at the various headquarters was for the sender to -write out the dispatch in full, after which it was translated from plain -English into the agreed cipher by a telegraph operator or clerk retained -for that exclusive purpose, who understood it, and by another it was -retranslated back again at the other end of the line. So whatever -military secret was transmitted was at the mercy always of at least two -outside persons, besides running the gantlet of other prying eyes. -Dispatches written in complex cipher codes were often difficult to -unravel, unless transmitted by the operator with the greatest precision. -A wrong word sometimes destroyed the sense of an entire dispatch, and -important movements were delayed thereby. This explains the oft-repeated -"I do not understand your telegram" found in the official correspondence -of the war period. - -I have become familiar since the war with a great many ciphers, but I -never found one which was more satisfactory than that which I used in my -messages to Mr. Stanton. In preparing my message I first wrote it out in -lines of a given number of words, spaced regularly so as to form five, -six, seven, eight, nine, and ten columns. My key contained various -"routes," to be followed in writing out the messages for transmission. -Thus, a five-column message had one route, a six-column another, and so -on. The route was indicated by a "commencement word." If I had put my -message into five columns, I would write at the beginning the word -"Army," or any one in a list of nine words. The receiver, on looking for -that word in his key, would see that he was to write out what he had -received in lines of five words, thus forming five columns; and then he -was to read it down the fifth column, up the third, down the fourth, up -the second, down the first. At the end of each column an "extra" or -"check" word was added as a blind. A list of "blind" words was also -printed in the key, with each route, which could be inserted, if wished, -at the end of each line so as still further to deceive curious people -who did not have the key. The key contained also a large number of -cipher words. Thus, P. H. Sheridan was "soap" or "Somerset"; President -was "Pembroke" or "Penfield." Instead of writing "there has been," I -wrote "maroon"; instead of secession, "mint"; instead of Vicksburg, -"Cupid." My own cipher was "spunky" or "squad." The days, months, hours, -numerals, and alphabet all had ciphers. - -The only message sent by this cipher to be translated by an outsider on -the route, so far as I know, was that one of 4 P.M., September 20, 1863, -in which I reported the Union defeat at Chickamauga. General R. S. -Granger, who was then at Nashville, was at the telegraph office waiting -for news when my dispatch passed through. The operator guessed out the -dispatch, as he afterward confessed, and it was passed around Nashville. -The agent of the Associated Press at Louisville sent out a private -printed circular quoting me as an authority for reporting the battle as -a total defeat, and in Cincinnati Horace Maynard repeated, the same day -of the battle, the entire second sentence of the dispatch, "Chickamauga -is as fatal a name in our history as Bull Run." - -This premature disclosure to the public of what was only the truth, well -known at the front, caused a great deal of trouble. I immediately set on -foot an investigation to discover who had penetrated our cipher code, -and soon arrived at a satisfactory understanding of the matter, of which -Mr. Stanton was duly informed. No blame could attach to me, as was -manifest upon the inquiry; nevertheless, the sensation resulted in -considerable annoyance all along the line from Chattanooga to -Washington. I suggested to Mr. Stanton the advisability of concocting a -new and more difficult cipher, but it was never changed, so far as I now -remember. - -It was from Columbus, Ky., on March 20, 1863, that I sent my first -telegram to the War Department. I did not remain in Columbus long, for -there was absolutely no trustworthy information there respecting affairs -down the river, but took a boat to Memphis, where I arrived on March -23d. I found General Hurlbut in command. I had met Hurlbut in January, -when on my cotton business, and he gave me every opportunity to gather -information concerning the operations against Vicksburg. Four different -plans for reaching the city were then on foot, the essential element of -all of them being to secure for the army on the high ground behind the -city a foothold whence it could strike, and at the same time be supplied -from a river base. The first and oldest and apparently most promising of -these plans was that of the canal across the neck of the peninsula -facing Vicksburg, on the Louisiana side. When I reached Memphis this -canal was thought to be nearly done. - -The second route was by Lake Providence, about forty miles north of -Vicksburg, in Louisiana. It was close to the western bank of the -Mississippi, with which it was proposed to connect it by means of a -canal. The Bayou Macon connected Lake Providence with the Tensas River. -By descending the Tensas to the Washita, the Washita to the Red, the -Red to the Mississippi, the army could be landed on the east bank of the -Mississippi about one hundred and fifty miles south of Vicksburg, and -thence could be marched north. McPherson, with his Seventeenth Corps, -had been ordered by Grant on January 30th to open this route. It was -reported at Memphis when I arrived there that the cutting of Lake -Providence was perfectly successful, but that Bayou Macon was full of -snags, which must be got out before the Tensas would be accessible. - -The third and fourth routes proposed for getting behind -Vicksburg--namely, by Yazoo Pass and Steele's Bayou--were attracting the -chief attention when I reached Memphis. Yazoo Pass opened from the -eastern bank of the Mississippi at a point about one hundred and fifty -miles above Vicksburg into Moon Lake, and thence into the Coldwater -River. Through the Coldwater and the Tallahatchie the Yazoo River was -reached. If troops could follow this route and capture Haynes's Bluff, -fourteen miles from the mouth of the Yazoo, Vicksburg at once became -untenable. The Yazoo Pass operation had begun in February, but the -detachment had had bad luck, and on my arrival at Memphis was lying up -the Yallabusha waiting for re-enforcements and supplies. - -An attempt was being made also to reach the Yazoo by a roundabout route -through Steele's Bayou, Deer Creek, the Rolling Fork, and the Big -Sunflower. Grant had learned of this route only a short time before my -arrival, and had at once sent Sherman with troops and Admiral Porter -with gunboats to attempt to reach the Yazoo. On March 27th reports came -to Memphis that Sherman had landed twenty regiments on the east bank of -the Yazoo above Haynes's Bluff, and that the gunboats were there to -support him. Reports from other points also were so encouraging that the -greatest enthusiasm prevailed throughout the army, and General Grant was -said to be dead sure he would have Vicksburg within a fortnight. - -Five days later, however, we heard at Memphis that there had been a -series of disasters in these different operations, that the Yazoo Pass -expedition was definitely abandoned, and that General Grant had an -entirely new plan of campaign. - -I had not been long at Memphis before I decided that it was impossible -to gather trustworthy news there. I had to rely for most of my -information on the reports brought up the river by occasional officers, -not all of whom were sure of what they told, and on the stories of -persons coming from the vicinity of the different operations. -Occasionally an intelligent planter arrived whom I was inclined to -believe, but on the whole I found that my sources of information were -few and uncertain. I accordingly suggested to Mr. Stanton, three days -after my arrival, that I would be more useful farther down the river. In -reply he telegraphed: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, _March 30, 1863_. - - C. A. DANA, Esq., Memphis, Tenn., via Cairo: - - Your telegrams have been received, and although the information has - been meager and unsatisfactory, I am conscious that arises from no - fault of yours. You will proceed to General Grant's headquarters, - or wherever you may be best able to accomplish the purposes - designated by this department. You will consider your movements to - be governed by your own discretion, without any restriction. - - EDWIN M. STANTON, - _Secretary of War_. - - -As soon after receiving his telegram as I could get a boat I left -Memphis for Milliken's Bend, where General Grant had his headquarters. I -reached there at noon on April 6th. - -The Mississippi at Milliken's Bend was a mile wide, and the sight as we -came down the river by boat was most imposing. Grant's big army was -stretched up and down the river bank over the plantations, its white -tents affording a new decoration to the natural magnificence of the -broad plains. These plains, which stretch far back from the river, were -divided into rich and old plantations by blooming hedges of rose and -Osage orange, the mansions of the owners being inclosed in roses, -myrtles, magnolias, oaks, and every other sort of beautiful and noble -trees. The negroes whose work made all this wealth and magnificence were -gone, and there was nothing growing in the fields. - -For some days after my arrival I lived in a steamboat tied up to the -shore, for though my tent was pitched and ready, I was not able to get a -mattress and pillow. From the deck of the steamer I saw in those days -many a wonderful and to me novel sight. One I remember still. I was -standing out on the upper deck with a group of officers, when we saw far -away, close to the other shore of the river, a long line of something -white floating in the water. We thought it was foam, but it was too long -and white, and that it was cotton which had been thrown into the river, -but it was too straight and regular. Presently we heard a gun fired, -then another, and then we saw it was an enormous flock of swans. They -arose from the water one after the other, and sailed away up the river -in long, curving, silver lines, bending and floating almost like clouds, -and finally disappearing high up in the air above the green woods on the -Mississippi shore. I suppose there were a thousand of them. - -I had not been long at Milliken's Bend before I was on friendly terms -with all the generals, big and little, and one or two of them I found -were very rare men. Sherman especially impressed me as a man of genius -and of the widest intellectual acquisitions. Every day I rode in one -direction or another with an officer, inspecting the operations going -on. From what I saw on my rides over the country I got a new insight -into slavery, which made me no more a friend to that institution than I -was before. I had seen slavery in Maryland, Kentucky, Virginia, and -Missouri, but it was not till I saw these great Louisiana plantations -with all their apparatus for living and working that I really felt the -aristocratic nature of the institution, and the infernal baseness of -that aristocracy. Every day my conviction was intensified that the -territorial and political integrity of the nation must be preserved at -all costs, no matter how long it took; that it was better to keep up the -existing war as long as was necessary, rather than to make arrangement -for indefinite wars hereafter and for other disruptions; that we must -have it out then, and settle forever the question, so that our children -would be able to attend to other matters. For my own part, I preferred -one nation and one country, with a military government afterward, if -such should follow, rather than two or three nations and countries with -the semblance of the old Constitution in each of them, ending in wars -and despotisms everywhere. - -As soon as I arrived at Milliken's Bend, on April 6th, I had hunted up -Grant and explained my mission. He received me cordially. Indeed, I -think Grant was always glad to have me with his army. He did not like -letter writing, and my daily dispatches to Mr. Stanton relieved him from -the necessity of describing every day what was going on in the army. -From the first neither he nor any of his staff or corps commanders -evinced any unwillingness to show me the inside of things. In this first -interview at Milliken's Bend, for instance, Grant explained to me so -fully his new plan of campaign--for there was now but one--that by three -o'clock I was able to send an outline of it to Mr. Stanton. From that -time I saw and knew all the interior operations of that toughest of -tough jobs, the reopening of the Mississippi. - -The new project, so Grant told me, was to transfer his army to New -Carthage, and from there carry it over the Mississippi, landing it at or -about Grand Gulf; to capture this point, and then to operate rapidly on -the southern and eastern shore of the Big Black River, threatening at -the same time both Vicksburg and Jackson, and confusing the Confederates -as to his real objective. If this could be done he believed the enemy -would come out of Vicksburg and fight. - -The first element in this plan was to open a passage from the -Mississippi near Milliken's Bend, above Vicksburg, to the bayou on the -west side, which led around to New Carthage below. The length of -navigation in this cut-off was about thirty-seven miles, and the plan -was to take through with small tugs perhaps fifty barges, enough, at -least, to transfer the whole army, with artillery and baggage, to the -other side of the Mississippi in twenty-four hours. If necessary, troops -were to be transported by the canal, though Grant hoped to march them by -the road along its bank. Part of McClernand's corps had already reached -New Carthage overland, and Grant was hurrying other troops forward. The -canal to the bayou was already half completed, thirty-five hundred men -being at work on it when I arrived. - -The second part of the plan was to float down the river, past the -Vicksburg batteries, half a dozen steamboats protected by defenses of -bales of cotton and wet hay; these steamboats were to serve as -transports of supplies after the army had crossed the Mississippi. - -Perhaps the best evidence of the feasibility of the project was found in -the fact that the river men pronounced its success certain. General -Sherman, who commanded one of the three corps in Grant's army, and with -whom I conversed at length upon the subject, thought there was no -difficulty in opening the passage, but that the line would be a -precarious one for supplies after the army was thrown across the -Mississippi. Sherman's preference was for a movement by way of Yazoo -Pass, or Lake Providence, but it was not long before I saw in our daily -talks that his mind was tending to the conclusion of General Grant. As -for General Grant, his purpose was dead set on the new scheme. Admiral -Porter cordially agreed with him. - -An important modification was made a few days after my arrival in the -plan of operations. It was determined that after the occupation of Grand -Gulf the main army, instead of operating up the Big Black toward -Jackson, should proceed down the river against Port Hudson, co-operating -with General Banks against that point, and that after the capture of -Port Hudson the two united forces should proceed against Vicksburg. - -There seemed to be only one hitch in the campaign. Grant had intrusted -the attack on Grand Gulf to McClernand. Sherman, Porter, and other -leading officers believed this a mistake, and talked frankly with me -about it. One night when we had all gathered at Grant's headquarters and -were talking over the campaign very freely, as we were accustomed to do, -both Sherman and Porter protested against the arrangement. But Grant -would not be changed. McClernand, he said, was exceedingly desirous of -the command. He was the senior of the other corps commanders. He was an -especial favorite of the President, and the position which his corps -occupied on the ground when the movement was first projected was such -that the advance naturally fell to its lot; besides, he had entered -zealously into the plan from the first, while Sherman had doubted and -criticised, and McPherson, whom Grant said he would really have much -preferred, was away at Lake Providence, and though he had approved of -the scheme, he had taken no active part in it. - -I believed the assignment of this duty to McClernand to be so dangerous -that I added my expostulation to those of the generals, and in reporting -the case to Mr. Stanton I wrote: "I have remonstrated so far as I could -properly do so against intrusting so momentous an operation to -McClernand." - -Mr. Stanton replied: "Allow me to suggest that you carefully avoid -giving any advice in respect to commands that may be assigned, as it may -lead to misunderstanding and troublesome complications." Of course, -after that I scrupulously observed his directions, even in extreme -cases. - -As the days went on everybody, in spite of this hitch, became more -sanguine that the new project would succeed. For my part I had not a -doubt of it, as one can see from this fragment written from Milliken's -Bend on April 13th to one of my friends: - -"Like all who really know the facts, I feel no sort of doubt that we -shall before long get the nut cracked. Probably before this letter -reaches New York on its way to you the telegraph will get ahead of it -with the news that Grant, masking Vicksburg, deemed impregnable by its -defenders, has carried the bulk of his army down the river through a -cut-off which he has opened without the enemy believing it could be -done; has occupied Grand Gulf, taken Port Hudson, and, effecting a -junction with the forces of Banks, has returned up the river to -threaten Jackson and compel the enemy to come out of Vicksburg and fight -him on ground of his own choosing. Of course this scheme may miscarry in -whole or in parts, but as yet the chances all favor its execution, which -is now just ready to begin." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[B] General E. V. Sumner, who had just been relieved, at his own -request, from the Army of the Potomac and appointed to the Department of -the Missouri. He was on his way thither when he died, on March 21st. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -BEFORE AND AROUND VICKSBURG. - - The hard job of reopening the Mississippi--Admiral Porter runs the - Confederate batteries--Headquarters moved to Smith's - plantation--Delay and confusion in McClernand's command--The - unsuccessful attack on Grand Gulf--The move to the east shore--Mr. - Dana secures a good horse. - - -On the new lines adopted by General Grant, the work went on cheeringly, -though every day changes were made in the details. I spent my days in -riding from point to point, noting the progress. I went out often with -Colonel G. G. Pride, the engineer officer, in whose mess I was, and who -was superintending the construction of the canal which led from Duckport -to the bayou. The work on this canal was a curious sight to see, for -there was a force equal to five regiments at the digging, while a large -number of pioneers were engaged in clearing the bayou beyond. The canal -was opened on April 13th, and the authorities agreed that there was no -reason to doubt its usefulness, though the obstructions in the bayou -were so numerous that it was thought that it would require several days -more to clear a passage for tugs and barges. - -One of my most interesting trips from Milliken's Bend was made with -Major James H. Wilson to view the casemated batteries our engineers were -constructing on the shore opposite Vicksburg. They hoped with the -thirty-pound Parrotts they were putting in to be able to destroy any -building in the town. From behind the levee of the peninsula we were -able with our glasses to examine the fortifications of Vicksburg. - -The best look I had at that town, however, while I was at Milliken's -Bend was not from the peninsula opposite, but from a gunboat. On April -12th I went down with a flag of truce to the vicinity of Vicksburg, so -that I got a capital view. It was an ugly place, with its line of bluffs -commanding the channel for fully seven miles, and battery piled above -battery all the way. - -Admiral Porter's arrangements for carrying out the second part of -Grant's scheme--that is, running the Vicksburg batteries--were all -completed by April 16th, the ironclads and steamers being protected in -vulnerable parts by bulwarks of hay, cotton, and sand bags, and the -barges loaded with forage, coal, and the camp equipment of General -McClernand's corps, which was already at New Carthage. No doubt was felt -that the design was known in Vicksburg, and it was arranged that Admiral -Porter should open fire there with all his guns as he swept past the -town, and that the new batteries on the levee opposite the city should -also participate. Admiral Porter was to go with the expedition on a -small tug, and he invited me to accompany him, but it seemed to me that -I ought not to get out of my communications, and so refused. Instead, I -joined Grant on his headquarters boat, which was stationed on the right -bank of the river, where from the bows we could see the squadron as it -started, and could follow its course until it was nearly past Vicksburg. - -Just before ten o'clock on the night of April 16th the squadron cast -loose its moorings. It was a strange scene. First a mass of black things -detached itself from the shore, and we saw it float out toward the -middle of the stream. There was nothing to be seen except this big black -mass, which dropped slowly down the river. Soon another black mass -detached itself, and another, then another. It was Admiral Porter's -fleet of ironclad turtles, steamboats, and barges. They floated down the -Mississippi darkly and silently, showing neither steam nor light, save -occasionally a signal astern, where the enemy could not see it. - -The vessels moved at intervals of about two hundred yards. First came -seven ironclad turtles and one heavy armed ram; following these were two -side-wheel steamers and one stern-wheel, having twelve barges in tow; -these barges carried the supplies. Far astern of them was one carrying -ammunition. The most of the gunboats had already doubled the tongue of -land which stretches northeasterly in front of Vicksburg, and they were -immediately under the guns of nearly all the Confederate batteries, when -there was a flash from the upper forts, and then for an hour and a half -the cannonade was terrific, raging incessantly along the line of about -four miles in extent. I counted five hundred and twenty-five discharges. -Early in the action the enemy put the torch to a frame building in front -of Vicksburg to light up the scene and direct his fire. - -About 12.45 A.M. one our steamers, the Henry Clay, took fire, and -burned for three quarters of an hour. The Henry Clay was lost by being -abandoned by her captain and crew in a panic, they thinking her to be -sinking. The pilot refused to go with them, and said if they would stay -they would get her through safe. After they had fled in the yawls, the -cotton bales on her deck took fire, and one wheel became unmanageable. -The pilot then ran her aground, and got upon a plank, on which he was -picked up four miles below. - -The morning after Admiral Porter had run the Vicksburg batteries I went -with General Grant to New Carthage to review the situation. We found the -squadron there, all in fighting condition, though most of them had been -hit. Not a man had been lost. - -As soon as we returned to Milliken's Bend Grant ordered that six -transport steamers, each loaded with one hundred thousand rations and -forty days' coal, should be made ready to run the Vicksburg batteries. -The order was executed on the night of the 22d. The transports were -manned throughout, officers, engineers, pilots, and deck hands, by -volunteers from the army, mainly from Logan's division. This dangerous -service was sought with great eagerness, and experienced men had been -found for every post. If ten thousand men had been wanted instead of one -hundred and fifty, they would have engaged with zeal in the adventure. -In addition to bulwarks of hay, cotton, and pork barrels, each transport -was protected by a barge on each side of it. Orders were to drop -noiselessly down with the current from the mouth of the Yazoo, and not -show steam till the enemy's batteries began firing, when the boats were -to use all their legs. The night was cloudy, and the run was made with -the loss of one of the transports, the Tigress, which was sunk, and a -few men wounded. - -The day after these transports with supplies ran the Vicksburg batteries -General Grant changed his headquarters to Smith's plantation, near New -Carthage. All of McClernand's corps, the Thirteenth, was now near there, -and that officer said ten thousand men would be ready to move from New -Carthage the next day. McPherson's corps, which had been busy upon the -Lake Providence expedition and other services, but which had been -ordered to join, was now, except one division, moving over from -Milliken's Bend. Sherman's corps, the Fifteenth, which had been -stationed at Young's Point, was also under marching orders to New -Carthage. - -Grant's first object now was to cross the Mississippi as speedily as -possible and capture Grand Gulf before it could be re-enforced; but -first it was necessary to know the strength of this point. On the 22d -Admiral Porter had gone down with his gunboats and opened fire to -ascertain the position and strength of the batteries. He reported them -too strong to overcome, and earnestly advised against a direct attack. -He suggested that the troops either be marched down the west side from -New Carthage to a point where they could be ferried over the Mississippi -just below Grand Gulf, or that they be embarked on the transports and -barges and floated past the batteries in the night. - -The day after Grant changed his headquarters to Smith's plantation he -went himself with General Porter to reconnoiter Grand Gulf. His -reconnoissance convinced him that the place was not so strong as Admiral -Porter had supposed, and an attack was ordered to be made as soon as the -troops could be made ready, the next day, April 26th, if possible. - -An irritating delay occurred then, however. McClernand's corps was not -ready to move. When we came to Smith's plantation, on the 24th, I had -seen that there was apparently much confusion in McClernand's command, -and I was astonished to find, now that he was ordered to move across the -Mississippi, that he was planning to carry his bride with her servants, -and baggage along with him, although Grant had ordered that officers -should leave behind everything that could impede the march. - -On the 26th, the day when it was hoped to make an attack on Grand Gulf, -I went with Grant by water from our headquarters at Smith's plantation -down to New Carthage and to Perkins's plantation below, where two of -McClernand's divisions were encamped. These troops, it was supposed, -were ready for immediate embarkation, and there were quite as many as -all the transports could carry, but the first thing which struck us both -on approaching the points of embarkation was that the steamboats and -barges were scattered about in the river and in the bayou as if there -was no idea of the imperative necessity of the promptest movement -possible. - -We at once steamed to Admiral Porter's flagship, which was lying just -above Grand Gulf, and Grant sent for McClernand, ordering him to embark -his men without losing a moment. In spite of this order, that night at -dark, when a thunderstorm set in, not a single cannon or man had been -moved. Instead, McClernand held a review of a brigade of Illinois troops -at Perkins's about four o'clock in the afternoon. At the same time a -salute of artillery was fired, notwithstanding the positive orders that -had repeatedly been given to use no ammunition for any purpose except -against the enemy. - -When we got back from the river to headquarters, on the night of the -26th, we found that McPherson had arrived at Smith's plantation with the -first division of his corps, the rear being not very far behind. His -whole force would have been up the next day, but it was necessary to -arrest its movements until McClernand could be got out of the way; this -made McClernand's delay the more annoying. General Lorenzo Thomas, who -was on the Mississippi at this time organizing negro troops, told me -that he believed now that McPherson would actually have his men ready to -embark before McClernand. - -Early the next morning, April 27th, I went with Grant from Smith's -plantation back to New Carthage. As soon as we arrived the general wrote -a very severe letter to McClernand, but learning that at last the -transport steamers and barges had been concentrated for use he did not -send the rebuke. Grant spent the day there completing the preparations -for embarking, and on the morning of the 28th about ten thousand men -were on board. This force was not deemed sufficient for the attack on -Grand Gulf, so the troops were brought down to Hard Times landing, on -the Louisiana side, almost directly across the river from Grand Gulf, -where a portion of them were debarked, and the transports sent back for -Hovey's division, six thousand strong. We spent the night at Hard Times -waiting for these troops, which arrived about daylight on the morning of -the 29th. - -There were now sixteen thousand men at Hard Times ready to be landed at -the foot of the Grand Gulf bluff as soon as its batteries were silenced. -At precisely eight o'clock the gunboats opened their attack. Seven, all -ironclads, were engaged, and a cannonade was kept up for nearly six -hours. We soon found that the enemy had five batteries, the first and -most formidable of them being placed on the high promontory close to the -mouth of the Big Black. The lower batteries, mounting smaller guns and -having no more than two pieces each, were silenced early in the action, -but this one obstinately resisted. For the last four hours of the -engagement the whole seven gunboats were employed in firing at this one -battery, now at long range, seeking to drop shells within the parapet, -now at the very foot of the hill, within about two hundred yards, -endeavoring to dismount its guns by direct fire. It was hit again and -again, but its pieces were not disabled. At last, about half past one -o'clock, Admiral Porter gave the signal to withdraw. The gunboats had -been hit more or less severely. I was on board the Benton during the -attack, and saw that her armor had been pierced repeatedly both in her -sides and her pilot house, but she had not a gun disabled; and except -for the holes through her mail, some of them in her hull, she was as -ready to fight as at the beginning of the action. - -The batteries having proved too much for the gunboats, General Grant -determined to execute an alternative plan which he had had in mind from -the first; that was, to debark the troops and march them south across -the peninsula which faces Grand Gulf to a place out of reach of the -Confederate guns. While the engagement between the gunboats and -batteries had been going on, all the rest of McClernand's corps had -reached Hard Times, having marched around by land, and three divisions -of McPherson's corps had also come up. This entire body of about -thirty-five thousand men was immediately started across the peninsula to -De Shroon's plantation, where it was proposed to embark them again. - -Late in the evening I left Hard Times with Grant to ride across the -peninsula to De Shroon's. The night was pitch dark, and, as we rode side -by side, Grant's horse suddenly gave a nasty stumble. I expected to see -the general go over the animal's head, and I watched intently, not to -see if he was hurt, but if he would show any anger. I had been with -Grant daily now for three weeks, and I had never seen him ruffled or -heard him swear. His equanimity was becoming a curious spectacle to me. -When I saw his horse lunge my first thought was, "Now he will swear." -For an instant his moral status was on trial; but Grant was a tenacious -horseman, and instead of going over the animal's head, as I imagined he -would, he kept his seat. Pulling up his horse, he rode on, and, to my -utter amazement, without a word or sign of impatience. And it is a fact -that though I was with Grant during the most trying campaigns of the -war, I never heard him use an oath. - -In order to get the transports past Grand Gulf, Porter's gunboats had -engaged the batteries about dusk. This artillery duel lasted until about -ten o'clock, the gunboats withdrawing as soon as the transports were -safely past, and steaming at once to De Shroon's plantation, where -General McClernand's corps was all ready to take the transports. The -night was spent in embarking the men. By eleven o'clock the next -morning, April 30th, three divisions were landed on the east shore of -the Mississippi at the place General Grant had selected. This was -Bruinsburg, sixty miles south of Vicksburg, and the first point south of -Grand Gulf from which the highlands of the interior could be reached by -a road over dry land. - -I was obliged to separate from Grant on the 30th, for the means for -transporting troops and officers were so limited that neither an extra -man nor a particle of unnecessary baggage was allowed, and I did not get -over until the morning of May 1st, after the army had moved on Port -Gibson, where they first engaged the enemy. As soon as I was landed at -Bruinsburg I started in the direction of the battle, on foot, of course, -as no horses had been brought over. I had not gone far before I overtook -a quartermaster driving toward Port Gibson; he took me into his wagon. -About four miles from Port Gibson we came upon the first signs of the -battle, a field where it was evident that there had been a struggle. I -got out of the wagon as we approached, and started toward a little white -house with green blinds, covered with vines. The little white house had -been taken as a field hospital, and the first thing my eyes fell upon as -I went into the yard was a heap of arms and legs which had been -amputated and thrown into a pile outside. I had seen men shot and dead -men plenty, but this pile of legs and arms gave me a vivid sense of war -such as I had not before experienced. - -As the army was pressing the Confederates toward Port Gibson all that -day I followed in the rear, without overtaking General Grant. While -trailing along after the Union forces I came across Fred Grant, then a -lad of thirteen, who had been left asleep by his father on a steamer at -Bruinsburg, but who had started out on foot like myself as soon as he -awoke and found the army had marched. We tramped and foraged together -until the next morning, when some officers who had captured two old -horses gave us each one. We got the best bridles and saddles we could, -and thus equipped made our way into Port Gibson, which the enemy had -deserted and where General Grant now had his headquarters. I rode that -old horse for four or five days, then by a chance I got a good one. A -captured Confederate officer had been brought before General Grant for -examination. Now this man had a very good horse, and after Grant had -finished his questions the officer said: - -"General, this horse and saddle are my private property; they do not -belong to the Confederate army; they belong to me as a citizen, and I -trust you will let me have them. Of course, while I am a prisoner I do -not expect to be allowed to ride the horse, but I hope you will regard -him as my property, and finally restore him to me." - -"Well," said Grant, "I have got four or five first-rate horses wandering -somewhere about the Southern Confederacy. They have been captured from -me in battle or by spies. I will authorize you, whenever you find one of -them, to take possession of him. I cheerfully give him to you; but as -for this horse, I think he is just about the horse Mr. Dana needs." - -I rode my new acquisition afterward through that whole campaign, and -when I came away I turned him over to the quartermaster. Whenever I went -out with General Grant anywhere he always had some question to ask about -that horse. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -IN CAMP AND BATTLE WITH GRANT AND HIS GENERALS. - - Marching into the enemy's country--A night in a church with a Bible - for pillow--Our communications are cut--Entering the capital of - Mississippi--The War Department gives Grant full authority--Battle - of Champion's Hill--General Logan's peculiarity--Battlefield - incidents--Vicksburg invested and the siege begun--Personal traits - of Sherman, McPherson, and McClernand. - - -It was the second day of May, 1863, when I rode into Port Gibson, Miss., -and inquired for Grant's headquarters. I found the general in a little -house of the village, busily directing the advance of the army. He told -me that in the battle of the day before the Confederates had been driven -back on the roads to Grand Gulf and Vicksburg, and that our forces were -now in full pursuit. By the next morning, May 3d, our troops had -possession of the roads as far as the Big Black. As soon as he was sure -of this, General Grant started with a brigade of infantry and some -twenty cavalrymen for Grand Gulf. I accompanied him on the trip. When -within about seven miles of Grand Gulf we found that the town had been -deserted, and leaving the brigade we entered with the cavalry escort. - -During this ride to Grand Gulf Grant made inquiries on every side about -the food supplies of the country we were entering. He told me he had -been gathering information on this point ever since the army crossed -the Mississippi, and had made up his mind that both beef and cattle and -corn were abundant in the country. The result of this inquiry was that -here at Grand Gulf Grant took the resolve which makes the Vicksburg -campaign so famous--that of abandoning entirely his base of supplies as -soon as the army was all up and the rations on the way arrived, boldly -striking into the interior, and depending on the country for meat and -even for bread. - -We did not reach Grand Gulf until late on May 3d, but at one o'clock on -the morning of the 4th Grant was off for the front. He had decided that -it was useless to bring up the army to this place, to the capture of -which we had been so long looking, and which had been abandoned so -quickly now that our army was across the Mississippi. I did not follow -until later in the day, and so had an opportunity of seeing General -Sherman. His corps was marching from above as rapidly as possible down -to Hard Times landing, and he had come over to Grand Gulf to see about -debarking his troops there; this he succeeded in doing a couple of days -later. - -That evening I joined Grant at his new headquarters at Hankinson's Ferry -on the Big Black, and now began my first experience with army marching -into an enemy's territory. A glimpse of my life at this time is given in -a letter to a child, written the morning after I rejoined Grant: - -"All of a sudden it is very cold here. Two days ago it was hot like -summer, but now I sit in my tent in my overcoat, writing, and thinking -if I only were at home instead of being almost two thousand miles away. - -"Away yonder, in the edge of the woods, I hear the drum-beat that calls -the soldiers to their supper. It is only a little after five o'clock, -but they begin the day very early and end it early. Pretty soon after -dark they are all asleep, lying in their blankets under the trees, for -in a quick march they leave their tents behind. Their guns are all ready -at their sides, so that if they are suddenly called at night they can -start in a moment. It is strange in the morning before daylight to hear -the bugle and drums sound the reveille, which calls the army to wake up. -It will begin perhaps at a distance and then run along the whole line, -bugle after bugle and drum after drum taking it up, and then it goes -from front to rear, farther and farther away, the sweet sounds throbbing -and rolling while you lie on the grass with your saddle for a pillow, -half awake, or opening your eyes to see that the stars are all bright in -the sky, or that there is only a faint flush in the east, where the day -is soon to break. - -"Living in camp is queer business. I get my meals in General Grant's -mess, and pay my share of the expenses. The table is a chest with a -double cover, which unfolds on the right and the left; the dishes, -knives and forks, and caster are inside. Sometimes we get good things, -but generally we don't. The cook is an old negro, black and grimy. The -cooking is not as clean as it might be, but in war you can't be -particular about such things. - -"The plums and peaches here are pretty nearly ripe. The strawberries -have been ripe these few days, but the soldiers eat them up before we -get a sight of them. The figs are as big as the end of your thumb, and -the green pears are big enough to eat. But you don't know what beautiful -flower gardens there are here. I never saw such roses; and the other day -I found a lily as big as a tiger lily, only it was a magnificent red." - -Grant's policy now was to push the Confederates ahead of him up the Big -Black River, threatening Jackson, the State capital, and the Big Black -bridge behind Vicksburg, and capturing both if necessary. His opinion -was that this maneuver would draw Pemberton out of Vicksburg and bring -on a decisive battle within ten days. - -From Hankinson's Ferry, the headquarters were changed on the 7th to -Rocky Springs, and there we remained until the 11th. By that time -McClernand and McPherson had advanced to within ten or twelve miles of -the railroad which runs from Vicksburg to Jackson, and were lying nearly -in an east and west line; and Sherman's entire corps had reached -Hankinson's Ferry. Supplies which Grant had ordered from Milliken's Bend -had also arrived. The order was now given to Sherman to destroy the -bridge at Hankinson's Ferry, the rear guards were abandoned, and our -communications cut. So complete was our isolation that it was ten days -after we left Rocky Springs, on May 11th, before I was able to get -another dispatch to Mr. Stanton. - -This march toward Jackson proved to be no easy affair. More than one -night I bivouacked on the ground in the rain after being all day in my -saddle. The most comfortable night I had, in fact, was in a church of -which the officers had taken possession. Having no pillow, I went up to -the pulpit and borrowed the Bible for the night. Dr. H. L. Hewitt, who -was medical director on Grant's staff, slept near me, and he always -charged me afterward with stealing that Bible. - -In spite of the roughness of our life, it was all of intense interest to -me, particularly the condition of the people over whose country we were -marching. A fact which impressed me was the total absence of men capable -of bearing arms. Only old men and children remained. The young men were -all in the army or had perished in it. The South was drained of its -youth. An army of half a million with a white population of only five -millions to draw upon, must soon finish the stock of raw material for -soldiers. Another fact of moment was that we found men who had at the -first sympathized with the rebellion, and even joined in it, now of -their own accord rendering Grant the most valuable assistance, in order -that the rebellion might be ended as speedily as possible, and something -saved by the Southern people out of the otherwise total and hopeless -ruin. "Slavery is gone, other property is mainly gone," they said, "but, -for God's sake, let us save some relic of our former means of living." - -In this forward movement the left of the army was ordered to hug the Big -Black as closely as possible, while the right moved straight on Raymond. -On the 12th, the right wing, under McPherson, met the enemy just west of -Raymond. Grant at the time had his headquarters about at the center of -the army, with Sherman's corps, some seven miles west of Raymond. I left -him to go to the scene of the battle at once. It was a hard-fought -engagement, lasting some three hours. McPherson drove the Confederates -back to and through Raymond, and there stopped. The next day the advance -of the army toward Jackson was continued. It rained heavily on the march -and the roads were very heavy, but the troops were in the best of -spirits at their successes and prospects. This work was a great -improvement on digging canals and running batteries. On the afternoon of -the 14th, about two and a half miles west of Jackson, McPherson and -Sherman were temporarily stopped by the enemy, but he was quickly -defeated, and that night we entered the capital of Mississippi. - -At Jackson I received an important telegram from Stanton, though how it -got to me there I do not remember. General Grant had been much troubled -by the delay McClernand had caused at New Carthage, but he had felt -reluctant to remove him as he had been assigned to his command by the -President. My reports to the Secretary on the situation had convinced -him that Grant ought to have perfect independence in the matter, so he -telegraphed me as follows: - - - WASHINGTON, D.C., _May 6, 1863_. - - C. A. DANA, Esq., Smith's Plantation, Ia. - - General Grant has full and absolute authority to enforce his own - commands and to remove any person who by ignorance in action or any - cause interferes with or delays his operations. He has the full - confidence of the Government, is expected to enforce his authority, - and will be firmly and heartily supported, but he will be - responsible for any failure to exert his powers. You may - communicate this to him. - - E. M. STANTON, _Secretary of War_. - - -The very evening of the day that we reached Jackson, Grant learned that -Lieutenant-General Pemberton had been ordered by General Joe Johnston to -come out of Vicksburg and attack our rear. Grant immediately faced the -bulk of his army about to meet the enemy, leaving Sherman in Jackson to -tear up the railroads and destroy all the public property there that -could be of use to the Confederates. I remained with Sherman to see the -work of destruction. I remember now nothing that I saw except the -burning of vast quantities of cotton packed in bales, and that I was -greatly astonished to see how slowly it burned. - -On the afternoon of the 15th I joined Grant again at his headquarters at -Clinton. Early the next morning we had definite information about -Pemberton. He was about ten miles to the west, with twenty-five thousand -men, as reported, and our advance was almost up with him. We at once -went forward to the front. Here we found Pemberton in a most formidable -position on the crest of a wooded ridge called Champion's Hill, over -which the road passed longitudinally. About eleven o'clock in the -morning of the 16th the battle began, and by four in the afternoon it -was won. - -After the battle I started out on horseback with Colonel Rawlins to -visit the field. When we reached Logan's command we found him greatly -excited. He declared the day was lost, and that he would soon be swept -from his position. I contested the point with him. "Why, general," I -said, "we have gained the day." - -He could not see it. "Don't you hear the cannon over there?" he -answered. "They will be down on us right away! In an hour I will have -twenty thousand men to fight." - -I found afterward that this was simply a curious idiosyncrasy of -Logan's. In the beginning of a fight he was one of the bravest men that -could be, saw no danger, went right on fighting until the battle was -over. Then, after the battle was won, his mind gained an immovable -conviction that it was lost. Where we were victorious, he thought that -we were defeated. I had a very interesting conversation with Logan on -this day, when he attempted to convince me that we had lost the battle -of Champion's Hill. It was merely an intellectual peculiarity. It did -not in the least impair his value as a soldier or commanding officer. He -never made any mistake on account of it. - -On leaving Logan, Rawlins and I were joined by several officers, and we -continued our ride over the field. On the hill where the thickest of the -fight had taken place we stopped, and were looking around at the dead -and dying men lying all about us, when suddenly a man, perhaps -forty-five or fifty years old, who had a Confederate uniform on, lifted -himself up on his elbow, and said: - -"For God's sake, gentlemen, is there a Mason among you?" - -"Yes," said Rawlins, "I am a Mason." He got off his horse and kneeled by -the dying man, who gave him some letters out of his pocket. When he came -back Rawlins had tears on his cheeks. The man, he told us, wanted him -to convey some souvenir--a miniature or a ring, I do not remember -what--to his wife, who was in Alabama. Rawlins took the package, and -some time afterward he succeeded in sending it to the woman. - -I remained out late that night conversing with the officers who had been -in the battle, and think it must have been about eleven o'clock when I -got to Grant's headquarters, where I was to sleep. Two or three officers -who had been out with me went with me into the little cottage which -Grant had taken possession of. We found a wounded man there, a tall and -fine-looking man, a Confederate. He stood up suddenly and said: "Kill -me! Will some one kill me? I am in such anguish that it will be mercy to -do it--I have got to die--kill me--don't let me suffer!" We sent for a -surgeon, who examined his case, but said it was hopeless. He had been -shot through the head, so that it had cut off the optic nerve of both -eyes. He never could possibly see again. Before morning he died. - -I was up at daylight the next day, and off with Grant and his staff -after the enemy. We rode directly west, and overtook Pemberton at the -Big Black. He had made a stand on the bottom lands at the east head of -the Big Black bridge. Here he fought in rifle-pits, protected by abatis -and a difficult bayou. Lawler's brigade, of McClernand's corps, charged -the left of the Confederate rifle-pits magnificently, taking more -prisoners than their own numbers. The others fled. Pemberton burned his -bridge and retreated rapidly into Vicksburg, with only three cannon out -of sixty-three with which he had entered upon this short, sharp, and -decisive campaign. - -There was nothing for Grant to do now but build bridges and follow. -Before morning four bridges had been thrown across the Big Black, and by -the evening of that day, the 18th, the army had arrived behind -Vicksburg, which was now its front. In twenty-four hours after Grant's -arrival the town was invested, the bluffs above the town had been seized -so that we could get water from the Mississippi, and Haynes's Bluff up -the Yazoo had been abandoned by the Confederates. With the Yazoo -highlands in our control there was no difficulty in establishing a line -of supplies with our original base on the Mississippi. On the 20th I was -able to get off to Mr. Stanton the first dispatch from the rear of -Vicksburg. In it I said, "Probably the town will be carried to-day." - -The prediction was not verified. The assault we expected was not made -until the morning of the 22d. It failed, but without heavy loss. Early -in the afternoon, however, McClernand, who was on the left of our lines, -reported that he was in possession of two forts of the rebel line, was -hard pressed, and in great need of re-enforcements. Not doubting that he -had really succeeded in taking and holding the works he pretended to -hold, General Grant sent a division to his support, and at the same time -ordered Sherman and McPherson to make new attacks. McClernand's report -was false, for, although a few of his men had broken through in one -place, he had not taken a single fort, and the result of the second -assault was disastrous. We were repulsed, losing quite heavily, when -but for his error the total loss of the day would have been -inconsiderable. - -The failure of the 22d convinced Grant of the necessity of a regular -siege, and immediately the army settled down to that. We were in an -incomparable position for a siege as regarded the health and comfort of -our men. The high wooded hills afforded pure air and shade, and the deep -ravines abounded in springs of excellent water, and if they failed it -was easy to bring it from the Mississippi. Our line of supplies was -beyond the reach of the enemy, and there was an abundance of fruit all -about us. I frequently met soldiers coming into camp with buckets full -of mulberries, blackberries, and red and yellow wild plums. - -The army was deployed at this time in the following way: The right of -the besieging force was held by General Sherman, whose forces ran from -the river along the bluffs around the northeast of the town. Sherman's -front was at a greater distance from the enemy than that of any other -corps, and the approach less advantageous, but he began his siege works -with great energy and admirable skill. Everything I saw of Sherman at -the Vicksburg siege increased my admiration for him. He was a very -brilliant man and an excellent commander of a corps. Sherman's -information was great, and he was a clever talker. He always liked to -have people about who could keep up with his conversation; besides, he -was genial and unaffected. I particularly admired his loyalty to Grant. -He had criticised the plan of campaign frankly in the first place, but -had supported every movement with all his energy, and now that we were -in the rear of Vicksburg he gave loud praise to the commander in chief. - -To the left of Sherman lay the Seventeenth Army Corps, under -Major-General J. B. McPherson. He was one of the best officers we had. -He was but thirty-two years old at the time, and a very handsome, -gallant-looking man, with rather a dark complexion, dark eyes, and a -most cordial manner. McPherson was an engineer officer of fine natural -ability and extraordinary acquirements, having graduated Number One in -his class at West Point, and was held in high estimation by Grant and -his professional brethren. Halleck gave him his start in the civil war, -and he had been with Grant at Donelson and ever since. He was a man -without any pretensions, and always had a pleasant hand-shake for you. - -It is a little remarkable that the three chief figures in this great -Vicksburg campaign--Grant, Sherman, and McPherson--were all born in -Ohio. The utmost cordiality and confidence existed between these three -men, and it always seemed to me that much of the success achieved in -these marches and battles was owing to this very fact. There was no -jealousy or bickering, and in their unpretending simplicity they were as -alike as three peas. No country was ever more faithfully, unselfishly -served than was ours in the Vicksburg campaign by these three Ohio -officers. - -To McPherson's left was the Thirteenth Army Corps, under Major-General -John A. McClernand. Next to Grant he was the ranking officer in the -army. The approaches on his front were most favorable to us, and the -enemy's line of works evidently much the weakest there, but he was very -inefficient and slow in pushing his siege operations. Grant had resolved -on the 23d to relieve McClernand for his false dispatch of the day -before stating that he held two of the enemy's forts, but he changed his -mind, concluding that it would be better on the whole to leave him in -his command till the siege was concluded. From the time that I had -joined Grant's army at Milliken's Bend and heard him criticising Porter, -Sherman, and other officers, I had been observing McClernand narrowly -myself. My own judgment of him by this time was that he had not the -qualities necessary for commander even of a regiment. In the first -place, he was not a military man; he was a politician and a member of -Congress. He was a man of a good deal of a certain kind of talent, not -of a high order, but not one of intellectual accomplishments. His -education was that which a man gets who is in Congress five or six -years. In short, McClernand was merely a smart man, quick, very -active-minded, but his judgment was not solid, and he looked after -himself a good deal. Mr. Lincoln also looked out carefully for -McClernand, because he was an Illinois Democrat, with a considerable -following among the people. It was a great thing to get McClernand into -the war in the first place, for his natural predisposition, one would -have supposed, would have been to sympathize with the South. As long as -he adhered to the war he carried his Illinois constituency with him; and -chiefly for this reason, doubtless, Lincoln made it a point to take -special care of him. In doing this the President really served the -greater good of the cause. But from the circumstances of Lincoln's -supposed friendship, McClernand had more consequence in the army than he -deserved. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -SOME CONTEMPORARY PORTRAITS. - - Grant before his great fame--His friend and mentor, General - Rawlins--James Harrison Wilson--Two semi-official letters to - Stanton--Character sketches for the information of the President and - Secretary--Mr. Dana's early judgment of soldiers who afterward won - distinction. - - -Living at headquarters as I did throughout the siege of Vicksburg, I -soon became intimate with General Grant, not only knowing every -operation while it was still but an idea, but studying its execution on -the spot. Grant was an uncommon fellow--the most modest, the most -disinterested, and the most honest man I ever knew, with a temper that -nothing could disturb, and a judgment that was judicial in its -comprehensiveness and wisdom. Not a great man, except morally; not an -original or brilliant man, but sincere, thoughtful, deep, and gifted -with courage that never faltered; when the time came to risk all, he -went in like a simple-hearted, unaffected, unpretending hero, whom no -ill omens could deject and no triumph unduly exalt. A social, friendly -man, too, fond of a pleasant joke and also ready with one; but liking -above all a long chat of an evening, and ready to sit up with you all -night, talking in the cool breeze in front of his tent. Not a man of -sentimentality, not demonstrative in friendship, but always holding to -his friends, and just even to the enemies he hated. - -After Grant, I spent more time at Vicksburg with his assistant adjutant -general, Colonel John A. Rawlins, and with Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson, -than with anybody else. Rawlins was one of the most valuable men in the -army, in my judgment. He had but a limited education, which he had -picked up at the neighbourhood school and in Galena, Ill., near which -place he was born and where he had worked himself into the law; but he -had a very able mind, clear, strong, and not subject to hysterics. He -bossed everything at Grant's headquarters. He had very little respect -for persons, and a rough style of conversation. I have heard him curse -at Grant when, according to his judgment, the general was doing -something that he thought he had better not do. But he was entirely -devoted to his duty, with the clearest judgment, and perfectly fearless. -Without him Grant would not have been the same man. Rawlins was -essentially a good man, though he was one of the most profane men I ever -knew; there was no guile in him--he was as upright and as genuine a -character as I ever came across. - -James H. Wilson I had first met at Milliken's Bend, when he was serving -as chief topographical engineer and assistant inspector general of the -Army of the Tennessee. He was a brilliant man intellectually, highly -educated, and thoroughly companionable. We became warm friends at once, -and were together a great deal throughout the war. Rarely did Wilson go -out on a specially interesting tour of inspection that he did not -invite me to accompany him, and I never failed, if I were at liberty, to -accept his invitations. Much of the exact information about the -condition of the works which I was able to send to Mr. Stanton Wilson -put in my way. - -I have already spoken of McClernand, Sherman, and McPherson, Grant's -three chief officers, but there were many subordinate officers of value -in his army, not a few of whom became afterward soldiers of distinction. -At the request of Secretary Stanton, I had begun at Vicksburg a series -of semi-official letters, in which I undertook to give my impressions of -the officers in Grant's army. These letters were designed to help Mr. -Lincoln and Mr. Stanton in forming their judgments of the men. In order -to set the _personnel_ of the commanding force distinctly before the -reader, I quote here one of these letters, written at Cairo after the -siege had ended. It has never been published before, and it gives my -judgment at that time of the subordinate officers in the Vicksburg -campaign: - - - CAIRO, ILL., _July 12, 1863_. - - DEAR SIR: Your dispatch of June 29th, desiring me to "continue my - sketches," I have to-day seen for the first time. It was sent down - the river, but had not arrived when I left Vicksburg on the 5th - instant. - - Let me describe the generals of division and brigade in Grant's - army in the order of the army corps to which they are attached, - beginning with the Thirteenth. - - The most prominent officer of the Thirteenth Corps, next to the - commander of the corps, is Brigadier-General A. P. Hovey. He is a - lawyer of Indiana, and from forty to forty-five years old. He is - ambitious, active, nervous, irritable, energetic, clear-headed, - quick-witted, and prompt-handed. He works with all his might and - all his mind; and, unlike most volunteer officers, makes it his - business to learn the military profession just as if he expected to - spend his life in it. He distinguished himself most honorably at - Port Gibson and Champion's Hill, and is one of the best officers in - this army. He is a man whose character will always command respect, - though he is too anxious about his personal renown and his own - advancement to be considered a first-rate man morally, judged by - the high standard of men like Grant and Sherman. - - Hovey's principal brigadiers are General McGinnis and Colonel - Slack. McGinnis is brave enough, but too excitable. He lost his - balance at Champion's Hill. He is not likely ever to be more than a - brigadier. Slack is a solid, steady man, brave, thorough, and - sensible, but will never set the river afire. His education is - poor, but he would make a respectable brigadier general, and, I - know, hopes to be promoted. - - Next to Hovey is Osterhaus. This general is universally well spoken - of. He is a pleasant, genial fellow, brave and quick, and makes a - first-rate report of a reconnoissance. There is not another general - in this army who keeps the commander in chief so well informed - concerning whatever happens at his outposts. As a disciplinarian he - is not equal to Hovey, but is much better than some others. On the - battlefield he lacks energy and concentrativeness. His brigade - commanders are all colonels, and I don't know much of them. - - The third division of the Thirteenth Corps is commanded by General - A. J. Smith, an old cavalry officer of the regular service. He is - intrepid to recklessness, his head is clear though rather thick, - his disposition honest and manly, though given to boasting and - self-exaggeration of a gentle and innocent kind. His division is - well cared for, but is rather famous for slow instead of rapid - marching. McClernand, however, disliked him, and kept him in the - rear throughout the late campaign. He is a good officer to command - a division in an army corps, but should not be intrusted with any - important independent command. - - Smith's principal brigadier is General Burbridge, whom I judge to - be a mediocre officer, brave, rather pretentious, a good fellow, - not destined to greatness. - - The fourth division in the Thirteenth Corps is General Carr's. He - has really been sick throughout the campaign, and had leave to go - home several weeks since, but stuck it out till the surrender. This - may account for a critical, hang-back disposition which he has - several times exhibited. He is a man of more cultivation, - intelligence, and thought than his colleagues generally. The - discipline in his camps I have thought to be poor and careless. He - is brave enough, but lacks energy and initiative. - - Carr's brigadiers comprise General M. K. Lawler and General Lee, of - Kansas. Lawler weighs two hundred and fifty pounds, is a Roman - Catholic, and was a Douglas Democrat, belongs in Shawneetown, Ill., - and served in the Mexican War. He is as brave as a lion, and has - about as much brains; but his purpose is always honest, and his - sense is always good. He is a good disciplinarian and a first-rate - soldier. He once hung a man of his regiment for murdering a - comrade, without reporting the case to his commanding general - either before or after the hanging, but there was no doubt the man - deserved his fate. Grant has two or three times gently reprimanded - him for indiscretions, but is pretty sure to go and thank him after - a battle. Carr's third brigadier I don't know. - - In the Fifteenth Corps there are two major generals who command - divisions--namely, Steele and Blair--and one brigadier, Tuttle. - Steele has also been sick through the campaign, but has kept - constantly at his post. He is a gentlemanly, pleasant fellow.... - Sherman has a high opinion of his capacity, and every one says that - he handles troops with great coolness and skill in battle. To me - his mind seems to work in a desultory way, like the mind of a - captain of infantry long habituated to garrison duty at a frontier - post. He takes things in bits, like a gossiping companion, and - never comprehensively and strongly, like a man of clear brain and a - ruling purpose. But on the whole I consider him one of the best - division generals in this army, yet you can not rely on him to make - a logical statement, or to exercise any independent command. - - Of Steele's brigadiers, Colonel Woods eminently deserves promotion. - A Hercules in form, in energy, and in pertinacity, he is both safe - and sure. Colonel Manter, of Missouri, is a respectable officer. - General Thayer is a fair but not first-rate officer. - - Frank Blair is about the same as an officer that he is as a - politician. He is intelligent, prompt, determined, rather inclining - to disorder, a poor disciplinarian, but a brave fighter. I judge - that he will soon leave the army, and that he prefers his seat in - Congress to his commission. - - In Frank Blair's division there are two brigadier generals, Ewing - and Lightburne. Ewing seems to possess many of the qualities of his - father, whom you know better than I do, I suppose. Lightburne has - not served long with this army, and I have had no opportunity of - learning his measure. Placed in a command during the siege where - General Sherman himself directed what was to be done, he has had - little to do. He seems to belong to the heavy rather than the rapid - department of the forces. - - Colonel Giles Smith is one of the very best brigadiers in Sherman's - corps, perhaps the best of all next to Colonel Woods. He only - requires the chance to develop into an officer of uncommon power - and usefulness. There are plenty of men with generals' commissions - who in all military respects are not fit to tie his shoes. - - Of General Tuttle, who commands Sherman's third division, I have - already spoken, and need not here repeat it. Bravery and zeal - constitute his only qualifications for command. His principal - brigadier is General Mower, a brilliant officer, but not of large - mental calibre. Colonel Wood, who commands another of his brigades, - is greatly esteemed by General Grant, but I do not know him; - neither do I know the commander of his third brigade. - - Three divisions of the Sixteenth Corps have been serving in Grant's - army for some time past. They are all commanded by brigadier - generals, and the brigades by colonels. The first of these - divisions to arrive before Vicksburg was Lauman's. This general got - his promotion by bravery on the field and Iowa political influence. - He is totally unfit to command--a very good man but a very poor - general. His brigade commanders are none of them above mediocrity. - The next division of the Sixteenth Corps to join the Vicksburg army - was General Kimball's. He is not so bad a commander as Lauman, but - he is bad enough; brave, of course, but lacking the military - instinct and the genius of generalship. I don't know any of his - brigade commanders. The third division of the Sixteenth Corps now - near Vicksburg is that of General W. S. Smith. He is one of the - best officers in that army. A rigid disciplinarian, his division is - always ready and always safe. A man of brains, a hard worker, - unpretending, quick, suggestive, he may also be a little crotchety, - for such is his reputation; but I judge that he only needs the - opportunity to render great services. What his brigade commanders - are worth I can't say, but I am sure they have a first-rate - schoolmaster in him. - - I now come to the Seventeenth Corps and to its most prominent - division general, Logan. This is a man of remarkable qualities and - peculiar character. Heroic and brilliant, he is sometimes unsteady. - Inspiring his men with his own enthusiasm on the field of battle, - he is splendid in all its crash and commotion, but before it begins - he is doubtful of the result, and after it is over he is fearful we - may yet be beaten. A man of instinct and not of reflection, his - judgments are often absurd, but his extemporaneous opinions are - very apt to be right. Deficient in education, he is full of - generous attachments and sincere animosities. On the whole, few can - serve the cause of the country more effectively than he, and none - serve it more faithfully. - - Logan's oldest brigade commander is General John D. Stevenson, of - Missouri. He is a person of much talent, but a grumbler. He was one - of the oldest colonels in the volunteer service, but because he had - always been an antislavery man all the others were promoted before - him. This is still one of his grounds for discontent, and in - addition younger brigadiers have been put before him since. Thus - the world will not go to suit him. He has his own notions, too, of - what should be done on the field of battle, and General McPherson - has twice during this campaign had to rebuke him very severely for - his failure to come to time on critical occasions. - - Logan's second brigade is commanded by General Leggett, of Ohio. - This officer has distinguished himself during the siege, and will - be likely to distinguish himself hereafter. He possesses a clear - head, an equable temper, and great propulsive power over his men. - He is also a hard worker, and whatever he touches goes easily. The - third brigade of this division has for a short time been commanded - by Colonel Force. I only know that Logan, McPherson, and Grant all - think well of him. - - Next in rank among McPherson's division generals is McArthur. He - has been in the reserve throughout the campaign, and has had little - opportunity of proving his mettle. He is a shrewd, steady - Scotchman, trustworthy rather than brilliant, good at hard knocks, - but not a great commander. Two of his brigadiers, however, have - gained very honorable distinction in this campaign, namely Crocker, - who commanded Quinby's division at Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, - and Champion's Hill, and Ransom. Crocker was sick throughout, and, - as soon as Quinby returned to his command, had to go away, and it - is feared may never be able to come back. He is an officer of great - promise and remarkable power. Ransom has commanded on McPherson's - right during the siege, and has exceeded every other brigadier in - the zeal, intelligence, and efficiency with which his siege works - were constructed and pushed forward. At the time of the surrender - his trenches were so well completed that the engineers agreed that - they offered the best opportunity in the whole of our lines for the - advance of storming columns. Captain Comstock told me that ten - thousand men could there be marched under cover up to the very - lines of the enemy. In the assault of May 22d, Ransom was equally - conspicuous for the bravery with which he exposed himself. No young - man in all this army has more future than he. - - The third brigade of McArthur's division, that of General Reid, has - been detached during the campaign at Lake Providence and elsewhere, - and I have not been able to make General R.'s acquaintance. - - The third division of the Seventeenth Corps was commanded during - the first of the siege by General Quinby. This officer was also - sick, and I dare say did not do justice to himself. A good - commander of a division he is not, though he is a most excellent - and estimable man, and seemed to be regarded by the soldiers with - much affection. But he lacks order, system, command, and is the - very opposite of his successor, General John E. Smith, who, with - much less intellect than Quinby, has a great deal better sense, - with a firmness of character, a steadiness of hand, and a freedom - from personal irritability and jealousy which must soon produce the - happiest effect upon the division. Smith combines with these - natural qualities of a soldier and commander a conscientious - devotion not merely to the doing but also to the learning of his - duty, which renders him a better and better general every day. He - is also fit to be intrusted with any independent command where - judgment and discretion are as necessary as courage and activity, - for in him all these qualities seem to be happily blended and - balanced. - - Of General Matthias, who commands the brigade in this division so - long and so gallantly commanded by the late Colonel Boomer, I hear - the best accounts, but do not know him personally. The medical - inspector tells me that no camps in the lines are kept in so good - condition as his; and General Sherman, under whom he lately served, - speaks of him as a very valuable officer. The second brigade is - commanded by Colonel Sanborn, a steady, mediocre sort of man; the - third by Colonel Holmes, whom I don't know personally, but who made - a noble fight at Champion's Hill, and saved our center there from - being broken. - - General Herron's division is the newest addition to the forces - under Grant, except the Ninth Corps, of which I know nothing except - that its discipline and organization exceed those of the Western - troops. Herron is a driving, energetic sort of young fellow, not - deficient either in self-esteem or in common sense, and, as I - judge, hardly destined to distinctions higher than those he has - already acquired. Of his two brigadiers, Vandever has not proved - himself of much account during the siege; Orme I have seen, but do - not know. Herron has shown a great deal more both of capacity and - force than either of them. But he has not the first great requisite - of a soldier, obedience to orders, and believes too much in doing - things his own way. Thus, for ten days after he had taken his - position he disregarded the order properly to picket the bottom - between the bluff and the river on his left. He had made up his own - mind that nobody could get out of the town by that way, and - accordingly neglected to have the place thoroughly examined in - order to render the matter clear and certain. Presently Grant - discovered that men from the town were making their escape through - that bottom, and then a more peremptory command to Herron set the - matter right by the establishment of the necessary pickets. - - I must not omit a general who formerly commanded a brigade in - Logan's division, and has for some time been detached to a separate - command at Milliken's Bend. I mean General Dennis. He is a - hard-headed, hard-working, conscientious man, who never knows when - he is beaten, and consequently is very hard to beat. He is not - brilliant, but safe, sound, and trustworthy. His predecessor in - that command, General Sullivan, has for some time been at Grant's - headquarters, doing nothing with more energy and effect than he - would be likely to show in any other line of duty. He is a - gentlemanly fellow, intelligent, a charming companion, but heavy, - jovial, and lazy. - - I might write another letter on the staff officers and staff - organization of Grant's army, should you desire it. - - Yours faithfully, C. A. DANA. - - Mr. STANTON. - - -The day after sending to Mr. Stanton this letter on the generals of -divisions and of brigades in the army which besieged Vicksburg, I wrote -him another on the staff officers of the various corps. Like its -predecessor, this letter has never appeared in the records of the war: - - - CAIRO, ILL., _July 13, 1863_. - - DEAR SIR: In my letter of yesterday I accidentally omitted to - notice General C. C. Washburn among the generals of division in - Grant's army. He is now in command of two of the divisions detached - from the Sixteenth Army Corps--namely, that of Kimball and that of - W. S. Smith--and, as I happen to know, is anxious to be put in - command of an army corps, for which purpose it has been suggested - that a new corps might be created out of these two divisions, with - the addition of that of Lauman, also detached from the Sixteenth, - or that of Herron. But I understand from General Grant that he is - not favorable to any such arrangement. Washburn being one of the - very youngest in rank of his major generals, he intends to put him - in command of a single division as soon as possible, in order that - he may prove his fitness for higher commands by actual service, and - give no occasion for older soldiers to complain that he is promoted - without regard to his merits. - - I know Washburn very well, both as a politician and a military man, - and I say frankly that he has better qualities for the latter than - for the former function. He is brave, steady, respectable; receives - suggestions and weighs them carefully; is not above being advised, - but acts with independence nevertheless. His judgment is good, and - his vigilance sufficient. I have not seen him in battle, however, - and can not say how far he holds his mind there. I don't find in - him, I am sorry to say, that effort to learn the military art which - every commander ought to exhibit, no matter whether he has received - a military education or not. Washburn's whole soul is not put into - the business of arms, and for me that is an unpardonable defect. - But he is a good man, and above the average of our generals, at - least of those in Grant's command. - - I now come to the staff organization and staff officers of this - army, beginning, of course, with those connected with the head of - the department. Grant's staff is a curious mixture of good, bad, - and indifferent. As he is neither an organizer nor a disciplinarian - himself, his staff is naturally a mosaic of accidental elements and - family friends. It contains four working men, two who are able to - accomplish their duties without much work, and several who either - don't think of work, or who accomplish nothing no matter what they - undertake. - - Lieutenant-Colonel Rawlins, Grant's assistant adjutant general, is - a very industrious, conscientious man, who never loses a moment, - and never gives himself any indulgence except swearing and - scolding. He is a lawyer by profession, a townsman of Grant's, and - has a great influence over him, especially because he watches him - day and night, and whenever he commits the folly of tasting liquor - hastens to remind him that at the beginning of the war he gave him - [Rawlins] his word of honor not to touch a drop as long as it - lasted. Grant thinks Rawlins a first-rate adjutant, but I think - this is a mistake. He is too slow, and can't write the English - language correctly without a great deal of careful consideration. - Indeed, illiterateness is a general characteristic of Grant's - staff, and in fact of Grant's generals and regimental officers of - all ranks. - - Major Bowers, judge-advocate of Grant's staff, is an excellent man, - and always finds work to do. Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson, inspector - general, is a person of similar disposition. He is a captain of - engineers in the regular army, and has rendered valuable services - in that capacity. The fortifications of Haynes's Bluff were - designed by him and executed under his direction. His leading idea - is the idea of duty, and he applies it vigorously and often - impatiently to others. In consequence he is unpopular among all who - like to live with little work. But he has remarkable talents and - uncommon executive power, and will be heard from hereafter. - - The quartermaster's department is under charge of - Lieutenant-Colonel Bingham, who is one of those I spoke of as - accomplishing much with little work. He is an invalid almost, and I - have never seen him when he appeared to be perfectly well; but he - is a man of first-rate abilities and solid character, and, barring - physical weakness, up to even greater responsibilities than those - he now bears. - - The chief commissary, Lieutenant-Colonel Macfeely, is a jolly, - agreeable fellow, who never seems to be at work, but I have heard - no complaints of deficiencies in his department. On the contrary, - it seems to be one of the most efficacious parts of this great - machine. - - Lieutenant-Colonel Kent, provost-marshal general, is a very - industrious and sensible man, a great improvement on his - predecessor, Colonel Hillyer, who was a family and personal friend - of Grant's. - - There are two aides-de-camp with the rank of colonel, namely, - Colonel ---- and Colonel ----, both personal friends of Grant's. - ---- is a worthless, whisky-drinking, useless fellow. ---- is - decent and gentlemanly, but neither of them is worth his salt so - far as service to the Government goes. Indeed, in all my - observation, I have never discovered the use of Grant's - aides-de-camp at all. On the battlefield he sometimes sends orders - by them, but everywhere else they are idle loafers. I suppose the - army would be better off if they were all suppressed, especially - the colonels. - - Grant has three aides with the rank of captain. Captain ---- is a - relative of Mrs. Grant. He has been a stage driver, and violates - English grammar at every phrase. He is of some use, for he attends - to the mails. Captain ---- is an elegant young officer of the - regular cavalry. He rides after the general when he rides out; the - rest of the time he does nothing at all. Captain Badeau, wounded at - Port Hudson since he was attached to Grant's staff, has not yet - reported. - - I must not omit the general medical staff of this army. It is in - bad order. Its head, Dr. Mills, is impracticable, earnest, - quarrelsome. He was relieved several weeks since, but Grant likes - him, and kept him on till the fall of Vicksburg. In this he was - right, no doubt, for a change during the siege would have been - troublesome. The change, I presume, will now be made. It must be - for the better. - - The office of chief of artillery on the general staff I had - forgotten, as well as that of chief engineer. The former is - occupied by Lieutenant-Colonel Duff, of the Second Illinois - Artillery. He is unequal to the position, not only because he is - disqualified by sickness, but because he does not sufficiently - understand the management of artillery. The siege suffered greatly - from his incompetence. General Grant knows, of course, that he is - not the right person; but it is one of his weaknesses that he is - unwilling to hurt the feelings of a friend, and so he keeps him on. - - The chief engineer, Captain Comstock, is an officer of great merit. - He has, too, what his predecessor, Captain Prime, lacked, a talent - for organization. His accession to the army will be the source of - much improvement. - - If General Grant had about him a staff of thoroughly competent men, - disciplinarians and workers, the efficiency and fighting quality of - his army would soon be much increased. As it is, things go too much - by hazard and by spasms; or, when the pinch comes, Grant forces - through, by his own energy and main strength, what proper - organization and proper staff officers would have done already. - - The staff of the Thirteenth Corps was formed by General McClernand. - The acting adjutant general, Lieutenant-Colonel Scates, is a man of - about fifty-five or sixty years old; he was a judge in Illinois, - and left an honored and influential social position to serve in the - army. General Ord speaks in high terms of him as an officer. The - chief of artillery, Colonel ----, is an ass. The chief - quartermaster, Lieutenant-Colonel ----, General McClernand's - father-in-law, lately resigned his commission. He was - incompetent.... His successor has not yet been appointed. The chief - commissary, Lieutenant-Colonel ----, is a fussy fellow, who with - much show accomplishes but little. General McClernand's aides went - away with him or are absent on leave. Not a man of them is worth - having. The engineer on his staff, Lieutenant Hains, is an - industrious and useful officer. The medical director, Dr. Hammond, - had just been appointed. - - In the Fifteenth Corps staff all have to be working men, for - Sherman tolerates no idlers and finds something for everybody to - do. If an officer proves unfit for his position, he shifts him to - some other place. Thus his adjutant, Lieutenant-Colonel Hammond, a - restless Kentuckian, kept everything in a row as long as he - remained in that office. Sherman has accordingly made him inspector - general, and during the last two months has kept him constantly - employed on scouting parties. In his place as adjutant is Captain - Sawyer, a quiet, industrious, efficient person. The chief of - artillery, Major Taylor, directed by Sherman's omnipresent eye and - quick judgment, is an officer of great value, though under another - general he might not be worth so much. The chief engineer, Captain - Pitzman, wounded about July 15th, is a man of merit, and his - departure was a great loss to the regular ranks. General Sherman - has three aides-de-camp, Captain McCoy, Captain Dayton, and - Lieutenant Hill, and, as I have said, neither of them holds a - sinecure office. His medical director, Dr. McMillan, is a good - physician, I believe; he has been in a constant contention with Dr. - Mills. The quartermaster, Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Smith, is a most - efficient officer; he has been doing duty as commissary also. - - On the whole, General Sherman has a very small and very efficient - staff; but the efficiency comes mainly from him. What a splendid - soldier he is! - - The staff of the Seventeenth Army Corps is the most complete, the - most numerous, and in some respects the most serviceable in this - army. - - The adjutant general, Lieutenant-Colonel Clark, is a person of - uncommon quickness, is always at work, and keeps everything in his - department in first-rate order. The inspector general, - Lieutenant-Colonel Strong, does his duties with promptness and - thoroughness; his reports are models. The chief of artillery, - Lieutenant-Colonel Powell, thoroughly understands his business, and - attends to it diligently. The provost-marshal general, - Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson, is a judicious and industrious man. Both - the quartermaster and commissary are new men, captains, and I do - not know them, but McPherson speaks highly of them. The medical - director, Dr. Boucher, has the reputation of keeping his hospitals - in better order and making his reports more promptly and - satisfactorily than any other medical officer in this army. General - McPherson has four aides-de-camp: Captain Steele, Captain Gile, - Lieutenant Knox, and Lieutenant Vernay. The last of these is the - best, and Captain Steele is next to him. The engineer officer, - Captain Hickenlooper, is a laborious man, quick, watchful, but not - of great capacity. The picket officer, Major Willard, whom I - accidentally name last, is a person of unusual merit. - - In the staffs of the division and brigadier generals I do not now - recall any officer of extraordinary capacity. There may be such, - but I have not made their acquaintance. On the other hand, I have - made the acquaintance of some who seemed quite unfit for their - places. I must not omit, however, to speak here of Captain - Tresilian, engineer on the staff of Major-General Logan. His - general services during the siege were not conspicuous, but he - deserves great credit for constructing the wooden mortars which - General McPherson used near its close with most remarkable effect. - Both the idea and the work were Tresilian's. - - Very possibly you may not wish to go through this mass of details - respecting so many officers of inferior grades, upon whose claims - you may never be called to pass judgment. But if you care to read - them here they are. I remain, dear sir, - - Yours very faithfully, C. A. DANA. - - Mr. STANTON. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG - - Life behind Vicksburg--Grant's efforts to procure - reinforcements--The fruitless appeal to General Banks--Mr. Stanton - responds to Mr. Dana's representations--A steamboat trip with - Grant--Watching Joe Johnston--Visits to Sherman and Admiral - Porter--The negro troops win glory--Progress and incidents of the - siege--Vicksburg wakes up--McClernand's removal. - - -We had not been many days in the rear of Vicksburg before we settled -into regular habits. The men were detailed in reliefs for work in the -trenches, and being relieved at fixed hours everybody seemed to lead a -systematic life. - -My chief duty throughout the siege was a daily round through the -trenches, generally with the corps commander or some one of his staff. -As the lines of investment were six or seven miles long, it occupied the -greater part of my day; sometimes I made a portion of my tour of -inspection in the night. One night in riding through the trenches I must -have passed twenty thousand men asleep on their guns. I still can see -the grotesque positions into which they had curled themselves. The -trenches were so protected that there was no danger in riding through -them. It was not so safe to venture on the hills overlooking Vicksburg. -I went on foot and alone one day to the top of a hill, and was looking -at the town, when I suddenly heard something go whizz, whizz, by my ear. -"What in the world is that?" I asked myself. The place was so desolate -that it was an instant before I could believe that these were bullets -intended for me. When I did realize it, I immediately started to lie -down. Then came the question, which was the best way to lie down. If I -lay at right angles to the enemy's line the bullets from the right and -left might strike me; if I lay parallel to it then those directly from -the front might hit me. So I concluded it made no difference which way I -lay. After remaining quiet for a time the bullets ceased, and I left the -hill-top. I was more cautious in the future in venturing beyond cover. - -Through the entire siege I lived in General Grant's headquarters, which -were on a high bluff northeast of Sherman's extreme left. I had a tent -to myself, and on the whole was very comfortable. We never lacked an -abundance of provisions. There was good water, enough even for the bath, -and we suffered very little from excessive heat. The only serious -annoyance was the cannonade from our whole line, which from the first of -June went on steadily by night as well as by day. The following bit from -a letter I wrote on June 2d, to my little daughter, tells something of -my situation: - - It is real summer weather here, and, after coming in at noon to-day - from my usual ride through the trenches, I was very glad to get a - cold bath in my tent before dinner. I like living in tents very - well, especially if you ride on horseback all day. Every night I - sleep with one side of the tent wide open and the walls put up all - around to get plenty of air. Sometimes I wake up in the night and - think it is raining, the wind roars so in the tops of the great oak - forest on the hillside where we are encamped, and I think it is - thundering till I look out and see the golden moonlight in all its - glory, and listen again and know that it is only the thunder of - General Sherman's great guns, that neither rest nor let others rest - by night or by day. - -We were no sooner in position behind Vicksburg than Grant saw that he -must have reinforcements. Joe Johnston was hovering near, working with -energy to collect forces sufficient to warrant an attempt to relieve -Vicksburg. The Confederates were also known to be reorganizing at -Jackson. Johnston eventually gathered an army behind Grant of about -twenty-five thousand men. - -Under these threatening circumstances it was necessary to keep a certain -number of troops in our rear, more than Grant could well spare from the -siege, and he therefore made every effort to secure reinforcements. He -ordered down from Tennessee, and elsewhere in his own department, all -available forces. He also sent to General Banks, who was then besieging -Port Hudson, a request to bring his forces up as promptly as -practicable, and assuring him that he (Grant) would gladly serve under -him as his senior in rank, or simply co-operate with him for the benefit -of the common cause, if Banks preferred that arrangement. To Halleck, on -May 29th, he telegraphed: "If Banks does not come to my assistance I -must be reinforced from elsewhere. I will avoid a surprise, and do the -best I can with the means at hand." This was about the extent of -Grant's personal appeals to his superiors for additional forces. No -doubt, however, he left a good deal to my representations. - -As no reply came from Banks, I started myself on the 30th for Port -Hudson at Grant's desire, to urge that the reinforcements be furnished. - -The route used for getting out from the rear of Vicksburg at that time -was through the Chickasaw Bayou into the Yazoo and thence into the -Mississippi. From the mouth of the Yazoo I crossed the Mississippi to -Young's Point, and from there went overland across the peninsula to get -a gunboat at a point south of Vicksburg. As we were going down the river -we met a steamer just above Grand Gulf bearing one of the previous -messengers whom Grant had sent to Banks. He was bringing word that Banks -could send no forces; on the other hand, he asked reinforcements from -Grant to aid in his siege of Port Hudson, which he had closely invested. -This news, of course, made my trip unnecessary, and I returned at once -to headquarters, having been gone not over twenty-four hours. - -As soon as this news came from Banks, I sent an urgent appeal to Mr. -Stanton to hurry reinforcements sufficient to make success beyond all -peradventure. The Government was not slow to appreciate Grant's needs or -the great opportunity he had created. Early in June I received the -following dispatch from Mr. Stanton: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, _June 5, 1863_. - - Your telegrams up to the 30th have been received. Everything in the - power of this Government will be put forth to aid General Grant. - The emergency is not underrated here. Your telegrams are a great - obligation, and are looked for with deep interest. I can not thank - you as much as I feel for the service you are now rendering. You - have been appointed an assistant adjutant general, with rank of - major, with liberty to report to General Grant if he needs you. The - appointment may be a protection to you. I shall expect daily - reports if possible. - - EDWIN M. STANTON, - _Secretary of War_. - - C. A. DANA, Esq., - Grant's Headquarters near Vicksburg. - - -My appointment as assistant adjutant general was Stanton's own idea. He -was by nature a very anxious man. When he perceived from my dispatches -that I was going every day on expeditions into dangerous territory, he -became alarmed lest I might be caught by the Confederates; for as I was -a private citizen it would have been difficult to exchange me. If I were -in the regular volunteer service as an assistant adjutant general, -however, there would be no trouble about an exchange, hence my -appointment. - -The chief variations from my business of watching the siege behind -Vicksburg were these trips I made to inspect the operations against the -enemy, who was now trying to shut us in from the rear beyond the Big -Black. His heaviest force was to the northeast. On June 6th the reports -from Satartia, our advance up the Yazoo, were so unsatisfactory that -Grant decided to examine the situation there himself. That morning he -said to me at breakfast: - -"Mr. Dana, I am going to Satartia to-day; would you like to go along?" - -I said I would, and we were soon on horseback, riding with a cavalry -guard to Haynes's Bluff, where we took a small steamer reserved for -Grant's use and carrying his flag. Grant was ill and went to bed soon -after he started. We had gone up the river to within two miles of -Satartia, when we met two gunboats coming down. Seeing the general's -flag, the officers in charge of the gunboats came aboard our steamer and -asked where the general was going. I told them to Satartia. - -"Why," said they, "it will not be safe. Kimball [our advance was under -the charge of Brigadier-General Nathan Kimball, Third Division, -Sixteenth Army Corps] has retreated from there, and is sending all his -supplies to Haynes's Bluff. The enemy is probably in the town now." - -I told them Grant was sick and asleep, and that I did not want to waken -him. They insisted that it was unsafe to go on, and that I would better -call the general. Finally I did so, but he was too sick to decide. - -"I will leave it with you," he said. I immediately said we would go back -to Haynes's Bluff, which we did. - -The next morning Grant came out to breakfast fresh as a rose, clean -shirt and all, quite himself. "Well, Mr. Dana," he said, "I suppose we -are at Satartia now." - -"No, general," I said, "we are at Haynes's Bluff." And I told him what -had happened. - -He did not complain, but as he was short of officers at that point he -asked me to go with a party of cavalry toward Mechanicsburg to find if -it were true, as reported, that Joe Johnston was advancing from Canton -to the Big Black. We had a hard ride, not getting back to Vicksburg -until the morning of the eighth. The country was like all the rest -around Vicksburg, broken, wooded, unpopulous, with bad roads and few -streams. It still had many cattle, but the corn was pretty thoroughly -cleared out. We found that Johnston had not moved his main force as -rumored, and that he could not move it without bringing all his supplies -with him. - -Throughout the siege an attack from Johnston continued to threaten Grant -and to keep a part of our army busy. Almost every one of my dispatches -to Mr. Stanton contained rumors of the movements of the Confederates, -and the information was so uncertain that often what I reported one day -had to be contradicted the next. About the 15th of June the movements of -the enemy were so threatening that Grant issued an order extending -Sherman's command so as to include Haynes's Bluff, and to send there the -two divisions of the Ninth Corps under General Parke. These troops had -just arrived from Kentucky, and Grant had intended to place them on the -extreme left of our besieging line. - -Although our spies brought in daily reports of forces of the enemy at -different points between Yazoo City and Jackson, Johnston's plan did not -develop opportunity until the 22d, when he was said to be crossing the -Big Black north of Bridgeport. Sherman immediately started to meet him -with about thirty thousand troops, including cavalry. Five brigades more -were held in readiness to reinforce him if necessary. The country was -scoured by Sherman in efforts to beat Johnston, but no trace of an enemy -was found. It was, however, ascertained that he had not advanced, but -was still near Canton. As there was no design to attack Johnston until -Vicksburg was laid low, Sherman made his way to Bear Creek, northwest of -Canton, where he could watch the Confederates, and there went into camp. - -I went up there several times to visit him, and always came away -enthusiastic over his qualities as a soldier. His amazing activity and -vigilance pervaded his entire force. The country where he had encamped -was exceedingly favorable for defense. He had occupied the commanding -points, opened rifle-pits wherever they would add to his advantage, -obstructed the cross-roads and most of the direct roads also, and -ascertained every point where the Big Black could be forded between the -line of Benton on the north and the line of railroads on the south. By -his rapid movements, also, and by widely deploying on all the ridges and -open headlands, Sherman produced the impression that his forces were ten -times as numerous as they really were. Sherman remained in his camp on -Bear Creek through the rest of the siege, in order to prevent any -possible attack by Joe Johnston, the reports about whose movements -continued to be contradictory and uncertain. - -Another variation in my Vicksburg life was visiting Admiral Porter, who -commanded the fleet which hemmed in the city on the river-side. Porter -was a very active, courageous, fresh-minded man, and an experienced -naval officer, and I enjoyed the visits I made to his fleet. His boats -were pretty well scattered, for the Confederates west of the Mississippi -were pressing in, and unless watched might manage to cross somewhere. -Seven of the gunboats were south of Vicksburg, one at Haynes's Bluff, -one was at Chickasaw Bayou, one at Young's Point, one at Milliken's -Bend, one at Lake Providence, one at Greenell, one at Island Sixty-five, -two were at White River, and so on, and several were always in motion. -They guarded the river so completely that no hostile movement from the -west ever succeeded, or was likely to do so. - -The most serious attack from the west during the siege was that on June -7th, when a force of some two thousand Confederates engaged about a -thousand negro troops defending Milliken's Bend. This engagement at -Milliken's Bend became famous from the conduct of the colored troops. -General E. S. Dennis, who saw the battle, told me that it was the -hardest fought engagement he had ever seen. It was fought mainly hand to -hand. After it was over many men were found dead with bayonet stabs, and -others with their skulls broken open by butts of muskets. "It is -impossible," said General Dennis, "for men to show greater gallantry -than the negro troops in that fight." - -The bravery of the blacks in the battle at Milliken's Bend completely -revolutionized the sentiment of the army with regard to the employment -of negro troops. I heard prominent officers who formerly in private had -sneered at the idea of the negroes fighting express themselves after -that as heartily in favor of it. Among the Confederates, however, the -feeling was very different. All the reports which came to us showed that -both citizens and soldiers on the Confederate side manifested great -dismay at the idea of our arming negroes. They said that such a policy -was certain to be followed by insurrection with all its horrors. - -Although the presence of Joe Johnston on the east, and the rumors of -invasion by Kirby Smith from the west, compelled constant attention, the -real work behind Vicksburg was always that of the siege. No amount of -outside alarm loosened Grant's hold on the rebel stronghold. The siege -went on steadily and effectively. By June 10th the expected -reinforcements began to report. Grant soon had eighty-five thousand men -around Vicksburg, and Pemberton's last hope was gone. The first troops -to arrive were eight regiments under General Herron. They came from -Missouri, down the Mississippi to Young's Point, where they were -debarked and marched across the peninsula, care being taken, of course, -that the Confederate garrison at Vicksburg should see the whole march. -The troops were then ferried across the Mississippi, and took a position -south of Vicksburg between Lauman's troops and the Mississippi River, -completely closing the lines, and thus finally rendering egress and -ingress absolutely impossible. Herron took this position on June 13th. -He went to work with so much energy that on the night of the 15th he was -able to throw forward his lines on his left, making an advance of five -hundred yards, and bringing his artillery and rifle-pits within two or -three hundred yards of the enemy's lines. - -Herron was a first-rate officer, and the only consummate dandy I ever -saw in the army. He was always handsomely dressed; I believe he never -went out without patent-leather boots on, and you would see him in the -middle of a battle--well, I can not say exactly that he went into battle -with a lace pocket-handkerchief, but at all events he always displayed a -clean white one. But these little vanities appeared not to detract from -his usefulness. Herron had already proved his ability and fighting -qualities at the battle of Prairie Grove, December 7, 1862. - -Just as our reinforcements arrived we began to receive encouraging -reports from within Vicksburg. Deserters said that the garrison was worn -out and hungry; besides, the defense had for several days been conducted -with extraordinary feebleness, which Grant thought was due to the -deficiency of ammunition or to exhaustion and depression in the -garrison, or to their retirement to an inner line of defense. The first -and third of these causes no doubt operated to some extent, but the -second we supposed to be the most influential. The deserters also said -that fully one third of the garrison were in hospital, and that -officers, as well as men, had begun to despair of relief from Johnston. - -These reports from within the town, as well as the progress of the siege -and the arrival of reinforcements, pointed so strongly to the speedy -surrender of the place that I asked Mr. Stanton in my dispatch of June -14th to please inform me by telegram whether he wished me to go to -General Rosecrans after the fall of Vicksburg or whether he had other -orders for me. - -The next day after this letter, however, the enemy laid aside his -long-standing inactivity and opened violently with both artillery and -musketry. Two mortars which the Confederates got into operation that day -in front of General A. J. Smith particularly interested our generals. I -remember going with a party of some twenty officers, including Sherman, -Ord, McPherson, and Wilson, to the brow of a hill on McPherson's front -to watch this battery with our field glasses. From where we were we -could study the whole operation. We saw the shell start from the mortar, -sail slowly through the air toward us, fall to the ground and explode, -digging out a hole which looked like a crater. I remember one of these -craters which must have been nine feet in diameter. As you watched a -shell coming you could not tell whether it would fall a thousand feet -away or by your side. Yet nobody budged. The men sat there on their -horses, their reins loose, studying and discussing the work of the -batteries, apparently indifferent to the danger. It was very interesting -as a study of human steadiness. - -By the middle of June our lines were so near the enemy's on Sherman's -and McPherson's front that General Grant began to consider the project -of another general assault as soon as McClernand's, Lauman's, and -Herron's lines were brought up close. Accordingly, Sherman and McPherson -were directed to hold their work until the others were up to them. -Herron, of course, had not had time to advance, though since his arrival -he had worked with great energy. Lauman had done little in the way of -regular approaches. But the chief difficulty in the way was the -backwardness of McClernand. His trenches were mere rifle-pits, three or -four feet wide, and would allow neither the passage of artillery nor the -assemblage of any considerable number of troops. His batteries were, -with scarcely an exception, in the position they apparently had held -when the siege was opened. - -This obstacle to success was soon removed. On the 18th of June -McClernand was relieved and General Ord was put into his place. The -immediate occasion of McClernand's removal was a congratulatory address -to the Thirteenth Corps which he had fulminated in May, and which first -reached the besieging army in a copy of the Missouri Democrat. In this -extraordinary address McClernand claimed for himself most of the glory -of the campaign, reaffirmed that on May 22d he had held two rebel forts -for several hours, and imputed to other officers and troops failure to -support him in their possession, which must have resulted in the capture -of the town, etc. Though this congratulatory address was the occasion of -McClernand's removal, the real causes of it dated farther back. These -causes, as I understood at the time, were his repeated disobedience of -important orders, his general unfortunate mental disposition, and his -palpable incompetence for the duties of his position. I learned in -private conversation that in General Grant's judgment it was necessary -that McClernand should be removed for the reason, above all, that his -bad relations with other corps commanders, especially Sherman and -McPherson, rendered it impossible that the chief command of the army -should devolve upon him, as it would have done were General Grant -disabled, without some pernicious consequence to the Union cause. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -PEMBERTON'S SURRENDER. - - The artillery assault of June 20--McPherson springs a mine--Grant - decides to storm the city--Pemberton asks for an interview and - terms--The "unconditional surrender" note--At the meeting of Grant - and Pemberton between the lines--The ride into Vicksburg and the - Fourth of July celebration there. - - -Two days after McClernand's removal General Grant attempted to settle -the question whether he should make a further attempt to storm Vicksburg -or leave its reduction to the regular progress of siege operations. To -test what an assault would do, he began, at four o'clock on the morning -of June 20th, an artillery attack, in which about two hundred cannon -were engaged. During the attack no Confederates were visible, nor was -any reply made to our artillery. Their musketry fire also amounted to -nothing. Of course, some damage was done to the buildings of the town by -our concentrated cannonade, but we could not tell whether their mills, -foundry, or storehouses were destroyed. Their rifle-pits and defenses -were little injured. At ten o'clock the cannonade ceased. It was evident -that the probabilities of immediate success by assault would not -compensate for the sacrifices. - -After the artillery attack on the 20th, the next exciting incident of -the siege was the springing of a mine by McPherson. Directly in front -of his position the enemy had a great fort which was regarded as the key -of their line. As soon as McPherson had got into position behind -Vicksburg he had begun to run trenches toward this fort, under which he -subsequently tunneled, hoping that by an explosion he would open it to -our occupation. The mine was sprung about four o'clock on the afternoon -of June 25th. It was charged with twelve hundred pounds of powder. The -explosion was terrific, forming a crater fully thirty-five feet in -diameter, but it did not open the fort. There still remained between the -new ground which we had gained by the explosion and the main works of -the fort an ascent so steep that an assault was practically impossible. -The enemy very soon opened a galling fire from within the fort with -shells with short fuses, thrown over the ridge by hand, like grenades, -and these did some execution. The wounds inflicted by these missiles -were frightful. To this we replied as actively as possible, and this -conflict between parties invisible to each other, not only on account of -the darkness, but also on account of the barrier between them, was kept -up with fury during the night and the next forenoon. Immediately on the -springing of the mine a tremendous cannonade was opened along our whole -line, accompanied by active firing from the rifle-pits. This fire was -continued with little relaxation during the night and the next day. -After several days of this kind of warfare, we had made no progress -whatever, not being able either to plant a battery or to open a -rifle-pit upon the new ground. - -Eventually McPherson completed another mine, which he exploded on the -first day of July. Many Confederates were killed, and six were thrown -over into our lines by the explosion. They were all dead but one, a -negro, who got well and joined our army. McPherson did not, however, get -possession of the place through this mine, as he had hoped. - -Little advancement was made in the siege after McPherson sprang his -first mine on the 25th of June, except in the matter of time and in the -holding of the lines of investment. Several things conspired to produce -inactivity and a sort of listlessness among the various commands--the -heat of the weather, the unexpected length of the siege, the endurance -of the defense, the absence of any thorough organization of the engineer -department, and, above all, the well-grounded general belief of our -officers and men that the town must presently fall through starvation, -without any special effort or sacrifice. This belief was founded on the -reports from within Vicksburg. Every new party of deserters which -reached us agreed that the provisions of the place were near the point -of total exhaustion, that rations had been reduced lower than ever, that -extreme dissatisfaction existed among the garrison, and it was generally -expected--indeed, there was a sort of conviction--on all hands that the -city would be surrendered on Saturday, July 4th, if, indeed, it could -hold out so long as that. - -While apathy grew in our ranks, the Confederates displayed more activity -than ever. On the morning of June 27th they sprang a countermine on -Sherman's front, which destroyed the mines Sherman's engineers had -nearly finished, and threw the head of his sap into general confusion. -McPherson was prevented from taking possession of the fort, which had -been partially destroyed. Ord's (lately McClernand's) working parties, -which were now well up to the Confederate lines, were checked by hand -grenades. Lauman was almost nightly assailed by little sorties of the -enemy, and always lost a few men in them, killed, wounded, or captured. - -The operations west of the Mississippi became more threatening, too. Our -scouts brought in word that Price and Kirby Smith were about to attempt -to provision Vicksburg by way of Milliken's Bend. There were rumors also -that some two thousand or more skiffs had been prepared within the town, -by which it was thought the garrison might escape. - -The general indisposition of our troops to prosecute the siege -zealously, and the evident determination on the part of the enemy to -hold out until the last, caused General Grant to hold a council of war -on the morning of June 30th, to take judgment on the question of trying -another general assault, or leaving the result to the exhaustion of the -garrison. The conclusion of the council was in favor of the latter -policy, but two days later, July 2d, Grant told me that if the enemy did -not give up Vicksburg by the 6th he should storm it. - -Happily, there was no need to wait until the 6th. The general -expectation that something would happen by July 4th was about to be -confirmed. On the morning of Friday, July 3d, a soldier appeared on the -Confederate line, in McPherson's front, bearing a flag of truce. -General A. J. Smith was sent to meet this man, who proved to be an -officer, General J. S. Bowen. He bore a letter from Pemberton addressed -to Grant. The letter was taken to headquarters, where it was read by the -general and its contents were made known to the staff. It was a request -for an armistice to arrange terms for the capitulation of Vicksburg. To -this end Pemberton asked that three commissioners be appointed to meet a -like number to be named by himself. Grant immediately wrote this reply: - - The useless effusion of blood you propose stopping by this course - can be ended at any time you may choose by an unconditional - surrender of the city and garrison. Men who have shown so much - endurance and courage as those now in Vicksburg will always - challenge the respect of an adversary, and I can assure you will be - treated with all the respect due to prisoners of war. - - I do not favor the proposition of appointing commissioners to - arrange terms of capitulation, because I have no terms other than - those indicated above. - -Bowen, the bearer of Pemberton's letter, who had been received by A. J. -Smith, expressed a strong desire to converse with General Grant. While -declining this, Grant requested Smith to say to Bowen that if General -Pemberton desired to see him an interview would be granted between the -lines in McPherson's front at any hour in the afternoon which Pemberton -might appoint. After Bowen's departure a message was soon sent back to -Smith, accepting the proposal for an interview, and appointing three -o'clock as the hour. Grant was there with his staff and with Generals -Ord, McPherson, Logan, and A. J. Smith. Sherman was not present, being -with his command watching Joe Johnston, and ready to spring upon the -latter as soon as Pemberton was captured. Pemberton came late, attended -by General Bowen and Colonel L. M. Montgomery. - -It must have been a bitter moment for the Confederate chieftain. -Pemberton was a Northern man, a Pennsylvanian by birth, from which State -he was appointed to West Point, graduating in 1837. In the old army he -fell under the spell of the influence of Jefferson Davis, whose close -friend he was. Davis appears to have thought Pemberton was a military -genius, for he was jumped almost at a stroke, without much previous -service, to be a lieutenant general, and the defense of the Mississippi -River was given over to his charge. His dispositions throughout the -entire campaign, after Grant crossed at Bruinsburg, were weak, and he -was easily overcome, although his troops fought well. As Joe Johnston -truthfully remarks in his Narrative, Pemberton did not understand -Grant's warfare at all. Penned up and finally compelled to surrender a -vital post and a great army to his conqueror, an almost irremediable -disaster to his cause, Pemberton not only suffered the usual pangs of -defeat, but he was doubly humiliated by the knowledge that he would be -suspected and accused of treachery by his adopted brethren, and that the -result would be used by the enemies of Davis, whose favorite he was, to -undermine the Confederate administration. As the events proved, it was -indeed a great blow to Davis's hold upon the people of the South. These -things must have passed through Pemberton's mind as he faced Grant for -this final settlement of the fate of Vicksburg. - -The conversation was held apart between Pemberton and his two officers -and Grant, McPherson, and A. J. Smith, the rest of us being seated on -the ground near by. - -We could, however, see that Pemberton was much excited, and was -impatient in his answers to Grant. He insisted that his army be paroled -and allowed to march beyond our lines, officers and all, with eight -days' rations, drawn from their own stores, officers to retain their -private property and body servants. Grant heard what Pemberton had to -say, and left him at the end of an hour and a half, saying that he would -send in his ultimatum in writing before evening; to this Pemberton -promised to reply before night, hostilities to cease in the meantime. -Grant then conferred at his headquarters with his corps and division -commanders, all of whom, except Steele, who advised unconditional -surrender, favored a plan proposed by McPherson, and finally adopted by -Grant. The argument against the plan was one of feeling only. In its -favor it was urged that it would at once not only tend to the -demoralization of the enemy, but also release Grant's whole army for -offensive operations against Joe Johnston and Port Hudson, while to -guard and transport so many prisoners would require a great portion of -our army's strength. Keeping the prisoners would also absorb all our -steamboat transportation, while paroling them would leave it free to -move our troops. Paroling would also save us an enormous expenditure. - -After long consideration, General Grant reluctantly gave way to these -reasons, and at six o'clock in the afternoon he sent a letter by the -hands of General Logan and Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson, in which he stated -as terms that, as soon as rolls could be made out and paroles signed by -officers and men, Pemberton would be allowed to march out of our lines, -the officers taking with them their side-arms and clothing, and the -field, staff, and cavalry officers one horse each. The rank and file -were to retain all their clothing, but no other property. If these -conditions were accepted, any amount of rations deemed necessary was to -be taken from the stores they had, besides the necessary cooking -utensils. Thirty wagons also, counting two two-horse or mule teams as -one, were to be allowed to transport such articles as could not be -carried along. The same conditions were allowed to all sick and wounded -officers and soldiers as fast as they became able to travel. - -The officer who received this letter stated that it would be impossible -to answer it by night, and it was not till a little before peep of day -that the reply was furnished. In the main the terms were accepted, but -Pemberton proposed as amendments: - - At 10 A.M. to-morrow I propose to evacuate the works in and around - Vicksburg, and to surrender the city and garrison under my command - by marching out with my colors and arms, stacking them in front of - my present lines, after which you will take possession. Officers to - retain their side-arms and personal property, and the rights and - property of citizens to be respected. - -General Grant immediately replied: - - I can make no stipulations with regard to the treatment of citizens - and their private property.... The property which officers will be - allowed to take with them will be as stated in my proposition of - last evening.... If you mean by your proposition for each brigade to - march to the front of the line now occupied by it, and stack arms at - 10 A.M., and then return to the inside and there remain as prisoners - until properly paroled, I will make no objection to it. - - Should no notification be received of your acceptance of my terms - by 9 A.M., I shall regard them as having been rejected, and shall - act accordingly. - -The answer came back promptly, "The terms proposed by you are accepted." - -We had a glorious celebration that day. Pemberton's note had been -received just after daylight, and at the appointed hour of ten o'clock -the surrender was consummated, the Confederate troops marching out and -stacking arms in front of their works, while Pemberton appeared for a -moment with his staff upon the parapet of the central fort. At eleven -o'clock Grant entered the city. He was received by Pemberton with more -marked impertinence than at their former interview. Grant bore it like a -philosopher, and in reply treated Pemberton with even gentler courtesy -and dignity than before. - -I rode into Vicksburg at the side of the conqueror, and afterward -perambulated among the conquered. The Confederate soldiers were -generally more contented even than we were. Now they were going home, -they said. They had had enough of the war. The cause of the Confederacy -was lost. They wanted to take the oath of allegiance many of them. I -was not surprised to learn a month later that of the twenty-odd thousand -well men who were paroled at Vicksburg the greater part had since -dispersed, and I felt sure they could never be got to serve again. The -officers, on the other hand, all declared their determination never to -give in. They had mostly on that day the look of men who have been -crying all night. One major, who commanded a regiment from Missouri, -burst into tears as he followed his disarmed men back into their lines -after they had surrendered their colors and the guns in front of them. - -I found the buildings of Vicksburg much less damaged than I had -expected. Still, there were a good many people living in caves dug in -the banks. Naturally the shells did less damage to these vaults than to -dwellings. There was a considerable supply of railroad cars in the town, -with one or two railroad locomotives in working condition. There was -also an unexpected quantity of military supplies. At the end of the -first week after our entrance sixty-six thousand stand of small arms had -been collected, mainly in good condition, and more were constantly being -discovered. They were concealed in caves, as well as in all sorts of -buildings. The siege and seacoast guns found exceeded sixty, and the -whole captured artillery was above two hundred pieces. The stores of -rebel ammunition also proved to be surprisingly heavy. As Grant -expressed it, there was enough to have kept up the defense for six years -at the rate they were using it. The stock of army clothing was -officially invoiced at five million dollars--Confederate prices. Of -sugar, molasses, and salt there was a large quantity, and sixty thousand -pounds of bacon were found in one place. - -The way in which Grant handled his army at the capitulation of Vicksburg -was a splendid example of his energy. As soon as negotiations for -surrender began on the 3d, he sent word to Sherman, at his camp on Bear -Creek, to get ready to move against Johnston. Sherman always acted on -the instant, and that very afternoon he threw bridges across the Big -Black. He started his forces over the river on the 4th as soon as he -received word that Pemberton had accepted Grant's ultimatum. - -In the meantime Grant had ordered part of Ord's corps, all of Steele's -division, and the two divisions of the Ninth Corps, which was at -Haynes's Bluff, to be ready to join Sherman as soon as the capitulation -was effected. Their movement was so prompt that by Sunday night, July -5th, part of Ord's force was across the Big Black and Steele was well up -to the river. - -As Grant supposed that Banks needed help at Port Hudson, he had sent a -messenger to him on the 1st of the month telling him the surrender was -imminent, and offering aid if he needed it. A division--that of -Herron--was now made ready to march as soon as word came back. In the -city itself there was the greatest activity. The occupation of the place -by our forces was directed by General McPherson, who was appointed to -the command. Three divisions were detailed to garrison the line of -fortifications and to furnish the guards for the interior of the city. -By the night of the 5th no troops remained outside of Vicksburg. - -The paroling of the Confederate troops began as soon as the occupation -was complete, and was pushed with all possible rapidity. At the same -time those parts of the fortifications which we were now to defend were -selected, and the men began to obliterate the siege approaches at which -they had worked so hard and so long. So busy was Grant with the -mobilization of his army for offensive field operations and the -garrisoning of Vicksburg that he did not take time even to write to -Washington. My telegram of July 5th to Mr. Stanton describing the -surrender and the condition of things in Vicksburg conveyed this request -from Grant for instructions from Washington: - - General Grant, being himself intensely occupied, desires me to say - that he would like to receive from General Halleck as soon as - practicable either general or specific instructions as to the future - conduct of the war in his department. He has no idea of going into - summer quarters, nor does he doubt his ability to employ his army so - as to make its blows tell toward the great result; but he would like - to be informed whether the Government wishes him to follow his own - judgment or to co-operate in some particular scheme of operations. - -With the fall of Vicksburg my mission was at an end. On the 6th of July -I left Grant for the North, stopping at Helena, Ark., on my way up the -river long enough to get news of Gen. Prentiss's recent operations. -Thence I went on to Cairo and Washington. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -WITH THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND. - - Appointment as Assistant Secretary of War--Again to the far - front--An interesting meeting with Andrew Johnson--Rosecrans's - complaints--His view of the situation at Chattanooga--At General - Thomas's headquarters--The first day of Chickamauga--The battlefield - telegraph service--A night council of war at Widow Glenn's--Personal - experiences of the disastrous second day's battle--The "Rock of - Chickamauga." - - -I happened to be the first man to reach the capital from Vicksburg, and -everybody wanted to hear the story and to ask questions. I was anxious -to get home and see my family, however, and left for New York as soon as -I could get away. A few days after I arrived in New York I received an -invitation to go into business there with Mr. Ketchum, a banker, and -with George Opdyke, the merchant. I wrote Mr. Stanton of the opening, -but he urged me to remain in the War Department as one of his -assistants, which I consented to do.[C] - -The first commission with which Mr. Stanton charged me after my -appointment as his assistant was one similar to that which I had just -finished--to go to Tennessee to observe and report the movements of -Rosecrans against Bragg. General Rosecrans, who, after the battle of -Stone's River, or Murfreesboro, on December 31st to January 2, 1863, had -lain for nearly six months at Murfreesboro, obstructing on various -excuses all the efforts Lincoln and Stanton and Halleck put forth to -make him move against Bragg, who occupied what was known as the -Tullahoma line, had toward the end of June moved on Bragg and driven him -across the Tennessee River. He had then settled down to rest again, -while Bragg had taken possession of his new line in and about -Chattanooga. - -Burnside, who was in Kentucky, had been ordered to unite with Rosecrans -by way of East Tennessee, in order that the combined force should attack -Bragg, but, despite the urgency of the administration, no movement was -made by Rosecrans until the middle of August. As soon as it was evident -that he was really going out against the Confederates, Mr. Stanton asked -me to join the Army of the Cumberland. My orders were to report directly -to Rosecrans's headquarters. I carried the following letter of -introduction to that general: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, _August 30, 1863_. - - MAJ.-GEN. ROSECRANS, Commanding, etc. - - GENERAL: This will introduce to you Charles A. Dana, Esq., one of - my assistants, who visits your command for the purpose of - conferring with you upon any subject which you may desire to have - brought to the notice of the department. Mr. Dana is a gentleman of - distinguished character, patriotism, and ability, and possesses the - entire confidence of the department. You will please afford to him - the courtesy and consideration which he merits, and explain to him - fully any matters which you may desire through him to bring to the - notice of the department. - - Yours truly, EDWIN M. STANTON. - - -As soon as my papers arrived I left for my post. I was much delayed on -railroads and steamboats, and when I reached Cincinnati found it was -impossible to join Burnside by his line of march to Knoxville and from -him go to Rosecrans, as I had intended. Accordingly I went on to -Louisville, where I arrived on September 5th. I found there that -Burnside had just occupied Knoxville; that the Ninth Corps, which two -months before I had left near Vicksburg, was now about to go to him from -near Louisville; and that Rosecrans had queerly enough telegraphed to -the clergy all over the country that he expected a great battle that day -and desired their prayers. - -I went directly from Louisville to Nashville, where I found General -Gordon Granger in command. As he and Governor Johnson were going to the -front in a day or two, I waited to go with them. The morning after my -arrival at Nashville I went to call on Johnson. I had never met him -before. - -Andrew Johnson was short and stocky, of dark complexion, smooth face, -dark hair, dark eyes, and of great determination of appearance. When I -went to see him in his office, the first thing he said was: - -"Will you have a drink?" - -"Yes, I will," I answered. So he brought out a jug of whisky and poured -out as much as he wanted in a tumbler, and then made it about half and -half water. The theoretical, philosophical drinker pours out a little -whisky and puts in almost no water at all--drinks it pretty nearly -pure--but when a man gets to taking a good deal of water in his whisky, -it shows he is in the habit of drinking a good deal. I noticed that the -Governor took more whisky than most gentlemen would have done, and I -concluded that he took it pretty often. - -I had a prolonged conversation that morning with Governor Johnson, who -expressed himself in cheering terms in regard to the general condition -of Tennessee. He regarded the occupation of Knoxville by Burnside as -completing the permanent expulsion of Confederate power, and said he -should order a general election for the first week in October. He -declared that slavery was destroyed in fact, but must be abolished -legally. Johnson was thoroughly in favor of immediate emancipation both -as a matter of moral right and as an indispensable condition of the -large immigration of industrious freemen which he thought necessary to -repeople and regenerate the State. - -On the 10th of September we started for the front, going by rail to -Bridgeport, on the Tennessee River. This town at that date was the -terminus of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. The bridge across -the river and part of the railroad beyond had been destroyed by Bragg -when he retreated in the preceding summer from Tullahoma. It was by way -of Bridgeport that troops were joining Rosecrans at the far front, and -all supplies went to him that way. On reaching the town, we heard that -Chattanooga had been occupied by Crittenden's corps of Rosecrans's army -the day before, September 9th; so the next day, September 11th, I pushed -on there by horseback past Shellmound and Wauhatchie. The country -through which I passed is a magnificent region of rocks and valleys, and -I don't believe there is anywhere a finer view than that I had from -Lookout Mountain as I approached Chattanooga. - -When I reached Chattanooga I went at once to General Rosecrans's -headquarters and presented my letter. He read it, and then burst out in -angry abuse of the Government at Washington. He had not been sustained, -he said. His requests had been ignored, his plans thwarted. Both Stanton -and Halleck had done all they could, he declared, to prevent his -success. - -"General Rosecrans," I said, "I have no authority to listen to -complaints against the Government. I was sent here for the purpose of -finding out what the Government could do to aid you, and have no right -to confer with you on other matters." - -He quieted down at once, and explained his situation to me. He had -reached Chattanooga, he said, on the 10th, with Crittenden's troops, the -Twenty-first Corps, the town having been evacuated the day before by the -Confederates. As all the reports brought in seemed to indicate that -Bragg was in full retreat toward Rome, Ga., Crittenden had immediately -started in pursuit, and had gone as far as Ringgold. On the night before -(September 11th) it had seemed evident that Bragg had abandoned his -retreat on Rome, and behind the curtain of the woods and hills had -returned with the purpose of suddenly falling with his whole army upon -the different corps and divisions of our army, now widely separated by -the necessity of crossing the mountains at gaps far apart. - -This was a serious matter for Rosecrans, if true, for at that moment his -army was scattered over a line more than fifty miles long, extending -from Chattanooga on the north to Alpine on the south. Rosecrans pointed -out to me the positions on the map. Crittenden, he explained, had been -ordered immediately to leave Ringgold and move westward to the valley of -the West Chickamauga. He was near a place known as Lee and Gordon's -Mills. General Thomas, who commanded the Fourteenth Corps, had marched -across Lookout Mountain and now held Stevens's Gap, perhaps twenty-five -miles south of Chattanooga. McCook, with the Twentieth Corps, had been -ordered, after crossing the Tennessee, to march southeast, and now was -at Alpine, fully thirty-five miles south of Crittenden. Orders had been -sent McCook, when it was found that Bragg had made a stand, to rest his -left flank on the southern base of Mission Ridge, and, extending his -line toward Summerville, fall on the flank of the enemy should he follow -the valley that way. The reserve, under Gordon Granger, was still north -of the Tennessee, although one division had reached Bridgeport and the -rest were rapidly approaching. Notwithstanding the signs that Bragg -might not be retreating so fast as he at first appeared to have been, -Rosecrans was confident as late as the 12th that the Confederate -commander was merely making a show of the offensive to check pursuit, -and that he would make his escape to Rome as soon as he found our army -concentrated for battle east of Lookout Mountain. - -The next day (the 13th) I left Chattanooga with Rosecrans and his staff -for Thomas's headquarters at Stevens's Gap. We found everything -progressing favorably there. The movements for the concentration of the -three corps were going forward with energy. Scouts were coming in -constantly, who reported that the enemy had withdrawn from the basin -where our army was assembling; that he was evacuating Lafayette and -moving toward Rome. It seemed as if at last the Army of the Cumberland -had practically gained a position from which it could effectually -advance upon Rome and Atlanta, and deliver there the finishing blow of -the war. The difficulties of gaining this position, of crossing the -Cumberland Mountains, passing the Tennessee, turning and occupying -Chattanooga, traversing the mountain ridges of northern Georgia, and -seizing the passes which led southward had been enormous. It was only -when I came personally to examine the region that I appreciated what had -been done. These difficulties were all substantially overcome. The army -was in the best possible condition, and was advancing with all the -rapidity which the nature of the country allowed. Our left flank toward -East Tennessee was secured by Burnside, and the only disadvantage which -I could see was that a sudden movement of the enemy to our right might -endanger our long and precarious line of communications and compel us to -retreat again beyond the Tennessee. I felt this so keenly that I urged -Mr. Stanton, in a dispatch sent to him on the 14th from Thomas's -headquarters, to push as strong a column as possible eastward from -Corinth, in northeastern Mississippi. It seemed to me that it would be -better to recall the troops from the West rather than to risk a check -here, where the heart of rebellion was within reach and the final blow -all prepared. - -But, after all, there was something of a mystery about the real location -of Bragg's army, its strength, and the designs of its chief. At any rate -it was soon manifest that Bragg was not withdrawing to the southward, as -at first supposed. Some queer developments down the Chickamauga on the -16th and 17th caused Rosecrans considerable anxiety for Chattanooga. The -impression began to grow, too, that Bragg had been playing 'possum, and -had not retreated at all. Rosecrans at once abandoned all idea of -operations against the Confederate line of retreat and supply, drew his -army in rapidly, and began to look sharply after his own communications -with Chattanooga, which had now become his base. - -By noon of September 18th the concentration was practically complete. -Our army then lay up and down the valley, with West Chickamauga Creek in -front of the greater part of the line. The left was held by Crittenden, -the center by Thomas, and the right by McCook, whose troops were now all -in the valley except one brigade. The army had not concentrated any too -soon, for that very afternoon the enemy appeared on our left, and a -considerable engagement occurred. It was said at headquarters that a -battle was certain the next day. The only point Rosecrans had not -determined at five o'clock on the afternoon of the 18th was whether to -make a night march and fall on Bragg at daylight or to await his onset. - -But that night it became pretty clear to all that Bragg's plan was to -push by our left into Chattanooga. This compelled another rapid movement -by the left down the Chickamauga. By a tiresome night march Thomas moved -down behind Crittenden and below Lee and Gordon's Mills, taking position -on our extreme left. Crittenden followed, connecting with Thomas's -right, and thus taking position in the center. McCook's corps also -extended down stream to the left, but still covered the creek as high up -as Crawfish Spring, while part of his troops acted as a reserve. These -movements were hurriedly made, and the troops, especially those of -Thomas, were very much exhausted by their efforts to get into position. - -Rosecrans had not been mistaken in Bragg's intention. About nine o'clock -the next morning at Crawfish Spring, where the general headquarters -were, we heard firing on our left, and reports at once came in that the -battle had begun there, Bragg being in command of the enemy. Thomas had -barely headed the Confederates off from Chattanooga. We remained at -Crawfish Springs on this day until after one o'clock, waiting for the -full proportions of the conflict to develop. When it became evident that -the battle was being fought entirely on our left, Rosecrans removed his -headquarters nearer to the scene, taking a little house near Lee and -Gordon's Mills, known as the Widow Glenn's. Although closer to the -battle, we could see no more of it here than at Crawfish Springs, the -conflict being fought altogether in a thick forest, and being invisible -to outsiders. The nature of the firing and the reports from the -commanders alone enabled us to follow its progress. - -That we were able to keep as well informed as we were was due to our -excellent telegraphic communications. By this time the military -telegraph had been so thoroughly developed that it was one of the most -useful accessories of our army, even on a battlefield. For instance, -after Rosecrans had taken Crawfish Springs as his headquarters, he had -given orders, on September 17th, to connect the place with Chattanooga, -thirteen miles to the northwest. The line was completed after the battle -began on the 19th, and we were in communication not only with -Chattanooga, but with Granger at Rossville and with Thomas at his -headquarters. When Rosecrans removed to the Widow Glenn's, the -telegraphers went along, and in an hour had connections made and an -instrument clicking away in Mrs. Glenn's house. We thus had constant -information of the way the battle was going, not only from the -orderlies, but also from the wires. - -This excellent arrangement enabled me also to keep the Government at -Washington informed of the progress of the battle. I sent eleven -dispatches that day to Mr. Stanton. They were very brief, but they -reported all that I, near as I was to the scene, knew of the battle of -September 19th at Chickamauga. - -It was not till after dark that firing ceased and final reports began -to come in. From these we found that the enemy had been defeated in his -attempt to turn and crush our left flank and secure possession of the -Chattanooga roads, but that he was not wholly defeated, for he still -held his ground in several places, and was preparing, it was believed, -to renew the battle the next day. - -That evening Rosecrans decided that if Bragg did not retreat he would -renew the fight at daylight, and a council of war was held at our -headquarters at the Widow Glenn's, to which all the corps and division -commanders were summoned. There must have been ten or twelve general -officers there. Rosecrans began by asking each of the corps commanders -for a report of the condition of his troops and of the position they -occupied; also for his opinion of what was to be done. Each proposition -was discussed by the entire council as it was made. General Thomas was -so tired--he had not slept at all the night before, and he had been in -battle all day--that he went to sleep every minute. Every time Rosecrans -spoke to him he would straighten up and answer, but he always said the -same thing, "I would strengthen the left," and then he would be asleep, -sitting up in his chair. General Rosecrans, to the proposition to -strengthen the left, made always the same reply, "Where are we going to -take it from?" - -After the discussion was ended, Rosecrans gave his orders for the -disposition of the troops on the following day. Thomas's corps was to -remain on the left with his line somewhat drawn in, but substantially as -he was at the close of the day. McCook was to close on Thomas and cover -the position at Widow Glenn's, and Crittenden was to have two divisions -in reserve near the junction of McCook's and Thomas's lines, to be able -to succor either. These orders were written for each corps commander. -They were also read in the presence of all, and the plans fully -explained. Finally, after everything had been said, hot coffee was -brought in, and then McCook was called upon to sing the Hebrew Maiden. -McCook sang the song, and then the council broke up and the generals -went away. - -This was about midnight, and, as I was very tired, I lay down on the -floor to sleep, beside Captain Horace Porter, who was at that time -Rosecrans's chief of ordnance. There were cracks in the floor of the -Widow Glenn's house, and the wind blew up under us. We would go to -sleep, and then the wind would come up so cold through the cracks that -it would wake us up, and we would turn over together to keep warm. - -At daybreak we at headquarters were all up and on our horses ready to go -with the commanding general to inspect our lines. We rode past McCook, -Crittenden, and Thomas to the extreme left, Rosecrans giving as he went -the orders he thought necessary to strengthen the several positions. The -general intention of these orders was to close up on the left, where it -was evident the attack would begin. We then rode back to the extreme -right, Rosecrans stopping at each point to see if his orders had been -obeyed. In several cases they had not been obeyed, and he made them more -peremptory. When we found that McCook's line had been elongated so that -it was a mere thread, Rosecrans was very angry, and sent for the -general, rebuking him severely, although, as a matter of fact, General -McCook's position had been taken under the written orders of the -commander in chief, given the night before. - -About half past eight or nine o'clock the battle began on the left, -where Thomas was. At that time Rosecrans, with whom I always remained, -was on the right, directing the movements of the troops there. Just -after the cannon began I remember that a ten-pound shell came crashing -through our staff, but hurting nobody. I had not slept much for two -nights, and, as it was warm, I dismounted about noon and, giving my -horse to my orderly, lay down on the grass and went to sleep. I was -awakened by the most infernal noise I ever heard. Never in any battle I -had witnessed was there such a discharge of cannon and musketry. I sat -up on the grass, and the first thing I saw was General Rosecrans -crossing himself--he was a very devout Catholic. "Hello!" I said to -myself, "if the general is crossing himself, we are in a desperate -situation." - -I was on my horse in a moment. I had no sooner collected my thoughts and -looked around toward the front, where all this din came from, than I saw -our lines break and melt away like leaves before the wind. Then the -headquarters around me disappeared. The gray-backs came through with a -rush, and soon the musket balls and the cannon shot began to reach the -place where we stood. The whole right of the army had apparently been -routed. My orderly stuck to me like a veteran, and we drew back for -greater safety into the woods a little way. There I came upon General -Porter--Captain Porter he was then--and Captain Drouillard, an -aide-de-camp infantry officer attached to General Rosecrans's staff, -halting fugitives. They would halt a few of them, get them into some -sort of a line, and make a beginning of order among them, and then there -would come a few rounds of cannon shot through the tree-tops over their -heads and the men would break and run. I saw Porter and Drouillard plant -themselves in front of a body of these stampeding men and command them -to halt. One man charged with his bayonet, menacing Porter; but Porter -held his ground, and the man gave in. That was the only case of real -mutiny that I ever saw in the army, and that was under such -circumstances that the man was excusable. The cause of all this disaster -was the charge of the Confederates through the hiatus in the line caused -by the withdrawal of Wood's division, under a misapprehension of orders, -before its place could be filled. - -I attempted to make my way from this point in the woods to Sheridan's -division, but when I reached the place where I knew it had been a little -time before, I found it had been swept from the field. Not far away, -however, I stumbled on a body of organized troops. This was a brigade of -mounted riflemen under Colonel John T. Wilder, of Indiana. "Mr. Dana," -asked Colonel Wilder, "what is the situation?" - -"I do not know," I said, "except that this end of the army has been -routed. There is still heavy fighting at the left front, and our troops -seem to be holding their ground there yet." - -"Will you give me any orders?" he asked. - -"I have no authority to give orders," I replied; "but if I were in your -situation I should go to the left, where Thomas is." - -Then I turned my horse, and, making my way over Missionary Ridge, struck -the Chattanooga Valley and rode to Chattanooga, twelve or fifteen miles -away. The whole road was filled with flying soldiers; here and there -were pieces of artillery, caissons, and baggage wagons. Everything was -in the greatest disorder. When I reached Chattanooga, a little before -four o'clock, I found Rosecrans there. In the helter-skelter to the rear -he had escaped by the Rossville road. He was expecting every moment that -the enemy would arrive before the town, and was doing all he could to -prepare to resist his entrance. Soon after I arrived the two corps -commanders, McCook and Crittenden, both came into Chattanooga. - -The first thing I did on reaching town was to telegraph Mr. Stanton. I -had not sent him any telegrams in the morning, for I had been in the -field with Rosecrans, and part of the time at some distance from the -Widow Glenn's, where the operators were at work. The boys kept at their -post there until the Confederates swept them out of the house. When they -had to run, they went instruments and tools in hand, and as soon as out -of reach of the enemy set up shop on a stump. It was not long before -they were driven out of this. They next attempted to establish an office -on the Rossville road, but before they had succeeded in making -connections a battle was raging around them, and they had to retreat to -Granger's headquarters at Rossville. - -Having been swept bodily off the battlefield, and having made my way -into Chattanooga through a panic-stricken rabble, the first telegram -which I sent to Mr. Stanton was naturally colored by what I had seen and -experienced. I remember that I began the dispatch by saying: "My report -to-day is of deplorable importance. Chickamauga is as fatal a name in -our history as Bull Run." By eight o'clock that evening, however, I -found that I had given too dark a view of the disaster. - -Early the next morning things looked still better. Rosecrans received a -telegram from Thomas at Rossville, to which point he had withdrawn after -the nightfall, saying that his troops were in high spirits, and that he -had brought off all his wounded. A little while before noon General -James A. Garfield, who was chief of Rosecrans's staff, arrived in -Chattanooga and gave us the first connected account we had of the battle -on the left after the rout. Garfield said that he had become separated -from Rosecrans in the rout of our right wing and had made his way to the -left, and spent the afternoon and night with General Thomas. There he -witnessed the sequel of the battle in that part of the field. Thomas, -finding himself cut off from Rosecrans and the right, at once marshalled -the remaining divisions for independent fighting. Refusing both his -right and left, his line assumed the form of a horseshoe, posted along -the slope and crest of a partly wooded ridge. He was soon joined by -Granger from Rossville, with Steedman and most of the reserve; and with -these forces, more than two thirds of the army, he firmly maintained -the fight till after dark. Our troops were as immovable as the rocks -they stood on. Longstreet hurled against them repeatedly the dense -columns which had routed Davis and Sheridan in the early afternoon, but -every onset was repulsed with dreadful slaughter. Falling first on one -and then another point of our lines, for hours the rebels vainly sought -to break them. Thomas seemed to have filled every soldier with his own -unconquerable firmness, and Granger, his hat torn by bullets, raged like -a lion wherever the combat was hottest with the electrical courage of a -Ney. When night fell, this body of heroes stood on the same ground they -had occupied in the morning, their spirit unbroken, but their numbers -greatly diminished. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[C] Although appointed some months before, Mr. Dana was not nominated in -the Senate as Second Assistant Secretary of War until January 20, 1864; -the nomination was confirmed on January 26. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE REMOVAL OF ROSECRANS. - - Preparing to defend Chattanooga--Effect on the army of the day of - disaster and glory--Mr. Dana suggests Grant or Thomas as Rosecrans's - successor--Portrait of Thomas--The dignity and loyalty of his - character illustrated--The army reorganized--It is threatened with - starvation--An estimate of Rosecrans--He is relieved of the command - of the Army of the Cumberland. - - -All the news we could get the next day of the enemy's movements seemed -to show that the Confederate forces were concentrating on Chattanooga. -Accordingly, Rosecrans gave orders for all our troops to gather in the -town at once and prepare for the attack which would probably take place -within a day or two. By midnight the army was in Chattanooga. The troops -were in wonderful spirits, considering their excessive fatigues and -heavy losses, and the next morning went to work with energy on the -fortifications. All the morning of the 22d the enemy were approaching, -resisted by our advance parties, and by the middle of the afternoon the -artillery firing was so near that it seemed certain that the battle -would be fought before dark. No attack was made that day, however, nor -the next, and by the morning of the 24th the Herculean labors of the -army had so fortified the place that it was certain that it could be -taken only by a regular siege or by a turning movement. The strength of -our forces was about forty-five thousand effective men, and we had ten -days' full rations on hand. Chattanooga could hold out, but it was -apparent that no offensive operations were possible until -re-enforcements came. These we knew had been hurried toward us as soon -as the news of the disaster of the 20th reached Washington. Burnside was -coming from Knoxville, we supposed, Hooker had been ordered from -Washington by rail, Sherman from Vicksburg by steamer, and some of -Hurlbut's troops from Memphis. - -The enemy by the 24th were massed in Chattanooga Valley, and held -Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. The summit of Lookout Mountain, -almost the key to Chattanooga, was not given up by Rosecrans until the -morning of the 24th; then he ordered the withdrawal of the brigade which -held the heights, and the destruction of the wagon road which winds -along its side at about one third of its height and connects the valleys -of Chattanooga and Lookout. Both Granger and Garfield earnestly -protested against this order, contending that the mountain and the road -could be held by not more than seven regiments against the whole power -of the enemy. They were obviously right, but Rosecrans was sometimes as -obstinate and inaccessible to reason as at others he was irresolute, -vacillating, and inconclusive, and he pettishly rejected all their -arguments. The mountain was given up. - -As soon as we felt reasonably sure that Chattanooga could hold out until -re-enforcements came, the disaster of the 20th of September became the -absorbing topic of conversation in the Army of the Cumberland. At -headquarters, in camp, in the street, on the fortifications, officers -and soldiers and citizens wrangled over the reasons for the loss of the -day. By the end of the first week after the disaster a serious -fermentation reigned in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Army Corps, and, -indeed, throughout the whole army, growing out of events connected with -the battle. - -There was at once a manifest disposition to hold McCook and Crittenden, -the commanders of the two corps, responsible, because they had left the -field of battle amid the rout of the right wing and made their way to -Chattanooga.[D] It was not generally understood or appreciated at that -time that, because of Thomas's repeated calls for aid and Rosecrans's -consequent alarm for his left, Crittenden had been stripped of all his -troops and had no infantry whatever left to command, and that McCook's -lines also had been reduced to a fragment by similar orders from -Rosecrans and by fighting. A strong opposition to both sprang up, which -my telegrams to Mr. Stanton immediately after the battle fully reflect. -The generals of division and of brigade felt the situation deeply, and -said that they could no longer serve under such superiors, and that, if -this was required of them, they must resign. This feeling was universal -among them, including men like Major-Generals Palmer and Sheridan and -Brigadier-Generals Wood, Johnson, and Hazen. - -The feeling of these officers did not seem in the least to partake of a -mutinous or disorderly character; it was rather conscientious -unwillingness to risk their men and the country's cause in hands which -they thought to be unsafe. No formal representation of this -unwillingness was made to Rosecrans, but he was made aware of the state -of things by private conversations with several of the parties. The -defects of his character complicated the difficulty. He abounded in -friendliness and approbativeness, and was greatly lacking in firmness -and steadiness of will. In short, he was a temporizing man; he dreaded -so heavy an alternative as was now presented, and hated to break with -McCook and Crittenden. - -Besides, there was a more serious obstacle to Rosecrans's acting -decisively in the fact that if Crittenden and McCook had gone to -Chattanooga, with the sound of artillery in their ears, from that -glorious field where Thomas and Granger were saving their army and their -country's honor, he had gone to Chattanooga also. It might be said in -his excuse that, under the circumstances of the sudden rout, it was -perfectly proper for the commanding general to go to the rear to prepare -the next line of defense. Still, Rosecrans felt that that excuse could -not entirely clear him either in his own eyes or in those of the army. -In fact, it was perfectly plain that, while the subordinate commanders -would not resign if he was retained in the chief command, as I believe -they certainly would have done if McCook and Crittenden had not been -relieved, their respect for Rosecrans as a general had received an -irreparable blow. - -The dissatisfaction with Rosecrans seemed to me to put the army into a -very dangerous condition, and, in writing to Mr. Stanton on September -27th, I said that if it was decided to change the chief commander I -would suggest that some Western commander of high rank and great -prestige, like Grant, would be preferable as Rosecrans's successor to -one who had hitherto commanded in the East alone. - -The army, however, had its own candidate for Rosecrans's post. General -Thomas had risen to the highest point in their esteem, as he had in that -of every one who witnessed his conduct on that unfortunate and glorious -day, and I saw that, should there be a change in the chief command, -there was no other man whose appointment would be so welcome. I -earnestly recommended Mr. Stanton that in event of a change in the chief -command Thomas's merits be considered. He was certainly an officer of -the very highest qualities, soldierly and personally. He was a man of -the greatest dignity of character. He had more the character of George -Washington than any other man I ever knew. At the same time he was a -delightful man to be with; there was no artificial dignity about Thomas. -He was a West Point graduate, and very well educated. He was very set -in his opinions, yet he was not impatient with anybody--a noble -character. - -In reply to my recommendation of Thomas, I received a telegram from the -Secretary of War, saying: "I wish you to go directly to see General -Thomas, and say to him that his services, his abilities, his character, -his unselfishness, have always been most cordially appreciated by me, -and that it is not my fault that he has not long since had command of an -independent army." - -Accordingly, I went at once over to General Thomas's headquarters. I -remember that I got there just after they had finished dinner; the table -was not cleared off, but there was nobody in the dining room. When -General Thomas came in, I read to him the telegram from the Secretary. -He was too much affected by it to reply immediately. After a moment he -said: - -"Mr. Dana, I wish you would say to the Secretary of War that I am -greatly affected by this expression of his confidence; that I should -have long since liked to have had an independent command, but what I -should have desired would have been the command of an army that I could -myself have organized, disciplined, distributed, and combined. I wish -you would add also that I would not like to take the command of an army -where I should be exposed to the imputation of having intrigued or of -having exercised any effort to supplant my previous commander." - -This was on October 4th. Four days later General Thomas sent a -confidential friend to me, saying rumors had come to him that he was to -be put in Rosecrans's place; that, while he would gladly accept any -other command to which Mr. Stanton should see fit to assign him, he -could not consent to become the successor of General Rosecrans. He would -not do anything to give countenance to the suspicion that he had -intrigued against his commander's interest. He declared that he had -perfect confidence in the fidelity and capacity of General Rosecrans. - -The first change in the Army of the Cumberland was an order from -Washington consolidating the Twentieth and Twenty-first Corps. The news -reached Chattanooga on October 5th in a Nashville newspaper, and, not -having been previously promulgated, it caused a sensation. Crittenden -was much excited, and said that, as the Government no longer required -his services, he would resign; at any rate, he would not hibernate like -others, drawing pay and doing no work. McCook took it easily. The -consolidation of the two corps was generally well received, and, as it -was to be followed by a general reorganization of the army, it seemed as -if the most happy consequences would be produced. The only serious -difficulty which followed the change was that the men in the -consolidated corps were troubled by letters from home, showing that -their friends regarded a consolidation as a token of disgrace and -punishment. - -Although the reorganization of the army was going on, there was no real -change in our situation, and by the middle of October it began to look -as if we were in a helpless and precarious position. No re-enforcements -had yet reached us, the enemy was growing stronger every day, and, worse -still, we were threatened with starvation. Rosecrans's error in -abandoning Lookout Mountain to the enemy on September 24th was now -apparent. Our supplies came by rail from Nashville to Bridgeport; but -the enemy controlled the south shore of the Tennessee between us and -Bridgeport, and thus prevented our rebuilding the railroad from -Bridgeport to Chattanooga; with their shore batteries they stopped the -use of our steamboats. They even made the road on the north shore -impassable, the sharpshooters on the south bank being able to pick off -our men on the north. The forage and supplies which we had drawn from -the country within our reach were now exhausted, and we were dependent -upon what could be got to us over the roads north of the river. These -were not only disturbed by the enemy, but were so bad in places that the -mud was up to the horses' bellies. The animals themselves had become too -weak to haul the empty train up the mountain, while many had died of -starvation. On October 15th the troops were on half rations, and -officers as they went about where the men were working on the -fortifications frequently heard the cry of "Crackers!" - -In the midst of these difficulties General Rosecrans seemed to be -insensible to the impending danger; he dawdled with trifles in a manner -which scarcely can be imagined. With plenty of zealous and energetic -officers ready to do whatever needed to be done, precious time was lost -because our dazed and mazy commander could not perceive the catastrophe -that was close upon us, nor fix his mind upon the means of preventing -it. I never saw anything which seemed so lamentable and hopeless. Our -animals were starving, the men had starvation before them, and the enemy -was bound soon to make desperate efforts to dislodge us. Yet the -commanding general devoted that part of the time which was not employed -in pleasant gossip to the composition of a long report to prove that the -Government was to blame for his failure on the 20th. - -While few persons exhibited more estimable social qualities, I have -never seen a public man possessing talent with less administrative -power, less clearness and steadiness in difficulty, and greater -practical incapacity than General Rosecrans. He had inventive fertility -and knowledge, but he had no strength of will and no concentration of -purpose. His mind scattered; there was no system in the use of his busy -days and restless nights, no courage against individuals in his -composition, and, with great love of command, he was a feeble commander. -He was conscientious and honest, just as he was imperious and -disputatious; always with a stray vein of caprice and an overweening -passion for the approbation of his personal friends and the public -outside. - -Although the army had been reorganized as a result of the consolidation -of the Twentieth and Twenty-first Corps, it was still inefficient and -its discipline defective. The former condition proceeded from the fact -that General Rosecrans insisted on directing personally every -department, and kept every one waiting and uncertain till he himself -could directly supervise every operation. The latter proceeded from his -utter lack of firmness, his passion for universal applause, and his -incapacity to hurt any man's feelings by just severity. - -My opinion of Rosecrans and my fears that the army would soon be driven -from Chattanooga by starvation, if not by the Confederates, I had -reiterated in my letters to Mr. Stanton. On the morning of October 19th -I received a dispatch from Mr. Stanton, sent from Washington on October -16th, asking me to meet him that day at the Gait House in Louisville. I -wired him that, unless he ordered to the contrary, Rosecrans would -retreat at once from Chattanooga, and then I started for Louisville. It -was a hard trip by horseback over Walden's Ridge and through Jasper to -Bridgeport, and the roads were not altogether safe. Ten days before -this, in riding along the edge of a bank near the river shore, the earth -had given way under my horse's hind feet, and he and I had been tumbled -together down a bank, about fourteen feet high; we rolled over each -other in the sand at the bottom. I got off with no worse injury than a -bruise of my left shoulder and a slight crack on the back of my head -from the horse's hind foot, which made the blood run a little. The roads -over Walden Ridge and along the river were even worse now than when I -got my tumble, and, besides, they were filled with wagons trying to get -supplies to Chattanooga. It took at that time ten days for wagon teams -to go from Stevenson, where we had a depot, to Chattanooga. Though -subsistence stores were so nearly exhausted, the wagons were compelled -to throw overboard portions of their precious cargo in order to get -through. The returning trains were blockaded. On the 17th of October -five hundred teams were halted between the mountain and the river -without forage for the animals, and unable to move in any direction; -the whole road was strewn with dead animals. - -The railway from Bridgeport to Nashville was not much more comfortable -or safer than the road. Early in the month I had gone to Nashville on -business, and had come back in a tremendous storm in a train of eighteen -cars crowded with soldiers, and was twenty-six hours on the road instead -of ten. On the present trip, however, I got along very well until within -about eight miles from Nashville, when our train narrowly escaped -destruction. A tie had been inserted in a cattle guard to throw the -train down an embankment, but it had been calculated for a train going -south, so that ours simply broke it off. From what we learned afterward, -we thought it was intended for a train on which it was supposed General -Grant was going to Bridgeport. - -My train was bound through to Louisville. Indeed, I think there was no -one with me except the train hands and the engineer. We reached -Nashville about ten o'clock on the night of October 20th, and there were -halted. Directly there came in an officer--I think it was -Lieutenant-Colonel Bowers, of General Grant's staff--who said: - -"General Grant wants to see you." - -This was the first that I knew Grant was in Tennessee. I got out of my -train and went over to his. I hadn't seen him since we parted at -Vicksburg. - -"I am going to interfere with your journey, Mr. Dana," he said as soon -as I came in. "I have got the Secretary's permission to take you back -with me to Chattanooga. I want you to dismiss your train and get in -mine; we will give you comfortable quarters." - -"General," I said, "did you ask the Secretary to let me go back with -you?" - -"I did," he said; "I wanted to have you." - -So, of course, I went. On the way down he told me that he had been -appointed to the command of the "Military Division of the Mississippi," -with permission to leave Rosecrans in command of the Department of the -Cumberland or to assign Thomas in his place. He had done the latter, he -said, and had telegraphed Thomas to take charge of the army the night -after Stanton, at Louisville, had received my dispatch of the 19th -saying Rosecrans would retreat from Chattanooga unless ordered to -remain. Rosecrans was assigned to the Department of the Missouri, with -headquarters at St. Louis. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[D] The feeling of the army toward McCook and Crittenden was afterward -greatly modified. A court of inquiry examined their cases, and in -February, 1864, gave its final finding and opinion. McCook it relieved -entirely from responsibility for the reverse of September 20th, -declaring that the small force at his disposal was inadequate to defend, -against greatly superior numbers, the long line he had taken under -instructions, and adding that, after the line was broken, he had done -everything he could to rally and hold his troops, giving the necessary -orders to his subordinates. General Crittenden's conduct, the court -likewise declared, showed no cause for censure, and he was in no way -responsible for the disaster to the right wing. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -CHATTANOOGA AND MISSIONARY RIDGE. - - Thomas succeeds Rosecrans in the Army of the Cumberland--Grant - supreme at Chattanooga--A visit to the army at Knoxville--A - Tennessee Unionist's family--Impressions of Burnside--Grant against - Bragg at Chattanooga--The most spectacular fighting of the - war--Watching the first day's battle--With Sherman the second - day--The moonlight fight on Lookout Mountain--Sheridan's whisky - flask--The third day's victory and the glorious spectacle it - afforded--The relief of General Burnside. - - -With Grant I left Nashville for the front on the morning of the 21st. We -arrived safe in Bridgeport in the evening. The next morning, October -22d, we left on horseback for Chattanooga by way of Jasper and Walden's -Ridge. The roads were in such a condition that it was impossible for -Grant, who was on crutches from an injury to his leg received by the -fall of a horse in New Orleans some time before, to make the whole -distance of fifty-five miles in one day, so I pushed on ahead, running -the rebel picket lines, and reaching Chattanooga in the evening in -company with Colonel Wilson, Grant's inspector general. - -The next morning I went to see General Thomas; it was not an official -visit, but a friendly one, such a visit as I very often made on the -generals. When we had shaken hands, he said: - -"Mr. Dana, you have got me this time; but there is nothing for a man to -do in such a case as this but to obey orders." - -This was in allusion to his assignment to the command of the Army of the -Cumberland. The change in command was received with satisfaction by all -intelligent officers, so far as I could ascertain, though, of course, -Rosecrans had many friends who were unable to conceive why he was -relieved. They reported that he was to be put in command of the Army of -the Potomac. The change at headquarters was already strikingly -perceptible, order prevailing instead of universal chaos. - -On the evening of the 23d Grant arrived, as I stated in my dispatch to -Mr. Stanton, "wet, dirty, and well." The next morning he was out with -Thomas and Smith to reconnoiter a position which the latter general had -discovered at the mouth of Lookout Valley, which he believed, if it -could be taken possession of and at the same time if Raccoon Mountain -could be occupied, would give us Lookout Valley, and so enable us again -to bring supplies up the river. In preparation for this movement, Smith -had been getting bridges ready to throw across the river at the mouth of -the valley, and been fitting up a steamer to use for supplies when we -should control the river. - -The Confederates at that time were massed in Chattanooga Valley, south -of Chattanooga. They held Missionary Ridge to the east, and Lookout -Mountain to the west. They had troops in Lookout Valley also, and their -pickets extended westward over Raccoon Mountain to the river. South of -the river, at Brown's Ferry, were several low mamelons. Smith's idea -was to surprise the Confederate pickets here at night and seize the -position in time to unite with Hooker, who in the meantime should be -ordered up from Bridgeport by way of Shellmound, Whiteside, and -Wauhatchie. That night Grant gave orders for the movement; in fact, he -began it by sending Palmer's division across Walden's Ridge to Rankin's -Ferry, where he was to cross and occupy Shellmound, thus guarding -Hooker's rear. Hooker he ordered to march from Bridgeport on the morning -of the 26th. - -I went to Bridgeport on the 25th to observe Hooker's movement, but found -he was not there, and would not be ready to march the next morning as -ordered. Hooker came up from Stevenson to Bridgeport on the evening of -the 26th. He was in an unfortunate state of mind for one who had to -co-operate--fault-finding and criticising. No doubt it was true that the -chaos of the Rosecrans administration was as bad as he described it to -be, but he was quite as truculent toward the plan that he was now to -execute as toward the impotence and confusion of the old _régime_. By -the next morning he was ready to start, and the troops moved out for -Shellmound about half past six. By half past four in the afternoon we -arrived at Whiteside Valley; thence the march was directly to -Wauhatchie. Here there was an insignificant skirmish, which did not stop -us long. By the afternoon of the 28th we were at the mouth of the -Lookout Valley, where we found that General Smith, by an operation whose -brilliancy can not be exaggerated, had taken the mamelons south of the -river. The only serious opposition to our occupancy of the position -came that night, but the enemy was successfully repulsed. - -Our forces now held Lookout Valley and controlled the river from Brown's -Ferry to Bridgeport. The next day supplies were started up the river. At -first they came no farther than Kelley's Ferry, which was about ten -miles from Chattanooga. This was because the steamer at Bridgeport could -not get through the Suck, an ugly pass in the mountains through which -the river runs; but on the night of the 30th we succeeded in getting our -steamer at Chattanooga past the pickets on Lookout Mountain and down to -Brown's Ferry. She could pass the Suck, and after that supplies came by -water to Brown's Ferry. - -Within a week after Grant's arrival we were receiving supplies daily. -There was no further danger of the Army of the Cumberland being starved -out of Chattanooga. The Confederates themselves at once recognized this, -for a copy of the Atlanta Appeal of November 3d which reached me said -that if we were not dislodged from Lookout Valley our possession of -Chattanooga was secure for the winter. - -It was now certain that we could hold Chattanooga; but until Sherman -reached us we could do nothing against the enemy and nothing to relieve -Burnside, who had been ordered to unite with Rosecrans in August, but -had never got beyond Knoxville. He was shut up there much in the same -way as we were in Chattanooga, and it was certain that the Confederates -were sending forces against him. - -The day after Grant arrived we had good evidence that the Confederates -were moving in large force to the northeastward of Chattanooga, for -heavy railroad trains went out in that direction and light ones -returned. Deserters to us on the morning of the 25th reported that a -large force was at Charleston, Tenn., and that fully five thousand -mounted infantry had crossed the Tennessee River above Washington. That -night it was noticed that the pickets on Lookout Mountain, and even down -into the valley on the Chattanooga side, were much diminished. We judged -from this that the enemy had withdrawn both from the top of the mountain -and from the valley. There were other rumors of their movements toward -Burnside during the next few days, and on November 6th some definite -information came through a deserter, a Northern man who had lived in -Georgia before the war and had been forced into the service. He reported -that two divisions had moved up the Tennessee some time ago, and -confirmed our suspicion that the troops had been withdrawn from Lookout -Mountain. He said it was well understood among the Confederates that -these forces were going by way of Loudon to join those which had already -gone up the river, to co-operate with a force of Lee's army in driving -Burnside out of East Tennessee. - -Grant's first move to meet this plan of the enemy was to direct Sherman, -who had been trying to rebuild and hold the railroad from Memphis as he -marched forward, to abandon this work and hasten up to Stevenson. Grant -then considered what movement could be made which would compel the -enemy to recall the troops sent against Burnside. - -Grant was so anxious to know the real condition of Burnside that he -asked me to go to Knoxville and find out. So on November 9th I started, -accompanied by Colonel Wilson of Grant's staff. The way in which such a -trip as this of Wilson and mine was managed in those days is told in -this letter to a child, written just before we left Chattanooga for -Knoxville: - - I expect to go all the way on horseback, and it will take about five - days. About seventy horsemen will go along with their sabers and - carbines to keep off the guerillas. Our baggage we shall have - carried on pack mules. These are funny little rats of creatures, - with the big panniers fastened to their sides to carry their burdens - in. I shall put my bed in one pannier and my carpet bag and - India-rubber things in the other. Colonel Wilson, who is to go with - me, will have another mule for his traps, and a third will carry the - bread and meat and coffee that we are to live on. At night we shall - halt in some nice shady nook where there is a spring, build a big - roaring fire, cook our supper, spread our blankets on the ground, - and sleep with our feet toward the fire, while half a dozen of the - soldiers, with their guns ready loaded, watch all about to keep the - rebels at a safe distance. Then in the morning we shall first wake - up, then wash our faces, get our breakfasts, and march on, like John - Brown's soul, toward our destination. How long I shall stay at - Knoxville is uncertain, but I hope not very long--though it must be - very charming in that country of mountains and rivers--and then I - shall pray for orders that will take me home again. - -We were not obliged to camp out every night on this trip. One evening, -just about supper time, we reached a large stone house, the home of a -farmer. The man, we found, was a strong Unionist, and he gave us a -hearty invitation to occupy his premises. Our escort took possession of -the barn for sleeping, and we cooked our supper in the yard, the family -lending us a table and sending us out fresh bread. After supper Wilson -and I were invited into the house, where the farmer listened eagerly to -the news of the Union army. There were two or three young and very -pretty girls in the farmer's family, and while we talked they dipped -snuff, a peculiar custom that I had seen but once or twice before. - -We reached Knoxville on the 13th, and I at once went to headquarters to -talk over the situation with Burnside. This was the first time I had met -that general. He was rather a large man physically, about six feet tall, -with a large face and a small head, and heavy side whiskers. He was an -energetic, decided man, frank, manly, and well educated. He was a very -showy officer--not that he _made_ any show; he was naturally that. When -he first talked with you, you would think he had a great deal more -intelligence than he really possessed. You had to know him some time -before you really took his measure. - -I found that Burnside's forces, something like thirty-three thousand men -of all arms, were scattered all the way from Kentucky, by Cumberland -Gap, down to Knoxville. In and about Knoxville he had not concentrated -more than twelve thousand to fourteen thousand men. The town was -fortified, though unable to resist an attack by a large force. Up to -this time Burnside and his army had really been very well off, for he -had commanded a rich region behind Knoxville, and thence had drawn food -and forage. He even had about one hundred miles of railroad in active -operation for foraging, and he had plenty of mills and workshops in the -town which he could use. - -After a detailed conversation with Burnside, I concluded that there was -no reason to believe that any force had been sent from Lee's army to -attack him on the northeast, as we had heard in Chattanooga, but that it -was certain that Longstreet was approaching from Chattanooga with thirty -thousand troops. Burnside said that he would be unable long to resist -such an attack, and that if Grant did not succeed in making a -demonstration which would compel Longstreet to return he must retreat. - -If compelled to retreat, he proposed, he said, to follow the line of -Cumberland Gap, and to hold Morristown and Bean's Station. At these -points he would be secure against any force the enemy could bring -against him; he would still be able to forage over a large extent of -country on the south and east, he could prevent the repair of the -railroads by the rebels, and he would still have an effective hold on -East Tennessee. - -A few hours after this talk with Burnside, about one o'clock in the -morning of the 14th, a report reached Knoxville that completely upset -his plan for retreating by Cumberland Gap. This was the news that the -enemy had commenced building bridges across the Tennessee near Loudon, -only about twenty-five miles south of Knoxville. Burnside immediately -decided that he must retreat; and he actually dictated orders for -drawing his whole army south of the Holston into Blount County, where -all his communications would have been cut off, and where on his own -estimate he could not have subsisted more than three weeks. General -Parke argued against this in vain, but finally Colonel Wilson overcame -it by representing that Grant did not wish Burnside to include the -capture of his entire army among the plans of his operations. He then -determined to retreat toward the gaps, after destroying the workshops -and mills in Knoxville and on the line of his march. - -Before we left, however, which was about six o'clock in the morning of -the 14th, General Burnside had begun to feel that perhaps he might not -be obliged to pass the mountains and abandon East Tennessee entirely. He -had even decided to send out a force to attack the enemy's advance. When -Wilson and I reached Lenoir's Station that morning on our way to -Chattanooga, we discovered that the enemy's attack was not as imminent -as Burnside feared. Their bridges were not complete, and no artillery or -cavalry had crossed. From everything I could learn of their strength, in -fact, it seemed to me that there was a reasonable probability that -Burnside would be able to hold Knoxville until relieved by operations at -Chattanooga. - -We found that our departure from Knoxville had been none too soon. So -completely were the Confederates taking possession of the country -between Knoxville and Chattanooga that had we delayed a single day we -could have got out only through Cumberland Gap or that of Big Creek. We -were four days in returning, and Mr. Stanton became very uneasy, as I -learned from this dispatch received soon after my return: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C., _November 19, 1863_. - - Hon. C. A. DANA, Chattanooga. - - Your dispatches of yesterday are received. I am rejoiced that you - have got safely back. My anxiety about you for several days had - been very great. Make your arrangements to remain in the field - during the winter. Continue your reports as frequently as possible, - always noting the hour. - - EDWIN M. STANTON. - - -Colonel Wilson and I reached Chattanooga on November 17th. As soon as I -arrived I went to Grant's and Thomas's headquarters to find out the -news. There was the greatest hopefulness everywhere. Sherman, they told -me, had reached Bridgeport, and a plan for attacking Bragg's position -was complete and its execution begun by moving a division of Sherman's -army from Bridgeport to Trenton, where it ought to arrive that day, -threatening the enemy by Stevens's Gap. The remainder of that army was -to move into Lookout Valley by way of Whiteside, extending its lines up -the valley toward Trenton, as if to repeat the flanking movement of -Rosecrans when he followed Bragg across the Tennessee. Having drawn the -enemy's attention to that quarter, Sherman was to disappear on the night -of the 18th and encamp his forces behind the ridge of hills north of the -Tennessee, opposite to Chattanooga, and keep them there out of sight of -the enemy during the 19th. That same night a bridge was to be thrown -across the river just below the mouth of Chickamauga Creek, so that on -Saturday morning, November 20th, Sherman's command would be across -before daylight, if possible. As soon as over he was to push for the -head of Missionary Ridge, and there engage the enemy. - -At the same time that Sherman's wing advanced, Granger, with about -eighteen thousand men, was to move up on the left of the Chattanooga -lines and engage the Confederate right with all possible vigor. Hooker, -who had been in the Lookout Valley ever since he joined the army in -November, was to attack the head of Lookout Mountain simultaneously with -Sherman's attack at the head of Missionary Ridge, and, if practicable, -to carry the mountain. - -It is almost never possible to execute a campaign as laid out, -especially when it requires so many concerted movements as this one. -Thus, instead of all of Sherman's army crossing the Tennessee on the -night of the 18th, and getting out of sight as expected behind the hills -that night, a whole corps was left behind at daylight, and one division -had to march down the valley on the morning of the 20th in full view of -the enemy, who now understood, of course, that he was to be attacked. -Bragg evidently did not care to risk a battle, for he tried to alarm -Grant that afternoon by sending a flag over, and with it a letter, -saying, "As there may still be some non-combatants in Chattanooga, I -deem it proper to notify you that prudence would dictate their early -withdrawal." Of course, we all knew this was a bluff. - -On the morning of the 20th a heavy rain began, which lasted two days and -made the roads so bad that Sherman's advance was almost stopped. His -march was still further retarded by a singular blunder which had been -committed in moving his forces from Bridgeport. Instead of moving all -the troops and artillery first, the numerous trains which had been -brought from West Tennessee were sent in front rather than in rear of -each division. Grant said the blunder was his; that he should have given -Sherman explicit orders to leave his wagons behind; but no one was so -much astonished as Grant on learning that they had not been left, even -without such orders. - -Owing to these unforeseen circumstances, Sherman's rear was so far -behind on the morning of the 23d, three days after Grant had planned for -the attack, that it was doubtful whether he could be ready to join the -movement the next day, November 24th. It was also feared that the enemy, -who had seen the troops march through Lookout Valley and then disappear, -might have discovered where they were concealed, and thus surmise our -movements. - -On account of these hitches in carrying out the operations as speedily -as Grant had hoped, it was not until November 23d that the first -encounter in the battle of Chattanooga occurred. It was the beginning of -the most spectacular military operations I ever saw--operations -extending over three days and full of the most exciting incidents. - -Our army lay to the south and east of the town of Chattanooga, the river -being at our back. Facing us, in a great half circle, and high above us -on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, were the Confederates. Our -problem was to drive them from these heights. We had got our men well -together, all the re-enforcements were up, and now we were to strike. - -The first thing Grant tried to do was to clear out the Confederate lines -which were nearest to ours on the plain south of Chattanooga, and to get -hold of two bald knobs, or low hills, where Bragg's forces had their -advance guard. As the entire field where this attack was to be made was -distinctly visible from one of our forts, I went there on the 23d with -the generals to watch the operations. The troops employed for the attack -were under the immediate orders of Gordon Granger. There were some -capital officers under Granger, among them Sheridan, Hazen, and T. J. -Wood. Just before one o'clock the men moved out of their intrenchments, -and remained in line for three quarters of an hour in full view of the -enemy. The spectacle was one of singular magnificence. - -Our point of view was Fort Wood. Usually in a battle one sees only a -little corner of what is going on, the movements near where you happen -to be; but in the battle of Chattanooga we had the whole scene before -us. At last, everything being ready, Granger gave the order to advance, -and three brigades of men pushed out simultaneously. The troops advanced -rapidly, with all the precision of a review, the flags flying and the -bands playing. The first sign of a battle one noticed was the fire -spitting out of the rifles of the skirmishers. The lines moved steadily -along, not halting at all, the skirmishers all the time advancing in -front, firing and receiving fire. - -The first shot was fired at two o'clock, and in five minutes Hazen's -skirmishers were briskly engaged, while the artillery of Forts Wood and -Thomas was opening upon the rebel rifle-pits and camps behind the line -of fighting. The practice of our gunners was splendid, but it elicited -no reply from the camps and batteries of the enemy, about a mile and -three quarters distant; and it was soon evident that the Confederates -had no heavy artillery, in that part of their lines at least. Our -troops, rapidly advancing toward the knobs upon which they were -directed, occupied them at twenty minutes past two. Ten minutes later -Samuel Beatty, who commanded a brigade, driving forward across an open -field, carried the rifle-pits in his front, the occupants fleeing as -they fired their last volley; and Sheridan, moving through the forest -which stretched before him, drove in the enemy's pickets. Sheridan -halted his advance, in obedience to orders, on reaching the rifle-pits, -where the rebel force was waiting for his attack. No such attack was -made, however, the design being to secure only the height. The entire -movement was carried out in such an incredibly short time that at half -past three I was able to send a telegram to Mr. Stanton describing the -victory. - -We took about two hundred prisoners, mostly Alabama troops, and had -gained a position which would be of great importance should the enemy -still attempt to hold the Chattanooga Valley. With these heights in our -possession, a column marching to turn Missionary Ridge was secure from -flank attack. The Confederates fired three small guns only during the -affair, and that tended to confirm the impression that they had -withdrawn their main force. About four o'clock in the afternoon the -enemy opened fire from the top of Missionary Ridge, the total number of -cannon they displayed being about twelve, but nothing was developed to -show decisively whether they would fight or flee. Grant thought the -latter; other judicious officers the former. - -That evening I left Chattanooga to join General Sherman, who had his -troops north of the river concealed behind the hills, and ready to -attempt to cross the Tennessee that very night, so as to be able to -attack the east head of Missionary Ridge on the night of the 24th or the -morning of the 25th. - -Sherman had some twenty-five thousand men, and crossing them over a -river as wide and rapid as the Tennessee was above Chattanooga seemed to -me a serious task, and I watched the operations of the night with great -curiosity. The first point was to get a sufficient body of troops on the -south bank to hold a position against the enemy (the Confederates had -pickets for a long distance up and down the Tennessee, above -Chattanooga), and then from there commence building the pontoon bridge -by which the bulk of the men were to be got over. - -About one o'clock in the morning the pontoon boats, which had been sent -up the river some distance, were filled with men and allowed to drop -down to the point General Sherman had chosen for the south end of his -bridge. They landed about 2.30 in the morning, seized the pickets, and -immediately began to fortify their position. The boats in the meantime -were sent across the river to bring over fresh loads of men. They kept -this up until morning. Then a small steamer which Sherman had got hold -of came up and began to bring over troops. At daybreak some of the boats -were taken from the ferrying and a bridge was begun. It was marvelous -with what vigor the work went on. Sherman told me he had never seen -anything done so quietly and so well, and he declared later in his -report that he did not believe the history of war could show a bridge of -that length--about thirteen hundred and fifty feet--laid down so -noiselessly and in so short a time. By one o'clock in the afternoon -(November 24th) the bridge was done, and the balance of his forces were -soon marching briskly across. As soon as Sherman saw that the crossing -was insured, he set the foremost of his column in motion for the head of -Missionary Ridge. By four o'clock he had gained the crest of the ridge -and was preparing for the next day's battle. - -As soon as I saw Sherman in position, I hurried back to Chattanooga. I -reached there just in time to see the famous moonlight battle on Lookout -Mountain. The way this night battle happened to be fought was that -Hooker, who had been holding Lookout Valley, had been ordered to gain a -foothold on Lookout Mountain if possible, and that day, while I was with -Sherman, had really succeeded in scaling the side of the mountain. But -his possession of the point he had reached had been so hotly disputed -that a brigade had been sent from Chattanooga to aid him. These troops -attacked the Confederate lines on the eastern slope of the mountain -about eight o'clock that evening. A full moon made the battlefield as -plain to us in the valley as if it were day, the blaze of their camp -fires and the flashes of their guns displaying brilliantly their -position and the progress of their advance. No report of the result was -received that night, but the next morning we knew that Bragg had -evacuated Lookout Mountain the night before, and that our troops -occupied it. - -After the successes of the two days a decisive battle seemed inevitable, -and orders were given that night for a vigorous attack the next morning. -I was up early, sending my first dispatch to Mr. Stanton at half past -seven o'clock. As the result of the operations of the day before, Grant -held the point of Lookout Mountain on the southwest and the crest of the -east end of Missionary Ridge, and his line was continuous between these -points. As the result of the movement on November 23d, our lines in -front had been advanced to Orchard Knob. The bulk of the Confederate -force was intrenched along Missionary Ridge, five to six hundred feet -above us, and facing our center and left. From Chattanooga we could see -the full length of our own and the enemy's lines spread out like a scene -in a theater. - -About nine o'clock the battle was commenced on Sherman's line on our -left, and it raged furiously all that forenoon both east of Missionary -Ridge and along its crest, the enemy making vigorous efforts to crush -Sherman and dislodge him from his position on the ridge. All day, while -this battle was going on, I was at Orchard Knob, where Grant, Thomas, -Granger, and several other officers were observing the operations. The -enemy kept firing shells at us, I remember, from the ridge opposite. -They had got the range so well that the shells burst pretty near the top -of the elevation where we were, and when we saw them coming we would -duck--that is, everybody did except Generals Grant and Thomas and Gordon -Granger. It was not according to their dignity to go down on their -marrow bones. While we were there Granger got a cannon--how he got it I -do not know--and he would load it with the help of one soldier and fire -it himself over at the ridge. I recollect that Rawlins was very much -disgusted at the guerilla operations of Granger, and induced Grant to -order him to join his troops elsewhere. - -As we thought we perceived, soon after noon, that the enemy had sent a -great mass of their troops to crush Sherman, Grant gave orders at two -o'clock for an assault upon the left of their lines; but owing to the -fault of Granger, who was boyishly intent upon firing his gun instead of -commanding his corps, Grant's order was not transmitted to the division -commanders until he repeated it an hour later. - -It was fully four o'clock before the line moved out to the attack. It -was a bright, sunny afternoon, and, as the forces marched across the -valley in front of us as regularly as if on parade, it was a great -spectacle. They took with ease the first rifle-pits at the foot of the -ridge as they had been ordered, and then, to the amazement of all of us -who watched on Orchard Knob, they moved out and up the steep ahead of -them, and before we realized it they were at the top of Missionary -Ridge. It was just half past four when I wired to Mr. Stanton: - - Glory to God! the day is decisively ours. Missionary Ridge has just - been carried by the magnificent charge of Thomas's troops, and the - rebels routed. - -As soon as Grant saw the ridge was ours, he started for the front. As he -rode the length of the lines, the men, who were frantic with joy and -enthusiasm over the victory, received him with tumultuous shouts. The -storming of the ridge by our troops was one of the greatest miracles in -military history. No man who climbs the ascent by any of the roads that -wind along its front can believe that eighteen thousand men were moved -in tolerably good order up its broken and crumbling face unless it was -his fortune to witness the deed. It seemed as awful as a visible -interposition of God. Neither Grant nor Thomas intended it. Their orders -were to carry the rifle-pits along the base of the ridge and capture -their occupants; but when this was accomplished, the unaccountable -spirit of the troops bore them bodily up those impracticable steeps, in -spite of the bristling rifle-pits on the crest, and the thirty cannons -enfilading every gully. The order to storm appears to have been given -simultaneously by Generals Sheridan and Wood because the men were not to -be held back, dangerous as the attempt appeared to military prudence. -Besides, the generals had caught the inspiration of the men, and were -ready themselves to undertake impossibilities. - -The first time I saw Sheridan after the battle I said to him, "Why did -you go up there?" - -"When I saw the men were going up," he replied, "I had no idea of -stopping them; the rebel pits had been taken and nobody had been hurt, -and after they had started I commanded them to go right on. I looked up -at the head of the ridge as I was going up, and there I saw a -Confederate general on horseback. I had a silver whisky flask in my -pocket, and when I saw this man on the top of the hill I took out my -flask and waved my hand toward him, holding up the shining, glittering -flask, and then I took a drink. He waved back to me, and then the whole -corps went up." - -All the evening of the 25th the excitement of the battle continued. -Bragg had retreated down the Chickamauga Valley and was burning what he -could not carry away, so that the east was lit by his fires, while -Sheridan continued his fight along the east slope of Missionary Ridge -until nine o'clock in the evening. It was a bright moonlight night, and -we could see most of the operations as plainly as by day. The next -morning Bragg was in full retreat. I went to Missionary Ridge in the -morning, and from there I could see along ten miles of Chickamauga -Valley the fires of the depots and bridges he was burning as he fled. - -At intervals throughout the day I sent dispatches to Washington, where -they were eagerly read, as the following telegram sent me on the 27th -shows: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, _November 27, 1863_. - - Hon. C. A. DANA, Chattanooga, Tenn.: - - The Secretary of War is absent and the President is sick, but both - receive your dispatches regularly and esteem them highly, not - merely because they are reliable, but for their clearness of - narrative and their graphic pictures of the stirring events they - describe. - - The patient endurance and spirited valor exhibited by commanders - and men in the last great feat of arms, which has crowned our cause - with such a glorious success, is making all of us hero worshipers. - - P. H. WATSON, - _Acting Secretary of War_. - - -The enemy was now divided. Bragg was flying toward Rome and Atlanta, and -Longstreet was in East Tennessee besieging Burnside. Our victorious army -was between them. The first thought was, of course, to relieve Burnside, -and Grant ordered Granger with the Fourth Corps instantly forward to his -aid, taking pains to write Granger a personal letter, explaining the -exigencies of the case and the imperative need of energy. It had no -effect, however, in hastening the movement, and a day or two later Grant -ordered Sherman to assume command of all the forces operating from the -south to save Knoxville. Grant became imbued with a strong prejudice -against Granger from this circumstance. - -As any movement against Bragg was impracticable at that season, the only -operations possible to Grant, beyond the relief of Burnside, were to -hold Chattanooga and the line of the Hiwassee, to complete and protect -the railroads and the steamboats upon the Tennessee, and to amass food, -forage, and ordnance stores for the future. But all this would require -only a portion of the forces under his command; and, instead of holding -the remainder in winter quarters, he evolved a plan to employ them in -an offensive winter campaign against Mobile and the interior of Alabama. -He asked me to lay his plan before Mr. Stanton, and urge its approval by -the Government, which, of course, I did at once by telegraph. - -I did not wait at Chattanooga to learn the decision of the Government on -Grant's plan, but left on November 29th, again with Colonel Wilson, to -join Sherman, now well on his way to Knoxville, and to observe his -campaign. - -I fell in with Sherman on November 30th at Charleston, on the Hiwassee. -The Confederate guard there fled at his approach, after half destroying -the bridges, and we had to stay there until one was repaired. When we -reached Loudon, on December 3d, the bridge over the Tennessee was gone, -so that the main body of the army marched to a point where it was -believed a practicable ford might be found. The ford, however, proved -too deep for the men, the river being two hundred yards wide, and the -water almost at freezing point. We had a great deal of fun getting -across. I remember my horse went through--swam through, where his feet -could not strike the ground--and I got across without any difficulty. I -think Wilson got across, too; but when the lieutenant of our squad of -cavalrymen got in the middle of the river, where it was so deep that as -he sat in the saddle the water came up to his knees almost, and a little -above the breast of the mule he rode, the animal turned his head upward -toward the current, at that place very strong, and would not stir. This -poor fellow sat there in the middle of the stream, and, do his best, he -could not move his beast. Finally, they drove in a big wagon, or truck, -with two horses, and tied that to the bits of the mule, and dragged him -out. - -Colonel Wilson at once set about the construction of a trestle bridge, -and by working all night had it so advanced that the troops could begin -to cross by daylight the next morning. - -While the crossing was going on, we captured a Confederate mail, and -first learned something authentic about Burnside. He had been assailed -by Longstreet on the 29th of November, but had repulsed him. He was -still besieged, and all the letter writers spoke of the condition in the -town with great despondency, evidently regarding their chance of -extrication as very poor. Longstreet, we gathered from the mail, thought -that Sherman was bringing up only a small force. - -By noon of December 5th we had our army over, and, as we were now only -thirty-five miles from Knoxville, we pushed ahead rapidly, the enemy -making but little resistance. When Longstreet discovered the strength of -our force he retreated, and we entered Knoxville at noon on the 6th. We -found to our surprise that General Burnside had fully twenty days' -provisions--much more, in fact, than at the beginning of the siege. -These supplies had been drawn from the French Broad by boats, and by the -Sevierville road. The loyal people of East Tennessee had done their -utmost through the whole time to send in provisions and forage, and -Longstreet left open the very avenues which Burnside most desired. We -found ammunition very short, and projectiles for our rifle guns had -been made in the town. The utmost constancy and unanimity had prevailed -during the whole siege, from Burnside down to the last private; no man -thought of retreat or surrender. - -The next morning after our arrival, December 7th, Sherman started back -to Chattanooga with all his force not needed there. Colonel Wilson and I -returned with him, reaching Chattanooga on December 10th. - -Everything in the army was now so safe, quiet, and regular that I felt I -could be more useful anywhere else, so the day I got back I asked leave -of Mr. Stanton to go North. I did not wait for his reply, however. The -morning of the 12th Grant sent for me to come to his headquarters, and -asked me to go to Washington to represent more fully to Stanton and -Halleck his wishes with regard to the winter campaign. As the matter was -important, I started at once, telegraphing Mr. Stanton that, if he -thought it unnecessary for me to go, orders would reach me at any point -on the railroad. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE WAR DEPARTMENT IN WAR TIMES. - - Grant's plans blocked by Halleck--Mr. Dana on duty at - Washington--Edwin McMasters Stanton--His deep religious feeling--His - swift intelligence and almost superhuman energy--The Assistant - Secretary's functions--Contract supplies and contract - frauds--Lincoln's intercession for dishonest contractors with - political influence--A characteristic letter from Sherman. - - -I reached Washington about the middle of December, and immediately gave -to Mr. Stanton an outline of Grant's plan and reasons for a winter -campaign. The President, Mr. Stanton, and General Halleck all agreed -that the proposed operations were the most promising in sight; indeed, -Mr. Stanton was enthusiastic in favor of the scheme as I presented it to -him. He said that the success of Grant's campaign would end the war in -the Mississippi Valley, and practically make prisoners of all the rebel -forces in the interior of Mississippi and Alabama, without our being at -the direct necessity of guarding and feeding them. But Halleck, as a -_sine qua non_, insisted that East Tennessee should first be cleared out -and Longstreet driven off permanently and things up to date secured, -before new campaigns were entered upon. - -The result was that no winter campaign was made in 1863-'64 toward the -Alabama River towns and Mobile. Its success, in my opinion, was certain, -and I so represented to Mr. Stanton. Without jeoparding our interests in -any other quarter, Grant would have opened the Alabama River and -captured Mobile a full year before it finally fell. Its success meant -permanent security for everything we had already laid hold of, at once -freeing many thousands of garrison troops for service elsewhere. As long -as the rebels held Alabama, they had a base from which to strike -Tennessee. I had unbounded confidence in Grant's skill and energy to -conduct such a campaign into the interior, cutting loose entirely from -his base and subsisting off the enemy's country. At the time he had the -troops, and could have finished the job in three months. - -After I had explained fully my mission from Grant, I asked the Secretary -what he wanted me to do. Mr. Stanton told me he would like to have me -remain in the department until I was needed again at the front. -Accordingly, an office in the War Department was provided for me, and I -began to do the regular work of an assistant to the Secretary of War. -This was the first time since my relations with the War Department began -that I had been thrown much with the Secretary, and I was very glad to -have an opportunity to observe him. - -Mr. Stanton was a short, thick, dark man, with a very large head and a -mass of black hair. His nature was intense, and he was one of the most -eloquent men that I ever met. Stanton was entirely absorbed in his -duties, and his energy in prosecuting them was something almost -superhuman. When he took hold of the War Department the armies seemed to -grow, and they certainly gained in force and vim and thoroughness. - -One of the first things which struck me in Mr. Stanton was his deep -religious feeling and his familiarity with the Bible. He must have -studied the Bible a great deal when he was a boy. He had the firmest -conviction that the Lord directed our armies. Over and over again have I -heard him express the same opinion which he wrote to the Tribune after -Donelson: "Much has recently been said of military combinations and -organizing victory. I hear such phrases with apprehension. They -commenced in infidel France with the Italian campaign, and resulted in -Waterloo. Who can organize victory? Who can combine the elements of -success on the battlefield? We owe our recent victories to the Spirit of -the Lord, that moved our soldiers to rush into battle, and filled the -hearts of our enemies with dismay. The inspiration that conquered in -battle was in the hearts of the soldiers and from on high; and wherever -there is the same inspiration there will be the same results." There was -never any cant in Stanton's religious feeling. It was the -straightforward expression of what he believed and lived, and was as -simple and genuine and real to him as the principles of his business. - -Stanton was a serious student of history. He had read many books on the -subject--more than on any other, I should say--and he was fond of -discussing historical characters with his associates; not that he made a -show of his learning. He was fond, too, of discussing legal questions, -and would listen with eagerness to the statement of cases in which -friends had been interested. He was a man who was devoted to his -friends, and he had a good many with whom he liked to sit down and talk. -In conversation he was witty and satirical; he told a story well, and -was very companionable. - -There is a popular impression that Mr. Stanton took a malevolent delight -in browbeating his subordinates, and every now and then making a -spectacle of some poor officer or soldier, who unfortunately fell into -his clutches in the Secretary's reception room, for the edification of -bystanders. This idea, like many other false notions concerning great -men, is largely a mistaken one. The stories which are told of Mr. -Stanton's impatience and violence are exaggerated. He could speak in a -very peremptory tone, but I never heard him say anything that could be -called vituperative. - -There were certain men in whom he had little faith, and I have heard him -speak to some of these in a tone of severity. He was a man of the -quickest intelligence, and understood a thing before half of it was told -him. His judgment was just as swift, and when he got hold of a man who -did not understand, who did not state his case clearly, he was very -impatient. - -If Stanton liked a man, he was always pleasant. I was with him for -several years in the most confidential relations, and I can now recall -only one instance of his speaking to me in a harsh tone. It was a -curious case. Among the members of Congress at that period was a Jew -named Strouse. One of Strouse's race, who lived in Virginia, had gone -down to the mouth of the James River when General Butler was at -Fortress Monroe, and had announced his wish to leave the Confederacy. -Now, the orders were that when a man came to a commanding officer with a -request to go through the lines, he was to be examined and all the money -he had was to be taken from him. General Butler had taken from this -Virginian friend of Strouse between fifty thousand and seventy-five -thousand dollars. When a general took money in this way he had to -deposit it at once in the Treasury; there a strict account was kept of -the amount, whom it was taken by, and whom it was taken from. Butler -gave a receipt to this man, and he afterward came to Washington to get -his money. He and Strouse came to the War Department, where they -bothered Mr. Stanton a good deal. Finally, Mr. Stanton sent for me. - -"Strouse is after me," he said; "he wants that money, and I want you to -settle the matter." - -"What shall I do?" I asked; "what are the orders?" He took the papers in -the case and wrote on the back of them: - - Referred to Mr. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, to be settled as - in his judgment shall be best. - - E. M. STANTON. - -The man then turned his attention from the Secretary to me. I looked -into the matter, and gave him back the money. The next day Mr. Stanton -sent for me. I saw he was angry. - -"Did you give that Jew back his money?" he asked in a harsh tone. - -"Yes, sir." - -"Well," he said, "I should like to know by what authority you did it." - -"If you will excuse me while I go to my room, I will show my authority -to you," I replied. - -So I went up and brought down the paper he had indorsed, and read to -him: - -"Referred to Mr. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, to be settled as in -his judgment shall be best." Then I handed it over to him. He looked at -it, and then he laughed. - -"You are right," he said; "you have got me this time." That was the only -time he spoke to me in a really harsh tone. - -At the time that I entered the War Department for regular duty, it was a -very busy place. Mr. Stanton frequently worked late at night, keeping -his carriage waiting for him. I never worked at night, as my eyes would -not allow it. I got to my office about nine o'clock in the morning, and -I stayed there nearly the whole day, for I made it a rule never to go -away until my desk was cleared. When I arrived I usually found on my -table a big pile of papers which were to be acted on, papers of every -sort that had come to me from the different departments of the office. - -The business of the War Department during the first winter that I spent -in Washington was something enormous. Nearly $285,000,000 was paid out -that year (from June, 1863, to June, 1864) by the quartermaster's -office, and $221,000,000 stood in accounts at the end of the year -awaiting examination before payment was made. We had to buy every -conceivable thing that an army of men could need. We bought fuel, -forage, furniture, coffins, medicine, horses, mules, telegraph wire, -sugar, coffee, flour, cloth, caps, guns, powder, and thousands of other -things. Sometimes our supplies came by contract; again by direct -purchase; again by manufacture. Of course, by the fall of 1863 the army -was pretty well supplied; still, that year we bought over 3,000,000 -pairs of trousers, nearly 5,000,000 flannel shirts and drawers, some -7,000,000 pairs of stockings, 325,000 mess pans, 207,000 camp kettles, -over 13,000 drums, and 14,830 fifes. It was my duty to make contracts -for many of these supplies. - -In making contracts for supplies of all kinds, we were obliged to take -careful precautions against frauds. I had a colleague in the department, -the Hon. Peter H. Watson, the distinguished patent lawyer, who had a -great knack at detecting army frauds. One which Watson had spent much -time in trying to ferret out came to light soon after I went into -office. This was an extensive fraud in forage furnished to the Army of -the Potomac. The trick of the fraud consisted in a dishonest mixture of -oats and Indian corn for the horses and mules of the army. By changing -the proportions of the two sorts of grain, the contractors were able to -make a considerable difference in the cost of the bushel, on account of -the difference in the weight and price of the grain, and it was -difficult to detect the cheat. However, Watson found it out, and at once -arrested the men who were most directly involved. - -Soon after the arrest Watson went to New York. While he was gone, -certain parties from Philadelphia interested in the swindle came to me -at the War Department. Among them was the president of the Corn -Exchange. They paid me thirty-three thousand dollars to cover the sum -which one of the men confessed he had appropriated; thirty-two thousand -dollars was the amount restored by another individual. The morning after -this transaction the Philadelphians returned to me, demanding both that -the villains should be released, and that the papers and funds belonging -to them, taken at the time of their arrest, should be restored. It was -my judgment that, instead of being released, they should be remanded to -solitary confinement until they could clear up all the forage frauds and -make complete justice possible. Then I should have released them, but -not before. So I telegraphed to Watson what had happened, and asked him -to return to prevent any false step. - -Now, it happened that the men arrested were of some political importance -in Pennsylvania, and eminent politicians took a hand in getting them out -of the scrape. Among others, the Hon. David Wilmot, then Senator of the -United States and author of the famous Wilmot proviso, was very active. -He went to Mr. Lincoln and made such representations and appeals that -finally the President consented to go with him over to the War -Department and see Watson in his office. Wilmot remained outside, and -Mr. Lincoln went in to labor with the Assistant Secretary. Watson -eloquently described the nature of the fraud, and the extent to which it -had already been developed by his partial investigation. The President, -in reply, dwelt upon the fact that a large amount of money had been -refunded by the guilty men, and urged the greater question of the safety -of the cause and the necessity of preserving united the powerful support -which Pennsylvania was giving to the administration in suppressing the -rebellion. Watson answered: - -"Very well, Mr. President, if you wish to have these men released, all -that is necessary is to give the order; but I shall ask to have it in -writing. In such a case as this it would not be safe for me to obey a -verbal order; and let me add that if you do release them the fact and -the reason will necessarily become known to the people." - -Finally Mr. Lincoln took up his hat and went out. Wilmot was waiting in -the corridor, and came to meet him. - -"Wilmot," he said, "I can't do anything with Watson; he won't release -them." - -The reply which the Senator made to this remark can not be printed here, -but it did not affect the judgment or the action of the President. - -The men were retained for a long time afterward. The fraud was fully -investigated, and future swindles of the kind were rendered impossible. -If Watson could have had his way, the guilty parties--and there were -some whose names never got to the public--would have been tried by -military commission and sternly dealt with. But my own reflections upon -the subject led me to the conclusion that the moderation of the -President was wiser than the unrelenting justice of the Assistant -Secretary would have been. - -Not a little of my time at the department was taken up with people who -had missions of some kind within the lines of the army. I remember one -of these particularly, because it brought me a characteristic letter -from General Sherman. There was much suffering among the loyal citizens -and the Quakers of East Tennessee in the winter of 1863-'64, and many -relief committees came to us seeking transportation and safe conduct for -themselves and their supplies into that country. Some of these were -granted, to the annoyance of General Sherman, then in command of the -Military Division of the Mississippi. The reasons for his objections he -gave in this letter to me: - - - HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, - NASHVILLE, TENN., _April 21, 1864_. - - C. A. DANA, Esq., Ass't Sec. of War, Washington. - - MY DEAR FRIEND: It may be parliamentary, but is not military, for - me to write you; but I feel assured anything I may write will only - have the force of a casual conversation, such as we have indulged - in by the camp fire or as we jogged along by the road. The text of - my letter is one you gave a Philadelphia gentleman who is going up - to East Tennessee to hunt up his brother Quakers and administer the - bounties of his own and his fellow-citizens' charity. Now who would - stand in the way of one so kindly and charitably disposed? Surely - not I. But other questions present themselves. We have been working - hard with tens of thousands of men, and at a cost of millions of - dollars, to make railroads to carry to the line of the Tennessee - enough provisions and material of war to enable us to push in our - physical force to the next stop in the war. I have found on - personal inspection that hitherto the railroads have barely been - able to feed our men, that mules have died by the thousand, that - arms and ammunition had [have] laid in the depot for two weeks for - want of cars, that no accumulation at all of clothing and stores - had been or could be moved at Chattanooga, and that it took four - sets of cars and locomotives to accommodate the passes given by - military commanders; that gradually the wants of citizens and - charities were actually consuming the real resources of a road - designed exclusively for army purposes. You have been on the spot - and can understand my argument. At least one hundred citizens daily - presented good claims to go forward--women to attend sick children, - parents in search of the bodies of some slain in battle, sanitary - committees sent by States and corporations to look after the - personal wants of their constituents, ministers and friends to - minister to the Christian wants of their flocks; men who had fled, - anxious to go back to look after lost families, etc.; and, more - still, the tons of goods which they all bore on their merciful - errands. None but such as you, who have been present and seen the - tens, hundreds, and thousands of such cases, can measure them in - the aggregate and segregate the exceptions. - - I had no time to hesitate, for but a short month was left me to - prepare, and I must be ready to put in motion near one hundred - thousand men to move when naught remains to save life. I figured up - the mathematics, and saw that I must have daily one hundred and - forty-five car loads of essentials for thirty days to enable me to - fill the requirement. Only seventy-five daily was all the roads - were doing. Now I have got it up to one hundred and thirty-five. - Troops march, cattle go by the road, sanitary and sutler's stores - limited, and all is done that human energy can accomplish. Yet come - these pressing claims of charity, by men and women who can not - grasp the great problem. My usual answer is, "Show me that your - presence at the front is more valuable than two hundred pounds of - powder, bread, or oats"; and it is generally conclusive. I have - given Mr. Savery a pass on your letter, and it takes two hundred - pounds of bread from our soldiers, or the same of oats from our - patient mules; but I could not promise to feed the suffering - Quakers at the expense of our army. I have ordered all who can not - provide food at the front to be allowed transportation back in our - empty cars; but I can not undertake to transport the food needed by - the worthy East Tennesseeans or any of them. In peace there is a - beautiful harmony in all the departments of life--they all fit - together like the Chinese puzzle; but in war all is ajar. Nothing - fits, and it is the struggle between the stronger and weaker; and - the latter, however it may appeal to the better feelings of our - nature, must kick the beam. To make war we must and will harden our - hearts. - - Therefore, when preachers clamor and the sanitaries wail, don't - join in, but know that war, like the thunderbolt, follows its laws, - and turns not aside even if the beautiful, the virtuous, and - charitable stand in its path. - - When the day and the hour comes, I'll strike Joe Johnston, be the - result what it may; but in the time allotted to me for preparation - I must and will be selfish in making those preparations which I - know to be necessary. - - Your friend, - W. T. SHERMAN, _Major General_. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND HIS CABINET. - - Daily intercourse with Lincoln--The great civil leaders of the - period--Seward and Chase--Gideon Welles--Friction between Stanton - and Blair--Personal traits of the President--Lincoln's surpassing - ability as a politician--His true greatness of character and - intellect--His genius for military judgment--Stanton's comment on - the Gettysburg speech--The kindness of Abraham Lincoln's heart. - - -During the first winter I spent in Washington in the War Department I -had constant opportunities of seeing Mr. Lincoln, and of conversing with -him in the cordial and unofficial manner which he always preferred. Not -that there was ever any lack of dignity in the man. Even in his freest -moments one always felt the presence of a will and of an intellectual -power which maintained the ascendancy of his position. He never posed, -or put on airs, or attempted to make any particular impression; but he -was always conscious of his own ideas and purposes, even in his most -unreserved moments. - -I knew, too, and saw frequently, all the members of his Cabinet. When -Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated as President, his first act was to name his -Cabinet; and it was a common remark at the time that he had put into it -every man who had competed with him for the nomination. The first in -importance was William H. Seward, of New York, Mr. Lincoln's most -prominent competitor. Mr. Seward was made Secretary of State. He was an -interesting man, of an optimistic temperament, and he probably had the -most cultivated and comprehensive intellect in the administration. He -was a man who was all his life in controversies, yet he was singular in -this, that, though forever in fights, he had almost no personal enemies. -Seward had great ability as a writer, and he had what is very rare in a -lawyer, a politician, or a statesman--imagination. A fine illustration -of his genius was the acquisition of Alaska. That was one of the last -things that he did before he went out of office, and it demonstrated -more than anything else his fixed and never-changing idea that all North -America should be united under one government. - -Mr. Seward was an admirable writer and an impressive though entirely -unpretentious speaker. He stood up and talked as though he were engaged -in conversation, and the effect was always great. It gave the impression -of a man deliberating "out loud" with himself. - -The second man in importance and ability to be put into the Cabinet was -Mr. Chase, of Ohio. He was an able, noble, spotless statesman, a man who -would have been worthy of the best days of the old Roman republic. He -had been a candidate for the presidency, though a less conspicuous one -than Seward. Mr. Chase was a portly man; tall, and of an impressive -appearance, with a very handsome, large head. He was genial, though very -decided, and occasionally he would criticise the President, a thing I -never heard Mr. Seward do. Chase had been successful in Ohio politics, -and in the Treasury Department his administration was satisfactory to -the public. He was the author of the national banking law. I remember -going to dine with him one day--I did that pretty often, as I had known -him well when I was on the Tribune--and he said to me: "I have completed -to-day a very great thing. I have finished the National Bank Act. It -will be a blessing to the country long after I am dead." - -The Secretary of the Navy throughout the war was Gideon Welles, of -Connecticut. Welles was a curious-looking man: he wore a wig which was -parted in the middle, the hair falling down on each side; and it was -from his peculiar appearance, I have always thought, that the idea that -he was an old fogy originated. I remember Governor Andrew, of -Massachusetts, coming into my office at the War Department one day and -asking where he could find "that old Mormon deacon, the Secretary of the -Navy." In spite of his peculiarities, I think Mr. Welles was a very -wise, strong man. There was nothing decorative about him; there was no -noise in the street when he went along; but he understood his duty, and -did it efficiently, continually, and unvaryingly. There was a good deal -of opposition to him, for we had no navy when the war began, and he had -to create one without much deliberation; but he was patient, laborious, -and intelligent at his task. - -Montgomery Blair was Postmaster-General in Mr. Lincoln's Cabinet. He was -a capable man, sharp, keen, perhaps a little cranky, and not friendly -with everybody; but I always found him pleasant to deal with, and I saw -a great deal of him. He and Mr. Stanton were not very good friends, and -when he wanted anything in the War Department he was more likely to come -to an old friend like me than to go to the Secretary. Stanton, too, -rather preferred that. - -The Attorney-General of the Cabinet was Edward Bates, of Missouri. Bates -had been Mr. Greeley's favorite candidate for the presidency. He was put -into the Cabinet partly, I suppose, because his reputation was good as a -lawyer, but principally because he had been advocated for President by -such powerful influences. Bates must have been about sixty-eight years -old when he was appointed Attorney-General. He was a very eloquent -speaker. Give him a patriotic subject, where his feelings could expand, -and he would make a beautiful speech. He was a man of very gentle, -cordial nature, but not one of extraordinary brilliancy. - -The relations between Mr. Lincoln and the members of his Cabinet were -always friendly and sincere on his part. He treated every one of them -with unvarying candor, respect, and kindness; but, though several of -them were men of extraordinary force and self-assertion--this was true -especially of Mr. Seward, Mr. Chase, and Mr. Stanton--and though there -was nothing of self-hood or domination in his manner toward them, it was -always plain that he was the master and they the subordinates. They -constantly had to yield to his will in questions where responsibility -fell upon him. If he ever yielded to theirs, it was because they -convinced him that the course they advised was judicious and -appropriate. I fancied during the whole time of my intimate intercourse -with him and with them that he was always prepared to receive the -resignation of any one of them. At the same time I do not recollect a -single occasion when any member of the Cabinet had got his mind ready to -quit his post from any feeling of dissatisfaction with the policy or -conduct of the President. Not that they were always satisfied with his -actions; the members of the Cabinet, like human beings in general, were -not pleased with everything. In their judgment much was imperfect in the -administration; much, they felt, would have been done better if their -views had been adopted and they individually had had charge of it. Not -so with the President. He was calm, equable, uncomplaining. In the -discussion of important questions, whatever he said showed the -profoundest thought, even when he was joking. He seemed to see every -side of every question. He never was impatient, he never was in a hurry, -and he never tried to hurry anybody else. To every one he was pleasant -and cordial. Yet they all felt it was his word that went at last; that -every case was open until he gave his decision. - -This impression of authority, of reserve force, Mr. Lincoln always gave -to those about him. Even physically he was impressive. According to the -record measurements, he was six feet four inches in height. That is, he -was at least four inches taller than the tall, ordinary man. When he -rode out on horseback to review an army, as I have frequently seen him -do, he wore usually a high hat, and then he looked like a giant. There -was no waste or excess of material about his frame; nevertheless, he was -very strong and muscular. I remember that the last time I went to see -him at the White House--the afternoon before he was killed--I found him -in a side room with coat off and sleeves rolled up, washing his hands. -He had finished his work for the day, and was going away. I noticed then -the thinness of his arms, and how well developed, strong, and active his -muscles seemed to be. In fact, there was nothing flabby or feeble about -Mr. Lincoln physically. He was a very quick man in his movements when he -chose to be, and he had immense physical endurance. Night after night he -would work late and hard without being wilted by it, and he always -seemed as ready for the next day's work as though he had done nothing -the day before. - -Mr. Lincoln's face was thin, and his features were large. His hair was -black, his eyebrows heavy, his forehead square and well developed. His -complexion was dark and quite sallow. His smile was something most -lovely. I have never seen a woman's smile that approached it in its -engaging quality; nor have I ever seen another face which would light up -as Mr. Lincoln's did when something touched his heart or amused him. I -have heard it said that he was ungainly, that his step was awkward. He -never impressed me as being awkward. In the first place, there was such -a charm and beauty about his expression, such good humor and friendly -spirit looking from his eyes, that when you were near him you never -thought whether he was awkward or graceful; you thought of nothing -except, What a kindly character this man has! Then, too, there was such -shrewdness in his kindly features that one did not care to criticise -him. His manner was always dignified, and even if he had done an -awkward thing the dignity of his character and manner would have made it -seem graceful and becoming. - -The great quality of his appearance was benevolence and benignity: the -wish to do somebody some good if he could; and yet there was no flabby -philanthropy about Abraham Lincoln. He was all solid, hard, keen -intelligence combined with goodness. Indeed, the expression of his face -and of his bearing which impressed one most, after his benevolence and -benignity, was his intelligent understanding. You felt that here was a -man who saw through things, who understood, and you respected him -accordingly. - -Lincoln was a supreme politician. He understood politics because he -understood human nature. I had an illustration of this in the spring of -1864. The administration had decided that the Constitution of the United -States should be amended so that slavery should be prohibited. This was -not only a change in our national policy, it was also a most important -military measure. It was intended not merely as a means of abolishing -slavery forever, but as a means of affecting the judgment and the -feelings and the anticipations of those in rebellion. It was believed -that such an amendment to the Constitution would be equivalent to new -armies in the field, that it would be worth at least a million men, that -it would be an intellectual army that would tend to paralyze the enemy -and break the continuity of his ideas. - -In order thus to amend the Constitution, it was necessary first to have -the proposed amendment approved by three fourths of the States. When -that question came to be considered, the issue was seen to be so close -that one State more was necessary. The State of Nevada was organized and -admitted into the Union to answer that purpose. I have sometimes heard -people complain of Nevada as superfluous and petty, not big enough to be -a State; but when I hear that complaint, I always hear Abraham Lincoln -saying, "It is easier to admit Nevada than to raise another million of -soldiers." - -In March, 1864, the question of allowing Nevada to form a State -government finally came up in the House of Representatives. There was -strong opposition to it. For a long time beforehand the question had -been canvassed anxiously. At last, late one afternoon, the President -came into my office, in the third story of the War Department. He used -to come there sometimes rather than send for me, because he was fond of -walking and liked to get away from the crowds in the White House. He -came in and shut the door. - -"Dana," he said, "I am very anxious about this vote. It has got to be -taken next week. The time is very short. It is going to be a great deal -closer than I wish it was." - -"There are plenty of Democrats who will vote for it," I replied. "There -is James E. English, of Connecticut; I think he is sure, isn't he?" - -"Oh, yes; he is sure on the merits of the question." - -"Then," said I, "there's 'Sunset' Cox, of Ohio. How is he?" - -"He is sure and fearless. But there are some others that I am not clear -about. There are three that you can deal with better than anybody else, -perhaps, as you know them all. I wish you would send for them." - -He told me who they were; it isn't necessary to repeat the names here. -One man was from New Jersey and two from New York. - -"What will they be likely to want?" I asked. - -"I don't know," said the President; "I don't know. It makes no -difference, though, what they want. Here is the alternative: that we -carry this vote, or be compelled to raise another million, and I don't -know how many more, men, and fight no one knows how long. It is a -question of three votes or new armies." - -"Well, sir," said I, "what shall I say to these gentlemen?" - -"I don't know," said he; "but whatever promise you make to them I will -perform." - -I sent for the men and saw them one by one. I found that they were -afraid of their party. They said that some fellows in the party would be -down on them. Two of them wanted internal revenue collector's -appointments. "You shall have it," I said. Another one wanted a very -important appointment about the custom house of New York. I knew the man -well whom he wanted to have appointed. He was a Republican, though the -congressman was a Democrat. I had served with him in the Republican -county committee of New York. The office was worth perhaps twenty -thousand dollars a year. When the congressman stated the case, I asked -him, "Do you want that?" - -"Yes," said he. - -"Well," I answered, "you shall have it." - -"I understand, of course," said he, "that you are not saying this on -your own authority?" - -"Oh, no," said I; "I am saying it on the authority of the President." - -Well, these men voted that Nevada be allowed to form a State government, -and thus they helped secure the vote which was required. The next -October the President signed the proclamation admitting the State. In -the February following Nevada was one of the States which ratified the -Thirteenth Amendment, by which slavery was abolished by constitutional -prohibition in all of the United States. I have always felt that this -little piece of side politics was one of the most judicious, humane, and -wise uses of executive authority that I have ever assisted in or -witnessed. - -The appointment in the New York Custom House was to wait until the term -of the actual incumbent had run out. My friend, the Democratic -congressman, was quite willing. "That's all right," he said; "I am in no -hurry." Before the time had expired, Mr. Lincoln was murdered and Andrew -Johnson became President. I was in the West, when one day I got a -telegram from Roscoe Conkling: - -"Come to Washington." So I went. - -"I want you to go and see President Johnson," Mr. Conkling said, "and -tell him that the appointment of this man to the custom house is a -sacred promise of Mr. Lincoln's, and that it must be kept." - -Then I went to the White House, and saw President Johnson. - -"This is Mr. Lincoln's promise," I urged. "He regarded it as saving the -necessity of another call for troops and raising, perhaps, a million -more men to continue the war. I trust, Mr. President, that you will see -your way clear to execute this promise." - -"Well, Mr. Dana," he replied, "I don't say that I won't; but I have -observed in the course of my experience that such bargains tend to -immorality." - -The appointment was not made. I am happy to say, however, that the -gentleman to whom the promise was given never found any fault either -with President Lincoln or with the Assistant Secretary who had been the -means of making the promise to him. - -One of the cleverest minor political moves which Mr. Lincoln ever made -was an appointment he once gave Horace Greeley. Mr. Greeley never -approved of Mr. Lincoln's manner of conducting the war, and he sometimes -abused the President roundly for his deliberation. As the war went on, -Greeley grew more and more irritable, because the administration did not -make peace on some terms. Finally, in July, 1864, he received a letter -from a pretended agent of the Confederate authorities in Canada, saying: - - I am authorized to state to you for our use only, not the public, - that two ambassadors of Davis and Company are now in Canada with - full and complete powers for a peace, and Mr. Sanders requests that - you come on immediately to me at Cataract House to have a private - interview; or, if you will send the President's protection for him - and two friends, they will come on and meet you. He says the whole - matter can be consummated by me, them, and President Lincoln. - -This letter was followed the next day by a telegram, saying: "Will you -come here? Parties have full power." - -Upon receiving this letter, Mr. Greeley wrote to President Lincoln, more -or less in the strain of the articles that he had published in the -Tribune. He complained bitterly of the way the business of the -Government was managed in the great crisis, and told the President that -now there was a way open to peace. He explained that the Confederates -wanted a conference, and he told Mr. Lincoln that he thought that he -ought to appoint an ambassador, or a diplomatic agent, of the United -States Government, to meet the Confederate agents at Niagara and hear -what they had to say. Mr. Lincoln immediately responded by asking Mr. -Greeley to be himself the representative and to go to Niagara Falls. - -"If you can find any person anywhere," the President wrote, "professing -to have any proposition of Jefferson Davis, in writing, for peace, -embracing the restoration of the Union, and abandonment of slavery, -whatever else it embraces, say to him he may come to me with you, and -that if he really brings such proposition he shall at the least have -safe conduct with the paper (and without publicity, if he chooses) to -the point where you shall have met him. The same, if there be two or -more persons." - -Mr. Greeley went to Niagara, but his mission ended in nothing, except -that the poor man, led astray by too great confidence, failed in his -undertaking, and was almost universally laughed at. I saw the President -not long after that, and he said, with a funny twinkle in his eye: "I -sent Brother Greeley a commission. I guess I am about even with him -now." - -Lincoln had the most comprehensive, the most judicious mind; he was the -least faulty in his conclusions of any man I have ever known. He never -stepped too soon, and he never stepped too late. When the whole Northern -country seemed to be clamoring for him to issue a proclamation -abolishing slavery, he didn't do it. Deputation after deputation went to -Washington. I remember once a hundred gentlemen, dressed in black coats, -mostly clergymen, from Massachusetts, came to Washington to appeal to -him to proclaim the abolition of slavery. But he did not do it. He -allowed Mr. Cameron and General Butler to execute their great idea of -treating slaves as contraband of war and protecting those who had got -into our lines against being recaptured by their Southern owners; but he -would not prematurely make the proclamation that was so much desired. -Finally the time came, and of that he was the judge. Nobody else decided -it; nobody commanded it; the proclamation was issued as he thought best, -and it was efficacious. The people of the North, who during the long -contest over slavery had always stood strenuously by the compromises of -the Constitution, might themselves have become half rebels if this -proclamation had been issued too soon. At last they were tired of -waiting, tired of endeavoring to preserve even a show of regard for what -was called "the compromises of the Constitution" when they believed the -Constitution itself was in danger. Thus public opinion was ripe when -the proclamation came, and that was the beginning of the end. He could -have issued this proclamation two years before, perhaps, and the -consequence of it might have been our entire defeat; but when it came it -did its work, and it did us no harm whatever. Nobody protested against -it, not even the Confederates themselves. - -This unerring judgment, this patience which waited and which knew when -the right time had arrived, is an intellectual quality that I do not -find exercised upon any such scale and with such absolute precision by -any other man in history. It proves Abraham Lincoln to have been -intellectually one of the greatest of rulers. If we look through the -record of great men, where is there one to be placed beside him? I do -not know. - -Another interesting fact about Abraham Lincoln is that he developed into -a great military man; that is to say, a man of supreme military -judgment. I do not risk anything in saying that if one will study the -records of the war and study the writings relating to it, he will agree -with me that the greatest general we had, greater than Grant or Thomas, -was Abraham Lincoln. It was not so at the beginning; but after three or -four years of constant practice in the science and art of war, he -arrived at this extraordinary knowledge of it, so that Von Moltke was -not a better general, or an abler planner or expounder of a campaign, -than was President Lincoln. To sum it up, he was a born leader of men. -He knew human nature; he knew what chord to strike, and was never afraid -to strike it when he believed that the time had arrived. - -Mr. Lincoln was not what is called an educated man. In the college that -he attended a man gets up at daylight to hoe corn, and sits up at night -by the side of a burning pine-knot to read the best book he can find. -What education he had, he had picked up. He had read a great many books, -and all the books that he had read he knew. He had a tenacious memory, -just as he had the ability to see the essential thing. He never took an -unimportant point and went off upon that; but he always laid hold of the -real question, and attended to that, giving no more thought to other -points than was indispensably necessary. - -Thus, while we say that Mr. Lincoln was an uneducated man in the college -sense, he had a singularly perfect education in regard to everything -that concerns the practical affairs of life. His judgment was excellent, -and his information was always accurate. He knew what the thing was. He -was a man of genius, and contrasted with men of education the man of -genius will always carry the day. Many of his speeches illustrate this. - -I remember very well Mr. Stanton's comment on the Gettysburg speeches of -Edward Everett and Mr. Lincoln. "Edward Everett has made a speech," he -said, "that will make three columns in the newspapers, and Mr. Lincoln -has made a speech of perhaps forty or fifty lines. Everett's is the -speech of a scholar, polished to the last possibility. It is elegant, -and it is learned; but Lincoln's speech will be read by a thousand men -where one reads Everett's, and will be remembered as long as anybody's -speeches are remembered who speaks in the English language." - -That was the truth. Who ever thinks of or reads Everett's Gettysburg -speech now? If one will compare those two speeches he will get an idea -how superior genius is to education; how superior that intellectual -faculty is which sees the vitality of a question and knows how to state -it; how superior that intellectual faculty is which regards everything -with the fire of earnestness in the soul, with the relentless purpose of -a heart devoted to objects beyond literature. - -Another remarkable peculiarity of Mr. Lincoln's was that he seemed to -have no illusions. He had no freakish notions that things were so, or -might be so, when they were not so. All his thinking and reasoning, all -his mind, in short, was based continually upon actual facts, and upon -facts of which, as I said, he saw the essence. I never heard him say -anything that was not so. I never heard him foretell things; he told -what they were, but I never heard him intimate that such and such -consequences were likely to happen without the consequences following. I -should say, perhaps, that his greatest quality was wisdom. And that is -something superior to talent, superior to education. It is again genius; -I do not think it can be acquired. All the advice that he gave was wise, -and it was always timely. This wisdom, it is scarcely necessary to add, -had its animating philosophy in his own famous words, "With malice -toward none, with charity for all." - -Another remarkable quality of Mr. Lincoln was his great mercifulness. A -thing it seemed as if he could not do was to sign a death warrant. One -day General Augur, who was the major general commanding the forces in -and around Washington, came to my office and said: - -"Here is So-and-So, a spy. He has been tried by court-martial; the facts -are perfectly established, he has been sentenced to death, and here is -the warrant for his execution, which is fixed for to-morrow morning at -six o'clock. The President is away. If he were here, the man certainly -wouldn't be executed. He isn't here. I think it very essential to the -safety of the service and the safety of everything that an example -should be made of this spy. They do us great mischief; and it is very -important that the law which all nations recognize in dealing with -spies, and the punishment which every nation assigns to them, should be -inflicted upon at least one of these wretches who haunt us around -Washington. Do you know whether the President will be back before -morning?" - -"I understand that he won't be back until to-morrow afternoon," I -replied. - -"Well, as the President is not here, will you sign the warrant?" - -"Go to Mr. Stanton," I said; "he is the authority." - -"I have been to him, and he said I should come to you." - -Well, I signed the order; I agreed with General Augur in his view of the -question. At about eleven o'clock the next day I met the general. "The -President got home at two o'clock this morning," he said, "and he -stopped it all." - -But it was not only in matters of life and death that Mr. Lincoln was -merciful. He was kind at heart toward all the world. I never heard him -say an unkind thing about anybody. Now and then he would laugh at -something jocose or satirical that somebody had done or said, but it was -always pleasant humor. He would never allow the wants of any man or -woman to go unattended to if he could help it. I noticed his sweetness -of nature particularly with his little son, a child at that time perhaps -seven or nine years old, who used to roam the departments and whom -everybody called "Tad." He had a defective palate, and couldn't speak -very plainly. Often I have sat by his father, reporting to him some -important matter that I had been ordered to inquire into, and he would -have this boy on his knee. While he would perfectly understand the -report, the striking thing about him was his affection for the child. - -He was good to everybody. Once there was a great gathering at the White -House on New Year's Day, and all the diplomats came in their uniforms, -and all the officers of the army and navy in Washington were in full -costume. A little girl of mine said, "Papa, couldn't you take me over to -see that?" I said, "Yes"; so I took her over and put her in a corner, -where she beheld this gorgeous show. When it was finished, I went up to -Mr. Lincoln and said, "I have a little girl here who wants to shake -hands with you." He went over to her, and took her up and kissed her and -talked to her. She will never forget it if she lives to be a thousand -years old. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC IN '64. - - Mr. Lincoln sends Mr. Dana again to the front--General Halleck's - character--First visit to the Army of the Potomac--General Meade's - good qualities and bad--Winfield Scott Hancock--Early acquaintance - with Sedgwick--His death--Humphreys's accomplishments as a soldier - and as a swearer--Grant's plan of campaign against Lee--Incidents at - Spottsylvania--The "Bloody Angle." - - -I remained in Washington the entire winter of 1863-'64, occupied mainly -with the routine business of the department. Meantime the Chattanooga -victory had made Grant the great military figure of the country, and -deservedly so. The grade of lieutenant general had been immediately -revived by act of Congress, and the President had promptly promoted him -to the new rank, and made him general in chief of all the armies of the -United States. His military prestige was such that everything was put -into his hands, everything yielded to his wishes. The coming of Grant -was a great relief to the President and the Secretary. Halleck, the late -general in chief, consented to serve as Grant's chief of staff in -Washington, practically continuing his old service of chief military -adviser to the President and the Secretary of War, while Grant took the -field in active direction of operations against Richmond. - -Halleck was not thought to be a great man in the field, but he was -nevertheless a man of military ability, and by reason of his great -accomplishments in the technics of armies and of war was almost -invaluable as an adviser to the civilians Lincoln and Stanton. He was an -honest man, perhaps somewhat lacking in moral courage, yet earnest and -energetic in his efforts to sustain the national government. I have -heard Halleck accused of being unjust to his inferiors in rank, -especially to Grant. I believe this wrong. I never thought him unjust to -anybody. He always had his own ideas, and insisted strenuously on -following his own course, but I never detected a sign of injustice in -his conduct toward others. I think this false impression came from the -fact that he was a very critical man. The first impulse of his mind -toward a new plan was not enthusiasm; it was analysis, criticism. His -habit of picking men and manners to pieces to see what they were worth -gave the idea that he was unjust and malicious toward certain of his -subordinates. - -It was March when Grant came to Washington to receive his new grade of -lieutenant general. Soon afterward he joined the Army of the Potomac. On -the 4th of May he had moved out from Culpeper, where the army had been -in winter quarters since the previous December, and crossed the Rapidan -with an effective force of one hundred and twenty thousand men. General -Lee, his opponent, had about seventy thousand. - -For two days after Grant moved we had no authentic reports from the -army, although it was known that great events were occurring. Mr. -Stanton and Mr. Lincoln had begun to get uneasy. The evening of May 6th -I was at a reception when a messenger came with summons to the War -Department. I hurried over to the office in evening dress. The President -was there, talking very soberly with Stanton. - -"Dana," said Mr. Lincoln, "you know we have been in the dark for two -days since Grant moved. We are very much troubled, and have concluded to -send you down there. How soon can you start?" - -"In half an hour," I replied. - -In about that time I had an engine fired up at Alexandria, and a cavalry -escort of a hundred men awaiting me there. I had got into my camp -clothes, had borrowed a pistol, and with my own horse was aboard the -train at Maryland Avenue that was to take me to Alexandria. My only -baggage was a tooth-brush. I was just starting when an orderly galloped -up with word that the President wished to see me. I rode back to the -department in hot haste. Mr. Lincoln was sitting in the same place. - -"Well, Dana," said he, looking up, "since you went away I've been -thinking about it. I don't like to send you down there." - -"But why not, Mr. President?" I asked, a little surprised. - -"You can't tell," continued the President, "just where Lee is or what he -is doing, and Jeb Stuart is rampaging around pretty lively in between -the Rappahannock and the Rapidan. It's a considerable risk, and I don't -like to expose you to it." - -"Mr. President," I said, "I have a cavalry guard ready and a good horse -myself. If we are attacked, we probably will be strong enough to fight. -If we are not strong enough to fight, and it comes to the worst, we are -equipped to run. It's getting late, and I want to get down to the -Rappahannock by daylight. I think I'll start." - -"Well, now, Dana," said the President, with a little twinkle in his -eyes, "if you feel that way, I rather wish you would. Good night, and -God bless you." - -By seven o'clock on the morning of May 7th I was at the Rappahannock, -where I found a rear guard of the army. I stopped there for breakfast, -and then hurried on to Grant's headquarters, which were at Piney Branch -Meeting House. There I learned of the crossing of the Rapidan by our -army, and of the desperate battle of the Wilderness on May 5th and 6th. - -The Army of the Potomac was then composed of the Second, Fifth, Sixth, -and Ninth Army Corps, and of one cavalry corps. In command of the army -was Major-General George C. Meade. He was a tall, thin man, rather -dyspeptic, I should suppose from the fits of nervous irritation to which -he was subject. He was totally lacking in cordiality toward those with -whom he had business, and in consequence was generally disliked by his -subordinates. With General Grant Meade got along always perfectly, -because he had the first virtue of a soldier--that is, obedience to -orders. He was an intellectual man, and agreeable to talk with when his -mind was free, but silent and indifferent to everybody when he was -occupied with that which interested him. - -As a commander, Meade seemed to me to lack the boldness that was -necessary to bring the war to a close. He lacked self-confidence and -tenacity of purpose, and he had not the moral authority that Grant had -attained from his grand successes in other fields. As soon as Meade had -a commander over him he was all right, but when he himself was the -commander he began to hesitate. Meade had entirely separate headquarters -and a separate staff, and Grant sent his orders to him. - -In command of the Second Army Corps was Major-General W. S. Hancock. He -was a splendid fellow, a brilliant man, as brave as Julius Cæsar, and -always ready to obey orders, especially if they were fighting orders. He -had more of the aggressive spirit than almost anybody else in that army. -Major-General G. K. Warren, who commanded the Fifth Army Corps, was an -accomplished engineer. Major-General John Sedgwick commanded the Sixth -Army Corps. I had known him for over twenty years. Sedgwick graduated at -West Point in 1837, and was appointed a second lieutenant in the Second -Artillery. At the time of the McKenzie rebellion in Canada Sedgwick's -company was stationed at Buffalo during a considerable time. I was -living in Buffalo then, and in this rebellion the young men of the town -organized a regiment of city guards, and I was a sergeant in one of -those companies, so that I became quite familiar with all the military -movements then going on. Then it was that I got acquainted with -Sedgwick. He was a very solid man; no flummery about him. You could -always tell where Sedgwick was to be found, and in a battle he was apt -to be found where the hardest fighting was. He was not an ardent, -impetuous soldier like Hancock, but was steady and sure. - -Two days after I reached the army, on May 9th, not far from -Spottsylvania Courthouse, my old friend Sedgwick was killed. He had gone -out in the morning to inspect his lines, and, getting beyond the point -of safety, was struck in the forehead by a sharpshooter and instantly -killed. The command of the Sixth Army Corps was given to General H. G. -Wright. Wright was another engineer officer, well educated, of good, -solid intellect, with capacity for command, but no special predilection -for fighting. From the moment Meade assumed command of the army, two -days before Gettysburg, the engineers rapidly came to the front, for -Meade had the pride of corps strongly implanted in his heart. - -Major-General Burnside, whom I had last seen at Knoxville in December, -was in command of the Ninth Army Corps. Immediately after the siege of -Knoxville, at his own request, Burnside had been relieved of the command -in East Tennessee by Major-General John G. Foster. The President somehow -always showed for Burnside great respect and good will. After Grant's -plans for the spring campaign were made known, the Ninth Corps was moved -by rail to Annapolis, where it was recruited up to about twenty-five -thousand men. As the time for action neared it was set in motion, and by -easy marches reached and re-enforced the Army of the Potomac on the -morning of the 6th of May, in the midst of the battle of the Wilderness. -It was not formally incorporated with that army until later, but, by a -sort of fiction, it was held to be a distinct army, Burnside acting in -concert with Meade, and receiving his orders directly from Grant, as did -Meade. These two armies were the excuse for Grant's personal presence, -without actually superseding Meade. - -In my opinion, the great soldier of the Army of the Potomac at this time -was General Humphreys. He was the chief of staff to General Meade, and -was a strategist, a tactician, and an engineer. Humphreys was a fighter, -too, and in this an exception to most engineers. He was a very -interesting figure. He used to ride about in a black felt hat, the brim -of which was turned down all around, making him look like a Quaker. He -was very pleasant to deal with, unless you were fighting against him, -and then he was not so pleasant. He was one of the loudest swearers that -I ever knew. The men of distinguished and brilliant profanity in the war -were General Sherman and General Humphreys--I could not mention any -others that could be classed with them. General Logan also was a strong -swearer, but he was not a West Pointer: he was a civilian. Sherman and -Humphreys would swear to make everything blue when some dispatch had not -been delivered correctly or they were provoked. Humphreys was a very -charming man, quite destitute of vanity. I think he had consented to go -and serve with Meade as chief of staff out of pure patriotism. He -preferred an active command, and eventually, on the eve of the end, -succeeded to the command of the Second Corps, and bore a conspicuous -part in the Appomattox campaign. - -Meade was in command of the Army of the Potomac, but it was Grant, the -lieutenant general of the armies of the United States, who was really -directing the movements. The central idea of the campaign had not -developed to the army when I reached headquarters, but it was soon clear -to everybody. Grant's great operation was the endeavor to interpose the -Federal army between Lee's army and Richmond, so as to cut Lee off from -his base of supplies. He meant to get considerably in advance of -Lee--between him and Richmond--thus compelling Lee to leave his -intrenchments and hasten southward. If in the collision thus forced -Grant found that he could not smash Lee, he meant to make another move -to get behind his army. That was to be the strategy of the campaign of -1864. That was what Lee thwarted, though he had a narrow escape more -than once. - -The first encounter with Lee had taken place in the Wilderness on May -5th and 6th. The Confederates and many Northern writers love to call the -Wilderness a drawn battle. It was not so; in every essential light it -was a Union victory. Grant had not intended to fight a battle in those -dense, brushy jungles, but Lee precipitated it just as he had -precipitated the battle of Chancellorsville one year before, and not six -miles to the eastward of this very ground. In doing so he hoped to -neutralize the superior numbers of Grant as he had Hooker's, and so to -mystify and handle the Union leader as to compel a retreat across the -Rapidan. But he failed. Some of the fighting in the brush was a draw, -but the Union army did not yield a rood of ground; it held the roads -southward, inflicted great losses on its enemy, and then, instead of -recrossing the river, resumed its march toward Richmond as soon as -Lee's attacks had ceased. Lee had palpably failed in his objects. His -old-time tactics had made no impression on Grant. He never offered -general battle in the open afterward. - -The previous history of the Army of the Potomac had been to advance and -fight a battle, then either to retreat or to lie still, and finally to -go into winter quarters. Grant did not intend to proceed in that way. As -soon as he had fought a battle and had not routed Lee, he meant to move -nearer to Richmond and fight another battle. But the men in the army had -become so accustomed to the old methods of campaigning that few, if any, -of them believed that the new commander in chief would be able to do -differently from his predecessors. I remember distinctly the sensation -in the ranks when the rumor first went around that our position was -south of Lee's. It was the morning of May 8th. The night before the army -had made a forced march on Spottsylvania Courthouse. There was no -indication the next morning that Lee had moved in any direction. As the -army began to realize that we were really moving south, and at that -moment were probably much nearer Richmond than was our enemy, the -spirits of men and officers rose to the highest pitch of animation. On -every hand I heard the cry, "On to Richmond!" - -But there were to be a great many more obstacles to our reaching -Richmond than General Grant himself, I presume, realized on May 8, 1864. -We met one that very morning; for when our advance reached -Spottsylvania Courthouse it found Lee's troops there, ready to dispute -the right of way with us, and two days later Grant was obliged to fight -the battle of Spottsylvania before we could make another move south. - -It is no part of my present plan to go into detailed description of all -the battles of this campaign, but rather to dwell on the incidents and -deeds which impressed me most deeply at the moment. In the battle of -Spottsylvania, a terrific struggle, with many dramatic features, there -is nothing I remember more distinctly than a little scene in General -Grant's tent between him and a captured Confederate officer, General -Edward Johnson. The battle had begun on the morning of May 10th, and had -continued all day. On the 11th the armies had rested, but at half past -four on the morning of the 12th fighting had been begun by an attack by -Hancock on a rebel salient. Hancock attacked with his accustomed -impetuosity, storming and capturing the enemy's fortified line, with -some four thousand prisoners and twenty cannon. The captures included -nearly all of Major-General Edward Johnson's division, together with -Johnson himself and General George H. Steuart. - -I was at Grant's headquarters when General Johnson was brought in a -prisoner. He was a West Pointer, and had been a captain in the old army -before secession, and was an important officer in the Confederate -service, having distinguished himself in the Valley in 1863, and at -Gettysburg. Grant had not seen him since they had been in Mexico -together. The two men shook hands cordially, and at once began a brisk -conversation, which was very interesting to me, because nothing was -said in it on the subject in which they were both most interested just -then--that is, the fight that was going on, and the surprise that -Hancock had effected. It was the past alone of which they talked. - -It was quite early in the morning when Hancock's prisoners were brought -in. The battle raged without cessation throughout the day, Wright and -Hancock bearing the brunt of it. Burnside made several attacks, in which -his troops generally bore themselves like good soldiers. The results of -the battle of Spottsylvania were that we had crowded the enemy out of -some of his most important positions, had weakened him by losses of -between nine thousand and ten thousand men killed, wounded, and -captured, besides many battle flags and much artillery, and that our -troops rested victorious upon the ground they had fought for. - -After the battle was over and firing had nearly ceased, Rawlins and I -went out to ride over the field. We went first to the salient which -Hancock had attacked in the morning. The two armies had struggled for -hours for this point, and the loss had been so terrific that the place -has always been known since as the "Bloody Angle." The ground around the -salient had been trampled and cut in the struggle until it was almost -impassable for one on horseback, so Rawlins and I dismounted and climbed -up the bank over the outer line of the rude breastworks. Within we saw a -fence over which earth evidently had been banked, but which now was bare -and half down. It was here the fighting had been fiercest. We picked our -way to this fence, and stopped to look over the scene. The night was -coming on, and, after the horrible din of the day, the silence was -intense; nothing broke it but distant and occasional firing or the low -groans of the wounded. I remember that as I stood there I was almost -startled to hear a bird twittering in a tree. All around us the -underbrush and trees, which were just beginning to be green, had been -riddled and burnt. The ground was thick with dead and wounded men, among -whom the relief corps was at work. The earth, which was soft from the -heavy rains we had been having before and during the battle, had been -trampled by the fighting of the thousands of men until it was soft, like -thin hasty pudding. Over the fence against which we leaned lay a great -pool of this mud, its surface as smooth as that of a pond. - -As we stood there, looking silently down at it, of a sudden the leg of a -man was lifted up from the pool and the mud dripped off his boot. It was -so unexpected, so horrible, that for a moment we were stunned. Then we -pulled ourselves together and called to some soldiers near by to rescue -the owner of the leg. They pulled him out with but little trouble, and -discovered that he was not dead, only wounded. He was taken to the -hospital, where he got well, I believe. - -The first news which passed through the ranks the morning after the -battle of Spottsylvania was that Lee had abandoned his position during -the night. Though our army was greatly fatigued from the enormous -efforts of the day before, the news of Lee's departure inspired the men -with fresh energy, and everybody was eager to be in pursuit. Our -skirmishers soon found the enemy along the whole line, however, and the -conclusion was that their retrograde movement had been made to correct -their position after the loss of the key points taken from them the day -before, and that they were still with us in a new line as strong as the -old one. Of course, we could not determine this point without a battle, -and nothing was done that day to provoke one. It was necessary to rest -the men. - -In changing his lines Lee had left more uncovered the roads leading -southward along his right wing, and Grant ordered Meade to throw the -corps of Warren, which held the right, and the corps of Wright, which -held the center of Meade's army, to the left of Burnside, leaving -Hancock upon our right. If not interrupted, Grant thought by this -maneuvre to turn Lee's flank and compel him to move southward. - -The movement of the two corps to our left was executed during the night -of May 13th and 14th, but for three days it had rained steadily, and the -roads were so bad that Wright and Warren did not get up to surprise the -enemy at daylight as ordered. The only engagement brought on by this -move was an active little fight over a conspicuous hill, with a house -and plantation buildings upon it. The hill, which was on our left and -the enemy's right, was valuable as a lookout rather than for offensive -operations. Upton took it in the morning, and later the enemy retook it. -General Meade, who was there at that moment, narrowly escaped capture. -Our men very handsomely carried the hill again that evening. - -The two armies were then lying in a semicircle, the Federal left well -around toward the south. We were concentrated to the last degree, and, -so far as we could tell, Lee's forces were equally compact. On the 15th, -16th, and 17th, we lay in about the same position. This inactivity was -caused by the weather. A pouring rain had begun on the 11th, and it -continued until the morning of the 16th; the mud was so deep that any -offensive operation, however successful, could not be followed up. There -was nothing to do but lie still and wait for better weather and drier -roads. - -While waiting for the rain to stop, we had time to consider the field -returns of losses as they were handed in. The army had left winter -quarters at Culpeper Courthouse on May 4th, and on May 16th the total of -killed, wounded, and missing in both the Army of the Potomac and the -Ninth Corps amounted to a little over thirty-three thousand men. The -missing alone amounted to forty-nine hundred, but some of these were, in -fact, killed or wounded. When Grant looked over the returns, he -expressed great regret at the loss of so many men. Meade, who was with -him, remarked, as I remember, "Well, General, we can't do these little -tricks without losses." - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE GREAT GAME BETWEEN GRANT AND LEE. - - Maneuvering and fighting in the rain, mud, and thickets--Virginian - conditions of warfare--Within eight miles of Richmond--The battle of - Cold Harbor--The tremendous losses of the campaign--The charge of - butchery against Grant considered in the light of statistics--What - it cost in life and blood to take Richmond. - - -By the afternoon of May 17th the weather was splendid, and the roads -were rapidly becoming dry, even where the mud was worst. Grant -determined to engage Lee, and orders for a decisive movement of the army -were issued, to be executed during the night. At first he proposed an -attack upon the enemy's right, but changed the plan. Instead of -attacking there, Hancock and Wright made a night march back to our right -flank, and attacked at daylight upon the same lines where Hancock made -his successful assault on the 12th. They succeeded in pressing close to -the enemy's lines, and for a time were confident that at last they had -struck the lair of the enemy, but an impassable abatis stopped them. One -division of Hancock's corps attempted in vain to charge through this -obstacle, and held the ground before it for an hour or more under a -galling fire of canister. The difficulty of storming the enemy's -intrenched camp on that side being evidently of the most extreme -character, and both corps having artfully but unsuccessfully sought for -a weak point where they might break through, Grant, at nine o'clock, -ordered the attack to cease. The attempt was a failure. Lee was not to -be ousted; and Grant, convinced of it, issued orders for another -movement which he had had in contemplation for several days, but which -he did not wish to try till after a last attempt to get the enemy out of -his stronghold. This was nothing less than to slip away from Lee and -march on toward Richmond again. - -The new order directed that Hancock's corps should march by night from -its present position southeast as far toward Richmond on the line of the -Fredericksburg road as he could go, fighting his way if necessary. -Warren was to follow, and, if Lee did not come out and attack when our -army was thus weakened, Wright and Burnside also were to march -southward. - -This movement was begun on the night of the 20th. By the night of the -21st Hancock was across the Mattapony River at Milford. Warren had -crossed the same river at Guiney's Station, the point to which Grant had -moved his headquarters. By the morning of the 22d Wright and Burnside -were up in safety, and the forward movement was continued. We were now -in a fine, clear country, good to move in and fight in, and the advance -of the 22d was most successful. By night our army lay in an east and -west line along the Mattapony River, holding the crossings. On the right -was Wright; close to him at the left, Warren; in the center, Burnside; -on the left, Hancock. Our headquarters were at New Bethel Church. Our -talk that night was that in all probability we should meet the enemy on -the North Anna, a day's march to the south of our position. - -The operations of the next day were much embarrassed by our ignorance of -the road and the entire incorrectness of our maps; nevertheless, by one -o'clock in the afternoon our right wing, under Warren, reached the North -Anna. The stream there was about one hundred and fifty feet wide, with -bluff banks from fifty to seventy-five feet high. Wright followed after -Warren. As soon as Warren reached Jericho Mills he pushed his -sharpshooters across the stream, which was easily fordable at that -place, following them with a compact body of infantry. A Confederate -regiment posted to watch the crossing at once gave way, leaving a single -prisoner in our hands. From this man Warren learned that another of the -enemy's divisions was drawn up to receive him near by. Under the orders -of General Grant, he promptly threw across the pontoon bridge, over -which he rapidly moved his artillery, at the same time urging forward -his infantry by the ford as well as by the bridge; and by five o'clock -he had transported his entire command, and had taken up a position of -great strength. Here he rapidly commenced intrenching himself. - -Grant had by this time moved his headquarters up to Mount Carmel Church, -some four miles from Jericho Mills. About six o'clock we knew from the -firing that Warren had been attacked. I never heard more rapid or -heavier firing, either of artillery or musketry. It was not until about -half past ten that evening that we knew surely how the fight had gone; -then a dispatch from Warren announced that he had triumphantly repulsed -the enemy, and made considerable captures of prisoners. - -About the same time that Warren was fighting for his position at Jericho -Mills, Hancock advanced on our left. By a vigorous charge of two -brigades of Birney's division, the enemy was driven over the North Anna -River. The next morning Hancock crossed over. That same morning, May -24th, we found that, as a result of the operations of the previous day, -we had about one thousand prisoners. They were more discouraged than any -set of prisoners I ever saw before. Lee had deceived them, they said, -and they declared that his army would not fight again except behind -breastworks. - -The general opinion of every prominent officer in the army on the -morning of the 24th was that the enemy had fallen back, either to take -up a position beyond the South Anna or to go to Richmond, but by noon -the next day we knew this was a mistake. All through the day of the 24th -Lee blocked our southward march. The opinion prevailed that the enemy's -position was held by a rear guard only, but the obstinacy of their -skirmishers was regarded as very remarkable. About dark Hancock made an -attack, breaking into the Confederate line of works, taking some -prisoners, and satisfying himself that a whole corps was before him. -Soon afterward the division of Gibbon was attacked, but it beat back the -assault handsomely without any considerable loss. Just before dark -Crittenden--the same Crittenden who was at Chickamauga--was also -suddenly attacked, and one of his brigades damaged. No fighting of any -moment took place on the morning of the 25th, but the enemy showed such -strength as to leave no doubt that Lee's whole army was present. His -intrenchments were in the form of the letter V. He showed artillery on -both faces. By the morning of the 25th Grant was sure that Lee was -before him and strongly intrenched. He soon determined on a new move. -This was to withdraw his whole army as quickly as possible, and, before -Lee discovered his intention, to move it southeast, across the Pamunkey, -and perhaps on across the Chickahominy and the James, if he could not -meanwhile get Lee out of his earthworks. - -The orders for the new move were received with the best spirit by the -army, in spite of the fact that the men were much jaded. Indeed, one of -the most important results of the campaign thus far was the entire -change which had taken place in the feelings of the armies. The -Confederates had lost all confidence, and were already morally defeated. -Our army had learned to believe that it was sure of ultimate victory. -Even our officers had ceased to regard Lee as an invincible military -genius. On the part of the enemy this change was evinced not only by -their not attacking, even when circumstances seemed to invite it, but by -the unanimous statements of prisoners taken from them. - -The morning after we began to move from our position on the North Anna I -was so confident that I wrote Mr. Stanton, "Rely upon it, the end is -near as well as sure." - -It was on the night of the 26th that our army was withdrawn from the -North Anna, without loss or disturbance, and by the evening of the 27th -Grant had his headquarters ten miles from Hanovertown, and his whole -army was well up toward the crossing. We had no news of Lee's movements -that day, though we heard that there was a force of the enemy at Hanover -Courthouse. Grant himself was very doubtful that day of our getting -across the Hanover Ferry; he told me that we might be obliged to go -farther to the southeast to get over. On the morning of the 27th -Sheridan and his cavalry seized the ferry, laying bridges, and, after -crossing, advancing well beyond. Everything went on finely that night -and during the 28th, the troops passing our headquarters in great -numbers and very rapidly. By noon of the 28th the movement of the army -across the Pamunkey was complete, with the exception of Burnside, who -did not arrive until midnight. The movement had been executed with -admirable celerity and success. The new position was one of great -strength, our lines extending from the Pamunkey to Totopotomoy Creek. -Wright was on the Pamunkey, Hancock on his left, and Warren on the -Totopotomoy. The orders for that day were to let the men rest, though -both officers and men were in high spirits at the successful execution -of this long and difficult flank movement. - -We were now south of the Pamunkey, and occupying a very strong position, -but we did not know yet where Lee was. A general reconnoissance was at -once ordered, and the enemy was found in force south of the Totopotomoy -Creek; by the 30th there was no doubt that Lee's whole army, now -re-enforced by thirteen thousand men, was close at hand and strongly -intrenched again. Grant said he would fight here if there was a fair -chance, but he declared emphatically he would not run his head against -heavy works. - -Our line began to push forward on the 30th. All the afternoon of that -day at headquarters, which were now at Hawes's Shop, we heard the noise -of fighting. First Warren on the left, who had reached a point only -about seven miles and a half from Richmond, had a short, sharp, and -decisive engagement with Early; and later an active conflict raged for -some time with our right on the Totopotomoy. We were successful all -along the line. The next day, the 31st, we pushed ahead until our lines -lay from Bethesda Church, on the east, to the railroad, on the west. -Desultory firing was constantly heard, but there was no very active -fighting that day until about five o'clock in the afternoon, when -Sheridan's cavalry, by hard work, drove out the enemy and secured Cold -Harbor, which was at that moment of vast importance to us strategically. - -It was determined to make a fight here before the enemy could intrench. -Wright was at once ordered to have his whole force on the ground by -daylight on the 1st of June, to support Sheridan and take the offensive. -"Baldy" Smith, of Butler's army, who had landed at White House on the -31st with twelve thousand five hundred men, was ordered to the aid of -Wright and Sheridan. But there was an error in Smith's orders, and -Wright's march was so long that his corps did not get up to Cold Harbor -until the afternoon of the 1st. Meanwhile Sheridan's cavalry had -repulsed two attacks by two brigades of Kershaw's infantry. - -It was not until six o'clock in the afternoon that we at headquarters at -Bethesda Church heard the cannon which indicated that an attack had at -last been made by Wright and Smith. From the sounds of artillery and -musketry, we judged the fight was furious. Rickett's division broke -through the rebel lines between Hoke and Kershaw, capturing five hundred -prisoners, and forcing the enemy to take up a new position farther back. -Smith's troops effected lodgments close up to the Confederate -intrenchments. Our losses this day were twenty-two hundred men in these -two corps. Warren was slightly engaged. Altogether they had done very -well, but meanwhile Lee was again concentrated and intrenched in our -front. - -Hancock was ordered to move during the night, and his advance arrived at -Cold Harbor about daylight. When I got up in the morning--I was then at -Bethesda Church--his rear was marching past our headquarters. In -conjunction with Wright and Smith, he was to fall upon Lee's right that -day. Warren and Burnside were also ordered in as soon as they heard that -the three corps on our left had begun battle. There was no battle that -day, however. Hancock's men were so tired with their forced march of -nearly twelve miles, and the heat and dust were so oppressive, that -General Grant ordered the attack to be postponed until half past four -o'clock the next morning. - -So the battle Grant sought did not come until June 3d--that of Cold -Harbor. On the morning of the 3d our line lay with the right at Bethesda -Church, the left extending to the Chickahominy. Hancock commanded the -left; next to him was Wright, with his corps drawn up in three lines; -next, Smith, with the Eighteenth Corps in two lines; next, Warren, who -had his whole command in a single line, the distance he covered being -fully three miles. With this thin order of battle he was necessarily -unable to make any effective assault. Burnside held the extreme right. -Hancock, Wright, and Smith were to make the main attacks at daybreak. -Promptly at the hour they dashed out toward the rebel lines, under a -fearful fire of musketry and a cross fire of artillery. The losses were -great, but we gained advantages here and there. The entire charge -consumed hardly more than an hour. Barlow, of Hancock's corps, drove -through a very strong line, and at five o'clock reported that he had -taken intrenchments with guns and colors, but he could not stay there. -An interior breastwork commanded the one he had carried, and his men had -to withdraw, leaving behind them the captured cannon, and bringing out a -single Confederate standard and two hundred and twenty prisoners as -tokens of their brief success. Wright and Smith succeeded in carrying -the first line of rifle-pits, but could get no farther to the front. All -our forces held ground close up to the enemy. At some points they were -intrenched within a hundred feet of the rebel breastworks. Burnside, on -the right, captured some rifle-pits. Later he was attacked by Early, who -was roughly handled and repulsed. Warren was active, and repulsed a -vigorous attack by Gordon. - -Thus by noon we had fully developed the Confederate lines, and Grant -could see what was necessary in order to get through them. Hancock -reported that in his front it could not be done. Wright was decidedly of -the opinion that a lodgment could be made in his front, but it would be -difficult to make much by it unless Hancock and Smith could also -advance. Smith thought he could carry the works before him, but was not -sanguine. Burnside also thought he could get through, but Warren, who -was nearest him, did not seem to share his opinion. In this state of -things, at half past one o'clock, General Grant ordered the attack to be -suspended. He had told Meade as early as seven in the morning to suspend -the movement if it became evident that success was impossible. - -This was the battle of Cold Harbor, which has been exaggerated into one -of the bloodiest disasters of history, a reckless, useless waste of -human life. It was nothing of the kind. The outlook warranted the -effort. The breaking of Lee's lines meant his destruction and the -collapse of the rebellion. Sheridan took the same chances at Five Forks -ten months later, and won; so did Wright, Humphreys, Gibbon, and others -at Petersburg. They broke through far stronger lines than those at Cold -Harbor, and Lee fled in the night toward Appomattox. So it would have -been at Cold Harbor if Grant had won, and who would have thought of the -losses? - -While we lay at Cold Harbor, as when we had been at Spottsylvania, the -principal topic of conversation was the losses of the army. The -discussion has never ceased. There are still many persons who bitterly -accuse Grant of butchery in this campaign. As a matter of fact, Grant -lost fewer men in his successful effort to take Richmond and end the war -than his predecessors lost in making the same attempt and failing. An -official table, showing the aggregate of the losses sustained by the -armies of McDowell, McClellan, Pope, Burnside, Hooker, Meade, Butler, -and Ord, in the effort to capture the Confederate capital, is appended: - - _Comparative Statement of the Losses sustained in Action by the Army - of Northeastern Virginia, the Army of the Potomac, and the Army of - Virginia, under Command of Generals McDowell, McClellan, Pope, - Burnside, Hooker, and Meade, from May 24, 1861, to May 4, 1864, and - the Army of the Potomac (Meade) and the Army of the James (Butler - and Ord), constituting the Armies operating against Richmond under - General Grant, from May 5, 1864, to April 9, 1865_: - - ----------------------------+-------+--------+--------+---------- - | | |Captured|. - |Killed.|Wounded.| or |Aggregate. - | | |missing.| - ----------------------------+-------+--------+------- +---------- - Losses from May 24, 1861, | | | | - to May 4, 1864: | | | | - | | | | - McDowell, May 24 | | | | - to August 19, 1861 | 493| 1,176| 1,342| 3,011 - | | | | - McClellan, August 20, 1861, | | | | - to April 4, 1862 | 80| 268| 815| 1,163 - | | | | - McClellan, April 5 | | | | - to August 8, 1862 | 3,263| 13,868| 7,317| 24,448 - | | | | - Pope, June 26 | | | | - to September 2, 1862 | 2,065| 9,908| 4,982| 16,955 - | | | | - McClellan, September 3 | | | | - to November 14, 1862 | 2,716| 11,979| 13,882| 28,577 - | | | | - Burnside, November 15, 1862,| | | | - to January 25, 1863 | 1,296| 9,642| 2,276| 13,214 - | | | | - Hooker, January 26 | | | | - to June 27 | 1,955| 11,160| 11,912| 25,027 - | | | | - Meade, June 28, 1863, | | | | - to May 4 1864 | 3,877| 18,078| 9,575| 31,530 - +-------+--------+--------+---------- - Total | 15,745| 76,079| 52,101| 143,925 - | | | | - | | | | - Grant's losses from May 5, | | | | - 1864, to April 9, 1865: | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - May 5 to June 24, | | | | - 1864--Army of the | | | | - Potomac, from the | | | | - Rapidan to the James | 7,621| 38,339| 8,966| 54,926 - | | | | - May 5 to June 14--Army of | | | | - the James, south of | | | | - James River | 634| 3,903| 1,678| 6,215 - | | | | - June 15 to July 31--Army | | | | - of the Potomac and Army | | | | - of the James | 2,928| 13,743| 6,265| 22,936 - | | | | - August 1 to December | | | | - 31--Army of the Potomac | | | | - and Army of the James | 2,172| 11,138| 11,311| 24,621 - | | | | - | | | | - January 1 to April 9, | | | | - 1865--Army of the | | | | - Potomac and Army of | | | | - the James and | | | | - Sheridan's cavalry | 1,784| 10,625| 3,283| 15,692 - +-------+--------+--------+---------- - Total | 15,139| 77,748 | 31,503| 124,390 - | | | | - SUMMARY: | | | | - Armies of McDowell, | | | | - McClellan, Pope, Burnside,| | | | - Hooker, and Meade | 15,745| 76,079| 52,101| 143,925 - Armies under Grant | 15,139| 77,748| 31,503| 124,390 - +-------+--------+--------+---------- - Grand aggregate | 30,884| 153,827| 83,604| 268,315 - | | | | - Aggregate of losses from | | | | - May 24, 1861, to May 4, | | | | - 1864 | | | | 143,925 - Aggregate of losses from | | | | - May 4, 1864, to April 9, | | | | - 1865 | | | | 124,390 - | | | +---------- - Difference in Grant's favor | | | | 19,535 - ----------------------------+-------+--------+--------+---------- - -This table shows exactly what Richmond cost us from May 24, 1861, when -McDowell crossed the Potomac into Virginia, to Lee's surrender at -Appomattox; and it proves that Grant in eleven months secured the prize -with less loss than his predecessors suffered in failing to win it -during a struggle of three years. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE MARCH ON PETERSBURG. - - In camp at Cold Harbor--Grant's opinion of Lee--Trouble with - newspaper correspondents--Moving south of the James River--The great - pontoon bridge--The fighting of the colored troops--Failure to take - Petersburg at first attack--Lee loses Grant and Beauregard finds - him--Beauregard's service to the Confederacy. - - -The affair of June 3d at Cold Harbor showed that Lee was not to be -driven from his position without a great sacrifice of life. A left flank -movement south of the James River was accordingly decided upon by Grant. -This was no new idea; that eventuality had been part of the original -plan of campaign, and preparations for bridging the James had been -ordered as early as the 15th of April, three weeks before the battle of -the Wilderness. One object of the movement across the James was to cut -off Richmond's line of supplies from the south. But before this could be -done another matter had to be attended to. - -In General Grant's plan of campaign the effectual destruction of the -Virginia Central Railroad was an indispensable feature. In moving from -Culpeper he had expected that before reaching the Chickahominy he would -have a chance to crush Lee's army by fighting. This would have allowed -him an undisturbed opportunity to destroy that road, as well as the -Fredericksburg road from the Chickahominy to the North Anna. The -expectation had been disappointed by Lee's success in avoiding a -decisive battle. Before moving farther in accomplishing the great object -of the campaign, these roads must be so thoroughly destroyed that when -Richmond was cut off from other lines of communication with the south -the attempt to repair and use the line through Gordonsville and -Lynchburg would be hopeless. The work was first to be attempted by -Sheridan with cavalry. If he was not able to complete it, the whole army -was to be swung around for the purpose, even should it be necessary to -abandon temporarily our communications with White House. - -This necessity, as well as that of making thorough preparations for the -difficult march south of the James and for the perfect co-operation of -Butler at Bermuda Hundred, detained Grant at Cold Harbor until June -12th. Two officers of his staff, Colonel Comstock and Colonel Porter, -had been sent to General Butler to arrange for co-operation in the -movement of the army to Bermuda Hundred, and to look over the ground to -be traversed and the means of crossing the river. Grant would not order -the movement until they returned. They did not get back until the 12th. - -During this time the opposing lines of Grant and Lee were very close -together, and on our side the troops made regular siege approaches to -the Confederate works. The days passed quietly, with no fighting except -an occasional rattle of musketry and now and then a cannon shot. There -was occasionally a scare on the line. On the evening of June 5th -Wright's and Hancock's line responded to a stiff assault; the firing -lasted for twenty minutes, and it was very loud, but it was all about -nothing and no harm was done. The enemy were so near that in the dark -our men thought they were coming out to attack. On June 6th there was an -onslaught on Burnside just after midnight, which was successfully -repulsed, and in the afternoon a rush was made by a party of a hundred -picked men of the enemy, who came to find out what was the meaning of -Hancock's advancing siege lines. As a rule, everything was quiet except -the picket firing, which could not be prevented when the men were so -close together. The picket firing ceased only during the occasional -truces to bury the dead. - -The operations around Cold Harbor, the close proximity of the two lines, -the unceasing firing, with no hour in the day or night when one could -not hear the sound of musketry and cannon, were precisely like the -conditions at Spottsylvania and those on the North Anna. It was a -constant feeling for the weak spot in Lee's armor. There was far less -maneuvering at Cold Harbor after the first efforts than during the long -struggle at Spottsylvania. We were merely waiting for the proper moment -to withdraw toward the James. Grant, Meade, and all the leading officers -were certain of ultimate success; although the fighting had been more -severe and continuous than anything in the previous history of the army, -I must say a cheerful, confident tone generally prevailed. All acted as -if they were at a job which required only time to finish. - -Grant was disappointed, and talked to me a good deal about the failure -to get at Lee in an open battle which would wind up the Confederacy. The -general was constantly revolving plans to turn Lee out of his -intrenchments. The old-time fear of Lee's superior ability that was rife -among the officers of the Army of the Potomac had entirely disappeared. -They had begun to look upon him as an ordinary mortal, making a fairly -good effort to ward off fate, and nothing more. I think Grant respected -Lee's military ability and character, yet the boldness with which he -maneuvered in Lee's presence is proof that he was not overawed by Lee's -prestige as a strategist and tactician. He thought Lee's great forte was -as a defensive fighter, a quality displayed at Antietam and -Fredericksburg; but held no high opinion of his Chancellorsville -operations, where he had recklessly laid himself open to ruin. To me the -views of the military men at the different headquarters were interesting -and instructive. - -While we were encamped at Cold Harbor, General Meade was very much -disturbed by a letter published in a Cincinnati paper, saying that after -the battle of the Wilderness he counselled retreat--a course which would -have destroyed the nation, but which Grant prohibited. This was entirely -untrue. Meade had not shown any weakness since moving from Culpeper, nor -once intimated doubt as to the successful issue of the campaign. Nor had -he intimated that any other plan or line would be more likely to win. -The newspaper correspondent who was responsible for the misstatement was -with us, and Meade ordered that, as a punishment, he should be paraded -through the lines and afterward expelled from the army. This was done -on June 8th, the correspondent being led through the army on horseback -by the provost-marshal guard. On his back and breast were tacked -placards inscribed, "Libeller of the Press." - -It was not often, considering the conditions, that correspondents got -into trouble in the army. As a rule, they were discreet. Besides this -case of Meade, I remember now only one other in which I was actively -interested; that was a few months later, after I had returned to the -department. Mr. Stanton had been annoyed by a telegram which had been -published about Sherman's movements, and he ordered me to send it to the -general, so that we might know how much truth there was in it. I wired -him as follows: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, _November 9, 1864_. - - Major-General SHERMAN, Kingston, Ga.: - - Following, copied from evening papers, is sent for your - information: - - CINCINNATI, _November 9, 1864_. - - "Yesterday's Indianapolis Journal says: 'Officers from Chattanooga - report that Sherman returned to Atlanta early last week with five - corps of his army, leaving two corps in Tennessee to watch Hood. He - destroyed the railroad from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and is sending - the iron into the former place. Atlanta was burned, and Sherman is - now marching for Charleston, S.C.'" - - -Sherman sent back two characteristic dispatches. The first ran: - - - KINGSTON, GA., _November 10, 1864_. - - Hon. C. A. DANA: - - Dispatch of 9th read. Can't you send to Indianapolis and catch - that fool and have him sent to me to work on the forts? All well. - - W. T. SHERMAN, _Major General_. - - -The second: - - - KINGSTON, GA., _November 10, 1864_. - - Hon. C. A. DANA, Assistant Secretary of War: - - If indiscreet newspaper men publish information too near the truth, - counteract its effect by publishing other paragraphs calculated to - mislead the enemy, such as "Sherman's army has been re-enforced, - especially in the cavalry, and he will soon move several columns in - circuit, so as to catch Hood's army"; "Sherman's destination is not - Charleston, but Selma, where he will meet an army from the Gulf," - etc. - - W. T. SHERMAN, _Major General_. - - -So I telegraphed to Indianapolis to General A. P. Hovey, who was -stationed there: - - - WAR DEPARTMENT, _November 10, 1864_. - - Major-General A. P. HOVEY, Indianapolis: - - In compliance with the request of Major-General Sherman, the - Secretary of War directs that you ascertain what persons furnished - the information respecting Sherman's alleged movement published in - the Indianapolis Journal of the 8th inst. You will arrest them and - send them under guard to such point in the Department of the - Cumberland as Major-General Thomas may prefer, where they will be - employed in hard labor upon the fortifications until General - Sherman shall otherwise order. - - -General Hovey never found the man, however. - -By the morning of the 12th of June Grant was ready for his last flank -movement of the campaign. Our army at that time, including Sheridan's -cavalry, consisted of approximately one hundred and fifteen thousand -fighting men. The plan for moving this great body was as follows: The -Eighteenth Corps was to move to White House without baggage or -artillery, and there embark for City Point. The Fifth Corps was to cross -the Chickahominy at Long Bridge, and take a position to secure the -passage of the remainder of the army, after which it was to cover the -rear. The Second, Sixth, and Ninth Corps were to cross in two columns at -Long Bridge and Jones's Bridge. At first it had been hoped, if not -opposed by the enemy in force, to strike James River immediately -opposite Bermuda Hundred; if resisted, then lower down, where General -Butler had been ordered to throw a bridge across and to corduroy the -approaches. - -The Fifth Corps having prepared the way, the whole army left the lines -about Cold Harbor on schedule time, just as soon after nightfall on the -12th as its movements could be concealed from the observation of the -enemy. It was in drawing orders for such complicated movements as these, -along different roads and by different crossings, that the ability of -General Humphreys, the chief of staff, was displayed. Everything went -perfectly from the start. That evening at seven o'clock, when I reached -Moody's, four miles from Long Bridge, the Fifth Corps (Warren's) was -moving rapidly past us. Our cavalry advance, under General Wilson, who -had also been transferred to the East, had previously taken Long Bridge -and laid a pontoon bridge in readiness for the crossing, so that by nine -o'clock that evening the Fifth Corps was south of the Chickahominy, well -out toward the approaches from Richmond, and covering them. All day, -the 13th, the army was hurrying toward the James. By night the Sixth -Corps had reached the river, and the rest of the troops were on the -march between there and the Chickahominy, which was our rear. - -When I reached the James early the next day, the 14th, large numbers of -men were hard at work on the pontoon bridge and its approaches, by which -it was intended that the artillery and trains should cross. It was a -pretty heavy job to corduroy the marsh, which was fully half a mile wide -and quite deep. The bridge itself was unprecedented in military annals, -except, perhaps, by that of Xerxes, being nearly seven hundred yards -long. - -All day on the 14th everything went like a miracle. The pontoon bridge -was finished at two o'clock the next morning, and the cavalry of -Wilson's leading brigade, followed by the artillery trains, instantly -began crossing. By ten o'clock on the 15th Hancock's corps had been -ferried over, and he was off toward Petersburg to support Smith, who had -taken the Eighteenth Corps around by water from the White House, and had -been ordered to attack Petersburg that morning. All the news we had that -night at City Point, where headquarters had been set up, was that Smith -had assaulted and carried the principal line of the enemy before -Petersburg. - -The next morning early I was off for the heights southeast of the town. -Smith's success appeared to be of the most important kind. He had -carried heights which were defended by very formidable works. He -thought--and, indeed, we all thought for the moment--that his success -gave us perfect command of the city and railroad. I went over the -conquered lines with General Grant and the engineer officers, and they -all agreed that the works were of the very strongest kind, more -difficult even to take than Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga. - -General Smith told us that the negro troops fought magnificently, the -hardest fighting being done by them. The forts they stormed were, I -think, the worst of all. After the affair was over, General Smith went -to thank them, and tell them he was proud of their courage and dash. He -said they had no superiors as soldiers, and that hereafter he should -send them into a difficult place as readily as the best white troops. -They captured six out of the sixteen cannons which he took. - -It soon appeared, however, that Smith was far from having captured -points which commanded Petersburg. His success had but little effect in -determining the final result. He had stopped his advance a few minutes -and a considerable space too soon, because, as he subsequently alleged, -it was too dark and his men were too much fatigued for further -operations; and he feared Lee had already re-enforced the town. This -turned out not to be so; Lee did not know until the 17th that Grant had -crossed the James. And up to that date Lee's position was a mystery to -us; we could hardly suppose he had remained at Cold Harbor. - -When Grant discovered exactly how much had been gained and lost, he was -very much dissatisfied. There was a controversy between Hancock and -Smith subsequently about the responsibility for this failure. - -On June 16th, the day after Smith's attack, more of the troops arrived -before Petersburg. General Meade also arrived on the ground, and the job -of capturing Petersburg was now taken up in earnest by the whole Army of -the Potomac. It was no longer a mere matter of advancing eighty or one -hundred rods, as on the night previous, for meanwhile the enemy had been -largely and rapidly re-enforced. Much time and many thousands of -valuable lives were to be expended in getting possession of this vital -point, which had really been in our grasp on the evening of the 15th. -That afternoon there began a series of assaults on the works of the -enemy. The fighting lasted all night, the moonlight being very clear. -Our loss was heavy. - -The next day, the 17th, another attack was made at Petersburg. It was -persistent, but Meade found that his men were so worn out with marching, -fighting, and digging that they must have rest, and so laid off until -noon of the 18th, when, all of the army being up, a general assault was -ordered. Nothing important was gained, and General Grant directed that -no more assaults should be made. He said that after this he should -maneuver to get possession of Petersburg. - -I saw nothing of the fighting of June 16th and 17th, being ill in camp, -but the members of Grant's staff told me that our operations were -unsatisfactory, owing to our previous heavy loss in superior officers. -The men fought as well as ever, Colonel Comstock told me, but they were -not directed with the same skill and enthusiasm. - -While these operations were going on, I made two or three trips to the -river to watch the crossing of the troops. It was an animated and -inspiring sight, for the great mass of men, animals, and baggage was -handled with the greatest intelligence. By the 17th our entire army was -south of the James, and the bridge over the river by which the trains -had crossed was taken up. - -During all this period, from Cold Harbor to Petersburg, we knew nothing -of Lee. In making the disposition for this great and successful -movement--a far more brilliant evolution than McClellan's "change of -base" two years before over almost the same roads--the purpose was, of -course, to deceive Lee as to the ultimate direction of the army. The -design succeeded far beyond Grant's most sanguine hopes. As soon, on the -morning of the 13th, as the Confederate chieftain discovered our -withdrawal, he moved his army across the Chickahominy in hot haste, -flinging it between his capital and the foe, supposed to be advancing on -a new line between the James and the Chickahominy. He held and fortified -a line from White Oak swamp to Malvern Hill, and here he remained stock -still for four days, wondering what had become of Grant. - -Lee had been completely deceived, and could not be made to believe by -Beauregard, on the 15th, 16th, and 17th, that Grant's whole army had -turned up before Petersburg. His troops, as we know now, did not cross -the James, to go to the relief of Beauregard until the 17th. He was -caught napping, and, but for mistakes by subordinates in carrying out -Grant's plans, Lee's cause would have been lost. In the operations from -the night of the 12th, when Grant changed his line and base with an army -of one hundred and fifteen thousand men, and all its vast trains of -artillery, crossing a wide and deep river on a temporary bridge, until -June 18th, when at last Lee awoke to the situation, General Beauregard -shines out on the Confederate side far more brilliantly than the general -in chief. He unquestionably saved Petersburg, and for the time the -Confederacy; but for him Lee had at that time lost the game. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -EARLY'S RAID AND THE WASHINGTON PANIC. - - President Lincoln visits the lines at Petersburg--Trouble with - General Meade--Jubal Early menaces the Federal capital--The - excitement in Washington and Baltimore--Clerks and veteran reserves - called out to defend Washington--Grant sends troops from the - front--Plenty of generals, but no head--Early ends the panic by - withdrawing--A fine letter from Grant about Hunter. - - -Although Grant had decided against a further direct attack on the works -of Petersburg, he was by no means idle. He sent out expeditions to break -up the railroads leading into the town. He began extending his lines -around to the south and southwest, so as to make the investment as -complete as possible. Batteries were put in place, weak spots in the -fortifications were felt for, and regular siege works were begun. -Indeed, by July 1st the general opinion seemed to be that the only way -we should ever gain Petersburg would be by a systematic siege. - -A few days later we had an interesting visit from President Lincoln, who -arrived from Washington on June 21st, and at once wanted to visit the -lines before Petersburg. General Grant, Admiral Lee, myself, and several -others went with him. I remember that, as we passed along the lines, Mr. -Lincoln's high hat was brushed off by the branch of a tree. There were a -dozen young officers whose duty it was to get it and give it back to -the President; but Admiral Lee was off his horse before any of these -young chaps, and recovered the hat for the President. Admiral Lee must -have been forty-five or fifty years old. It was his agility that -impressed me so much. - -As we came back we passed through the division of colored troops which -had so greatly distinguished itself under Smith on the 15th. They were -drawn up in double lines on each side of the road, and they welcomed the -President with hearty shouts. It was a memorable thing to behold him -whose fortune it was to represent the principle of emancipation passing -bareheaded through the enthusiastic ranks of those negroes armed to -defend the integrity of the nation. - -I went back to Washington with the presidential party, but remained only -a few days, as Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Stanton were anxious for my daily -reports of the operations around Petersburg. On the return, I arrived at -City Point on July 1st. The army occupied about the same positions as -when I had left it a week before. Two corps were engaged in siege work, -their effort being to get possession of a ridge before them, supposed to -command Petersburg; if they succeeded in this, Grant thought that the -enemy would have to abandon the south side of the Appomattox, and, of -course, the town. On the left our line extended southward and westward -across what was known as the Jerusalem road, but at so great a distance -from the Confederate fortifications as to have no immediate effect upon -them. Farther around to the west, toward the Appomattox above -Petersburg, the enemy's works extended, and the idea of enveloping them -for the whole distance had been given up. The efforts to break up the -railroads leading from Petersburg had been very successful, Grant told -me. There were plans for assault suggested, but Grant had not considered -any of them seriously. - -Before the army had recovered from its long march from Cold Harbor and -the failure to capture the town, there was an unusual amount of -controversy going on among the officers. Smith was berated generally for -failing to complete his attack of June 15th. Butler and "Baldy" Smith -were deep in a controversial correspondence; and Meade and Warren were -so at loggerheads that Meade notified Warren that he must either ask to -be relieved as corps commander or he (Meade) would prefer charges -against him. It seemed as if Meade grew more unpopular every day. -Finally the difficulties between him and his subordinates became so -serious that a change in the commander of the Army of the Potomac seemed -probable. Grant had great confidence in Meade, and was much attached to -him personally; but the almost universal dislike of Meade which -prevailed among officers of every rank who came in contact with him, and -the difficulty of doing business with him, felt by every one except -Grant himself, so greatly impaired his capacities for usefulness and -rendered success under his command so doubtful that Grant seemed to be -coming to the conviction that he must be relieved. - -I had long known Meade to be a man of the worst possible temper, -especially toward his subordinates. I think he had not a friend in the -whole army. No man, no matter what his business or his service, -approached him without being insulted in one way or another, and his own -staff officers did not dare to speak to him unless first spoken to, for -fear of either sneers or curses. The latter, however, I had never heard -him indulge in very violently, but he was said to apply them often -without occasion and without reason. At the same time, as far as I was -able to ascertain, his generals had lost their confidence in him as a -commander. His orders for the last series of assaults upon Petersburg, -in which we lost ten thousand men without gaining any decisive -advantage, were greatly criticised. They were, in effect, that he had -found it impracticable to secure the co-operation of corps commanders, -and that, therefore, each one was to attack on his own account and do -the best he could by himself. The consequence was that each gained some -advantage of position, but each exhausted his own strength in so doing; -while, for the want of a general purpose and a general commander to -direct and concentrate the whole, it all amounted to nothing but heavy -loss to ourselves. General Wright remarked confidentially to a friend -that all of Meade's attacks had been made without brains and without -generalship. - -The first week of July the subject came to pretty full discussion at -Grant's headquarters on account of an extraordinary correspondence -between Meade and Wilson. The Richmond Examiner had charged Wilson's -command with stealing not only negroes and horses, but silver plate and -clothing on a raid he had just made against the Danville and Southside -Railroad, and Meade, taking up the statement of the Examiner for truth, -read Wilson a lecture, and called on him for explanations. Wilson denied -the charge of robbing women and churches, and said he hoped Meade would -not be ready to condemn his command because its operations had excited -the ire of the public enemy. Meade replied that Wilson's explanation was -satisfactory; but this correspondence started a conversation in which -Grant expressed himself quite frankly as to the general trouble with -Meade, and his fear that it would become necessary to relieve him. In -that event, he said, it would be necessary to put Hancock in command. - -In the first days of July we began to get inquiries at City Point from -Washington concerning the whereabouts of the Confederate generals Early -and Ewell. It was reported in the capital, our dispatches said, that -they were moving down the Shenandoah Valley. We seemed to have pretty -good evidence that Early was with Lee, defending Petersburg, and so I -wired the Secretary on July 3d. The next day we felt less positive. A -deserter came in on the morning of the 4th, and said that it was -reported in the enemy's camp that Ewell had gone into Maryland with his -entire corps. Another twenty-four hours, and Meade told me that he was -at last convinced that Early and his troops had gone down the valley. In -fact, Early had been gone three weeks. He left Lee's army near Cold -Harbor on the morning of the 13th of June, when we were on the march to -the James. Hunter's defeat of Jones near Staunton had forced Lee to -divide his army in order to stop Hunter's dangerous advance on -Lynchburg. - -On the 6th General Grant was convinced that Washington was the -objective. The raid threatened was sufficiently serious to compel the -sending of troops to the defense of the capital, and a body of men -immediately embarked. Three days later I started myself to Washington, -in order to keep Grant informed of what was going on. When I arrived, I -found both Washington and Baltimore in a state of great excitement; both -cities were filled with people who had fled from the enemy. The damage -to private property done by the invaders was said to be almost beyond -calculation. Mills, workshops, and factories of every sort were reported -as destroyed, and from twenty-five to fifty miles of the Baltimore and -Ohio Railroad torn up. - -During my first day in town, July 11th, all sorts of rumors came in. -General Lew Wallace, then in command at Baltimore, sent word that a -large force of the enemy had been seen that morning near that city. The -Confederate generals were said to have dined together at Rockville a day -or two before. The houses of Governor Bradford, Francis P. Blair, -senior, and his son, Montgomery, the Postmaster General, were reported -burned. We could see from Washington clouds of dust in several quarters -around the city, which we believed to be raised by bodies of hostile -cavalry. There was some sharp skirmishing that day, too, on the -Tennallytown road, as well as later in front of Fort Stevens, and at -night the telegraph operators at the latter place reported a -considerable number of camp fires visible in front of them. - -I found that the Washington authorities had utilized every man in town -for defense. Some fifteen hundred employees of the quartermaster's -department had been armed and sent out; the veteran reserves about -Washington and Alexandria had likewise been sent to the front. General -Augur, commanding the defenses of Washington, had also drawn from the -fortifications on the south side of the town all the men that in his -judgment could possibly be spared. To this improvised force were added -that day some six boatloads of troops which General Grant had sent from -the Army of the Potomac. These troops went at once to Fort Stevens. - -With the troops coming from Grant, there was force enough to save the -capital; but I soon saw that nothing could possibly be done toward -pursuing or cutting off the enemy for want of a commander. General -Hunter and his forces had not yet returned from their swing around the -circle. General Augur commanded the defenses of Washington, with A. McD. -McCook and a lot of brigadier generals under him, but he was not allowed -to go outside. Wright commanded only his own corps. General Gilmore had -been assigned to the temporary command of those troops of the Nineteenth -Corps just arrived from New Orleans, and all other troops in the Middle -Department, leaving Wallace to command Baltimore alone. But there was no -head to the whole. General Halleck would not give orders, except as he -received them from Grant; the President would give none; and, until -Grant directed positively and explicitly what was to be done, everything -was practically at a standstill. Things, I saw, would go on in the -deplorable and fatal way in which they had been going for a week. Of -course, this want of a head was causing a great deal of sharp comment on -all sides. Postmaster-General Blair was particularly incensed, and, -indeed, with real cause, for he had lost his house at Silver Springs. -Some of his remarks reached General Halleck, who immediately wrote to -Mr. Stanton the following letter: - - - HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, WASHINGTON, _July 13, 1864_. - - Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War. - - SIR: I deem it my duty to bring to your notice the following facts: - I am informed by an officer of rank and standing in the military - service that the Hon. M. Blair, Postmaster General, in speaking of - the burning of his house in Maryland this morning, said, in effect, - that the officers in command about Washington are poltroons; that - there were not more that five hundred rebels on the Silver Springs - road, and we had one million of men in arms; that it was a - disgrace; that General Wallace was in comparison with them far - better, as he would at least fight. As there have been for the last - few days a large number of officers on duty in and about Washington - who have devoted their time and energies, night and day, and have - periled their lives in the support of the Government, it is due to - them, as well as to the War Department, that it should be known - whether such wholesale denouncement and accusation by a member of - the Cabinet receives the sanction and approbation of the President - of the United States. If so, the names of the officers accused - should be stricken from the rolls of the army; if not, it is due - to the honor of the accused that the slanderer should be dismissed - from the Cabinet. - - Very respectfully, your obedient servant, - H. W. HALLECK, - _Major General and Chief of Staff_. - - -The very day on which Halleck wrote this letter we had evidence that the -enemy had taken fright at the arrival in Washington of the troops sent -by Grant, and were moving off toward Edwards Ferry. It was pretty -certain that they were carrying off a large amount of cattle and other -plunder with them. By the end of another day there seemed no doubt that -Early had got the main body of his command across the river with his -captures. What they were, it was impossible to say precisely. One herd -of cattle was reported as containing two thousand head, and the number -of horses and mules taken from Maryland was reported as about five -thousand. This, however, was probably somewhat exaggerated. - -The veterans, of course, at once moved out to attempt to overtake the -enemy. The irregulars were withdrawn from the fortifications, General -Meigs marching his division of quartermaster's clerks and employees back -to their desks; and Admiral Goldsborough, who had marshalled the marines -and sailors, returned to smoke his pipe on his own doorstep. - -The pursuit of Early proved, on the whole, an egregious blunder, -relieved only by a small success at Winchester in which four guns and -some prisoners were captured. Wright accomplished nothing, and drew -back as soon as he got where he might have done something worth while. -As it was, Early escaped with the whole of his plunder. - -One of the best letters Grant sent me during the war was at the time of -this Early raid on Washington. When the alarms of invasion first came, -Grant ordered Major-General David Hunter, then stationed at Parkersburg, -W. Va., to take the direction of operations against the enemy's forces -in the valley. Hunter did not come up to Mr. Stanton's expectations in -this crisis, and when I reached Washington the Secretary told me to -telegraph Grant that, in his opinion, Hunter ought to be removed. Three -days later I repeated in my dispatch to Grant certain rumors about -Hunter that had reached the War Department. The substance of them was -that Hunter had been engaged in an active campaign against the -newspapers in West Virginia, and that he had horsewhipped a soldier with -his own hand. I received an immediate reply: - - - CITY POINT, VA., _July 15, 1864_--8 P.M. - - C. A. DANA, Assistant Secretary of War: - - I am sorry to see such a disposition to condemn so brave an old - soldier as General Hunter is known to be without a hearing. He is - known to have advanced into the enemy's country toward their main - army, inflicting a much greater damage upon them than they have - inflicted upon us with double his force, and moving directly away - from our main army. Hunter acted, too, in a country where we had no - friends, while the enemy have only operated in territory where, to - say the least, many of the inhabitants are their friends. If - General Hunter has made war upon the newspapers in West Virginia, - probably he has done right. In horsewhipping a soldier he has laid - himself subject to trial, but nine chances out of ten he only acted - on the spur of the moment, under great provocation. I fail to see - yet that General Hunter has not acted with great promptness and - great success. Even the enemy give him great credit for courage, - and congratulate themselves that he will give them a chance of - getting even with him. - - U. S. GRANT, _Lieutenant General_. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE SECRET SERVICE OF THE WAR. - - Mr. Stanton's agents and spies--Regular subterranean traffic between - Washington and Richmond--A man who spied for both sides--The arrest - of the Baltimore merchants--Stanton's remarkable speech on the - meaning of disloyalty--Intercepting Jefferson Davis's letters to - Canada--Detecting the plot to burn New York, and the plan to invade - Vermont--Story of the cleverest and pluckiest of spies and his - remarkable adventures. - - -After Early's invaders had retired and quiet was restored, I went to Mr. -Stanton for new orders. As there was no probability of an immediate -change in the situation before Petersburg, the Secretary did not think -it necessary for me to go back to Grant, but preferred that I remain in -the department, helping with the routine work. - -Much of my time at this period was spent in investigating charges -against defaulting contractors and dishonest agents, and in ordering -arrests of persons suspected of disloyalty to the Government. I -assisted, too, in supervising the spies who were going back and forth -between the lines. Among these I remember one, a sort of peddler--whose -name I will call Morse--who traveled between Washington and Richmond. -When he went down it was in the character of a man who had entirely -hoodwinked the Washington authorities, and who, in spite of them, or by -some corruption or other, always brought with him into the Confederate -lines something that the people wanted--dresses for the ladies or some -little luxury that they couldn't get otherwise. The things that he took -with him were always supervised by our agents before he went away. When -he came back he brought us in exchange a lot of valuable information. He -was doubtless a spy on both sides; but as we got a great deal of -information, which could be had in no other way, about the strength of -the Confederate armies, and the preparations and the movements of the -enemy, we allowed the thing to go on. The man really did good service -for us that summer, and, as we were frequently able to verify by other -means the important information he brought, we had a great deal of -confidence in him. - -Early in October, 1864, he came back from Richmond, and, as usual, went -to Baltimore to get his outfit for the return trip. When he presented -himself again in Washington, the chief detective of the War Department, -Colonel Baker, examined his goods carefully, but this time he found that -Morse had many things that we could not allow him to take. Among his -stuff were uniforms and other military goods, and all this, of course, -was altogether too contraband to be passed. We had all his bills, -telling where he had bought these things in Baltimore. They amounted to -perhaps twenty-five thousand dollars, or more. So we confiscated the -contraband goods, and put Morse in prison. - -But the merchants in Baltimore were partners in his guilt, and Secretary -Stanton declared he would arrest every one of them and put them in -prison until the affair could be straightened up. He turned the matter -over to me then, as he was going to Fort Monroe for a few days. I -immediately sent Assistant-Adjutant-General Lawrence to Baltimore with -orders to see that all persons implicated were arrested. Lawrence -telegraphed me, on October 16th, that the case would involve the arrest -of two hundred citizens. I reported to the Secretary, but he was -determined to go ahead. The next morning ninety-seven of the leading -citizens of Baltimore were arrested, brought to Washington, and confined -in Old Capitol Prison, principally in solitary cells. There was great -satisfaction among the Union people of the town, but great indignation -among Southern sympathizers. Presently a deputation from Baltimore came -over to see President Lincoln. It was an outrage, they said; the -gentlemen arrested were most respectable merchants and faultless -citizens, and they demanded that they all be set instantly at liberty -and damages paid them. Mr. Lincoln sent the deputation over to the War -Department, and Mr. Stanton, who had returned by this time, sent for me. -"All Baltimore is coming here," he said. "Sit down and hear the -discussion." - -They came in, the bank presidents and boss merchants of Baltimore--there -must have been at least fifty million dollars represented in the -deputation--and sat down around the fire in the Secretary's office. -Presently they began to make their speeches, detailing the circumstances -and the wickedness of this outrage. There was no ground for it, they -said, no justification. After half a dozen of them had spoken, Mr. -Stanton asked one after another if he had anything more to say, and they -all said no. Then Stanton began, and delivered one of the most eloquent -speeches that I ever heard. He described the beginning of the war, for -which, he said, there was no justification; being beaten in an election -was no reason for destroying the Government. Then he went on to the fact -that half a million of our young men had been laid in untimely graves by -this conspiracy of the slave interest. He outlined the whole conspiracy -in the most solemn and impressive terms, and then he depicted the -offense that this man Morse, aided by these several merchants, had -committed. "Gentlemen," he said, "if you would like to examine the bills -of what he was taking to the enemy, here they are." - -When Stanton had finished, these gentlemen, without answering a word, -got up and one by one went away. That was the only speech I ever -listened to that cleared out the entire audience. - -Early in the winter of 1863-'64 a curious thing happened in the secret -service of the War Department. Some time in the February or March -before, a slender and prepossessing young fellow, between twenty-two and -twenty-six apparently, had applied at the War Department for employment -as a spy within the Confederate lines. - -The main body of the Army of Northern Virginia was then lying at -Gordonsville, and the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac were at -Culpeper Courthouse. General Grant had not yet come from the West to -take command of the momentous campaign which afterward opened with his -movement into the Wilderness on the 5th of May. - -The young man who sought this terrible service was well dressed and -intelligent, and professed to be animated by motives purely patriotic. -He was a clerk in one of the departments. All that he asked was that he -should have a horse and an order which would carry him safely through -the Federal lines, and, in return, he undertook to bring information -from General Lee's army and from the Government of the Confederacy in -Richmond. He understood perfectly the perilous nature of the enterprise -he proposed. - -Finding that the applicant bore a good character in the office where he -was employed, it was determined to accept his proposal. He was furnished -with a horse, an order that would pass him through the Union lines, and -also, I believe, with a moderate sum of money, and then he departed. Two -or three weeks later he reported at the War Department. He had been in -Gordonsville and Richmond, had obtained the confidence of the -Confederate authorities, and was the bearer of a letter from Mr. -Jefferson Davis to Mr. Clement C. Clay, the agent of the Confederate -Government in Canada, then known to be stationed at St. Catherine's, not -far from Niagara Falls. Mr. Clay had as his official associate Jacob -Thompson, of Mississippi, who had been Secretary of the Interior in the -Cabinet of President Buchanan, and, like Mr. Clay, had been serving the -Confederate Government ever since its organization. - -The letter from Mr. Davis the young man exhibited, but only the outside -of the envelope was examined. The address was in the handwriting of the -Confederate chief, and the statement of our young adventurer that it was -merely a letter of recommendation advising Messrs. Clay and Thompson -that they might repose confidence in the bearer, since he was ardently -devoted to the Confederate cause and anxious to serve the great purpose -that it had in view, appeared entirely probable; so the young man was -allowed to proceed to Niagara Falls and Canada. He made some general -report upon the condition of the rebel army at Gordonsville, but it was -of no particular value, except that in its more interesting features it -agreed with our information from other sources. - -Our spy was not long in returning from St. Catherine's with a dispatch -which was also allowed to pass unopened, upon his assurance that it -contained nothing of importance. In this way he went back and forward -from Richmond to St. Catherine's once or twice. We supplied him with -money to a limited extent, and also with one or two more horses. He said -that he got some money from the Confederates, but had not thought it -prudent to accept from them anything more than very small sums, since -his professed zeal for the Confederate cause forbade his receiving -anything for his traveling expenses beyond what was absolutely -necessary. - -During the summer of 1864 the activity of Grant's campaign, and the -fighting which prevailed all along the line, somewhat impeded our young -man's expeditions, but did not stop them. All his subsequent dispatches, -however, whether coming from Richmond or from Canada, were regularly -brought to the War Department, and were opened, and in every case a copy -of them was kept. As it was necessary to break the seals and destroy the -envelopes in opening them, there was some difficulty in sending them -forward in what should appear to be the original wrappers. Coming from -Canada, the paper employed was English, and there was a good deal of -trouble in procuring paper of the same appearance. I remember also that -one important dispatch, which was sealed with Mr. Clay's seal, had to be -delayed somewhat while we had an imitation seal engraved. But these -delays were easily accounted for at Richmond by the pretense that they -had been caused by accidents upon the road and by the necessity of -avoiding the Federal pickets. At any rate, the confidence of the -Confederates in our agent and in theirs never seemed to be shaken by any -of these occurrences. - -Finally our dispatch bearer reported one day at the War Department with -a document which, he said, was of extraordinary consequence. It was -found to contain an account of a scheme for setting fire to New York and -Chicago by means of clock-work machines that were to be placed in -several of the large hotels and places of amusement--particularly in -Barnum's Museum in New York--and to be set off simultaneously, so that -the fire department in each place would be unable to attend to the great -number of calls that would be made upon it on account of these -Confederate conflagrations in so many different quarters, and thus these -cities might be greatly damaged, or even destroyed. - -This dispatch was duly sealed up again and was taken to Richmond, and a -confidential officer was at once sent to New York to warn General Dix, -who was in command there, of the Confederate project. The general was -very unwilling to believe that any such design could be seriously -entertained, and Mr. John A. Kennedy, then superintendent of police, was -equally incredulous. But the Secretary of War was peremptory in his -orders, and when the day of the incendiary attempt arrived both the -military and the police made every preparation to prevent the threatened -catastrophe. The officer who went from Washington was lodged in the St. -Nicholas Hotel, one of the large establishments that were to be set on -fire, and while he was washing his hands in the evening, preparatory to -going to dinner, a fire began burning in the room next to his. It was -promptly put out, and was found to be caused by a clock-work apparatus -which had been left in that room by a lodger who had departed some hours -before. Other fires likewise occurred. In every instance these fires -were extinguished without much damage and without exciting any -considerable public attention, thanks to the precautions that had been -taken in consequence of the warning derived from Mr. Clay's dispatch to -Mr. Benjamin in Richmond. The plan of setting fire to Chicago proved -even more abortive; I do not remember that any report of actual burning -was received from there. - -Later in the fall, after the military operations had substantially -terminated for the season, a dispatch was brought from Canada, signed by -Mr. Clay, and addressed to Mr. Benjamin, as Secretary of State in the -Confederate Government, conveying the information that a new and really -formidable military expedition against northern Vermont--particularly -against Burlington, if I am not mistaken--had been organized and fitted -out in Canada, and would make its attack as soon as practicable. This -was after the well-known attempt upon St. Albans and Lake Champlain, on -October 19, 1864, and promised to be much more injurious. The dispatch -reached Washington one Sunday morning, and was brought to the War -Department as usual, but its importance in the eyes of the Confederate -agents had led to its being prepared for transportation with uncommon -care. It was placed between two thicknesses of the pair of re-enforced -cavalry trousers which the messenger wore, and sewed up so that when he -was mounted it was held between his thigh and the saddle. - -Having been carefully ripped out and opened, it was immediately carried -to Mr. Stanton, who was confined to his house by a cold. He read it. -"This is serious," he said. "Go over to the White House and ask the -President to come here." Mr. Lincoln was found dressing to go to church, -and he was soon driven to Mr. Stanton's house. After discussing the -subject in every aspect, and considering thoroughly the probability that -to keep the dispatch would put an end to communications by this channel, -they determined that it must be kept. The conclusive reason for this -step was that it established beyond question the fact that the -Confederates, while sheltering themselves behind the British Government -in Canada, had organized and fitted out a military expedition against -the United States. But while the dispatch afforded evidence that could -not be gainsaid, the mere possession of it was not sufficient. It must -be found in the possession of the Confederate dispatch bearer, and the -circumstances attending its capture must be established in such a manner -that the British Foreign Office would not be able to dispute the -genuineness of the document. "We must have this paper for Seward," said -Mr. Lincoln. "As for the young man, get him out of the scrape if you -can." - -Accordingly, the paper was taken back to the War Department and sewed up -again in the trousers whence it had been taken three hours before. The -bearer was instructed to start at dusk on the road which he usually took -in passing through the lines, to be at a certain tavern outside of -Alexandria at nine o'clock in the evening, and to stop there to water -his horse. Then information was sent through Major-General Augur, -commandant of Washington and the surrounding region, to Colonel Henry H. -Wells, then provost marshal general of the defenses south of the -Potomac, stationed at Alexandria, directing him to be at this tavern at -nine o'clock in the evening, and to arrest a Confederate dispatch -bearer, concerning whom authentic information had been received at the -War Department, and whose description was furnished for his (Wells's) -guidance. He was to do the messenger no injury, but to make sure of his -person and of all papers that he might have upon him, and to bring him -under a sufficient guard directly to the War Department. And General -Augur was directed to be present there, in order to assist in the -examination of the prisoner, and to verify any dispatches that might be -found. - -Just before midnight a carriage drove up to the door of the War -Department with a soldier on the box and two soldiers on the front seat -within, while the back seat was occupied by Colonel Wells and the -prisoner. Of course, no one but the two or three who had been in the -secret was aware that this gentleman had walked quietly out of the War -Department only a few hours previously, and that the paper which was the -cause of the entire ceremony had been sewed up in his clothes just -before his departure. Colonel Wells reported that, while the prisoner -had offered no resistance, he was very violent and outrageous in his -language, and that he boasted fiercely of his devotion to the -Confederacy and his detestation of the Union. During the examination -which now followed he said nothing except to answer a few questions, but -his bearing--patient, scornful, undaunted--was that of an incomparable -actor. If Mr. Clay and Mr. Benjamin had been present, they would have -been more than ever certain that he was one of their noblest young men. -His hat, boots, and other articles of his clothing were taken off one by -one. The hat and boots were first searched, and finally the dispatch was -found in his trousers and taken out. Its nature and the method of its -capture were stated in a memorandum which was drawn up on the spot and -signed by General Augur and Colonel Wells and one or two other officers -who were there for the purpose, and then the dispatch bearer himself was -sent off to the Old Capitol Prison. - -The dispatch, with the documents of verification, was handed over to Mr. -Seward for use in London, and a day or two afterward the warden of the -Old Capitol Prison was directed to give the dispatch bearer an -opportunity of escaping, with a proper show of attempted prevention. One -afternoon the spy walked into my office. "Ah!" said I, "you have run -away." - -"Yes, sir," he answered. - -"Did they shoot at you?" - -"They did, and didn't hit me; but I didn't think that would answer the -purpose. So I shot myself through the arm." - -He showed me the wound. It was through the fleshy part of the forearm, -and due care had been taken not to break any bones. A more deliberate -and less dangerous wound could not be, and yet it did not look trivial. - -He was ordered to get away to Canada as promptly as possible, so that he -might explain the loss of his dispatch before it should become known -there by any other means. An advertisement offering two thousand dollars -for his recapture was at once inserted in the New York Herald, the -Pittsburgh Journal, and the Chicago Tribune. No one ever appeared to -claim the reward, but in about a week the escaped prisoner returned from -Canada with new dispatches that had been entrusted to him. They -contained nothing of importance, however. The wound in his arm had borne -testimony in his favor, and the fact that he had hurried through to St. -Catherine's without having it dressed was thought to afford conclusive -evidence of his fidelity to the Confederate cause. - -The war was ended soon after this adventure, and, as his services had -been of very great value, a new place, with the assurance of lasting -employment, was found for the young man in one of the bureaus of the War -Department. He did not remain there very long, however, and I don't know -what became of him. He was one of the cleverest creatures I ever saw. -His style of patriotic lying was sublime; it amounted to genius. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -A VISIT TO SHERIDAN IN THE VALLEY. - - Mr. Dana carries to Sheridan his major-general's commission--A ride - through the Army of the Shenandoah--The affection of Sheridan's - soldiers for the general--How he explained it--His ideas about - personal courage in battle--The War Department and the - railroads--How the department worked for Lincoln's - re-election--Election night of November, 1864--Lincoln reads aloud - passages from Petroleum V. Nasby while the returns from the States - come in. - - -It was just after the arrest of the Baltimore merchants, in October, -1864, that I visited Sheridan at his headquarters in the Shenandoah -Valley. He had finished the work of clearing out the valley by the -battle of Cedar Creek on October 19th, and the Government wanted to -recognize the victory by promoting him to the rank of major general in -the regular army. There were numerous volunteer officers who were also -officers in the regular army, and it was regarded as a considerable -distinction. The appointment was made, and then, as an additional -compliment to General Sheridan, instead of sending him the commission by -an ordinary officer from the department, Mr. Stanton decided that I -would better deliver it. I started on October 22d, going by special -train to Harper's Ferry, whither I telegraphed for an escort to be ready -for me. I was delayed so that I did not get started from Harper's Ferry -until about five o'clock on the morning of October 23d. It was a -distance of about fifty miles to Sheridan, and by riding all day I got -there about eleven o'clock at night. Sheridan had gone to bed, but in -time of war one never delays in carrying out orders, whatever their -nature. The general was awakened, and soon was out of his tent; and -there, by the flare of an army torch and in the presence of a few sleepy -aides-de-camp and of my own tired escort, I presented to Sheridan his -commission as major general in the regular army. - -Sheridan did not say much in reply to my little speech, nor could he -have been expected to under the circumstances, though he showed lively -satisfaction in the Government's appreciation of his services, and spoke -most heartily, I remember, of the manner in which the administration had -always supported him. - -The morning after this little ceremony, when we had finished our -breakfast, the general asked me if I would not like to ride through the -army with him. It was exactly what I did want to do, and we were soon on -horseback and off, accompanied by four of his officers. We rode through -the entire army that morning, dismounting now and then to give me an -opportunity to pay my respects to several officers whom I knew. I was -struck, in riding through the lines, by the universal demonstration of -personal affection for Sheridan. Everybody seemed personally to be -attached to him. He was like the most popular man after an election--the -whole force everywhere honored him. Finally I said to the general: "I -wish you would explain one thing to me. Here I find all these people of -every rank--generals, sergeants, corporals, and private soldiers; in -fact, everybody--manifesting a personal affection for you that I have -never seen in any other army, not even in the Army of the Tennessee for -Grant. I have never seen anything like it. Tell me what is the reason?" - -"Mr. Dana," said he, "I long ago made up my mind that it was not a good -plan to fight battles with paper orders--that is, for the commander to -stand on a hill in the rear and send his aides-de-camp with written -orders to the different commanders. My practice has always been to fight -in the front rank." - -"Well," said I, "General, that is dangerous; in the front rank a man is -much more liable to be killed than he is in the rear." - -"Well," said he, "I know that there is a certain risk in it; but, in my -judgment, the advantage is much greater than the risk, and I have come -to the conclusion that that is the right thing to do. That is the reason -the men like me. They know that when the hard pinch comes I am exposed -just as much as any of them." - -"But are you never afraid?" I asked. - -"If I was I should not be ashamed of it," he said. "If I should follow -my natural impulse, I should run away always at the beginning of the -danger; the men who say they are never afraid in a battle do not tell -the truth." - -I talked a great deal with Sheridan and his officers while at Cedar -Creek on the condition of the valley, and as to what should be done to -hold it. The active campaign seemed to be over in this region for that -year. The enemy were so decidedly beaten and scattered, and driven so -far to the south, that they could scarcely be expected to collect their -forces for another attempt during the season. Besides, the devastation -of the valley, extending as it did for a distance of about one hundred -miles, rendered it almost impossible that either the Confederates or our -own forces should make a new campaign in that territory. It looked to me -as if, when Sheridan had completed the same process down the valley to -the vicinity of the Potomac, and when the stores of forage which were -yet to be found were all destroyed or removed, the difficulty of any new -offensive operations on either side would be greatly increased. - -The key to the Shenandoah Valley was, in Sheridan's judgment, the line -of the Opequan Creek, which was rather a deep cañon than an ordinary -watercourse. Sheridan's idea I understood to be to fall back to the -proper defensive point upon that creek, and there to construct -fortifications which would effectually cover the approach to the -Potomac. - -I left Sheridan at Cedar Creek, and went back to Washington by way of -Manassas Gap. - -All through the fall of 1864 and the following winter I remained in -Washington, very much occupied with the regular routine business of the -department and various matters of incidental interest. Some of these -incidents I shall group together here, without strict regard to -sequence. - -An important part of the work of the department was in relation to the -railroads and to railroad transportation. Sometimes it was a whole army -corps to be moved. At another time the demand would be equally sudden -and urgent, if less vital to the Union cause. I remember particularly -the great turkey movement in November of that year. The presidential -election was hardly over before the people of the North began to prepare -Thanksgiving boxes for the army. George Bliss, Jr., of New York, -telegraphed me, on November 16th, that they had twenty thousand turkeys -ready in that city to send to the front; and the next day, fearing, I -suppose, that that wasn't enough, he wired: "It would be a very great -convenience in our turkey business if I could know definitely the -approximate number of men in each of armies of Potomac, James, and -Shenandoah, respectively." - -From Philadelphia I received a message asking for transportation to -Sheridan's army for "boxes containing four thousand turkeys, and Heaven -knows what else, as a Thanksgiving dinner for the brave fellows." And so -it was from all over the country. The North not only poured out food and -clothing generously for our own men, but, when Savannah was entered by -Sherman, great quantities of provisions were sent there for gratuitous -distribution, and when Charleston fell every effort was made to relieve -destitution. - -A couple of months later, in January, 1865, a piece of work not so -different from the "turkey business," but on a rather larger scale, fell -to me. This was the transfer of the Twenty-third Army Corps, commanded -by Major-General John M. Schofield, from its position on the Tennessee -River to Chesapeake Bay. There being no prospect of a winter campaign -under Thomas, Grant had ordered the corps transferred as quickly as -possible, and Mr. Stanton turned over the direction to me. On January -10th I telegraphed to Grant at City Point the plan to be followed. This, -briefly, was to send Colonel Lewis B. Parsons, chief of railroad and -river transportation, to the West to take charge of the corps. I -proposed to move the whole body by boats to Parkersburg if navigation -allowed, and thence by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to Annapolis, for -I remembered well with what promptness and success Hooker's forces, the -Eleventh and Twelfth Corps, were moved into Tennessee in 1863 by that -road. A capital advantage of that line was that it avoided all large -towns--and the temptations of large towns were bad for the soldiers in -transit. If the Ohio River should be frozen, I proposed to move the -corps by rail from Cairo, Evansville, and Jeffersonville to Parkersburg -or Bellaire, according to circumstances. - -Commanders in the vicinity of the corps were advised of the change, and -ordered to prepare steamboats and transports. Loyal officers of -railroads were requested to meet Colonel Parsons at given points to -arrange for the concentration of rolling stock in case the river could -not be used. Liquor shops were ordered closed along the route, and -arrangements were made for the comfort of the troops by supplying to -them, as often as once in every hundred miles of travel, an abundance of -hot coffee in addition to their rations. - -Colonel Parsons proceeded at once to Louisville, where he arrived on the -13th. By the morning of the 18th he had started the first division from -the mouth of the Tennessee up the Ohio, and had transportation ready -for the rest of the corps. He then hurried to Cincinnati, where, as the -river was too full of ice to permit a further transfer by water, he -loaded about three thousand men on the cars waiting there and started -them eastward. The rest of the corps rapidly followed. In spite of fogs -and ice on the river, and broken rails and machinery on the railroads, -the entire army corps was encamped on the banks of the Potomac on -February 2d. - -The distance over which the corps was transported was nearly fourteen -hundred miles, about equally divided between land and water. The average -time of transportation, from the embarkment on the Tennessee to the -arrival on the banks of the Potomac, did not exceed eleven days; and -what was still more important was the fact that during the whole -movement not a single accident happened causing loss of life, limb, or -property, except in a single instance where a soldier improperly jumped -from the car, under apprehension of danger, and thus lost his life. Had -he remained quiet, he would have been as safe as were his comrades of -the same car. - -Much of the success of the movement was due to the hearty co-operation -of J. W. Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Colonel -Parsons did not say too much when he wrote, in his report of the -transfer of Schofield's troops: - - The circumstances, I think, render it not invidious that I should - especially refer to the management of the Baltimore and Ohio - Railroad, where indomitable will, energy, and superior ability have - been so often and so conspicuously manifested, and where such - invaluable service has been rendered to the Government; a road - nearly four hundred miles in length, so often broken and apparently - destroyed, so constantly subjected to rebel incursions, that, had it - been under ordinary management, it would long since have ceased - operation; yet, notwithstanding all the difficulties of the severe - winter season, the great disorganization of employees necessarily - incident to a road thus situated, its most extraordinary curves, - grades, bridges, tunnels, and the mountain heights it scales, it has - moved this large force in the shortest possible time, with almost - the exactness and regularity of ordinary passenger trains, and with - a freedom from accident that, I think, has seldom, if ever, been - paralleled. - -At the end of the war, when the department's energies were devoted to -getting itself as quickly and as thoroughly as possible upon a peace -footing, it fell to me to examine the condition of the numerous -railroads which the Government had seized and used in the time of active -military operations, and to recommend what was to be done with them. -This readjustment was not the least difficult of the complicated -questions of disarmament. The Government had spent millions of dollars -on improvements to some of these military railroads while operating -them. My report was not finished till late in May, 1865, and as it -contains much out-of-the-way information on the subject, and has never -been published, I introduce it here in full: - - - WASHINGTON CITY, _May 29, 1865_. - - Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. - - SIR: I have the honor to report that I have examined the subject of - the disposition to be made of the railroads in the States lately in - rebellion, referred to me in connection with the report of the - quartermaster general, and the rules which he has recommended to be - established. The second rule proposed by the quartermaster general - provides that no charge shall be made against a railroad for - expense of materials or expense of operation while it has been in - the hands of the military authorities of the United States. In - other words, he proposes to restore every railroad to its claimants - without any special consideration from them for any improvements - which the United States may have made upon it. - - It is true in his fourth rule he includes past expenditures of - defense and repair as an equivalent for the use of the road while - it has been in the public service, but in many cases this does not - appear to me to be sufficient. Our expenditures upon some of these - roads have been very heavy. For instance, we have added to the - value of the road from Nashville to Chattanooga at least a million - and a half dollars. When that road was recaptured from the public - enemy it was in a very bad state of repair. Its embankments were in - many places partially washed away, its iron was what is known as - the U rail, and was laid in the defective old-fashioned manner, - upon longitudinal sleepers, without cross ties. These sleepers were - also in a state of partial decay, so that trains could not be run - with speed or safety. All these defects have now been remedied. The - roadbed has been placed in first-rate condition. The iron is now a - heavy T rail, laid in new iron the entire length of the line. - Extensive repair shops have also been erected, well furnished with - the necessary tools and machinery. I do not conceive that it would - be just or advisable to restore this road, with its improved tracks - and these costly shops, without any equivalent for the great value - of these improvements other than the use we have made of it since - its recapture. The fact that we have replaced the heavy and - expensive bridges over Elk, Duck, and Tennessee Rivers, and over - Running Water Creek, should also not be forgotten in deciding this - question. - - The above general remarks are also applicable to that portion of - the Orange and Alexandria Railroad between the Potomac and the - Rapidan. Very extensive repair shops have been erected at - Alexandria, and furnished with costly machinery for the use of the - road, and I understand that the iron and the roadbed are now much - better than when the Government began to use it. - - The same is still more the case with the road between City Point - and Petersburg. When that road was recaptured from the public enemy - not only was the roadbed a good deal washed away and damaged, but - neither rails nor sound ties were left upon it. Now it is in the - best possible condition. Can any one contend that it ought to be - restored to its claimants without charge for the new ties and iron? - - The case of the railroad from Harper's Ferry to Winchester is no - less striking. It was a very poor road before the war, and was - early demolished by the rebels. Not a pound of iron, not a sound - tie, was to be found upon the line when we began its reconstruction - in December last. We have spent about five hundred thousand dollars - in bringing it to its present condition, and I have no doubt our - improvements could be sold for that sum to the Baltimore and Ohio - Company should they obtain the title to the roadbed from the proper - authorities of Virginia. Why, then, should we give them up for - nothing? - - On the Morehead City and Goldsboro' Railroad we have rebuilt - twenty-seven miles of the track, and furnished it with new iron and - laid new ties on many miles more since February last. These views - also hold good, unless I am misinformed, with regard to the - railroad leading into New Orleans, the Memphis and Little Rock - Railroad, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, and the Mobile and - Ohio Railroad. They have all been improved at great expense while - in our hands. - - In the third rule proposed by the quartermaster general it is - provided that all materials for permanent way used in the repair - and construction of any road, and all damaged material of this - class which may be left along its route, having been thrown there - during operation of destruction and repair, shall be considered as - part of the road, and given up with it also without compensation. - If this means to give up any new iron that we have on the line of - any road, it seems to me to concede to the parties to whom the - roads are to be surrendered more than they have a right to claim. - For instance, there is now lying at Alexandria, on the line of the - Orange and Alexandria road, iron sufficient to lay thirty miles of - track. It seems manifest to me that this iron should not be - surrendered to the road without being paid for. In my judgment it - is also advisable to establish the principle that the Government - will not pay for the damages done any road in the prosecution of - hostilities, any more than it will pay for similar damages done by - the enemy. With these exceptions, the principles proposed by the - quartermaster general appear to be correct. - - In accordance with these observations, I would recommend that the - following rules be determined upon to govern the settlement of - these matters: - - 1. The United States will, as soon as it can dispense with military - occupation and control of any road of which the Quartermaster's - Department is in charge, turn it over to the parties asking to - receive it who may appear to have the best claim, and be able to - operate it in such a manner as to secure the speedy movement of all - military stores and troops, the quartermaster general, upon the - advice of the commander of the department, to determine when this - can be done, subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. - - 2. Where any State has a loyal board of works, or other executive - officers charged with the supervision of railroads, such road shall - be turned over to such board of officers rather than to any - corporations or private parties. - - 3. When any railroad shall be so turned over, a board of - appraisers shall be appointed, who shall estimate and determine the - value of any improvements which may have been made by the United - States, either in the road itself or in its repair shop and - permanent machinery, and the amount of such improvements shall be a - lien upon the road. - - 4. The parties to whom the road is turned over shall have the - option of purchasing at their value any tools, iron, or any other - materials for permanent way which have been provided by the United - States for the improvement of the road and have not been used. - - 5. All other movable property, including rolling stock of all - kinds, the property of the United States, to be sold at auction, - after full public notice, to the highest bidder. - - 6. All rolling stock and materials of railroads captured by the - forces of the United States, and not consumed, destroyed, or - permanently fixed elsewhere--as, for instance, when captured iron - has been laid upon other roads--shall be placed at the disposal of - the roads which originally owned them, and shall be given up to - these roads as soon as it can be spared and they appear by proper - agents authorized to receive it. - - 7. No payment or credit shall be given to any railroad recaptured - from the enemy for its occupation or use by the United States to - take possession of it, but its capture and restoration shall be - considered a sufficient consideration for all such use; nor shall - any indemnity be paid for injuries done to the property of any road - by the forces of the United States during the continuance of the - war. - - 8. Roads which have not been operated by the United States - Quartermaster's Department not to be interfered with unless under - military necessity; such roads to be left in the possession of such - persons as may now have possession, subject only to the removal of - every agent, director, president, superintendent, or operative who - has not taken the oath of allegiance to the United States. - - 9. When superintendents in actual possession decline to take the - oath, some competent person shall be appointed as receiver of the - road, who will administer its affairs and account for its receipts - to the board of directors, who may be formally recognized as the - legal and formal board of managers, the receiver to be appointed by - the Treasury Department, as in the case of abandoned property. - - I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, - C. A. DANA, - _Assistant Secretary of War_. - - -These recommendations were carried out partly in the transfer, which was -practically complete by the end of 1865. The department decided upon a -somewhat more liberal policy than I had thought justifiable. The roads -and bridges were transferred practically in the same condition as they -were in at the time of transfer. It was believed that this generosity -would react favorably upon the revenue and credit of the nation, and -there is no doubt that it did have a good influence. - -During the presidential campaign of 1864, which resulted in Lincoln's -re-election and in the further prosecution of the war upon the lines of -Lincoln's policy, we were busy in the department arranging for soldiers -to go home to vote, and also for the taking of ballots in the army. -There was a constant succession of telegrams from all parts of the -country requesting that leave of absence be extended to this or that -officer, in order that his district at home might have the benefit of -his vote and political influence. Furloughs were asked for private -soldiers whose presence in close districts was deemed of especial -importance, and there was a widespread demand that men on detached -service and convalescents in hospitals be sent home. - -All the power and influence of the War Department, then something -enormous from the vast expenditure and extensive relations of the war, -was employed to secure the re-election of Mr. Lincoln. The political -struggle was most intense, and the interest taken in it, both in the -White House and in the War Department, was almost painful. After the -arduous toil of the canvass, there was naturally a great suspense of -feeling until the result of the voting should be ascertained. On -November 8th, election day, I went over to the War Department about half -past eight o'clock in the evening, and found the President and Mr. -Stanton together in the Secretary's office. General Eckert, who then had -charge of the telegraph department of the War Office, was coming in -constantly with telegrams containing election returns. Mr. Stanton would -read them, and the President would look at them and comment upon them. -Presently there came a lull in the returns, and Mr. Lincoln called me to -a place by his side. - -"Dana," said he, "have you ever read any of the writings of Petroleum V. -Nasby?" - -"No, sir," I said; "I have only looked at some of them, and they seemed -to be quite funny." - -"Well," said he, "let me read you a specimen"; and, pulling out a thin -yellow-covered pamphlet from his breast pocket, he began to read aloud. -Mr. Stanton viewed these proceedings with great impatience, as I could -see, but Mr. Lincoln paid no attention to that. He would read a page or -a story, pause to consider a new election telegram, and then open the -book again and go ahead with a new passage. Finally, Mr. Chase came in, -and presently somebody else, and then the reading was interrupted. - -Mr. Stanton went to the door and beckoned me into the next room. I shall -never forget the fire of his indignation at what seemed to him to be -mere nonsense. The idea that when the safety of the republic was thus at -issue, when the control of an empire was to be determined by a few -figures brought in by the telegraph, the leader, the man most deeply -concerned, not merely for himself but for his country, could turn aside -to read such balderdash and to laugh at such frivolous jests was, to his -mind, repugnant, even damnable. He could not understand, apparently, -that it was by the relief which these jests afforded to the strain of -mind under which Lincoln had so long been living, and to the natural -gloom of a melancholy and desponding temperament--this was Mr. Lincoln's -prevailing characteristic--that the safety and sanity of his -intelligence were maintained and preserved. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -"ON TO RICHMOND" AT LAST! - - The fall of the Confederacy--In Richmond just after the - evacuation--A search for Confederate archives--Lincoln's - propositions to the Virginians--A meeting with the Confederate - Assistant Secretary of War--Andrew Johnson turns up at Richmond--His - views as to the necessity of punishing rebels--The first Sunday - services at the Confederate capital under the old flag--News of - Lee's surrender reaches Richmond--Back to Washington with Grant. - - -It was evident to all of us, as the spring of 1865 came on, that the war -was drawing to a close. Sherman was coming northward from his triumphant -march to the sea, and would soon be in communication with Grant, who, -ever since I left him in July, 1864, had been watching Petersburg and -Richmond, where Lee's army was shut up. At the end of March Grant -advanced. On April 1st Sheridan won the battle of Five Forks; then on -April 2d came the successful assaults which drove Lee from Petersburg. - -On the morning of April 3d, before I had left my house, Mr. Stanton sent -for me to come immediately to the War Department. When I reached his -office, he told me that Richmond had surrendered, and that he wanted me -to go down at once to report the condition of affairs. I started as soon -as I could get a steamboat, Roscoe Conkling and my son Paul accompanying -me. We arrived at City Point early on April 5th. Little was known there -of the condition of things in Richmond. There were but a few officers -left at the place, and those were overwhelmed with work. I had expected -to find the President at City Point, he having been in the vicinity for -several days, but Mr. Lincoln had gone up to Richmond the day before. - -I started up the river immediately, and reached the town early in the -afternoon. I went at once to find Major-General Godfrey Weitzel, who was -in command of the United States forces. He was at his headquarters, -which were in Jefferson Davis's former residence. I had heard down the -river that Davis had sold his furniture at auction some days before the -evacuation, but I found when I reached the house that this was a -mistake--the furniture was all there. - -Weitzel told me that he had learned at three o'clock in the morning of -Monday, April 3d, that Richmond was being evacuated. He had moved -forward at daylight, first taking care to give his men breakfast, in the -expectation that they might have to fight. He met no opposition, and on -entering the city was greeted with a hearty welcome from the mass of -people. The mayor went out to meet him to surrender the city, but missed -him on the road. - -I took a walk around Richmond that day to see how much the city was -injured. The Confederates in retreating had set it on fire, and the -damage done in that way was enormous; nearly everything between Main -Street and the river, for about three quarters of a mile, was burned. -The custom house and the Spotswood Hotel were the only important -buildings remaining in the burned district. The block opposite the -Spotswood, including the Confederate War Department building, was -entirely consumed. The Petersburg Railroad bridge, and that of the -Danville road, were destroyed. All the enemy's vessels, excepting an -unfinished ram which had her machinery in perfect order, were burned. -The Tredegar Iron Works were unharmed. Libby Prison and Castle Thunder -had also escaped the fire. - -Immediately upon arriving I began to make inquiries about official -papers. I found that the records and documents of the departments and of -Congress had generally been removed before the evacuation, and that -during the fire the Capitol had been ransacked and the documents there -scattered. In the rooms of the Secretary of the Senate and of the -Military Committee of the House of Representatives in the State House we -found some papers of importance. They were in various cases in drawers, -and all in great confusion. They were more or less imperfect and -fragmentary. In the State Engineer's office also there were some boxes -of papers relating to the Confederate works on the Potomac, around -Norfolk, and on the Peninsula. I had all of these packed for shipment, -without attempting to put them in order, and forwarded at once to -Washington. - -General Weitzel told me that he had found about twenty thousand people -in Richmond, half of them of African descent. He said that when -President Lincoln entered the town on the 4th he received a most -enthusiastic reception from the mass of the inhabitants. All the members -of Congress had escaped, and only the Assistant Secretary of War, Judge -John Archibald Campbell, remained in the fallen capital of the -Confederacy. Most of the newspaper editors had fled, but the Whig -appeared on the 4th as a Union paper, with the name of its former -proprietor at its head. The night after I arrived the theater opened. - -There was much suffering and poverty among the population, the rich as -well as the poor being destitute of food. Weitzel had decided to issue -supplies to all who would take the oath. In my first message to Mr. -Stanton I spoke of this. He immediately answered: "Please ascertain from -General Weitzel under what authority he is distributing rations to the -people of Richmond, as I suppose he would not do it without authority; -and direct him to report daily the amount of rations distributed by his -order to persons not belonging to the military service, and not -authorized by law to receive rations, designating the color of the -persons, their occupation, and sex." Mr. Stanton seemed to be satisfied -when I wired him that Weitzel was working under General Ord's orders, -approved by General Grant, and that he was paying for the rations by -selling captured property. - -The important question which the President had on his mind when I -reached Richmond was how Virginia could be brought back to the Union. He -had already had an interview with Judge Campbell and other prominent -representatives of the Confederate Government. All they asked, they -said, was an amnesty and a military convention to cover appearances. -Slavery they admitted to be defunct. The President did not promise the -amnesty, but he told them he had the pardoning power, and would save any -repentant sinner from hanging. They assured him that, if amnesty could -be offered, the rebel army would be dissolved and all the States return. - -On the morning of the 7th, five members of the so-called Virginia -Legislature held a meeting to consider written propositions which the -President had handed to Judge Campbell. The President showed these -papers to me confidentially. They were two in number. One stated reunion -as a _sine qua non_; the second authorized General Weitzel to allow -members of the body claiming to be the Legislature of Virginia to meet -in Richmond for the purpose of recalling Virginia's soldiers from the -rebel armies, with safe conduct to them so long as they did and said -nothing hostile to the United States. In discussing with me these -documents, the President remarked that Sheridan seemed to be getting -rebel soldiers out of the war faster than the Legislature could think. - -The next morning, on April 8th, I was present at an interesting -interview between General Weitzel and General Shepley, who had been -appointed as Military Governor of Richmond, and a committee of prominent -citizens and members of the Legislature. Various papers were read by the -Virginian representatives, but they were told plainly that no -propositions could be entertained that involved a recognition of the -Confederate authorities. The committee were also informed that if they -desired to prepare an address to the people, advising them to abandon -hostility to the Government at once, and begin to obey the laws of the -United States, they should have every facility for its circulation -through the State, provided, of course, that it met the approval of the -military authorities. The two Union generals said that if the committee -desired to call a convention of the prominent citizens of the State, -with a view to the restoration of the authority of the United States -Government, they would be allowed to go outside the lines of Richmond -for the purpose of visiting citizens in different parts of the State and -inducing them to take part in a convention. Safe conduct was promised to -them for themselves and such citizens as they could persuade to attend -the convention. They were also told that if they were not able to find -conveyances for themselves for the journey into the country, horses -would be loaned to them for that purpose. All this, they were informed, -was not to be considered as in any manner condoning any offense of which -any individual among them might have been guilty. - -Judge Campbell said that he had no wish to take a prominent part in the -proceedings, but that he had long since made up his mind that the cause -of the South was hopeless. He had written a formal memorial to Jefferson -Davis, immediately after the Hampton Roads conference, urging him and -the Confederate Congress to take immediate steps to stop the war and -restore the Union. He had deliberately remained in Richmond to meet the -consequences of his acts. He said that if he could be used in the -restoration of peace and order, he would gladly undertake any labor that -might be desired of him. - -The spirit of the committee seemed to be generally the same as Judge -Campbell's, though none of them equalled him in ability and clearness of -thought and statement. They were thoroughly conscious that they were -beaten, and sincerely anxious to stop all further bloodshed and restore -peace, law, and order. This mental condition seemed to me to be very -hopeful and encouraging. - -One day, after the meeting of this committee, I was in the large room -downstairs of the Spotswood Hotel when my name was called, and I turned -around to see Andrew Johnson, the new Vice-President of the United -States. He took me aside and spoke with great earnestness about the -necessity of not taking the Confederates back without some conditions or -without some punishment. He insisted that their sins had been enormous, -and that if they were let back into the Union without any punishment the -effect would be very bad. He said they might be very dangerous in the -future. The Vice-President talked to me in this strain for fully twenty -minutes, I should think. It was an impassioned, earnest speech that he -made to me on the subject of punishing rebels. Finally, when he paused -and I got a chance to reply, I said: - -"Why, Mr. Johnson, I have no power in this case. Your remarks are very -striking, very impressive, and certainly worthy of the most serious -consideration, but it does not seem to me necessary that they should be -addressed to me. They ought to be addressed to the President and to the -members of Congress, to those who have authority in the case, and who -will finally have to decide this question which you raise." - -"Mr. Dana," said he, "I feel it to be my duty to say these things to -every man whom I meet, whom I know to have any influence. Any man whose -thoughts are considered by others, or whose judgment is going to weigh -in the case, I must speak to, so that the weight of opinion in favor of -the view of this question which I offer may possibly become -preponderating and decisive." - -That was in April. When Mr. Johnson became President, not long after, he -soon came to take entirely the view which he condemned so earnestly in -this conversation with me. - -Toward the end of the first week after we entered Richmond the question -about opening the churches on Sunday came up. I asked General Weitzel -what he was going to do. He answered that all the places of worship were -to be allowed to open on condition that no disloyalty should be uttered, -and that the Episcopal clergymen should read the prayer for the -President of the United States. But the next day General Shepley, the -military governor, came to me to ask that the order might be relaxed so -that the clergy should be required only not to pray for Davis. I -declined giving any orders, having received none from Washington, and -said that Weitzel must act in the matter entirely on his own judgment. -Judge Campbell used all his influence with Weitzel and Shepley to get -them to consent that a loyal prayer should not be exacted. Weitzel -concluded not to give a positive order; his decision was influenced by -the examples of New Orleans, Norfolk, and Savannah, where, he said, the -requirement had not been at first enforced. In a greater measure, -however, his decision was the result of the President's verbal direction -to him to "let the people down easy." The churches were all well filled -on Sunday, the ladies especially attending in great numbers. The sermons -were devout and not political, the city was perfectly quiet, and there -was more security for persons and property than had existed in Richmond -for many months. - -On Monday morning the news of Lee's surrender reached us in Richmond. It -produced a deep impression. Even the most intensely partisan women now -felt that the defeat was perfect and the rebellion finished, while among -the men there was no sentiment but submission to the power of the -nation, and a returning hope that their individual property might escape -confiscation. They all seemed most keenly alive to this consideration, -and men like General Anderson, the proprietor of the Tredegar works, -were zealous in their efforts to produce a thorough pacification and -save their possessions. - -The next morning I received from Mr. Stanton an order to proceed to -General Grant's headquarters and furnish from there such details as -might be of interest. It was at this time that I had an interesting talk -with Grant on the condition of Lee's army and about the men and arms -surrendered. He told me that, in the long private interview which he had -with Lee at Appomattox, the latter said that he should devote his whole -efforts to pacifying the country and bringing the people back to the -Union. Lee declared that he had always been for the Union in his own -heart, and could find no justification for the politicians who had -brought on the war, the origin of which he believed to have been in the -folly of extremists on both sides. The war, Lee declared, had left him a -poor man, with nothing but what he had upon his person, and his wife -would have to provide for herself until he could find some employment. - -The officers of Lee's army, Grant said, all seemed to be glad that it -was over, and the men still more so than the officers. All were greatly -impressed by the generosity of the terms finally granted to them, for at -the time of the surrender they were surrounded and escape was -impossible. General Grant thought that these terms were of great -importance toward securing a thorough peace and undisturbed submission -to the Government. - -I returned to Washington with General Grant, reaching there the 13th, -and taking up my work in the department at once. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -THE CLOSING SCENES AT WASHINGTON. - - Last interview with Mr. Lincoln--Why Jacob Thompson escaped--At the - deathbed of the murdered President--Searching for the assassins--The - letters which Mr. Lincoln had docketed "Assassination"--At the - conspiracy trial--The Confederate secret cipher--Jefferson Davis's - capture and imprisonment--A visit to the Confederate President at - Fortress Monroe--The grand review of the Union armies--The meeting - between Stanton and Sherman--End of Mr. Dana's connection with the - War Department. - - -It was one of my duties at this time to receive the reports of the -officers of the secret service in every part of the country. On the -afternoon of the 14th of April--it was Good Friday--I got a telegram -from the provost marshal in Portland, Me., saying: "I have positive -information that Jacob Thompson will pass through Portland to-night, in -order to take a steamer for England. What are your orders?" - -Jacob Thompson, of Mississippi, had been Secretary of the Interior in -President Buchanan's administration. He was a conspicuous secessionist, -and for some time had been employed in Canada as a semi-diplomatic agent -of the Confederate Government. He had been organizing all sorts of -trouble and getting up raids, of which the notorious attack on St. -Albans, Vt., was a specimen. I took the telegram and went down and read -it to Mr. Stanton. His order was prompt: "Arrest him!" But as I was -going out of the door he called to me and said: "No, wait; better go -over and see the President." - -At the White House all the work of the day was over, and I went into the -President's business room without meeting any one. Opening the door, -there seemed to be no one there, but, as I was turning to go out, Mr. -Lincoln called to me from a little side room, where he was washing his -hands: - -"Halloo, Dana!" said he. "What is it? What's up?" - -Then I read him the telegram from Portland. - -"What does Stanton say?" he asked. - -"He says arrest him, but that I should refer the question to you." - -"Well," said the President slowly, wiping his hands, "no, I rather think -not. When you have got an elephant by the hind leg, and he's trying to -run away, it's best to let him run." - -With this direction, I returned to the War Department. - -"Well, what says he?" asked Mr. Stanton. - -"He says that when you have got an elephant by the hind leg, and he is -trying to run away, it's best to let him run." - -"Oh, stuff!" said Stanton. - -That night I was awakened from a sound sleep by a messenger with the -news that Mr. Lincoln had been shot, and that the Secretary wanted me at -a house in Tenth Street. I found the President with a bullet wound in -the head, lying unconscious, though breathing heavily, on a bed in a -small side room, while all the members of the Cabinet, and the Chief -Justice with them, were gathered in the adjoining parlor. They seemed to -be almost as much paralyzed as the unconscious sufferer within the -little chamber. The surgeons said there was no hope. Mr. Stanton alone -was in full activity. - -"Sit down here," said he; "I want you." - -Then he began and dictated orders, one after another, which I wrote out -and sent swiftly to the telegraph. All these orders were designed to -keep the business of the Government in full motion until the crisis -should be over. It seemed as if Mr. Stanton thought of everything, and -there was a great deal to be thought of that night. The extent of the -conspiracy was, of course, unknown, and the horrible beginning which had -been made naturally led us to suspect the worst. The safety of -Washington must be looked after. Commanders all over the country had to -be ordered to take extra precautions. The people must be notified of the -tragedy. The assassins must be captured. The coolness and -clearheadedness of Mr. Stanton under these circumstances were most -remarkable. I remember that one of his first telegrams was to General -Dix, the military commander of New York, notifying him of what had -happened. No clearer brief account of the tragedy exists to-day than -this, written scarcely three hours after the scene in Ford's Theater, on -a little stand in the room where, a few feet away, Mr. Lincoln lay -dying. - -I remained with Mr. Stanton until perhaps three o'clock in the morning. -Then he said: "That's enough. Now you may go home." - -When I left, the President was still alive, breathing heavily and -regularly, though, of course, quite unconscious. About eight o'clock I -was awakened by a rapping on a lower window. It was Colonel Pelouze, of -the adjutant-general's office, and he said: - -"Mr. Dana, the President is dead, and Mr. Stanton directs you to arrest -Jacob Thompson." - -The order was sent to Portland, but Thompson couldn't be found there. He -had taken the Canadian route to Halifax. - -The whole machinery of the War Department was now employed in the effort -to secure the murderer of the President and his accomplices. As soon as -I had recovered from the first shock of Mr. Lincoln's death, I -remembered that in the previous November I had received from General Dix -the following letter: - - - HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE EAST, - NEW YORK CITY, _November 17, 1864_. - - C. A. DANA, Esq. - - MY DEAR SIR: The inclosed was picked up in a Third Avenue railroad - car. I should have thought the whole thing got up for the Sunday - Mercury but for the genuine letter from St. Louis in a female hand. - The Charles Selby is obviously a manufacture. The party who dropped - the letter was heard to say he would start for Washington Friday - night. He is of medium size, has black hair and whiskers, but the - latter are believed to be a disguise. He had disappeared before the - letter was picked up and examined. - - Yours truly, JOHN A. DIX. - - -There were two inclosures, this being one of them: - - - DEAR LOUIS: The time has at last come that we have all so wished - for, and upon you everything depends. As it was decided before you - left, we were to cast lots. Accordingly we did so, and you are to be - the Charlotte Corday of the nineteenth century. When you remember - the fearful, solemn vow that was taken by us, you will feel there is - no drawback--Abe must die, and now. You can choose your weapons. The - cup, the knife, the bullet. The cup failed us once, and might again. - Johnson, who will give this, has been like an enraged demon since - the meeting, because it has not fallen upon him to rid the world of - the monster. He says the blood of his gray-haired father and his - noble brother call upon him for revenge, and revenge he will have; - if he can not wreak it upon the fountain-head, he will upon some of - the bloodthirsty generals. Butler would suit him. As our plans were - all concocted and well arranged, we separated, and as I am - writing--on my way to Detroit--I will only say that all rests upon - you. You know where to find your friends. Your disguises are so - perfect and complete that without one knew your face no police - telegraphic dispatch would catch you. The English gentleman - "Harcourt" must not act hastily. Remember he has ten days. Strike - for your home, strike for your country; bide your time, but strike - sure. Get introduced, congratulate him, listen to his stories--not - many more will the brute tell to earthly friends. Do anything but - fail, and meet us at the appointed place within the fortnight. - Inclose this note, together with one of poor Leenea. I will give the - reason for this when we meet. Return by Johnson. I wish I could go - to you, but duty calls me to the West; you will probably hear from - me in Washington. Sanders is doing us no good in Canada. - - Believe me, your brother in love, - CHARLES SELBY. - - -The other was in a woman's handwriting: - - - ST. LOUIS, _October 21, 1864_. - - DEAREST HUSBAND: Why do you not come home? You left me for ten days - only, and you now have been from home more than two weeks. In that - long time only sent me one short note--a few cold words--and a - check for money, which I did not require. What has come over you? - Have you forgotten your wife and child? Baby calls for papa until - my heart aches. We are so lonely without you. I have written to you - again and again, and, as a last resource, yesterday wrote to - Charlie, begging him to see you and tell you to come home. I am so - ill, not able to leave my room; if I was, I would go to you - wherever you were, if in this world. Mamma says I must not write - any more, as I am too weak. Louis, darling, do not stay away any - longer from your heart-broken wife. - - LEENEA. - - -On reading the letters, I had taken them at once to President Lincoln. -He looked at them, but made no special remark, and, in fact, seemed to -attach very little importance to them. I left them with him. - -I now reminded Mr. Stanton of this circumstance, and he asked me to go -immediately to the White House and see if I could find the letters. I -thought it rather doubtful, for I knew the President received a great -many communications of a similar nature. However, I went over, and made -a thorough search through his private desk. He seemed to have attached -more importance to these papers than to others of the kind, for I found -them inclosed in an envelope marked in his own handwriting, -"Assassination." I kept the letters by me for some time, and then -delivered them to Judge John A. Bingham, special judge advocate in the -conspiracy trial. Judge Bingham seemed to think them of importance, and -asked me to have General Dix send the finder down to Washington. I wired -at once to the general. He replied that it was a woman who had found -the letters; that she was keeping a small store in New York, had several -children, was a widow, and had no servant; that she would have to find -some one to take care of her house, but would be in Washington in a day -or two. - -A few days later she came. I was not in town when Mrs. Hudspeth, as her -name proved to be, arrived. I had gone to Chicago, but from the woman's -testimony on May 12th, I learned that in November, 1864, just after the -presidential election, and on the day, she said, on which General Butler -left New York, she had overheard a curious conversation between two men -in a Third Avenue car in New York city. She had observed, when a jolt of -the car pushed the hat of one of the men forward, that he wore false -whiskers. She had noticed that his hand was very beautiful; that he -carried a pistol in his belt; that, judging from his conversation, he -was a young man of education; she heard him say that he was going to -Washington that day. The young men left the car before she did, and -after they had gone her daughter, who was with her, had picked up a -letter from the floor. Mrs. Hudspeth, thinking it belonged to her, had -carried it from the car. She afterward discovered the two letters -printed above, and took them to General Scott, who, upon reading them, -said they were of great importance, and sent her to General Dix. When a -photograph of Booth was shown to Mrs. Hudspeth, she swore that it was -the man in disguise whom she had seen in the car. It was found that -Booth was in New York on the day that she indicated--that is, the day -General Butler left New York, November 11th--and likewise that Booth -had gone from there to Washington, as she had heard this man say he was -going to do. The inference was that the man who had dropped the letter -was Booth. - -I was afterward called to the stand, on June 9th, to testify about the -letters. Judge Bingham used these documents as a link in his chain of -evidence showing that a conspiracy existed "to kill and murder Abraham -Lincoln, William H. Seward, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Edwin M. -Stanton, and others of his advisers," and that Booth was a partner in -this conspiracy. - -I have said that I was in Chicago when Mrs. Hudspeth gave her testimony. -Just after I reached there I received from Major T. F. Eckert, the head -of the military telegraph, a message saying that the court wanted me -immediately as a witness in the conspiracy trial. I returned at once, -and on the 18th of May appeared in court. I was wanted that I might -testify to the identity of a key to a secret cipher which I had found on -the 6th of April in Richmond. On that day I had gone into the office of -Mr. Benjamin, the Confederate Secretary of State; on a shelf, among Mr. -Benjamin's books and other things, I had found a secret cipher key.[E] I -saw it was the key to the official Confederate cipher, and, as we had -at times to decipher at the War Department a good many documents written -in that cipher, it seemed to me of interest, and I brought it away, with -several other interesting documents. When I returned to Washington I -gave it to Major Eckert, who had charge of cipher dispatches in the War -Department. - -Now, on the night of Mr. Lincoln's assassination, Lieutenant W. H. Terry -had been sent to the National Hotel to seize the trunk of J. Wilkes -Booth. Among other things, he had found a paper containing a secret -cipher. When this was given to Major Eckert, he immediately saw that it -was the same as the one which I had found in Richmond. It was thought -that possibly by means of this evidence it could be shown that Booth was -in communication with the Confederate Government. I was called back to -identify the cipher key. Major Eckert at the same time presented -dispatches written in the cipher found in Booth's trunk and sent from -Canada to the Confederates. They had been captured and taken to the War -Department, where copies of them were made. By the key which I had found -these dispatches could be read. These dispatches indicated plots against -the leaders of our Government, though whether Booth had sent them or not -was, of course, never known. - -Throughout the period of the trial I was constantly receiving and -answering messages and letters relative to the examination or arrest of -persons suspected of being connected with the affair. In most cases -neither the examinations nor arrests led to anything. The persons had -been acquaintances of the known conspirators, or they had been heard to -utter disloyal sentiments and had been reported to the department by -zealous Unionists. It was necessary, however, under the circumstances, -to follow up every clew given us, and, under Mr. Stanton's directions, I -gave attention to all cases reported. - -While the trial was going on in Washington, Jefferson Davis was -captured, on May 10th, near Irwinsville, Ga., by a detachment of General -Wilson's cavalry. Mr. Davis and his family, with Alexander H. Stephens, -lately Vice-President of the Confederacy, John H. Reagan, Postmaster -General, Clement C. Clay, and other State prisoners, were sent to -Fortress Monroe. The propeller Clyde, with the party on board, reached -Hampton Roads on May 19th. The next day, May 20th, Mr. Stanton sent for -me to come to his office. He told me where Davis was, and said that he -had ordered General Nelson A. Miles to go to Hampton Roads to take -charge of the prisoners, transferring them from the Clyde to the -fortress. Mr. Stanton was much concerned lest Davis should commit -suicide; he said that he himself would do so in like circumstances. "I -want you to go to Fortress Monroe," he said, "and caution General Miles -against leaving Davis any possible method of suicide; tell him to put -him in fetters, if necessary. Davis must be brought to trial; he must -not be allowed to kill himself." Mr. Stanton also told me that he wanted -a representative of the War Department down there to see what the -military was doing, and to give suggestions and make criticisms and send -him full reports. - -The status of Jefferson Davis at the time explains Mr. Stanton's -anxiety. It should be remembered that Davis had not surrendered when the -capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, was captured; neither had he -surrendered with either of the two principal armies under Lee and -Johnston. At that time the whole Confederate army west of the -Mississippi was still at large. To allow Davis to join this force was -only to give the Confederacy an opportunity to reassemble the forces -still unsurrendered and make another stand for life. Even more important -than this consideration was the fact that Davis was charged, in -President Johnson's proclamation of May 2, 1865, offering a reward for -his capture, with instigating the assassination of President Lincoln: - - _Whereas_, It appears, from evidence in the Bureau of Military - Justice, that the atrocious murder of the late President, Abraham - Lincoln, and the attempted assassination of the Hon. W. H. Seward, - Secretary of State, were incited, concerted, and procured by and - between Jefferson Davis, late of Richmond, Va., ... and other rebels - and traitors against the Government of the United States, harbored - in Canada; - - Now, therefore, to the end that justice may be done, I, Andrew - Johnson, President of the United States, do offer and promise for - the arrest of said persons or either of them, within the limits of - the United States, so that they can be brought to trial, the - following rewards: One hundred thousand dollars for the arrest of - Jefferson Davis ... The provost marshal general of the United - States is directed to cause the descriptions of said persons, with - notice of the above rewards, to be published. - -It was with the above facts in mind that I started for Hampton Roads on -May 20th. On the 22d the prisoners were transferred from the Clyde to -the fortress. The quarter selected for Davis's prison was a casemate -such as at that time, as well as at the present, is occupied by officers -and their families. In fact, an officer with his family was moved out of -the particular casemate in which Davis was placed. Any one who will take -the trouble to visit Fortress Monroe can see the place still, and it -certainly has not to-day a gloomy or forbidding appearance. The whole -scene of the transfer I described in a long telegram which I sent to Mr. -Stanton on the 22d. As it contains my fresh impressions, and has never -before been published, I give it here in full: - - - From FORTRESS MONROE, 1 P.M., _May 22, 1865_. - - Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War: - - The two prisoners have just been placed in their respective - casemates. The sentries are stationed both within and without their - doors. The bars and locks are fastened, and the regular routine of - their imprisonment has begun. At precisely one o'clock General - Miles left with a tug and a guard from the garrison to go for Davis - and Clay. At half past one the tug left the Clyde for the fortress. - She landed at the engineers' wharf, and the procession, led by the - cavalrymen of Colonel Pritchard's command, moved through the water - battery on the east front of the fortress and entered by a postern - leading from that battery. The cavalrymen were followed by General - Miles, holding Davis by the right arm. Next came half a dozen - soldiers, and then Colonel Pritchard with Clay, and last the guard - which Miles took out with him. The arrangements were excellent and - successful, and not a single curious spectator was any where in - sight. - - Davis bore himself with a haughty attitude. His face was somewhat - flushed, but his features were composed and his step firm. In - Clay's manner there was less expression of bravado and dramatic - determination. Both were dressed in gray, with drab slouched hats. - Davis wore a thin dark overcoat. His hair and beard are not so gray - as has been reported, and he seems very much less worn and broken - by anxiety and labor than Mr. Blair reported when he returned from - Richmond last winter. The parties were not informed that they were - not to be removed to the fortress until General Miles went on board - the Clyde, but they had before learned generally what was their - destination. - - From his staff officers Davis parted yesterday, shedding tears at - the separation. The same scene has just been renewed at his parting - from Harrison, his private secretary, who left at one o'clock for - Washington. In leaving his wife and children he exhibited no great - emotion, though she was violently affected. He told her she would - be allowed to see him in the course of the day. Clay took leave of - his wife in private, and he was not seen by the officers. Both - asked to see General Halleck, but he will not see them. - - The arrangements for the security of the prisoners seem to me as - complete as could be desired. Each one occupies the inner room of a - casemate; the window is heavily barred. A sentry stands within, - before each of the doors leading into the outer room. These doors - are to be grated, but are now secured by bars fastened on the - outside. Two other sentries stand outside of these doors. An - officer is also constantly on duty in the outer room, whose duty is - to see his prisoners every fifteen minutes. The outer door of all - is locked on the outside, and the key is kept exclusively by the - general officer of the guard. Two sentries are also stationed - without that door, and a strong line of sentries cuts off all - access to the vicinity of the casemates. Another line is stationed - on the top of the parapet overhead, and a third line is posted - across the moats on the counterscarps opposite the places of - confinement. The casemates on each side and between these occupied - by the prisoners are used as guard rooms, and soldiers are always - there. A lamp is constantly kept burning in each of the rooms. The - furniture of each prisoner is a hospital bed, with iron bedstead, - chair and table, and a movable stool closet. A Bible is allowed to - each. I have not given orders to have them placed in irons, as - General Halleck seemed opposed to it, but General Miles is - instructed to have fetters ready if he thinks them necessary. The - prisoners are to be supplied with soldiers' rations, cooked by the - guard. Their linen will be issued to them in the same way. I shall - be back to-morrow morning. - - C. A. DANA. - - -Before leaving Fortress Monroe, on May 22d, I made out for General Miles -the order here printed in facsimile: - -[Illustration: Fortress Monroe May 22, 1865. - -Brevet Major General Miles is hereby authorized and directed to -place manacles and fetters upon the hands and feet of Jefferson Davis -and Clement C. Clay Jr, whenever he may think it advisable in order to -render their imprisonment more secure. - -By order of the Secretary of War. - -C. A. Dana. A. Secretary of War.] - -This order was General Miles's authority for placing fetters upon Davis -a day or two later, when he found it necessary to change the inner doors -of the casemate, which were light wooden ones, without locks. While -these doors were being changed for grated ones, anklets were placed on -Davis; they did not prevent his walking, but did prevent any attempt to -jump past the guard, and they also prevented him from running. As soon -as the doors were changed (it required three days, I think), the anklets -were removed. I believe that every care was taken during Mr. Davis's -imprisonment to remove cause for complaint. Medical officers were -directed to superintend his meals and give him everything that would -excite his appetite. As it was complained that his quarters in the -casemate were unhealthy and disagreeable, he was, after a few weeks, -transferred to Carroll Hall, a building still occupied by officers and -soldiers. That Davis's health was not ruined by his imprisonment at -Fortress Monroe is proved by the fact that he came out of the prison in -better condition than when he went in, and that he lived for twenty -years afterward, and died of old age. - -I hurried back to Washington from Fortress Monroe to be present at the -grand review of the Armies of the Potomac and Tennessee, which had been -arranged for May 23d and 24th. I reached the city early in the morning. -The streets were all alive with detachments of soldiers marching toward -Capitol Hill, for it was there that the parade was to start. Thousands -of visitors were also in the streets. - -May 23d was given up to the review of the Army of the Potomac, and by -nine o'clock General Meade and his staff, at the head of the army, -started from the Capitol. Soon after, I joined the company on the -reviewing officers' stand, in front of the White House, in just the -place which the reviewing stand now occupies on inauguration days. -President Johnson had the central position on the platform. Upon his -right, a seat was retained for the commander of the corps undergoing -review. As soon as the corps commander with his staff had passed the -grand stand at the head of his troops, he rode into the grounds of the -White House, dismounted, and came to take his position at the right of -Mr. Johnson, while his troops continued their march. When all his men -had passed, he gave up his place to the commander of the next corps in -the column, and so on. Next to the corps commanders were seated -Secretary Stanton and Lieutenant-General Grant. On the left of the -President was Postmaster-General Dennison and, on the first day of the -parade, while the Army of the Potomac passed, Major-General Meade; and -on the second day, while the Army of the Tennessee passed, Major-General -Sherman. The other members of the Cabinet, many army officers, the -assistant secretaries in the different departments, and a number of -guests invited by the President and the secretaries, were grouped around -these central personages. - -On the 24th, when Sherman's army was reviewed, I sat directly behind Mr. -Stanton at the moment when General Sherman, after having passed the -grand stand at the head of his army, dismounted and came on to the stand -to take his position and review his soldiers. As he had to pass -immediately in front of Secretary Stanton in order to reach the place -assigned to him on the President's right, I could see him perfectly. I -watched both men closely, for the difficulty between Stanton and Sherman -was at that moment known to everybody. - -The terms upon which Sherman in April had accepted the surrender of -General Joseph E. Johnston's army in North Carolina went beyond the -authority of a military commander, and touched upon political issues. It -is true that these terms were made conditional upon the approval of the -Government; nevertheless, Mr. Stanton was deeply indignant at the -general for meddling with matters beyond his jurisdiction. No doubt his -indignation was intensified by his dislike of Sherman. The two men were -antagonistic by nature. Sherman was an effervescent, mercurial, -expansive man, springing abruptly to an idea, expressing himself -enthusiastically on every subject, and often without reflection. Stanton -could not accommodate himself to this temperament. - -When the memorandum of the agreement between Johnston and Sherman -reached Stanton, he sent Grant to the general in hot haste, and then -published in the newspapers, which need not have known anything of the -affair, a full account of the unwise compact, and an indignant -repudiation of it by the Government. Naturally this brought down a -furious attack upon Sherman. All his past services were forgotten for a -time, and he was even called a "traitor." The public quickly saw the -injustice of this attitude; so did most of the men in the Government, -and they hastened to appease Sherman, who was violently incensed over -what he called Stanton's insult. I think he never forgave the Secretary. -When, on May 19th, he reached Washington with his army, which he had -marched northward across the battlefields of Virginia, he refused to -have anything to do with Stanton, although Grant tried his best to bring -about a reconciliation and the President and several members of the -Cabinet showed him every attention. - -I was, of course, curious to see what General Sherman would do in -passing before Mr. Stanton to take his place on the stand. The general -says in his Memoirs that, as he passed, Stanton offered his hand and he -refused to take it. He is entirely mistaken. I was watching narrowly. -The Secretary made no motion to offer his hand, or to exchange -salutations in any manner. As the general passed, Mr. Stanton gave him -merely a slight forward motion of his head, equivalent, perhaps, to a -quarter of a bow. - -In May I had been asked to become the editor of a new paper to be -founded in Chicago, the Republican. The active promoter was a Mr. Mack, -and the concern was organized with a nominal capital of five hundred -thousand dollars. Only a small part of this was ever paid up; a large -block of the stock was set aside as a bonus to induce a proper man to -become the editor. Mr. Mack had offered the post to me, and, through the -influence of the Hon. Lyman Trumbull and other prominent men of -Illinois, I was persuaded to accept it. In deciding on the change, I had -arranged to stay in Washington until I could finish the routine -business upon which I was then engaged, and until Mr. Stanton could -conveniently spare me. This was not until the 1st of July. On the first -day of the month I sent to the President my resignation as Assistant -Secretary of War, and a few days later I left the capital for Chicago. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[E] The secret cipher key was a model consisting of a cylinder, six -inches in length and two and one half in diameter, fixed in a frame, the -cylinder having the printed key pasted over it. By shifting the pointers -fixed over the cylinder on the upper portion of the frame, according to -a certain arrangement previously agreed upon, the cipher letter or -dispatch could be deciphered readily. The model was put in evidence at -the trial. - - - - -INDEX. - - - Army of the Cumberland reorganized, 126. - - Augur, General, and the spy, 183; - in command at Washington, 244. - - - Baltimore merchants arrested, 236. - - Banks, General, besieges Port Hudson, 80. - - Bates, Edward, impressions of, 171. - - Beauregard, General, 222. - - Blair, Montgomery, character, 170, 231. - - Booth, J. Wilkes, 281. - - Bragg, General, driven across the Tennessee, 104; - maneuvers to reach Chattanooga, 107-111; - evacuates Lookout Mountain, 148; - retreats, 151. - - Burnside, General, shut up in Knoxville, 135; - character, 138; - forces, 138; - repulses Longstreet, 154; - relieved by Sherman, 154; - transferred to command of Ninth Army Corps, 191. - - - Cairo, the claims commission, 12. - - Campbell, Judge, negotiations with President Lincoln, 266, 270. - - Canada, proposed Confederate expedition from, 243. - - Cedar Creek, 248. - - Champion Hill, 53. - - Chase, Salmon P., impressions of, 169. - - Chattanooga, defense of, 120; - battle, 143. - - Chickamauga, 111. - - Cipher dispatches, 22; - Confederate, 280. - - Cold Harbor, 208. - - Conkling, Roscoe, 17, 177, 263. - - Cotton speculation, 17. - - Crittenden, General, censured for conduct at Chickamauga, 122; - relieved, 126. - - - Dana, Charles A., resigns from the Tribune, 1; - first meeting with Lincoln, 2; - early correspondence with Stanton, 4-11; - commissioner of War Department, 21; - at the front with Grant, 30 _et seq._; - gets a horse, 45; - assistant adjutant general, 82; - Assistant Secretary of War, 103; - with the Army of the Cumberland, 105 _et seq._; - at Chattanooga, 132; - interview with Burnside at Knoxville, 138; - on duty at Washington, 156 _et seq._; - relations with Stanton, 159; - with the Army of the Potomac, 189 _et seq._; - with Sheridan in the valley, 248 _et seq._; - at Richmond, 263; - last interview with Lincoln, 274; - becomes editor of the Chicago Republican, 290. - - Davis, Jefferson, capture, 282; - imprisonment, 284. - - Drouillard, Captain, 116. - - - Early, General, menaces the capital, 228; - withdraws, 232. - - Everett, Edward, 182. - - - Five Forks, 263. - - Foster, General J. G., supersedes Burnside, 191. - - Frémont, General, 5, 6. - - - Garfield, General, 118. - - Grand Gulf, attack on, 42. - - Granger, General Gordon, in command at Nashville, 105; - at Chickamauga, 119; - at Missionary Ridge, 149; - fails to relieve Burnside, 152. - - Grant, General, impressions of, 15, 61; - conduct at Shiloh criticised, 15; - plan for Vicksburg campaign, 30; - self-control, 43; - invests Vicksburg, 56; - asks re-enforcements, 80; - enters Vicksburg, 99; - rapid mobilization of his army, 101; - at Chattanooga, 133; - at Missionary Ridge, 148; - made general in chief of the United States army, 186; - crosses the Rapidan, 187; - maneuvers against Lee, 200-207; - at Cold Harbor, 208; - charges of butchery, 209; - in camp at Cold Harbor, 213; - marches on Petersburg, 217 _et seq._; - prepares for siege, 224. - - - Halleck, General, obstructs Grant's plans, 156; - Grant's chief of staff, 186; - character, 187. - - Hancock, General, his energy, 190; - at Spottsylvania, 195; - advancing to Richmond, 201; - at Cold Harbor, 208. - - Herron, General, 70, 87. - - Hooker, General, ordered to Lookout Valley, 134; - at Lookout Mountain, 147. - - Hovey, General, 63, 217. - - Hudspeth, Mrs., gives evidence in conspiracy trial, 279. - - Humphreys, General, 192. - - Hunter, General, defeats Jones, 229; - Grant's defense of, 233. - - - Jackson, entered by United States army, 52. - - Johnson, Andrew, 105; - urges punishment of rebels, 269. - - Johnston, General J. E., threatens Grant during siege of Vicksburg, - 83, 84, 289. - - - Lee, General R. E., defeated in the Wilderness, 193; - maneuvers against Grant, 201-207; - Grant's estimate of, 215; - outwitted by Grant, 222; - driven from Petersburg, 263; - surrender, 271. - - Lincoln, President, impressions of, 171-185; - relations with his cabinet, 171; - as a politician, 174-181; - his mercifulness, 183; - visits the lines before Petersburg, 224; - re-election, 260; - seeming flippancy, 261; - in Richmond after surrender, 266; - propositions to Confederates, 267; - assassinated, 274. - - Logan, General, 53, 67. - - Longstreet, General, 119, 139. - - Lookout Mountain, 147. - - - McClellan, dissatisfaction with, 8; - absurd claims for, 9. - - McClernand, General, commands movement on Grand Gulf, 32; - his annoying delays and inefficiency, 59, 89; - removal, 90. - - McCook, General, censured for conduct at Chickamauga, 122; - relieved, 126. - - McPherson, General, in movement on Grand Gulf, 41; - at Raymond, 51; - ability, 58; - springs the mines before Vicksburg, 91. - - Meade, General, commands army of the Potomac, 189; - character and ability, 189; - before Petersburg, 221; - difficulties with subordinates, 226. - - Milliken's Bend, 86. - - Mississippi, reopening of, 30. - - Missionary Ridge, 148. - - "Morse," case of, 235. - - - Negro troops, their bravery, 86, 220. - - Nevada, why admitted, 174, 175. - - Newspaper correspondents, trouble with, 215. - - New York and Chicago, plans for burning, 241. - - - Ord, General, supersedes McClernand, 90. - - - Parsons, Colonel, 253. - - Pemberton, General, defeated at Champion's Hill, 53; - retreat and losses, 55; - asks for terms, 95; - humiliation, 96; - surrenders Vicksburg, 99. - - Porter, Admiral, runs the Vicksburg batteries, 36; - character, 85. - - Porter, General, halts fugitives at Chickamauga, 116. - - Port Gibson, 44. - - Presidential campaign of 1864, 260. - - - Railroads seized by the Government, disposition of, 255. - - Rawlins, Colonel J. A., and the Confederate Mason, 54; - character, 62, 72. - - Raymond, engagement at, 51. - - Richmond surrendered, 263; - evacuated, 264. - - Rosecrans, General, his delays, 104; - occupies Chattanooga, 107; - concentrates his army, 110; - at Chickamauga, 111; - prepares to defend Chattanooga, 120; - indecision and incapacity, 123, 127; - transferred to Department of the Missouri, 131. - - - Schofield, General, troops transferred, 252. - - Secret service, 235 _et seq._ - - Sedgwick, General John, 190. - - "Selby" and "Leenea" letters, 276, 277. - - Seward, Wm. H., impressions of, 168. - - Shepley, General, military governor of Richmond, 267, 270. - - Sheridan, General, at Chickamauga, 116; - at Chattanooga, 145; - at Missionary Ridge, 150; - major-general, 248; - affection of the army, 249; - wins at Five Forks, 263. - - Sherman, General, impressions of, 29; - commands a corps in Grant's army, 31; - destroys public property in Jackson, 53; - before Vicksburg, 57; - in pursuit of Johnston, 84; - ordered to join the forces at Chattanooga, 136; - bridges the Tennessee, 146; - at Missionary Ridge, 148; - relieves Burnside at Knoxville, 154; - letter on the relief passes, 165; - difficulties with Stanton, 289. - - Smith, General A. J., 64, 95, 97. - - Smith, General "Baldy," 206, 207, 208, 219. - - Spottsylvania, 195. - - Stanton, E. M., early correspondence with Dana, 4-11; - forbids army speculations in cotton, 20; - gives complete authority to Grant, 52; - appearance and character, 157; - relations with his subordinates, 159; - friction with Blair, 170; - arrests the Baltimore merchants, 236. - - Strouse, Congressman, case of, 159. - - - Table of Union losses, 210. - - Thomas, General, heads off the Confederates from Chattanooga, 111; - holds the field at Chickamauga, 118; - his high qualities and Stanton's esteem, 124; - supersedes Rosecrans, 131; - charge of his troops at Missionary Ridge, 150. - - Thompson, Jacob, 239, 273. - - "Turkey movement," 252. - - - Vicksburg, campaign plans, 25, 30; - batteries run, 36; - attack on, 56; - siege, 57, 78-99; - surrender, 99. - - Virginia Legislature, negotiations with President Lincoln, 267. - - - Wallace, General Lew, 229, 231. - - War Department, immense business, 161. - - Warren, General, 190, 202, 206, 209. - - Washburn, General, 71. - - Washington, panic at, 229. - - Watson, P. H., and the forage fraud, 162. - - Weitzel, General, in command at Richmond, 264, 266, 270. - - Welles, Gideon, impressions of, 170. - - Wilmot, David, 163. - - Wilson, General J. H., 137, 227. - - Wright, General, 191, 207, 208. - - -THE END. - - * * * * * - -Transcriber's note: - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. - -Variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been -retained except in obvious cases of typographical error. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Recollections of the Civil War, by Charles A. 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