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Thomas C. DeLeon, Four years in Rebel capitals: an inside view of life in the southern confederacy, from birth to death., Chapter 19: days of depression. (search)
, and would have been obliged to abandon its lines and leave Richmond an easy prey. Meanwhile the North had collected large and splendidly-equipped armies of western men in Kentucky and Tennessee, under command of Generals Grant and Buell. The new Federal patent, the Cordon, was about to be applied in earnest. Its coils had already been unpleasantly felt on the Atlantic seaboard; General Butler had flashed his battle blade --that was to gleam, afterward, so bright at Fort Fisher and Dutch Gap-and had prepared an invincible armada for the capture of New Orleans; and simultaneously the armies under Buell were to penetrate into Tennessee and divide the systems of communication between Richmond and the South and West. General Albert Sidney Johnston was sent to meet these preparations, with all the men that could be spared from Western Virginia and the points adjacent to his line of operations. Still his force was very inadequate in numbers and appointment; while to every appli
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Johnston's movements-fortifications at Haines' Bluff-explosion of the mine-explosion of the second mine-preparing for the assault-the Flag of truce-meeting with Pemberton-negotiations for surrender-accepting the terms- surrender of Vicksburg (search)
e teams as one, will be allowed to transport such articles as cannot be carried along. The same conditions will be allowed to all sick and wounded officers and soldiers as fast as they become able to travel. The paroles for these latter must be signed, however, whilst officers present are authorized to sign the roll of prisoners. By the terms of the cartel then in force, prisoners captured by either army were required to be forwarded as soon as possible to either Aiken's landing below Dutch Gap on the James River, or to Vicksburg, there to be exchanged, or paroled until they could be exchanged. There was a Confederate commissioner at Vicksburg, authorized to make the exchange. I did not propose to take him a prisoner, but to leave him free to perform the functions of his office. Had I insisted upon an unconditional surrender there would have been over thirty thousand men to transport to Cairo, very much to the inconvenience of the army on the Mississippi. Thence the prisoners
Judith White McGuire, Diary of a southern refugee during the war, by a lady of Virginia, 1864. (search)
hey seem to be putting forth their utmost efforts against us. I pray that our armies may be able to resist them and drive them to their own land. October 12th, 1864. The armies around Richmond remain quiet. Butler is digging the canal at Dutch Gap, and Grant is fortifying Fort Harrison most vigorously. General Rosser has had a little reverse in the Valley, losing some guns. He had a cavalry fight, overcame the enemy, and drove them for miles; but encountering a body of infantry which wd. His poor sister was wild with grief and horror, and his other attendants dreadfully shocked. November 23d, 1864. Military movements are kept very much in the dark. Nothing going on about Richmond, except cannonading, particularly at Dutch Gap. Sherman is moving across Georgia in direction of Milledgeville, looking towards Savannah, or perhaps Charleston, or to some intermediate point on the coast, where he may, if necessary, meet with reinforcements and supplies from Federal shi
General Horace Porter, Campaigning with Grant, Chapter 24 (search)
les which the assaulting columns encountered. During the summer General Butler, who was always fertile in ideas, had conceived the notion that there were many advantages to be gained by making a canal across a narrow neck of land, known as Dutch Gap, on the James River, which would cut off four and three-quarter miles of river navigation. This neck was about one hundred and seventy-four yards wide. The name originated from the fact that a Dutchman had many years before attempted a similaructed as places of refuge. Under the delays and difficulties which arose, the canal was not finished until the end of the year. On the 31st of December General Grant received a message from Butler saying: We propose to explode the heading of Dutch Gap at 11 A. M. to-morrow. I should be happy to see yourself and friends at headquarters. We must be near the time because of the tide. The general-in-chief replied: Do not wait for me II your explosion. I doubt my ability to be up in the morni
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events, Diary from December 17, 1860 - April 30, 1864 (ed. Frank Moore), 1863, August (search)
August 5. Major-General Foster, with the iron-clad Sangamon and the gunboats Commodore Barney, General Jessup, and Cohasset made an expedition up the James River. At a point seven miles from Fort Darling, near Dutch Gap, a torpedo was exploded under the bows of the Commodore Barney, by a lock-string connected with the shore. The explosion was terrific. It lifted the gunboat's bows full ten feet out of the water, and threw a great quantity of water high into the air, which, falling on the deck, washed overboard fifteen of the crew. Among them was Lieutenant Cushing, the Commander of the Commodore Barney. Two sailors were drowned. All the rest were saved. Major-General Foster was on board the boat when the explosion took place. The rebels then opened upon them from the shore with a twelve-pound field-piece. The Barney was penetratedt by fifteen shots, beside a great number of musket-balls; but not a man was injured except the paymaster, who was slightly wounded by spli
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Volume 3., chapter 5.69 (search)
eams as one, will be allowed to transport such articles as cannot be carried along. The same conditions will be allowed to all sick and wounded officers and soldiers as fast as they become able to travel. The paroles for these latter must be signed, however, whilst officers present are authorized to sign the roll of prisoners. By the terms of the cartel then in force, prisoners captured by either army were required to be forwarded, as soon as possible, to either Aiken's Landing below Dutch Gap, on the James River, or to Vicksburg, there to be exchanged, or paroled until they could be exchanged. There was a Confederate Commissioner at Vicksburg, authorized to make the exchange. I did not propose to take him prisoner, but to leave him free to perform the functions of his office. Had I insisted upon an unconditional surrender, there would have been over thirty-odd thousand men to transport to Cairo, very much to the inconvenience of the army on the Mississippi; thence the prison
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Volume 4., The ram Tennessee at Mobile Bay. (search)
which exchanges were usually made. But when General B. F. Butler, whose lines were between us and that point, was advised of our presence he refused to allow us to pass through them, on account of President Davis's proclamation declaring him an outlaw. The Commissioner of Exchange informed General Grant of the fact, and he came alongside the Assyrian with his steamer, and informed us that we should be forwarded to Richmond on the following day. True to his promise, he had us landed near Dutch Gap the next morning, whence we were conveyed Commander J. D. Johnston, C. S. N. in ambulances to Varina Landing, where we found a Confederate steamer awaiting us with the Federal prisoners on board. We soon exchanged places to the tune of Dixie. After a delightful visit of five days at the house of Mrs. Stephen R. Mallory, the charming wife of the Secretary of the Confederate Navy, I was ordered to return to Mobile and report for duty under Commodore Ebenezer Farrand, who had succeeded A
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Volume 4., General Grant on the siege of Petersburg. (search)
to occupy an equally strong line, and thus to prevent any active operations on the part of this army against the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad. The powerful Confederate battery Dansler completely commanded Trent Reach — a wide, shallow part of the James River on the north flank of the contending lines. This barred all approach toward Richmond on the part of the United States war vessels. General Butler, conceiving the idea of cutting a canal through the narrow neck of land, known as Dutch Gap, for the passage of the monitors, directed me to report on the practicability of this project. The report being favorable, ground was broken August 10th, 1864. The canal, cutting off 4 3/4 miles of river navigation, was only 174 yards long — the excavation being 43 yards wide at the top, 27 yards at water-level, and 13.5 yards at a depth of 15 feet below water-level; 31 yards deep at the north-west end and nearly 12 yards at the south-east end; the total excavation being very nearly 67,0
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Volume 4., Closing operations in the James River. (search)
he Sangamon. The expedition started on the 4th and proceeded without incident up the river to Dutch Gap, where the Sangamon came to anchor owing to the low stage of water. General Foster and his stthe explosion the Barney was taken in tow by the Cohasset, and the two vessels dropped down to Dutch Gap. On the following day the Sangamon, with the two wooden boats, started down the river. Early of June, soon after the sinking of the obstructions, the Confederate squadron came down below Dutch Gap, and in conjunction with the battery at Howlett's made an ineffectual demonstration — the onlyder way at 6:30 P. M. Monday last [23d] and proceeded down the river, passing the upper end of Dutch Gap at 10:30 P. M., this vessel, with the Hampton in tow, leading, the Virginia and Nansemond nextfirst picket that fired at us was at the foot of Signal Hill; the first heavy gun was opposite Dutch Gap. We had to anchor twice above the Yankee obstructions to wait for the other vessels, and havi
Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3., Chapter 12: operations against Richmond. (search)
nd destroy and hold, if possible, the railway in that vicinity. Terry easily passed through those lines, and reached the road without much opposition, and was proceeding to destroy the track, when he was attacked by Pickett's division of Longstreet's Corps, then on its way from the Virginia capital to the beleaguered City. in co-operation with Pickett's movement was a naval demonstration by the Confederates, who sent three iron-clad steamers down the James River from Drewry's Bluff, to Dutch Gap, hoping to divert the attention of Admiral Lee from the attack that might be made upon Butler if he should attempt to interfere with the passage of the troops to Petersburg; also with a hope of damaging the National squadron. But they effected nothing, and were easily driven back. Smith's Corps (Eighteenth) having been relieved by the Sixth, was sent by Grant to aid Butler, in the event of an exigency such as had now occurred; but it arrived too late to assist Terry, and the latter, after
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