Your search returned 281 results in 60 document sections:

1 2 3 4 5 6
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Opening Battles. Volume 1., The Confederate Government at Montgomery. (search)
rchasing ability of the Confederate States. The provisional constitution provided that Congress shall appropriate no money from the Treasury unless it be asked and estimated for by the President or some one of the heads of departments, except for the purpose of paying its own expenses and contingencies. The Congress could, therefore, do nothing about the purchase of arms without a call from the executive. But for the Treaty of Paris in 1778, made by Benjamin Franklin, Silas Dean, and Arthur Lee, with France, the independence of the thirteen original States would not have been established. It was deemed important in the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States to send commissioners abroad to negotiate for a recognition of their independence, and, in case of war with the States of the North, perhaps for assistance. The chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Rhett, reported such a resolution, which was unanimously adopted. As the treaty-making power of the Govern
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Beaumarchais, Pierre Augutstin caron de, 1732- (search)
sessor, and the name of Beaumarchais, which he had assumed, was legally confirmed. Entering into mercantile speculations, he soon acquired a large fortune. He was the author of the famous play, the Barber of Seville. In September 1775, he submitted a memorial to the French monarch, in which he insisted upon the necessity of the French government's secretly aiding the English-American colonies; and as agent of his government he passed some time in England, where he became acquainted with Arthur Lee, which acquaintance led to diplomatic and commercial relations with the Continental Congress. He conducted the business of supplying the Americans with munitions of war with great ability, and afterwards became involved in a lawsuit with them. In 1784 he produced his Marriage of Figaro, which was violently opposed by the Court. His political tendencies were republican, and he sympathized with the French Revolutionists, but did not enter with his usual enthusiasm into their measures. Su
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Beauregard, Pierre Gustave toutant, (search)
ic firesides, to rally to the standard of their State and country, and by every means in their power compatible with honorable warfare, to drive back and expel the invaders from the land. The speech of President Davis at Richmond and this proclamation of Beauregard were lauded by the Confederates at Washington and Baltimore as having the ring of true metal. After the battle of Bull Run (q. v.), in July, he was promoted to major-general. He took command of the Army of the Mississippi, under Gen. A. S. Johnston, and directed the battle of Shiloh in April, 1862, after the death of Johnston. He successfully defended Charleston in 1862-63, and in May, 1864, he joined Lee in the defence of Petersburg and Richmond. As commander of the forces in the Carolinas in 1865, he joined them with those of Gen. J. E. Johnston, and surrendered them to Sherman. At the close of the war, with the full rank of general in the Confederate service, he settled in New Orleans, where he died, Feb. 20, 1893.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Benham, Henry W., 1817-1884 (search)
Benham, Henry W., 1817-1884 Military officer; born in Cheshire, Conn., in 1817; was graduated at West Point, first in his class, in 1837. He served under General Taylor in the war with Mexico, and was wounded in the battle of Buena. Vista. Early in the Civil War he was active in western Virginia, and afterwards on the South Carolina coast. He assisted in the capture of Fort Pulaski; and in 1863-64 he commanded an engineer brigade in the Army of the Potomac. He was brevetted brigadier-general for services in the campaign ending with the surrender of Lee, and major-general (March, 1865) for meritorious services in the rebellion. He died in New York, June 1, 1884.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Bentonville, battle of. (search)
and Cheatham, under the immediate command of General Johnston, without yielding an inch of ground, and all the while doing much execution on the Confederate ranks, especially with the artillery. With darkness this conflict, known as the battle of Bentonville, ended. It was one of the most notable battles of the Civil War. The main forces of the Union and of its enemies were then concentrating at one point for a desperate last struggle — sherman and Johnston in North Carolina, and Grant and Lee in Virginia. Had Johnston won at that time the consequence probably would have been the loss of the whole of Sherman's army and the quick and fatal dispersion or capture of Grant's before Petersburg and Richmond. On the night after the battle reinforcements came to the left of the Nationals. The Confederates prepared for another onset, but when Johnston heard of the actual connection of three National armies in the vicinity of Goldsboro, he perceived that all chance for success against She
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Bermuda hundred, operations near. (search)
y of the James at Bermuda Hundred, at the junction of the James and Appomattox rivers, early in May, 1864, to co-operate with the Army of the Potomac, approaching from the north. His chief care was at first to prevent reinforcements being sent to Lee from Petersburg and the South. For this purpose Butler proceeded to destroy the railway between Petersburg and Richmond, and so to cut off direct communication between the Confederate capital and the South. When it was known that General Gillmorts. For several days afterwards there was much skirmishing in front of Butler's lines, when he received orders to send nearly two-thirds of his effective force to the north side of the James to assist the Army of the Potomac, then contending with Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Butler complied with the requisition, which deprived him of all power to make any further offensive movements. The necessities of the army of the Potomac, he said, have bottled me up at Bermuda Hundred. This express
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Commissioners to foreign courts. (search)
e appointed (Sept. 26, 1776) commissioners to the French Court. Unwilling to leave his wife, whose health was declining, Jefferson refused the appointment, and Arthur Lee, then in London, was substituted for him; and after the loss of New York these commissioners were urged to press the subject of a treaty of alliance and commerce. Commissioners were also appointed to other European courts in 1777—Arthur Lee to that of Madrid; his brother William (lately one of the sheriffs of London) to Vienna and Berlin, and Ralph Izard, of South Carolina, to Florence. All but the French mission were failures. Arthur Lee was not allowed to enter Madrid, and went on ailures. Arthur Lee was not allowed to enter Madrid, and went on a fruitless errand to Germany; Izard made no attempt to visit Florence, and William Lee visited Berlin without accomplishing anything. There his papers were stolen from him, through the contrivance, it was believed, of the British resident minister. See ambassado
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Deane, Silas, 1737-1789 (search)
irs, being against him. Deane published in the Philadelphia Gazette an Address to the people of the United States, in which he referred to the brothers Lee with much severity, and claimed for himself the credit of obtaining supplies from France through Beaumarchais. Thomas Paine (q. v.), then secretary of the committee on foreign affairs, replied to Deane (Jan. 2, 1779), availing himself of public documents in his charge. In that reply he declared that the arrangement had been made by Arthur Lee, in London, and revealed the secret that the supplies, though nominally furnished by a commercial house, really came from the French government. This statement called out loud complaints from the French minister (Gerard), for it exposed the duplicity of his government, and to soothe the feelings of their allies, Congress, by resolution, expressly denied that any gratuity had been received from the French Court previous to the treaty of alliance. This resolution gave Beaumarchais a valid
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Declaration of Independence. (search)
Declaration of Independence. It was very important to have Lee's resolution for independence, offered June 7, 1776, prefaced by a preamble that should clearly declare the causes which impelled the representatives of the people to adopt it. To avoid loss of time, a committee was appointed (June 11) to prepare such declaration. The committee was composed of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Mr. Lee having been called home before the appMr. Lee having been called home before the appointment of the committee, Mr. Jefferson was put in his place. He was requested by the committee, after discussing the topics, to make a draft of a declaration of independence. It was discussed in committee, amended very slightly, and finally reported. Debates upon it were long and animated. There was some opposition to voting for independence at all, and it was considerably amended. It was evident from the beginning that a majority of the colonies would vote for independence (the vote in
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), France, early relations with. (search)
Empire, and cause it a greater loss, by the achievement of the independence of the colonies. Arthur Lee, of Virginia, being in London soon after the breaking out of hostilities, made such representa De Beaumarchais (q. v.), a well-known political intriguer and courtier, to concert measures with Lee for sending to the Americans arms and military stores to the amount of $200,000. An open breach wSept. 28, 1776) commissioners to the Court of France. Jefferson declined the appointment, and Arthur Lee was substituted. They were directed to live in a style to support the dignity of their publicprovision was made for their maintenance. Franklin arrived at Paris, and was joined by Deane and Lee in December. The commissioners were courteously received by Vergennes, privately, but without anof these transactions grew much embarrassment, chiefly on account of the misrepresentations of Arthur Lee, which led Congress to believe that the supplies forwarded by Beaumarchais were gratuities of
1 2 3 4 5 6