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An English Combatant, Lieutenant of Artillery of the Field Staff., Battlefields of the South from Bull Run to Fredericksburgh; with sketches of Confederate commanders, and gossip of the camps., Introduction. (search)
romantic, was blazoned forth to the North as the last good thing of the Young Napoleon. All the world was supposed to be standing in breathless curiosity to know wh fatigued with the task of fruitless and never-ending laudation. The Young Napoleon had been compared to Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal, and Napoleon the Great ; butNapoleon the Great ; but nothing in the history or character of those famous leaders was considered fully adequate to the heaven-born qualities of George B. McClellan. His eyes, hair, mouthcdotes illustrative of the great man, his master. Time went on, and the Young Napoleon suffered a series of defeats, not only fatal, but humiliating. The followints were invented to denote their accumulated contempt and scorn for the Young Napoleon. I have frequently heard distinguished Southern leaders speak of McClellan , or Jones, placed in the presidential chair. France was next on the list; Louis Napoleon was to be deposed, and the country partitioned. If Ledru Rollin or Louis B
An English Combatant, Lieutenant of Artillery of the Field Staff., Battlefields of the South from Bull Run to Fredericksburgh; with sketches of Confederate commanders, and gossip of the camps., Chapter 27: (search)
bring up pieces on account of the roads. Carter's battery did good execution; the Lynchburgh battery also. They drew their pieces by hand through the woods and along those boggy roads, and opened fire at twenty yards. I saw our guns not more than fifty yards distant from those of the enemy on several occasions; and when the fight was over the pieces stood almost muzzle to muzzle. We captured over a dozen very fine pieces. I myself counted twelve, and superb brass pieces they are-called Napoleon guns, I believe. What should you say the general loss was? As far as I can ascertain, said the major, our killed and wounded would number about four thousand--not over that-besides a few dozen prisoners taken. General Hatton was killed on Saturday evening on the left. You must recollect that on Saturday morning down the railroad our men were surprised, and that, together with a few prisoners, Brigadier-General Pettigrew fell into their hands. The enemy confess their killed, wounde
An English Combatant, Lieutenant of Artillery of the Field Staff., Battlefields of the South from Bull Run to Fredericksburgh; with sketches of Confederate commanders, and gossip of the camps., Chapter 41: (search)
s at a time, thousands, I might say hundreds of thousands of dollars, which should have been paid away to the troops, and if spoken to he would answer: Pay? oh! certainly, I'd have paid the men long ago, but the pay-rolls were incorrect, and I had to return them to be re-written. Many of our brigade quartermasters, particularly if on detached service, were of this worthless character — in truth many were an encumbrance to the army; and had fiery Longstreet or Jackson hung a few of them as Napoleon is said to have done on more than one occasion, the whole army would have been the better for it. The firing towards Manassas continued throughout the day, but it was not till sunset that I received orders to return to the army. Glad enough I had mounted and faced homewards again; I started towards Manassas at a rattling pace, feeling certain if Lee arrived there would be lively times in the morning. I had not proceeded many miles along my circuitous route, ere I fell in with cavalry
John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life, chapter 4 (search)
and so they also were turned over to camps of instruction and to troops permanently located in or near important military centres or stations. The Hospital or Wall tent is distinguished from those already described by having four upright sides or walls. To The hospital or wall tent, this fact it probably owes the latter name, and it doubtless gets the former from being used for hospital purposes in the field. These tents, also, are not of modern origin. They were certainly used by Napoleon, and probably long before his day. On account of their walls they are much more comfortable and convenient to occupy than the two preceding, as one can stand erect or move about in them with tolerable freedom. They are made of different sizes. Those used as field hospitals were quite large, accommodating from six to twenty patients, according to circumstances. It was a common occurrence to see two or more of these joined, being connected by ripping the central seam in the two ends that c
John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life, V. Life in log huts. (search)
rties, only slightly A wood-tick. exaggerated. How was this washing done? Well, if the troops were camping near a brook, that simplified the matter somewhat; but even then the clothes must be boiled, and for this purpose there was but one resource--the mess kettles. There is a familiar anecdote related of Daniel Webster: that while he was Secretary of State, the French Minister at Washington asked him whether the United States would recognize the new government of France — I think Louis Napoleon's. Assuming a very solemn tone and posture, Webster replied: Why not? The United States has recognized the Bourbons, the French Republic, the Directory, the Council of Five Hundred, the First Consul, the Emperor, Louis XVIII., Charles X., Louis Philippe, the --Enough! Enough! cried the minister, fully satisfied with the extended array of precedents cited. So in regard to using our mess kettles to boil clothes in, it might be asked Why not? Were they not used to boil our meat and C
Lt.-Colonel Arthur J. Fremantle, Three Months in the Southern States, May, 1863. (search)
present he was too weak to do any good, and he was unable to give me any definite idea as to when he might be strong enough to attack Grant. I therefore made up my mind to be off in a day or two, unless something turned up, as I could not afford to wait for events, I have still so much to see. General Johnston is a very well-read man, and agreeable to converse with. He told me that he considered Marlborough a greater general than Wellington. All Americans have an intense admiration for Napoleon; they seldom scruple to express their regret that he was beaten at Waterloo. Remarking upon the extreme prevalence of military titles, General Johnston said, You must be astonished to find how fond all Americans are of titles, though they are republicans; and as they can't get any other sort, they all take military ones. Whilst seated round the camp fire in the evening, one of the officers remarked to me, I can assure you, colonel, that nine men out of ten in the South would sooner b
Lt.-Colonel Arthur J. Fremantle, Three Months in the Southern States, June, 1863. (search)
ere then commenced, and no less than 7,000 lbs. of powder are now made every day in the powder manufactory. The cost to the Government of making the powder is only four cents a pound. The saltpetre (nine-tenths of which runs the blockade from England) cost formerly seventy-five cents, but has latterly been more expensive. In the construction of the powder-mills, Colonel Rains told me he had been much indebted to a pamphlet by Major Bradley of Waltham Abbey. At the cannon foundry, one Napoleon 12-pounder is turned out every two days; but it is hoped very soon that one of these guns may be finished daily. The guns are made of a metal recently invented by the Austrians, and recommended to the Confederate Government by Mr. Mason. They are tested by a charge of ten pounds of powder, and by loading them to the muzzle with bolts. Two hundred excellent mechanics are exempted from the conscription, to be employed at the mills. The wonderful speed with which these works have been cons
Lt.-Colonel Arthur J. Fremantle, Three Months in the Southern States, July, 1863. (search)
days work. Whilst Lawley went to headquarters on business, I sat down and had a long talk with General Pendleton (the parson), chief of artillery. He told me the exact number of guns in action yesterday. He said that the universal opinion is in favor of the 12-pounder Napoleon guns as the best and simplest sort of ordnance for field purposes. The Napoleon 12-pounders are smooth-bore brass guns, with chambers, very light, and with long range. They were invented or recommended by Louis Napoleon years ago. A large number are being cast at Augusta and elsewhere. Nearly all the artillery with this army has either been captured from the enemy or cast from old 6-pounders taken at the early part of the war. At 10 A. M. Lawley returned from headquarters, bringing the news that the army is to commence moving in the direction of Virginia this evening. This step is imperative from want of ammunition. But it was hoped that the enemy might attack during the day, especially as this is
J. B. Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, chapter 3 (search)
tended with success. I felt convinced that Toombs would not be long chafing in the cabinet, but that he would seize the first opportunity to repair to the field. May 23 To-day the President took the cars for Pensacola, where it had been said everything was in readiness for an assault on Fort Pickens. Military men said it could be taken, and Toombs, I think, said it ought to be taken. It would cost, perhaps, a thousand lives; but is it not the business of war to consume human life? Napoleon counted men as so much powder to be consumed; and he consumed millions in his career of conquest. But still he conquered, which he could not have done without the consumption of life. And is it not better to consume life rapidly, and attain results quickly, than to await events, when all history shows that a protracted war, of immobile armies, always engulfs more men in the grave from camp fevers than usually fall in battle during the most active operations in the field? To-day I saw
J. B. Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, chapter 18 (search)
base; to attain which, he said he had instituted his magnificent strategic movements, resulting in an unmolested retreat from the Peninsula and flight to Washington, for the defense of his own capital. So the truth they crushed to earth on the Chickahominy has risen again, and the Yankees, like the Cretans, are to be known henceforth as a nation of liars. August 14 Lee has gone up the country to command in person. Now let Lincoln beware, for there is danger. A mighty army, such as Napoleon himself would have been proud to command, is approaching his capital. This is the triumph Lee has been providing for, while the nations of the earth are hesitating whether or not to recognize our independence. August 15 Moved my office to an upper story of the Bank of Virginia, where the army intelligence office is located — an office that keeps a list of the sick and wounded. August 16 We have intelligence from the West of a simultaneous advance of several of our columns. Thi
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