Your search returned 19,747 results in 3,112 document sections:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...
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 1: (search)
of laughter, and derisive cheers for the great rail-splitter Abraham! Companies were formed upon the spot from among the wealthiest of the youth, and thousands of dollars were spent on their organization, drill, and equipment; indeed, had President Davis so desired, he could have had two hundred thousand volunteers within a month, for any term of service. At the first whisper of war among these excited crowds, a hundred youths repaired to a lawyer's office, drew up a muster-roll, inscribr of them well educated, we had much quarrelling regarding uniform and general outfit. Some desired costly attire, and the most expensive rifles; but, upon consulting the State Executive upon the first point, we learned it was the desire of President Davis that all volunteers should be attired in grey flannels and light blue cotton pantaloons — such articles being inexpensive and more adapted for service. A note from the President to his old friend, our captain, concluded with these words: Th
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 2: (search)
ticles were chiefly (and perhaps solely) to be found North. We were rich in cotton, sugar, tobacco, rice, hemp, etc., but these were not commissary stores, or absolute necessaries, and as we did not produce any other, and were not in any sense a manufacturing people, we found the whole North ridiculing us and our preparations for conquering our independence. Indeed, their common taunt was, How can you live without us? Why, we will starve you into submission. At the outset, however, President Davis and his military advisers had foreseen, and provided for, many of our most needful supplies : with funds immediately furnished by private negotiation, they had bought up many millions of various rations in Northern markets, while merchants by the thousand quietly proceeded up the country and procured immense supplies of merchandise and wares, before the North had arrived at any distinct idea of our determination to be free, and of the certainty of warfare. The Israelites, as usual, far
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 6: (search)
ther, the effluvia from graves and unburied matter was unbearable, these relic-mongers might be seen, hovering over the fields like carrion crows, carrying off all kinds of trifles, including twenty-four pound shot and shell; any imaginable article, heavy or light, that could, with any show of reason, be called a relic. During the week, when the weather had cleared and the scorching July sun blazed again as of old, by common consent we all took to the woods, and encamped there. As for Jeff. Davis, it appears that when the rout of the enemy was complete, he had ridden without escort along the lines ; but his features and figure were so well known that he was quickly discovered, and loud yells of delight rang out from our whole army. Taking advantage of the fall of evening, he dropped in upon our officers, (many of whom were fellow-townsmen, or ex-members of the U. S. branches of Legislature,) to have a quiet chat. As I had never seen a live President, my curiosity was on the qui
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 13: (search)
unsuccessful, his patriotism and indignation electrified the whole private family where he boarded. Colonel Madison Warren, some poor relation of the English blacking-maker, had lived in some out-of-the-way swamp in the Carolinas; he came to Richmond to have a private talk with the President, to let him know what he thought about General McClellan and old Scott. Not getting an audience, he offered himself for the vacancy of quartermaster-general, and not being accepted, was sure that Jefferson Davis was a despot, and that the Southern Confederacy was fast going to the devil. Smith had a self-loading, self-priming field-piece, that would fire a hundred times a minute, and never miss. Each gun would only weigh twenty tons, and cost ten thousand dollars. He had asked a commission to make a thousand of them only, was willing to give Government the patent right gratis; and they would not listen to him! How could the South succeed when neglecting such men as Smith.? Jones was anoth
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 16: (search)
or make the slightest diversion in his favor; so that, finding the enemy closing in upon him rapidly, he withdrew from Springfield, and was obliged to cut his way through towards Boston Mountain, where McCulloch was reported to be. After hard fighting and infinite toil, this was successfully accomplished, and all were agreeably surprised to find General Van Dorn there — the newly-appointed general — in chief of the Trans-Mississippi Department. This appointment had been wisely made by President Davis, for there was evidently little unanimity of feeling existing among commanders, but less querulousness, perhaps, on the part of Price, than of many others. Old Stirling had begun the war without any means whatever, yet had captured ten thousand stand of arms, fifty cannon, hundreds of tents, together with many other things needful to an active army. No other generals in the department could show half as many proofs of their prowess, though all had done well. Our sufferings during
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 18: (search)
proved text-book, both North and South, and has proved of incalculable benefit to us; for when war commenced, it was our only resource for instruction, and is now in the hands of every one. It was compiled at the desire of, and approved by, President Davis, when Minister of War under President Pierce, being made up of adaptations from the French and English manuals. General Hardee was for a long time on the Southern coast, superintending fortifications, but was appointed to organize and comma South seceded; and although Lincoln's spies dogged his footsteps, he managed to escape, and by passing rapidly through the South-western Territories in disguise, arrived safely at Richmond, and was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the West. President Davis, in answer to those who said Johnston was too slow, remarked: If he is not a general, there is not one among us! Such praise, from such a man, speaks volumes for Johnston's true merit. He was of Scotch descent, and very much beloved in mil
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 23: (search)
councillors bore him, mistakes and bickerings of his Cabinet vex him; State, political, social, or religious deputations pester him with demands, petitions, and a thousand other daily annoyances; yet the poor, pale, hard-working President bore it all with philosophic equanimity. Putting on his blue flannel overcoat, he would mount his chestnut mare, smoke a cigar, and take a quiet ride, unattended, through the streets in the afternoon, as calmly and unostentatiously as if he were merely Mr J. Davis, proprietor of a two-hundred-acre farm, with a round dozen of bouncing babies. Heigho! who would envy the poor President? If a negro were worked a twentieth as much, his master would be imprisoned or fined for inhuman treatment! After delivering my prisoners at Libby's Tobacco Warehouse — the chief of many such establishments in the city-I endeavored to obtain accommodation at the Spottswood and other hotels, but found it an impossibility, every house being crowded to excess. I mu
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 25: (search)
s in a new light, and aroused serious apprehensions, not only for the safety of his little command, but for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the city of Baltimore, and even the Capital. Later in the day the reports of the rioting in Baltimore and of the rout of the entire force of Banks, by the quick march and overwhelming numbers of Jackson, intensified the excitement. The secessionist sympathizers, too greatly elated to conceal their joy, openly expressed their belief that the host of Jeff. Davis will overrun Maryland and the District within twenty-four hours. One truth about the war told by a Yankee. Wilson, says a Northern journal, one of the Senators from Massachusetts in the Yankee Congress, confessed or charged the other day, in a speech from his desk, that there was an organized system of lying practised in the management of the war. This is probably the first truth that Wilson himself has ever told about the war. It is notorious that old Scott justifies lying as
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 26: (search)
whereabouts. The heavens were surcharged with clouds, rain-drops fell thickly, and from the unusual silence of pickets to the front, I supposed the action had been postponed. I saw Longstreet and others were mortified at Huger's slowness; President Davis, and members of his Cabinet, seemed perplexed, and rode from point to point, anxiously expecting to hear Huger's guns open; but when, near noon, it was ascertained he was not yet in position, Longstreet determined to open the action and figh camps, gazing at the destruction on every side, I met Franks, one of Longstreet's aids, looking as blue as indigo. What's the matter, Franks? Not satisfied with the day's work? I inquired. Satisfied, be hanged! he replied. I saw old Jeff, (Davis,) Mallory, Longstreet, Whiting, and all of them, a little while ago, looking as mad as thunder. Just to think that Huger's slowness has spoiled every thing! There he has been on our right all day and hasn't fired a shot, although he had positiv
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 28: (search)
ore energetic and watchful since the time of Calhoun than before, and it is mainly owing to President Davis that our country has risen at all. Since his debut in public life, Jeff has applied himself threw every conceivable obstacle in his way to prevent him from superseding them. When Jefferson Davis undertook the office of Secretary of War under Pierce, he was in a position for which he waot duly chronicled and remembered, so that when hostilities did eventually break out between us, Davis had but little difficulty in making judicious selections from whatever talent patriotically joint be far from understanding the aspirations and particular qualifications of each: in fact, President Davis was the first to exclaim, from his thorough knowledge of the man, McClellan is the best offt they will not keep him long a remark which seemed prophetic. Nor can we forget the part which Davis and his friends instigated Floyd, Cobb, and others to play when Cabinet Ministers to Buchanan —
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...