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John Esten Cooke, Wearing of the Gray: Being Personal Portraits, Scenes, and Adventures of War., From the Rapidan to Frying-Pan in October, 1863. (search)
eetwood Hill-pressed them back to the Rappahannock, which they hastened to cross. General Meade has thus retreated from Culpeper, but it was the cleanest retreat on record, as far as the present writer's observation extended. He imitated it in December at Mine Run. General Lee had meanwhile advanced with his infantry toward Warrenton Springs, still aiming to cut General Meade off from Manassas. On the next day commenced the trial of skill between the two commanders. General Meade's cavalut it. General Meade was behind Bull Run fortifying. Thus terminated General Lee's vigorous attempt to bring on a pitched battle with Meade. That was his design, as it was General Meade's design in coming over to Mine Run in the succeeding December. Both schemes failed. From the high ground beyond Bristoe, Lee, surrounded by his generals, reconnoitered the retiring rear-guard of the enemy, and issued his orders for the army to retrace its steps to the Rappahannock. The cavalry had not,
John Esten Cooke, Wearing of the Gray: Being Personal Portraits, Scenes, and Adventures of War., How I was arrested (search)
did Delphic oracle make a more truthful or a falser announcement. It was the Warrenton turnpike which I desired to reach by flanking Centreville, and cutting off the angle-and lo! with a cheerful heart, I was journeying, as will be seen, toward other regions! The vehicle proceeded on its way without further pause, merrily gliding along the forest road between dusky pine thickets, the heart of the wandering soldier inspired by the vision of an early supper. The evening was mild for December--the heavens studded with stars. Now that I had found the road, and would soon arrive, the landscape became picturesque and attractive. Lonely cavalrymen appeared and disappeared; scrutinizing eyes reconnoitred the suspicious vehicle as it passed; noises of stamping horses were heard in the depths of the thicket. But accustomed to these sights and sounds, the adventurous traveller in search of lodging and supper did not disquiet himself. Mile after mile was thus traversed. Still
John Esten Cooke, Wearing of the Gray: Being Personal Portraits, Scenes, and Adventures of War., My friend Lieutenant Bumpo. (search)
d hunger and weariness. The days hurried on, and Port Republic was fought. Private Bumpo continued to carry his musket about. He had now seen a good deal of Virginia-knew the Valley by heart — was acquainted with the very trees and wayside stones upon the highways. Riding with me since, he has recalled many tender memories of these objects. Under that tree there, he lay down to rest in the shade on a hot July day. On that stone he sat, overcome with weariness, one afternoon of snowy December. There's the road we fell back on! Yonder is the hollow where we advanced! Consequent conclusion on the part of Private Bumpo that he has graduated in the geography of that portion of his native State. The lowland invited him to visit its sandy roads, after Cross Keys. The stones of the Valley were exchanged for the swampy soil of the Chickahominy. On the morning of the battle of Cold Harbour, I saw a brigade in the pine woods as I passed, and inquiring what one it was, found it
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), The Exchange of prisoners. (search)
rebels any of their able-bodied soldiers in exchange. By sending the sick and wounded forward, however, some twelve thousand of our suffering soldiers were relieved, being upwards of eight thousand more than we gave the rebels. In August last, Mr. Ould, finding negotiations were broken off, and that no exchanges were made, wrote to General Hitchcock, the Commissioner, at Washington, that the rebels were ready to exchange, man for man, all the prisoners held by them, as I had proposed in December. Under the instructions by the lieutenant general I wrote to Mr. Ould, a letter, which has been published, saying: Do you mean to give up all your action, and revoke all your laws about black men employed as soldiers These questions were therein argued justly, as I think, not diplomatically, but obtrusively and demonstratively, not for the purpose of furthering exchange of prisoners, but for the purpose of preventing and stopping the exchange, and furnishing a ground on which we could fai
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), The First great crime of the War. (search)
is point as a base, to advance upon Richmond. But this involved a delay until spring, and as soon as it became generally known that there was to be this delay, as its cause was not known, the most strenuous efforts were made by Congress and the press to find out what was contemplated. Generals commanding divisions who were known to be in General McClellan's confidence, were examined by Congressional committees for the sole purpose of finding out what he intended to do. On one occasion, in December, I think, I was examined before the Committee on the Conduct of the War. I was asked whether I knew General McClellan's plans, and I answered in the affirmative. I was then asked to divulge them, and replied that I would prefer to wait until I could confer with him, he being then dangerously ill, and that my information was confidential. The committee then lost all interest in me, and the remainder of the time was taken up by Hon. Andrew Johnson, then a member of the committee, who demon
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), Vicksburg during the siege. (search)
Vicksburg during the siege. Edward S. Gregory. On January 24th, 1862, a fleet bearing the united forces of Generals Grant and Sherman, of, the river, and descending the Mississippi from Memphis, appeared before the terraced city of the hills --the name given Vicksburg, according to local tradition, by Daniel Webster. The disastrous experiment made in the previous December by General Sherman--of approaching the town on the Yazoo line — was not repeated. The troops were disembarked on the west bank of the river, and began to dig a canal across the isthmus which the great bend of the river opposite Vicksburg makes; the original idea of which scheme of isolation had occurred to General Williams the year before. Demonstrations in other directions were not neglected, meanwhile. Nine gunboats, carrying 4,000 men, in March made a move down the Tallahatchie, but were repulsed by General Loring at Fort Pemberton. General Pemberton, in command of the Department of Mississippi, was indu
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), The First attack on Fort Fisher (search)
d, fifty-five wounded, and three hundred made prisoners. The failure to capture Fort Fisher produced keen disappointment, and Admiral Porter's misleading report caused widespread indignation. Experts say, in the light of facts revealed, that the army officers acted wisely in not attacking. It seems to me that the chief cause of our failure may be found in the lack of co-operation with the land forces at the beginning. During the delay caused by the first day's waiting for the fleet at the rendezvous, and the succeeding gale, the Confederates were apprised of the expedition, and took sufficient measures to meet and frustrate it. Wilmington was denuded of troops, and the army was waiting for the fleet off Fort Fisher on the middle of December. At that time the garrison of the fort consisted of only six hundred and sixty-seven men. When Weitzel stood before it on Christmas day, it was nine hundred strong, and at least seven thousand men were within forty-eight hours march of it.
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), On the field of Fredericksburg. (search)
r, lying stark and dead up on Marye's Hill, or at its base. A brave lieutenant lay on the plank road, just where the brigade crossed for the purpose of forming for the charge. A sharpshooter of the enemy had made that spot his last bed. It was December, and cold. There was no camp-fire, and there was neither blanket nor overcoat. They had been stored in a warehouse preparatory to moving out to the attack. But no one mentioned the cold; it was not noticed. Steadily the wounded were carried mbre uncertainty of fate enveloped the morrow. One was saved from the peril of the charge, but he found himself again on Marye's Hill, near the enemy, face to face with the dead, sharing their couch, almost in their embrace, in the mist and the December night. Why not accept them as bed-fellows? The bullet that laid low this one, if it had started diverging by ever so small an angle, would have found the heart's blood of that other who gazed upon him. It was chance or Providence, which to-mor
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), Recollections of Grant. (search)
Columbia, Charleston, and elsewhere, will not be related here. In September, 1864, the Libby prisoners, seven hundred in number, and all officers, were transferred from Charleston to a camp in the woods, on the Congaree river, near Columbia, South Carolina. There seemed but one outlook ahead for us, and that was a lingering death, unless hastened by some attempt to escape. I had got away twice, for a few days at a time, but was recaptured, and my position made even worse than before. In December, Sherman had made that brilliant march to the sea, and in February was engaged in that still more arduous campaign through the Carolinas to Richmond. I learned that his army was approaching Columbia, and for the third time attempted to get away. I escaped the guards, and, aided by an old slave, secreted myself in Columbia, and witnessed the evacuation by the rebels, and the grand entry of Sherman's army. Sherman, with his characteristic kindness, sought out myself and others who had been
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), Life in Pennsylvania. (search)
have done then, injure the cause for which we fought the battle. The request that I furnish this history to the weekly times comes opportunely, for the appeal just made through the press by a distinguished foreigner for all the information that will develop the causes of the failure of that campaign, has provoked anew its partisan and desultory discussion, and renders a plain and logical recital of the facts both timely and important. After the defeat of Burnside at Fredericksburg, in December, it was believed that active operations were over for the winter, and I was sent with two divisions of my corps to the eastern shore of Virginia, where I could find food for my men during the winter, and send supplies to the Army of Northern Virginia. I spent several months in this department, keeping the enemy close within his fortifications, and foraging with little trouble and great success. On May 1st, I received orders to report to General Lee at Fredericksburg. General Hooker had b
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