America (Vol. 1-6) - Complete Edition

II.

THE GREAT THEATRE OF THE CIVIL WAR.

On to Richmond—Horace Greeley's Editorial Standard—The Conflict's Ebb and Flow—The Two Battles of Bull Run—Arlington—Manassas—McDowell against Beauregard—Lee and Jackson against Pope—Antietam—The Emancipation Proclamation—Fredericksburg—Burnside against Lee—Chancellorsville—Lee and Jackson against Hooker—Death of Stonewall Jackson—Guinney Station—The Wilderness—Mine Run—Grant's Southern March—Battles of the Wilderness—Spottsylvania—Hanover Court-House—Ashland—Richmond—The Capitol—Washington's Statues—Stonewall Jackson's Statue—Confederate White House—General Lee's House—The First House—St. John's Church—Patrick Henry—Libby Hill and Prison—Belle Isle—Rocketts—Hollywood Cemetery—Noted Graves—McClellan's Siege of Richmond—Drewry's Bluff—Chickahominy Swamps—Fair Oaks—Seven Days' Battles—Gaines' Mill—Cold Harbor—Malvern Hill—Harrison's Landing—Grant's Siege of Richmond—Second Battle of Cold Harbor—Bermuda Hundred—Petersburg—Capture of Richmond—Kilpatrick's Raid—Piedmont—Charlottesville—University of Virginia—Monticello—Thomas Jefferson—Shenandoah Valley—Cross Keys—Jackson's Exploits—Cedar Mountain—General Sheridan—Cedar Creek—Sheridan against Early—Luray Cavern—Battlefield of Gettysburg—Lee Marches into Pennsylvania—Hooker Resigns—Meade against Lee—Gettysburg Topography—Seminary Ridge—Cemetery Ridge—The Round Tops—Confederate Advance to Carlisle and the Susquehanna—Three Days' Battle—Reynolds Killed—The Round Tops Attacked—General Sickles Wounded in Peach Orchard—Ewell Repulsed at Cemetery—Pickett's Charge and Repulse—Cushing and Armistead Killed—High-Water Mark Monument—Lee Retreats—Gettysburg Monuments—Jenny Wade—National Cemetery—Lincoln's Immortal Dedication—Valley of Death—Massachusetts Color-Bearer—The Reunited Union.

ON TO RICHMOND.

Thus trumpeted William Cullen Bryant in "Our Country's Call," while the most powerful American editor of the time of the Civil War, Horace Greeley, raised his standard at the head of the New York Tribune's editorial page early in 1861 with the words "On to Richmond." The region between Washington and Richmond, and much of the adjacent country stretching southward beyond James River and northward into Pennsylvania, will always be historic because of the momentous movements, sanguinary conflicts and wonderful strategy of the great American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. We have described the environment of Chesapeake Bay, and now proceed to a consideration of this noted region west of the bay, where the tide of battle repeatedly ebbed and flowed. The first northern invasion of the Virginia Peninsula and the abortive siege of Richmond in the summer of 1862 were followed by McClellan's retreat, Pope's defeat and the southern invasion of Maryland, which was checked at Antietam in the autumn. The northern attacks at Fredericksburg in December and at Chancellorsville in the spring of 1863 were followed by the invasion of Pennsylvania, checked at Gettysburg, the "high-water mark" of the rebellion; and Grant's march down through "the Wilderness" in 1864, followed by his gradual advances south of the James, forced the evacuation of Richmond, and Lee's final surrender at Appomattox in 1865.

THE TWO BATTLES OF BULL RUN.

The main route from Washington to the South crossed the Potomac, then as now, by the "Long Bridge," passing in full view of the yellow Arlington House, fronted by its columned porch. This historic building was the home of General Robert E. Lee in his early life, the chief Confederate Commander during the Civil War. The estate is now a vast cemetery, and upon it and all about to the westward are the remains of the forts and earthworks erected for the defence of Washington. After the war began, in April, 1861, the Northern troops were gradually assembled in and around Washington; but there came an imperative demand from the country that they should go forth and give the Confederates battle and capture Richmond before their Congress could meet, the opening of the session being fixed for July 20th. The Southern armies were entrenched at Manassas Junction, west of Washington, and at Winchester to the northwest, and they were making forays almost in sight of Washington. General McDowell, with nearly forty thousand men, marched out of the Washington fortifications on July 17th to attack General Beauregard at Manassas. The Confederates brought their Winchester army hastily down, and took position along the banks of Bull Run, a tributary of the Occoquan, their lines stretching for about eight miles. McDowell attacked on the morning of the 21st, each side having about twenty-eight thousand available men. The conflict lasted with varying success most of the day, McDowell being finally beaten and retreating to Washington.

Thirteen months later, after McClellan's retreat from Richmond, was fought in almost the same place, on August 29 and 30, 1862, the second battle of Bull Run. General Pope had a considerable force in Northern Virginia, and when McClellan, whom Pope superseded, retreated from before Richmond, and started on his return from James River, Lee moved nearly his whole army up from Richmond, hoping to fall upon Pope before McClellan could join him. On August 22d the opposing forces confronted each other along the Rappahannock, when General Stuart, with the Confederate cavalry, made a raid around Pope's lines to the rear, reaching that general's headquarters and capturing his personal baggage, in which was his despatch book describing the position of the whole Northern army. This gave Lee such valuable information that on the 25th he sent Stonewall Jackson with thirty thousand men, who, by a forced march, went around the western side of the Bull Run Mountains, came east again by the Thoroughfare Gap, and on the night of the 27th was in Pope's rear, and had cut his railroad connections and captured his supplies at Manassas. Pope, discovering the flanking movement, began falling back towards Manassas, and Jackson then withdrew towards the Gap, waiting for Lee to come up. There were various strategic movements afterwards, with fighting on the 29th; and on the 30th the Confederate wings had enclosed as in a vise Pope's forces to the west of Bull Run, when, after some terrific combats, Pope retreated across Bull Run towards Washington. Pope had about thirty-five thousand men and Lee forty-six thousand engaged in this battle. During the night of September 2d Jackson made a reconnoissance towards Washington, in which the Union Generals Stevens and Kearney were killed at Chantilly, and the authorities became so apprehensive of an attack upon the Capital that they ordered the whole army to fall back behind the Washington defenses. Pope was then relieved, at his own request, and the command restored to McClellan. The Confederates marched northward across the Potomac and McClellan followed, ending with the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, later in September, when Lee retreated and recrossed the Potomac into Virginia on the 18th. The significant result of this conflict and withdrawal was the issue of the famous Emancipation Proclamation. President Lincoln had made a vow that if Lee was driven back from Maryland he would issue a proclamation abolishing slavery, which was done September 22, 1862.

FREDERICKSBURG AND THE WILDERNESS.

The route from Washington to Richmond skirts the Potomac for a long distance south of Alexandria, winding among hills and forests, crossing various broad creeks and bayous, among them the Occoquan, the outlet of Bull Run, and then diverges towards the Rappahannock. This is more historic ground, for the terrible battle of Fredericksburg was fought here in December, 1862, and the battle of Chancellorsville, to the westward, in May, 1863, where Stonewall Jackson lost his life. The "Wilderness" is to the southward of the Rappahannock, occupying about two hundred square miles, a plateau sloping to cultivated lowlands on every side. The original forests were long ago cut off, and a dense growth of scrub timber and brambles covered nearly the whole surface, with an occasional patch of woodland or a clearing. After the battle of Antietam the anxiety for another forward movement to Richmond led the Administration to remove McClellan, and then General Burnside took command. His troops crossed the Rappahannock in December to attack General Lee's Confederate position on the Heights of Marye, where they were strongly entrenched; but the attack failed, the shattered army after great carnage withdrawing to the north bank of the river, and it lay there for months in winter quarters. Burnside was superseded by General Hooker, and in May, 1863, the Northern army again crossed the Rappahannock at several fords above Fredericksburg and started for Richmond. Lee quickly marched westward from Fredericksburg, and Lee and Hooker faced each other at Chancellorsville. Then came another of Stonewall Jackson's brilliant flank movements. Chancellorsville is on the eastern border of the Wilderness, and Jackson, making a long detour to the south and west through that desolate region, got around and behind Hooker's right flank, surprised him, and sent General Howard's entire corps in panic down upon the rest of the Union forces,...