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Cu. XI.J.

SHIELDS'S SUCCESS OVER JACKSON.

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This victory was highly commended by the authorities as "auspicious and decisive," and it served to elevate the spirits of the people in view of the campaign now just being entered upon. Gen. Shields's force was between 7,000 and 8,000; his loss was 103 killed, 440 wounded, twenty-four missing. The

treville, leaving Ashby's cavalry, who were on the lookout, to suppose that Winchester was being evacuated. On the 22d of March, a skirmish took place near Winchester, during which Shields was badly wounded in the left arm. During the night, a strong force was placed in advance, on the Strasburg road, in a masked, admirably protected rebels numbered about 10,000; their position, near Kernstown. The next loss in killed and wounded was over day, Jackson's troops made an attack 1,000. upon our men, endeavoring to turn Shields's left flank; but they were repulsed after a severe struggle. An attack was then made on our right, with desperate energy and determination; it was, however, met with equal spirit and bravery; Tyler's brigade dashed forward to carry the enemy's batteries, and hurl his left flank back upon the centre. Jackson, with his supposed invincible stone-wall brigade and the accompanying brigades, were compelled to fall back upon their reserve. They made an attempt to retrieve the fortune of the day; but were not able to stand the fire of our men. They speedily fled in disorder, leaving Shields in possession of the field, the killed and wounded, 300 prisoners, two guns, four caisons, and 1,000 stand of small arms.

enemy

In carrying forward the plan of the campaign indicated on p. 129, troops were embarked, during the latter part of March, from Alexandria for Fortress Monroe. The transports supplied were found to be insufficient, and 1862. there was much delay in getting the troops to their destination. Heint zelman's corps led the way, and landed on the Peninsula, March 23d. Other detachments followed, as rapidly as means of transportation allowed. Gen. McClellan, expecting to have the sup port of the four army corps, directed that the first corps (McDowell's), be embarked last, intending to use it in mass on either bank of the York River, according as seemed best. He left Washington, April 1st, and arrived at Fortress Monroe the next day. Blenker's division of 10,000 men had been withdrawn, despite his protest, March 31st, to reinforce Fremont;* at the same time, McClellan was allowed to detain him a while at Strasburg, until Jackson was disposed of. As an offset

Too fatigued to pursue the that night, Shields prepared for the next day's work, whether a renewal of the fight with Jackson reinforced, or a driving him into flight. On the 24th of March, the rebels retreated, and during the following week, were pursued to Woodstock, and thence to Edenburg, about twenty miles beyond Strasburg. Skirmishing was kept up by Ashby's cavalry, which protected Jackson's retreat. not explained. The reader must judge for himself.

VOL. IV.-18.

* Under date, March 31st, the president wrote to

McClellan, "I felt constrained to order Blenker's divi

sion to Fremont;" and some days later, April 9th, he

wrote, "you know the pressure under which I withdrew

Blenker's division." What the constraint or pressure was, in how far it was political, personal, or otherwise, is

It was at this point, while thus en

to this, some 10,000 men, under Wool at Fortress Monroe, were placed at Mc-gaged, McClellan received an order, Clellan's disposal, at first; but on April dated April 4th, from the president, de3d, he was forbidden to use them with taching McDowell's corps from his out Wool's sanction. "This order," command. Although done under the McClellan remarks, in his report, "left impression that it was essential to the me without any base of operations under safety of Washington against rebel asmy control, and to this day I am ignor- saults, it proved a severe disappointant of the causes which led to it." ment to McClellan; it rendered him powerless, as he says, to turn Yorktown by West Point, and left him no choice but to attack the place directly in front with such force as he had under his command.* In his report, McClellan affirms positively that Mr. Lincoln, when withdrawing Blenker's division, had assured him that no other interference of any kind would be made with the proposed operations on the Peninsula; and he goes on to say that he was shocked at this order, that it marred all his expectations, that, in short, "it was a fatal error." Careful reconnaissances were made for several days, and developed the serious difficul ties in the way of our advance, as it had to be forced through dense forests, deep swamps, flooded roads, and the like. On examination by McClellan himself, it was concluded not to risk an immediate assault upon the extensive fortifications which protected so fully Yorktown and Gloucester. From the first arrival of our troops before Yorktown, there was

Very little information was obtained at Fortress Monroe as to the position of affairs on the Peninsula, and the topography of the region had to be learned by experience, rather than by previous surveys or maps. The navy also, it was found, was too busy in looking after the Merrimac and rebel gunboats, to be able to give any of that support on which McClellan had counted, in operating against Yorktown and Gloucester. His plan was, as he says, by rapid movements to drive before him or capture the enemy on the Peninsula, open the James River, and press on to Richmond, before the rebels should be materially reinforced from other quarters. But McClellan's plans were not carried out as he intend ed, because, as he asserts, the means necessary were taken away from him. The army was put in immediate movement against the enemy's works, at various points between Fortress Monroe and Yorktown. Heavy rains had made the roads bad, and although the rebels abandoned some points, yet, when Gen. Keyes reached Lee's Mills, he found the post too strong to be car ried, as he had been directed, by assault. Heintzelman arrived in front of Yorktown on the afternoon of April 5th; both columns having been exposed to a warm artillery fire during the advance.

* There is a curious question as to a matter of fact, which one would suppose not difficult to settle. It is

instructive as well as curious, and may give the reader an idea how hard it is to attain positive accuracy where of war said that McClellan, according to his own renumbers are concerned. The president and secretary turns had, April 7th, 108,000 men for the peninsular campaign. McClellan declared that at that date, 85,000 was the extent of his force all counted. Rather a large difference that of 23,000!

CH. XI.]

SIEGE OF YORKTOWN.

more or less skirmishing of the sharpshooters with the enemy in their entrenchments in front of the Union line. Heavy rain storms, unusual for the season, aggravated the ordinary difficulties of a campaign in a strange region; and the ground, imperfectly drained, would have rendered an advance entirely impracticable, had not some Maine and Michigan regiments constructed, with great toil, a series of corduroy roads, over which the artillery could be transported.

The rebel General Magruder had some 10,000 men at Yorktown, and could be reinforced at any time directly from Richmond, and was reinforced largely so soon as our army appeared. It was, therefore, prudent, if not necessary, on McClellan's part, to take the course which he did; although there were many who held, that a bold dash at the outset would have given him possession of Yorktown.

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you that I have never written you, or spoken to you, in greater kindness of feeling than now, nor with a fuller pur pose to sustain you, so far as in my most anxious judgment I consistently can. But you must act.”*

Siege operations were pushed for ward vigorously and as rapidly as pos sible; batteries were erected to silence the enemy's guns, and drive them from the works at Wynn's and Lee's Mills; and active reconnaissances were kept up continually in every direction. On the 16th of April, Gen. W. F. Smith, with a brigade of Vermont troops, advanced to a point, thought to be the weakest of that part of the enemy's lines, about a mile above Lee's Mills, where there was a dam covered by a battery. The rebel fort was silenced in about two hours; and an attempt was made to carry the entrenchments; but without success. On the 18th of April, a por tion of McDowell's corps, under Gen. Augur, made an advance upon Fredericksburg, and drove the 1962. enemy, some 3,000 in number, a running fight being kept up at the same time. The rebels burned two bridges and a number of vessels on the Rappahannock; and the authorities formally surrendered the town. The same day an advance was accomplished by some of Banks's force, who took possession of New Market, near Manassas.

The impatience of the public, demanding greater activity and speedy results, was shown in various ways. The president was deeply affected by it, and under date of April 9th, closed an urgent letter to McClellan 1862. as follows:-" I suppose the whole force which has gone forward to you is with you by this time, and if so, I think it is the precise time for you to strike a blow. . . . . Let me tell you that it is indispensable to you that you strike a blow. I am powerless to help this. . . . . . The country will not fail to note-is noting now-that the pre-would not deem an attack at all safe, at that time. sent hesitation to move upon an en- He also says, "still less could I forego the conclusions trenched position is but the story of of my most instructed judgment for the mere sake of Manassas repeated. I beg to assure

* McClellan, in his report, is confident that the president, if he knew the actual position of affairs,

avoiding the personal consequences intimated in the

president's dispatch.”

The steady progress of the siege needless. The advantage was on the works, under the superintendence of enemy's side, they having stopped our Gen. Fitz John Porter, and the certainty progress a whole month, and having that within a few days the assault had the opportunity, meanwhile, of would be made with success, led the strengthening their position in and rebels to the conclusion that Yorktown about Richmond. must be evacuated. With their usual Thus far, certainly, the president's skill in concealing their designs, keep- earnest and peremptory injunction to ing up a vigorous and noisy fire, during McClellan, "you must act," had not the early days of May, they made their resulted in the successes which the preparations, and on the 3d and 4th of public voice called for, and which the the month abandoned all their works. government was exceedingly desirous The next day McClellan purposed to to attain, at the earliest possible moassault Yorktown, which now became ment.

CHAPTER XII.

1862.

ISLAND NO. 10: SHILOH, OR PITTSBURG LANDING: CONGRESS IN SESSION.

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Rebel fortifications on the Mississippi - Importance of the river - Island No. 10-Strongly fortified Gen Pope at New Madrid - Works there - Occupies Mount Pleasant Attack on New Madrid - Rebels retreat-Commodore Foote and his flotilla - Begins bombardment of Island No. 10-Pope's plans and operations-Canal made for crossing peninsula — Very toilsome work — Gunboat Carondelet runs the enemy's batteries - Bombardment continued Pope's troops cross the Mississippi - Rebels give up in despairSurrender - Chagrin of rebel authorities — Vast amount of supplies, etc., taken — Foote and Island No. 10 Advance of Grant's army in Tennessee -Beauregard at Corinth, Mississippi — The two armies — Confederate line of defence — Grant's army at Pittsburg Landing — Beauregard and Johnston determine to attack him before Buell arrives - Battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing - First day's fight - Union army nearly ruined -Buell arrives at night-The next day the rebels beaten and driven back to Corinth Hugeness of the conflict and terrible slaughter — Thanks to the army - Halleck assumes command — His plans-Congress in session Tone and spirit of the majority-Slavery abolished in District of Columbia - The bill and message of the president - Slavery abolished in the territories of the United States — Mr. Lincoln's views as to compensated emancipation - President authorized to take possession of roads, etc., in certain cases-Great financial measure - Legal tender question - Issue of treasury notes - Confederate Congress at Richmond -Its proceedings, views of its members, etc.

As has been already pointed out, the confederate leaders clearly perceived the importance of the Mississippi to their plans, and, as rapidly as possible, they had carefully and skilfully fortified all the principal strategic points

| from the Ohio to the Gulf, a distance of nearly 1,000 miles. Beginning with Columbus in Kentucky, at Island No. 10, dividing the stream at the northern border of Tennessee, at Memphis and its vicinity, at Vicksburg and

CH. XII.]

POPE OCCUPIES NEW MADRID.

141

elsewhere, to New Orleans, above and water it is twenty-seven. On the Tenbelow that city, the rebels had been at nessee shore was a great swamp, cut. work, excavating the hill-sides for batting off communication with the interior, teries, throwing up trenches, mounting so that the garrison at the island had cannon on the heights, preparing mines on the banks and torpedoes for the channel; and using every possible means to obstruct the advance of our armies. It was, therefore, a matter of necessity on our part to open the Mississippi, as well for the commercial interests of the great West, as to cripple most effectually the purposes of the leaders in rebellion.

1862.

to depend mainly, if not wholly, for its supplies, reinforcements, and way of escape, if necessary, upon the river. All help from the Missouri shore was cut off by our troops, under Pope, hav. ing occupied and secured it.

Pope began his march, Feb. 22d, from Commerce above Cairo, on the west bank of the Mississippi, and after The energy and activity of our mili- a slow and painful advance, owing to tary and naval forces under Buell, the deep mud and sloughs, arrived at Grant, Foote, etc., had driven the New Madrid on the 3d of March. He rebels to abandon not only Nashville found the place occupied by regiments and Bowling Green, but also Columbus, of infantry and several companies of "the northern key to the Mississippi artillery. The fortifications consisted delta," as it was called. Still, of earthworks mounting over twenty our success, great as it had been, guns, with lines of entrenchments. was only a step in the onward progress Six gun boats, carrying from four to down the Mississippi. Island No. 10 eight heavy guns each, were anchored was the next formidable obstacle in the along the shore between the upper and way of further advance; and the rebels lower redoubts. As the country was were determined to make here a bold level for miles around, and the river so stand. This Island No. 10, about forty high that the guns of the boats looked miles below Cairo, is situated at the directly over the banks, Pope found the bottom of a great bend of the Missis- approaches to the town commanded for sippi, where the stream, in a sharp some seven miles by direct and cross curve, sweeps around a tongue of land fire from at least sixty guns of heavy projecting from the Missouri shore, and, calibre. pursuing thence a north-westerly course Point Pleasant, twelve miles below, to New Madrid, on the western bank, was first occupied by direction of Pope, descends past a similar narrow promon- so as to blockade the river from below. tory of Tennessee soil, on its great This was accomplished by Col. Plumsoutherly track. The distance across mer, despite the cannonading of the the upper end of the first promontory, enemy's gun boats. The rebels made four miles above the island, to New great efforts to strengthen New Madrid, Madrid is six miles, and by the river is in order to hold Island No. 10; but so fifteen. The passage across the second soon as Pope got his heavy siege guns, promontory is five miles, while by (March 12th), they were placed in posi

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