The National tribune. [volume], August 30, 1888, Image 1

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"TO CARE FOR HIM WHO HAS BORNE THE BATTLE, AND FOR HIS WIDOW AND ORPHANS."
ESTABLISHED 1S77 N1W SERIES.
WASHINGTON, D. 0., THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1888.
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THE
liosfc
rmy.
ih . .
Scoute aai HgMwg Aureatures of
Two Boys
in
M3B80ITSI ASTD ARKANSAS
iHT 3SW, '62.
A. Neutrality that was Like trie
Handle of a Jug.
02,5' fOU THE "WAR.
ST ZMMCAS W. E3IOX,
AbOmt of MTIe Boy Tiwveters." "Tfce Tombr
Kfanrofe, "The VoyceoftbeVirfcn,M "Fulton
MNi Steam Nvitkn," "DWte Battle Shiee
Vaterioo," "Marao Pete foe Boys and Girl:,"
coramraa tax. aul xxbbse kbstes.)
Chapter L
EAjarr Aan jack outbreak: of tks
irjutttTmrn to joflist.
(g ETS go Md enlist !
" Perhaps they won't
. take us,M was the re
ply.
""Wall, there's noth
ing like trying," re
sponded the first
speaker. "Nothing
ventured, nothing
"Thsfs so," said the
other. "Ana if we
cant go for soldiers,
perhaps they'll find us
I useful about the camp
i for some thing else."
This conversation
took place between
!two boys of Dubuque,
I Iowa, one pleasant
morning early in the year 186L They were
Jade Witeoo mad Harry Fulton, neither of
whom hod yet seen his 16th birthday. They
were the sons of industrious and respectable
parents, whose houses stood not far apart
en one of the humbler streets of that ambi
tions city ; they had knows each other for 10
yeats or wore, had gone to school together,
played together, and at the time of which?
we jo writing they were working side by
side in the auae shop.
The war lor the destruction of the Union
en the one hand aad its preservation on the
ether had ast began. The election of
Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency had
aiarsMd the 5ou tbern States, who regarded
It as a menace to their beloved system of
aero" slavery. In consequence of his elec
tion the Southern leaders endeavored to
withdraw their States from the Union, and
one after aeother had passed ordinances
af Secession. South Carolina was the first
to secede, her action being taken on the
90th of December, fire weeks after the Presi
dential election. Ten other States followed
her example and united with South Carolina
in Aarming the Confederate States of North
America, choosing Jefferson Davis as their
test President. Then followed the demand
for the surrender of the forts and other
property of the United States in the region
In rebellion. PSmi Sumter was taken after a
Moodtem ftaht, in which the Urst gun was
teed by the South; other States seceded, and
then came the uprising of the North in de
fease of the Union.
Am if by the wand of a magician the whole
North was transformed into a vast military
oamp, where only a few days before nothing
was to he seen aare the arm and arms of
peace and industry. Becruillng offices were
opened in every city and almost in every
village. Squads were formed into companies,
sompaniee into regiments and regiments into
brigades with a celerity that betokened ill
for the cause of Secession. The Korth had
been taunted oyer and over again that it was
more intent upon money-making than any
thing else, and nothing could provoke it into
aught. It hud been patient and long-sufier-tug,
hut the point of exasperation had been
foachei, and the men of the Northern States
were now about to show of what staff they
wore made.
The President issued a call for 75,000 men
to serve for three mouths, and Hit call was
responded to with alacrity. And it was in
me recruiting that iermed a part of this re
sponse that our story opens.
Jack and Harry went to the recruiting
affioe, which was on one of the principal
atveets of Dubuque and easy to find. Over
the doorway an immense flag the flag of the
Natfen was waving in tbe morning breeze,
sad in front of the door was an excited group
of men disenssiug the prospects for tbe future,
aad particularly the chances of war.
" It'll he over in a mouth," said one, aud
wefi all be back here at home before our
Mdistment time's up,"
"Yes; the South 11 he cleaned out in no
lime said another. "Those fellows are
good on the brag, but when they look into
the muzzles of Northern muskets they'll
yvtrn tail and run.'
"Dont be so sure of that," said s third.
"The South may be wrong in all this busi
ness, but tbuyll give us all the fighting we
want
" You'd better go and fight for Jeff Davis."
was the retort which fallowed. " We don't
want any fellows like you around ns."
"That we dou't yon bet," said another,
&nd the sentimeut was eehood by fully half
the listeners.
"You're all wrong," persisted the man
who had just spoken. "Don't misnnder
taad me; Pm just as good a Union man as
anybody, and Pm goiag to fight for the
Union, but I don't want anybody to go off
half-cocked, and think we're going to lick
the South out of their boots in no time; be
aa
M A
ft IB.-L. imm:
my J(wvm3m
if i . yrfBraK
2&tM&S8Sk
P zm
r &&&
cause we can't do it. We're going to win in
this fight; we're twenty millions nnd they're
eight, and we'vo got most of the manufac
turing and Uxq men who know how to work
with their hands. Eut the Southerners are
Americans like ourselves, and can fight just
as well as we can. They think they're
right, and thinking so makes a heap of dif
ference when you go in for war. They'll do
their level best, jnst as we shall."
"Perhaps they will," was the reply, "but
we'll make short work of 'em."
"All right," responded the other, "we
won't lose our tempers over it; but anybody
who thinks the war will be over in three
months doesn't appreciate American fighting
ability, no matter on which eide of the line
it is found."
This mode of putting the argument si
loneed tome of his opponents, particularly
when he followed it up by showing how the
Southern regiments in the Mexican war cov
ered themselves with glory side by side with
the Northern ones. But the loudest of tho
talkers refused to be silenced, and continued
to taunt him with boing a sympathizer with
the rebellion.
At tb&.outbreak of th6 war a great deal of
this kind of talk was to be heard on both
sides, men in the North declaring that the
South would be conquered and the war
Deummdtg up Eeceuits.
ended in three months, while people at the
South boasted of the ability of one Southern
man to whip three Northerners. When the
armies fairly met in the field and steel
clashed against steel all this boasting on
both sides was silenced, and Nortb and South
learned to respect each other for their sol
dierly qualities. One of tho greatest of mili
tary mistakes is to hold your enemy in con
tempt, and to this mistake is due some of
the disasters of the early days of the war.
And the lesson maybe carried further.
One of the greatest mistakes in the battle of
life is to underrate those who oppose you or
the hindrances that lie in your path. Al
ways regard your opponent as fully your
equal in everything, and then use your beat
endeavors to overcome him. Do your best
at all times, and you have more than an
even chance of success in the long run.
Jack and Harry listened a few moments
to the debate among the men in front of the
recruiting office, and then made their
way inside. A man in the uniform of a
Captain was sitting behind a desk taking
the names of those that wanted to enli3t,
and telling them to wait their turn for ex
amination. In a few moments a man came
out from an inner room, and then a name
was called and its owner went inside.
"Don't think yonll get in there, sonny,"
said a man who observed the puzzled look of
Jack as he glanced toward the inner door.
" What are they doing in there? " queried
Jack encouraged by the friendly way in
which he had been addressed.
"They're putting the recruits through
their paces," was the reply; "examining 'em
to see whether they'll do for service."
"How do they do it?"
"They Btrip a man down to his bore
skin," was the reply, "and then they thump
him and measure him, to see if his lungs
are sound; weigh him and take bis hight,
make him jump, try his yes, look at his
teeth; in fact, they put him through very
much ae you've seen a horse handled by a
dealer who wanted to buy him. They've
rerueed a lot of men here that quite likely
theyll be glad to take a few months from
now."
And so it was. The first call for troops
was responded to by far more men than vere
wanted to fill the quota, and the recruiting
officers could afford to be very particular in
their selections. Subsequent calls for troops
were for three years' service, and as the
number under arms increased recruiting be
came a matter of greater difficulty. Men
that were refused at the first call were
gladly accepted in later ones. Before the
end of the first year of the war more than
661,000 men were under arms in the North.
Jack and Harry walked up to the desk
where the officer sat as soon as they saw he
was unoccupied.
"Well, my boys, what can I do for you ? "
said the Captain oheerily.
Jack waited a moment for Harry to speak,
and finding he did not do so, broke the ice
himself with
"We want to onlist, General."
The youth was unfamiliar with the in
signia of rank, and thought he would be on
the safe side by applying the highest title he
knew of. The gilded buttons and shoulder
straps dazzled his eyes, and it's no wonder
that he thought a man with so much orna
mentation was deserving of the highest
title.
"Captain, if you please," said the officer,
smiling; "but I'm afraid you're too young
for us. How old are you? "
" Coming 16 "both answered in a breath.
The Captain shook his head as ho an
swered that they were altogether too young.
"Couldn't wo do something else?"
queried Harry, eagerly. "We can drive
boraes and work about the camp."
" If you ever go for a soldier," replied the
Captain, "you'll find that the men do their
own camp work, and don't have servants.
Perhaps we can give you a chance at the
teams. Here, take this to the Quarter
master," and he scribbled a memorandum,
suggesting that the boys might bo handy to
have about camp and around the horses.
They couldn't be enlisted, of course, but ho
liked their looks, and thought they could
afford to feed the youths, anyhow.
Tho boys eagerly hastened to the Quar
termaster, whom they had some difficulty
in finding. He questioned them closely,
and finally said they might go with the
regiment when it moved. It was not then
ready for the field, and he advised the boys
to stay at home until the organization was
complete and the regiment received orders
to march to the seat of war.
The parental permission was obtained
with comparatively little difficulty, as the
fathera of both the youths were firm believ
ers in tho theory of a short war, without
any fighting of consequence; they thought
the outing would be a pleasant affair of two
or three months at farthest. Had they
foreseen the result of the call to arms, and
especially the perils and privations which
were to befall Jack and Hfirry, it is proba
ble that our heroes would have been obliged
to run away in order to carry out their in
tention of going to the field. And possibly
their ardor would have been dampened a
little, and they might have thought twice
before marching away as they did when the
regiment was ordered to the front and the
scene of active work in the field.
Chaptee II.
BT. LOUIS AND CAMP JACKSON.
While Jack and Harry are waiting im
patiently for the order that will give them
a taste of military life, we will leave them
for a while and go down the Mississippi
Eiver to the great city of St. Louis.
The Slate of Missouri was one of those
known as the "Border States," or lying on
the border between North and South. It
was the most northerly of the slaveholding
States west of the Mississippi Eiver, and the
system of slavery did not have a strong hold
upon her people. Probably the majority of
her native-born citizens were in favor of
slavery, or only passively opposed to it, but
it contained 200,000 residents of German
birth, and these almost to a man were on
the eide of freedom. When the question of
Secession was submitted to the popular vote
the State, by a majority of 80,000 votes, re
fused to secede; but the Governor and
nearly all the rest of the State authorities
were on the side of Secession, and deter
mined to take Missouri out of the Union in
Bpite of the will of the people.
Gov. Jackson was in full sympathy with
the Secession movement, and with the reins
of power in his hands he made the most of
his opportunities. Gen. Sterling Price, who
commanded the Miesouri State Militia, was
equally on the side of slavery and . its off
spring, Secession, though at first he opposed
the movement for taking the State out of
the Union, and was far more moderate in
his councils than was the Governor and
others of the Slate officials. Earnestly op
posed to these men were Francis P. Blair,
jr., and other unconditional Union men,
most of whom lived in St. Louis, and
had for years been fighting the bat
tle of freedom on behalf of the Stale.
They believed and constantly argued
that Missouri would be far better off
as a free State than a slave one, while the
opponents of Blavery in the Eastern and ex
treme Northern States had based their argu
ments mainly on the gronnd of justice to
the black man. The Free-State men of Mis
souri gave the rights of the negro a second
ary place, and sometimes no place at all, but
confined themselves to showing that tho
State would be better off and more prosper
ous under freedom than under Blavery.
They had a good knowledge of human na
ture, similar to that displayed by the author
of the old maxim that " Honesty is the best
policy." " Be honest," he would say, " be
cause it is the best policy to be bo, and let
the question of right or wrong take care of
itself."
All through the month of April, 1861, the
f
T553
Scenes in tiie Steeets.
plotting to take Missouri out of the Union
was carried on by the Secession party, and
at the same time there was counter-plotting
on the part of the Union men. The Seces
sionists, having the aid and sympathy of the
State authorities, had the advantages on their
side, and were not slow to use them. They
organized forces under the name of minute
men, and had them constantly drilling and
learning the duties of soldiers. Later, under
an order issued by the Governor, they
formed ja camp of instruction, under com
mand of Gen. D. M. Frost, in the suburbs of
St. Louis, with the openly-declared inten
tion of 'capturing the United States Arsenal,
which stood on the bank of the' river just
below the city.
At the same time the Union men were
equally active, and, nnder the leadership o
Blair, those who were ready to fight for the
preservation of tho Nation wero organized
into a military force called the Home
Guards. While the plotting was going on
and matters were progressing toward actual
warfare, Capt. Nathaniel Lyon, who com
manded at the Arsenal, caused the garrison
to be strengthened, sent away the superflu
ous arms and ammunition to a place of
greater safety, armed the Home Guards, and
on the 10 th of May surprised tho Secession
ists by marching out in force and capturing
Camp Jackson, the camp of instruction Al
ready mentioned.
In order to have good reason for making
tho capture, Capt. Lyon visited Camp Jack
son in disguise and rent through it from
one end to the other. What he found in the
camp gave him sufaciuii reason for action.
Here it is :
When the State of Louisiana seceded from
the Union the United States Arsenal at
Baton Eonge was seized by the State au
thorities, who took forcible possession of
the arms and munitions of war that they
found there. When he was planning to
feSa 7sh -C" J4j
WW-r- -yi -Ml J
In the Eeceuiting Office.
capture the Arsenal at St. Lonis, Gov. Jack
son found that he needed some artillery
with which to open fire from the hills that
command tho Arsenal, which is on low
ground on the bank of the river.
Gov. Jackson sent two officers to the Con
federate Capital, Which was then at Mont
gomery, Ala,, to make an appeal to Jefferson
Davis for artillery from the lot taken at
Baton Eouge, and explain for what it was
wanted. President iavia granted the re
quest, ordered tho commandant at Baton
Eouge to deliver the artillery and ammuni
tion as desired, and ho wrote at the same
time to Gov. Jackson as follows :
After lenriiitiK aa well as I could from
the gentlemen accredited to me whiti was must
needed for tlienttack on the Arsenal, I have direct
ed that Capts. Greeno and Duke should befur
nislied with two 12-pound howitzers and two 32
noundereuriH, with the proper ammunition for each.
These, from thecouinmiittini; hill, will he effect
ive against the garrison and to break the inclosing
walls of the place, i concur with you in the great
importance of capturing: the Arsenal urn! securing
itHsuppliea. Wtj look, anxiously and hope
fully for the day whan the star of Missouri shall
bo added to the consteltntion of the Confederate
States of America.
With tho beat wishes 1 am, very respectfully,
youre, Jeki'eoson Davw.
The cannon and ammunition reached St.
Louis on the 8th of May, and were imme
diately sent to Gamp Jackson. The nego
tiations for them had been known to Blair
and Lyon, and as soon as they learned of the
arrival of tho material which would be so
useful in capturing the arsenal, they deter
mined to act. Capt. Lyon, as before stated,
went in disguise through the camp on the
9th, saw with his own eyes the cannon
and ammunition, learned that they had
come from Baton Eouge, and was told for
what purpose they were intended.
Here was the stolen property of the United
States in the hands of the enemies of the
Government, and intended to be used for
further thefts by violence. There could be
no doubt of his .duty in the matter, except
in the mind of a-Seccasionist or hia sympa
thizer. By the Secessionists the capture of Camp
Jackson was looked upon as a great outrage,
for which the Union men had no authority
under the Constitution and laws either of
the United States or of the State of Mis
souri. It was a peculiar circumstance of
the opening months of the rebellion, and in
fact all through it, that tha rebels and their
sympathizers were constantly invoking tha
Constitution of the United States wherever
it could be brought to bear against the sup
porters of the Government; so much was
this the case that in time it came to be al
most a certainty that any man who prated
about the Coustitutiou was on the aide of
the rebellion. The men who were ready to
violate it were those who constantly sought
to shield therafcelvca behind it.
As an illustration of this state of affaira,
may be cited the letter of Gov. Jackson in
reply to the proclamation of President Lin
coln calling for 75,000 troops for three
months, " to maintain the honor, the integ
rity and the existence of our National Union,
and the perpetuity of popular Government;
and to repossess the forts, places,
and property which have been seized from
tho Union."
Missouri was cnlled upon for four regi
ments of militia as her quota of the 75,000.
Gov. Jackson replied to the President that
he considered the requisition "illegal, un
constitutional and revolutionary in its ob
jects, inhnman and-diabolical, and cannot
bo complied witb.'? At the same time he
was going on with preparations for carrying
tho State out of the Union contrary to the
desires of a majority f ite inhabitants, aa if
they had. no rtght3 that ho was bound to re
spect! Aa before stated, the Arsenal at St. Louis
is completely dominated by the Tange of
hills beyond it, and a military force having
possession of these hills would have tho
Arsenal in its control. The Secession leaders
laid their plans to take possession of these
hills in order to eapture the Arsenal. Learn
ing of their intentions, Capt. Lyon threw up
a line of defenseive works in the streets
outside tho walls of the Arsenal, whereupon
the Secessionists invoked the local laws and
endeavored to convince him that he hod no
right to do anything of the kind. The
Board of Police Commissioners ordered him
to keep his men inside the walla of the
Arsenal, but ho refused to do so, and for
this he was loudly denounced as a violator
of the law.
There were about 700 men in Camp Jack
son, under command of Gen. Frost. Capt.
Lyon had issued arms to several regiments
of the Home Guards of St. Louis, in spite of
the protest of the Police Commissioners,
who considered his action in doing eo highly
improper. These regiments, added to the
Eegular soldiers composing the garrison at
the Arsenal, gave Capt. Lyon a force of six
or seven thousand men, with which he
marched out on Friday, the 10th of May,
aurrounded Camp Jackson, and demanded
its onrrender. Under the circumstances Gen.
Frost could do nothing else than surrender,
which ho did at once. The militia stacked
their arms and were marched out on their
way to the" Arsenal. A short distance from
the camp they were halted for some time,
and during the halt a large crowd of people
collected, nearly all of them bqing friends
of tho prisoners or sympathizers with Se
cession. Most of the Home Guards were Germans,
and during the halt they were reviled with
all the epithets with which the tongues of
the Secession sympathizers were familiar.
These epithets comprised all the profanity
and vulgarity known to the English lan
guage in its vilest aspects, and added to them
was the opprobrious name of " Dutch black
guards," which was appiied in consequence
of ono of the companies calling itself Die
Schicartze Garde. Without orders some of
the soldiers fired on the jeering mob; the
fire passed along the line until several com
panies had emptied their rifles, and 28 peo
ple fell, killed or mortally wounded, among
them being three prisoners. Then the firing
ceased as suddenly a3 it began, and the pris
oners were marched to the Arsenal.
On the 11th all the captured men were
liberated on their parole not to bear arms
against the United States. One officer, Capt.
Emm6tt McDonald, refused to accept release
on this condition, and like a true Secession
ist sought his remedy through the. Constitu
tion and the laws of the country. It took a
long time to secure it, but eventually ho was
liberated on a technicality, went South and
joined the Southern cause, and was killed in
battle not long afterward.
" What has all this to do with Jack and
Harry ? " the impatient read asks. We shall
very soon find out.
Chaptee ILL
; SZCE33ION IDEAS OF NECTTEALITT.
For some days before the affair of Camp
Jackson it had been rumored in Dubuque
that the Iowa troops would Boon be ordered
to march into the neighboring Stato of Mis
souri. There was great excitement when, on the
morning of the 11th of May, the particulars
of the occurrence of the day before in St.
Louis were published. Jack read about it
in the morning paper nnd then hurried to
Harry's house as fast as his young feet could
carry him.
"This moans business," said Jack, aa he
quickly narrated to Harry what he had read.
"So it does," was the response; "we'll
surely be off before many days. Lot's go to
camp."
Away they went and found as they ex
pected that everybody expected to move to
the front very shortly. "We are pretty
nearly ready for orders," said the Quarter
master, "and you'd better come here twice a
day, if not oftener, to make sure that you
don't get left. Watch the newspapers and
fl jrT m
41 A f I fJp
u
UNIFOE3IJED AND EEADY.
see what happens in Missouri for the next
few days, as it will havo a good deal to do
with our movements."
The boys did as they were directed, and
what was more they went to a tailor and
bought suits resembling those worn by the
soldiers. They were not entitled to receive
uniforms from tho Quartermaster, as they
had not been enlisted or regularly employ
ed, and, therefore, their outfits were paid for
out of their own pockets. But the clothes
thoy wanted were not costly, and therefore
their outfits did not cost them much.
There was more news of importance the
next day, and if the excitement was great in
Dubuque, it was nothing to that in St.
Louis, where another Dhooting affair had
taken place.
According to the histories of the time, it
occurred in this wise:
A regiment of the Home Guards was
marching from the Arsenal to its barracka,
which lay at tho other side of the city, and
while on its way it encountered a dense mul
titude which blocked the street. The sol
diers were hooted at and reviled as they had
been on the previous day at Camp Jackson.
The crowd being almost wholly composed of
Secessionists, many of whom were armed
with pistols, a pistol-shot was fired at the
soldiers, whereupon the latter opened fire,
killing eight men and wounding several
others. Then the regiment continued to its
barracks and was not further molested.
A rumor went around among the Seces
sionists that the Germans had threatened to
kill everybody who did not agree with
them, and a general massacre was seriously
feared. The Police Commissioners and the
Mayor asked to have tbe Home Guards sent
away from the city, and though Gen. Harney,
the Commander of the Department, promised
to comply with their r- ;aest, ho was boob
convinced by Blair and Lyon that is could
not bo done without giving the city into the
hands of the Secessionists. Then came a
rumor that the Homo Guards had refused to
obey tho orders of Gen. Harney, and were
about to begin the destruction of the city
and the murder of its inhabitants.
Peeseouting Union
A panic followed, and on the 12th and 13th
of May thousands of women and children
were Bent out of the city f the ferryboats
were crowded to their utmost capacity, and
extra steamboats wero pressed into service
to convey the people to places of safety.
Quiet was not restored until two companies
of Eegular soldiers were brought into the
city and Gen. Haruey had issued a procla
mltfotrin which he -pledged his faith as a
soldier to preserve order and protect all un
offending citizens. This brought back nearly
all the fugitives, but there were some who
never returned, as they feared the torrible
"Dutch blackguards" would revolt against
their officers and deluge the streets of St.
Louie with blood.
Jack and Harry read with great interest
the account of these happenings in the
neighboring State, and wondered how they
would all end. They also read the editorial
comments of tho newspapers, but could not
understand all they found there.
So they strolled down to camp and ques
tioned one of tho soldiers, an intelligent
printer from one of the newspaper offices.
" One thing we want to know," said Jack,
"is what is meant by States rights ? "
"That's what tho South is going to war
about," was the reply ; " or at any rate that
is the pretext of the leaders, though I've -no
doubt it is honestly believed by the great
mass of the Southern people."
" What is it, anyway ? "
"Well, it is the idea thafc the General Gov
ernment of the United States has no power
to coerce or control a State against the lat
fer's will."
" Does that mean," said Harry, " bat if a
State wants to go out of the Union she has a
perfect right to do so, and there's no power
or right in the General Government "to stop
her?"
" Yes, that's what it means," was the re
ply. "The States rights argument is that
the States that wero dissatisfied with the
election of President Lincoln had a perfect
right to secede or step out of the Union, and
the Union had no right to forca them, to stay
in or come back."
" Thank you," said Harry ; " I think I un
derstand it now. And how is it with the
Border States, like Missouri, and the Stato
sovereignty they're talking about?"
"The .States-rights men in Missouri
claim that the National Government has no
right or authority to call for troops from
Missouri to aid in putting down rebellion
in the seceded States; that Gov. Jackson
did right in refusing such troops when the
President called for them ; that the National
Government has no right to enlist troops in
Missouri to take part in the war, and that it
must not be permitted to mareh its troops
into or across or through any part of the
State in order to reach tbe States in rebel
lion against the National authority."
" In other words," said one of the boys,
" they want the State of Missouri to bo en
tirely neutral in tho wax to take no part
in it either way ? "
"Thafs what they say," replied the
printer, with a smile.
"But look here," exclaimed Harry;
"haven't I read that the Seeeseionists in
Missouri seized the United States Arsenal at
Liberty, in the western part of the State, aud
took possession of all the cannon, Bmall
arms and ammunition they found there ? "
"Yes."
"And haven't I read about how they
planned to capture the St. Louis Arsenal,
and Jeff Davis sent them some artillery and
ammunition for that purpose, and wrote
them a letter saying exactly what the can
non were to be used for, and how they were
to be placed on the hills behind the Arsenal
in order to batter down the walls?"
(Continued ou 2d mice J
MiJN.
ARMY OF MffljL
bait qw botj, sok
Failure . to ReinXoro Pope's
Army.
TABDI M0V2O3rm
Lukewarxrves of 3ncy Otfti
crs of Rsuctk.
ST BW.
V.
N eeneiaalag an. ar&.
cle on the second bat
tle of Ball Sun, pub
IJebediatae January
number of the 0hiry
MafozHU for 1863, the
following words wera
used: "The trassae
tiona at Alexandria
and in Washington
nL city during the so
-at Centerrille during
fi part of them, are aa
closely connected with
these battteg and had
nearly aa much to de
with theresuhaasany
part of the operations
intheleM." Psrthis
reason I purpose now to give a careful
hiatory of them, aa being essential a any
thorough understanding of that eampaigxx,
and especially of the battle of Bull Ens. la.
the article for the Century and more fully in.
two articles for Thb Natiokai. Txtbces I
gave the organisation of the Army of Vir
ginia, and I merely repeat the substance
briefly. This Army of Virginia was made
by bringing together the troops under Mc
Dowell, Fremont and Banks, which wera
scattered about from Fredericksburg to ths
Shenandoah Valley, and whfeh up to that
time had had no official relation or harmony
of action with each other.
THE FOECS ACTUALLY DISP03AE13
when I first assumed command numbered
only about 28,000 men, King's Division being
kept at Fredericksburg by order of the Gov
ernment. Several of the eorps and many of
tho divisions and brigades were badly organ
ized, and to a considerable degrss deraex&l
ized and discouraged. During the eoneeo
tration of this foree east of the Blue Eidgs,
Gen. McClellau was attacked in front of
Eichmond and driven back en the James
Eiver, his base of supplies on the Pamunkej
Eiver and lines of communication iherawith
being threatened and then occupied by tha
enemy.
When he had reached Harrison's Land
ing, and his condition was known, fee plans
for the operations of the Army of Virginia
to relieve him were determined.
It was decided, for reasons quite fully esl
forth in my former article, to withdraw hia
army from the Peninsula and unite it witk
the army under my command along the lina
of the Eappahannoek.
FIDELITY OF COMXANDLNG 0FFICSE3.
The purpose to unite these two armies
having a powerful and resolute enemy, undes
able commanders, interposed between them,
ready to strike in either direction as mighi
seem most judkious, involved one of tha
most hazardous and difficult operations of
the war. It demanded from the ferce is,
front of Washington the greatest energy and
activity, and foreed upon it such extreme
danger and difficulty as an army is very in
frequently exposed to. It demanded equally
from the army which was to be withdrawn
from the James River the same energy and
activity, and a seal also which is not always
found in a commander who does not will
ingly perform the duty imposed upon bfiy
by the orders of his Government. Unless
these conditions on the part of both armies .
are faithfully fulfilled, the chances ate alto
gether against the success of such an opera
tion. Whether the Government was right
or wrong in expecting this fidelity in iia
commanders, even when its orders were not
satisfactory to them, I leave to the decision
of the army itself and to the pubiie sense of
the country.
As the enemy pushed his iorees to tha
north with great energy and speed to crush
the troops in front of Washington beera
they could be reinforced by Gee.XcCleHan'a
army from the Peninsula, the Arnr. of Vir
ginia necessarily bore the brunt of all th
fighting; whilst the army of Gen. McClel
lau, exposed to no danger and not attacked,
at any point during its withdrawal, had
nothing to do except urge ibrward by all
possible means its movement to Alexandria
and unite with the Army of Virginia with
the least possible delay. That army was
holding back the enemy by continual fight
ing and marching, and with the constant
rifck of being overwhelmed by very sujjeriGS
forces.
How the Army of Virginia under my com
mand performed its part in this operation X
have tried to recount in a fbrmer article,
and it now remains to tell how the army
under Gen. McClellan fulfilled the part
which was assigned to and expected of it.
MCCIJtLIJLN'S TABBY MOYXX2KT3.
It does not fall properly within the prov
ince of this paper to recount in detail or to
discuss Gen. McClellaa's tardy movements
in the withdrawal of his army from Harri
son's Landing to make its junction with tho
army under my command in front of Wash
ington. It will suffiee to say that id re
ceived the orders to embark his army by tho
4th of August, and that the first corps of
that army did not move from its camps until
Aug. 14. On the 9th Gen. Halleek tele
graphed him that the enemy was massing
his forces in frout of Gen. Pope and Gen.
Burnside to crush them and moTe forward
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