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^ ±-.

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The Photographic History
of The Civil War

In Ten Volumes

'HI

^-i.

JOHN C. BABCOCK

A SECRET SERVICE MAN FROM CI T<> 65

PHOTOGRAPHED IN 186* WITH HIS FLEET HORSE "GIMLET"

"AvoiJ the nimera" is the rule a( the twpntielh cCTiturj- s«nt. son-ice mnn. But on that sunny dny of October. 1868. Ilic dasliitig
young Mvut was guilty of no impropriety in standing for his portniit; direot "half-tone" reprmlurtions were yet unknown, photography
itself uniler the limits of its first pioneer years, and the photographer waa Alevander Gardner, himself ainisliil stiTcl-si-niee employee.
It WiM eorrespimdeni-e almiit llils very photograph which, forty-eight yeara later, bmughl the editors of (he Ph(itix!raphic Histort
into touch with BnlKiK-k himself. He li:id enlisted in the SturRCS Rifle Cxups, of ChicaEo. liut Ka.* soon detailed to McClellan's secret
ser\'ioe with Pinterton, He remaineil iifter the latler left, did most of the scoulinE and news giilliering un<ler Burnaide, and ma-
tinued in Ihe bureau, as reorganized by (■olc)neI Sliarpc. until the end of the war. Nci small pari of his sueifss was due to "my heme
■Gimlet," thai I rode in the Secret Seri'ice fn)m 18fil to 18C5." •■Gimlet" l.x.ks an ideal nioiint for Ilu- nuin who had to be "the
eyea of the army" — alert, nervous, eager to be off, bearing the news that would influence the ri>rtunes and lives of tbouaands.
1*1

The Photographic History
of The Civil War

In Ten Volumes

Volume Eight

Soldier Life
Secret Service

irgim

Charles Kin<;

Brigaflier-Geneml, U. S

Randolph H. Mt-KiAi

Army of Northi

Ali^n C. Redu'ood

Army of Northern \'irgi

JCJHN W. HeaDLEY
Captain, C. S, A.

William B. Suaw

Contributors

A. W. Greely

Mnjor-General, 11. S. A.

T. S. C. Lowe

'. S. A. Balloon Corps, Army of the Potomac

Fenwick Y. Hedley

'■■ S. A. Brevet-Captain, U. S. V.

L. U. Sthgman

Liite Colonel 102tl New York, U. S, V.
(iKdKdE H. Casamajoh
KoY Mason

New York

The Review of Reviews Co.

1912

^ ^

\ '.

i,^

U.\. VARSITY
LIBkARY

Printed in New York, U.S.A.

THE TROW PRESS
NEW YORK

CONTENTS

Introduction

P\OE

The Two Practical Problems of the General 1^

Charles King

Part I — Soldier Life

The Business Side of War-making 37

William B, Shaiv

Marshaling the Federal Volunteers . . . . , 57

Charles King

Glimpses of the Confederate Army 105

Randolph H. McKim

The Confederate of '61 I37

Allen C. Redwood

The Confederate in the Field I55

Allen C, Redwood

The School of the Soldier 179

Fenioick Y. Hedley

Boys Who Made Good Soldiers 189

Charles King

Marches of the Federal Armies 197

Fenioick F. Hedley

With the Veteran Armies 221

Charles King

Part II — Military Information

The Secret Service of the Federal Armies 261

George H, Casamajor

The Secret Service of the Confederacy 285

John W, Headley

The Signal Service « . . . 305

A. W. Greely

[9]

PAGE

Telegraphing for the Armies 341

A. W. Greely

Balloons with the Army of the Potomac 369

T. S. C. Lowe

Photographic Descriptions Throughout the Volume

Roy Mason
Louis R. Siegman

[10]

PREFACE

TN General King's " Introduction," the reader steps behind
^ the scenes of warfare, where the machinery is found to be
very different from the popular notion. It is soon plain that
the most brilliant and profound calculations of strategy will
amount to little unless there are leaders in the field with the
faculty for gathering news and other military information
against obstacles which might dumfound the ablest newspaper
editor — coupled with the abihty to distribute supplies and trans-
port men on a scale more immense than the grandest engineer-
ing construction operations of the twentieth century. • These
two practical functions of the general are properly treated in
one volume under the heads of *' Secret Service " and " Sol-
dier Life."

The obtaining of military information through scouts and
spies is of little use unless there are available the clothing, food,
and transportation whereby soldiers are made "fit." An un-
derstanding of these problems uncovers the human realities
behind military phrases otherwise burdensome. How the
grandest moves on the campaign chess-board can be thwarted
by the blunder of a credulous scout, or the mud from a few
days' rain, is made clear in General King's preface and the
pages that follow.

THE STATES AND THEIR QUOTAS

As Illustrated and Deschibed in This Volume

The index below refers the reader to pages of this volume
upon which appear photographs showing representatives of
every State engaged on either side in the Civil War, with some
account of the volunteers in '61 :

Union pagri

Califoniift 108

Cdiiiiecticut 62

Delaware 10«

Illinois 258,259

Indiana 197,281,299

Iowa 251

Kansas 102

Maine 59

Massachusetts 68, 100, 101,

183

Michigan 71, 73, 75, 77,

255

Miniiesutn 79

Missouri 102

New Hampshirt- . . .102

Xow Jersey 85

New York 67, 69, 87, 89,

91, 93, 95, 97,
99, 179, 181,
188, 200, 203,
229, 283, 213,
257, 258, 259,

Ohio. . . .

Pennsjlvi

.249

.189,224,225

Union Pagt,

Rhode Island 60,61

West Vii^iiiia 102

Wisconsin 248

Vermont 61, 65

U.S. Regulars.... 222, 223

Confederate

Alabama 161

Arkansas 103

Horida 103, 105, 106,

107, 156, 157,

159

Gcoigia 139, 111, 115

Kentucky 103

Louisiana 119, 121, 125,

127, 143, 169

Maryland 103

Missis.sippi 149, 151

North Carolina.... 108

South Carolina.... 115, 117, 181,

147, 153, 163,

167, 813

Tennessee 108, 171

Texas 129

Virginia 109,111,113

The matter above referred to appears in this volume merely
as illustrating the respective chapters. It is entirely independ-
ent of the extensive charts, tables, and statistics covering State
activities, as well as those of the armies, corps, famous brigades
and regiments, which will be found in the volume devoted to
biography.

INTRODUCTION

THE TWO PRACTICAL PROBLEMS
OF THE GENERAL

BEADING THE DISTANT MESSAdE

AN OFFICER OF THE FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPS

HOW

THE SECRET SERVICE

GA\'E RISE TO THE COMPLETE

PHOTOGILVPHIC RECORD OF "SOLDIER LIFE

It is quite astonishing to discover that the immense collection of photographs reflecting the "soldier life"
of 18Cl-{)j so intimately and vividly had its rise in secret-service work. It is literally true, however, that
Alexander Gardner's privileges of photographing at headquarters and within the Federal lines, at a thousand
historic spots and moments, rt^snlted entirely from the desire of the anthorities tu insure the strictest secrecy
for their movements. Oiiviously, any commander was pretty much at iho mercy of the individual who
copied the maps, charts, and tlie like for his secret service. Thrrmnh an untrustworthy or careless employee
the most zealou.sly guarded secrets of contemplated destinations or roiites might reach the adversary. The
work of preparing these maps, therefore, was confided to Alexander Gardner, the brilliant Scotchman

PHOTOGRAPH En

AND SOLDIER, 1863.

AS TIIE ARMIES PAUSED

AFTER McCLFXLAN"S ATTEMPT ON RICHMOND

t'brouglit to America nnd instructed in tlie photographic art by Brady himself. He proved so trustwortJiy
Ftfaat he was permitted in his spare time to indulge his hobby of photographing the .soldiers themselves—
I a useless hobby it seemed then, since tliere wa.'^ no way of reproducing the pictures direct on tlie printed
page. But Gardner, first and last an artist, worked so patiently and indefatigably that, before the cam-
pBign was over, he had secured thousands of outdoor views which, with tlie many that Brady took in '61
and part of '62, and later in the path of Grant's final campaign from the Wilderness to Richmond, form
the nucleus of the collection presented herewith. Needless to say, Gardner did not break faith with his
emplofen or pass any of these photographs to Southern sympathizers, or through the Confederate lines.

MATTHEW B. BRADY UNDER FIRE IN THE WORKS BEFORE PETERSBURG

Shells were flying above the entrenchments before Petersburg at the time the photograph above was taken
— June il, 1864 — but so inured to this war-music have the veterans become that only one or two of them
to the right are squatting or lying down. The calmness is shared even by Brady, tlie indomitable little
photographer. He stands (at the left of the right-hand section above) quietly gazing irom beneath the
brim of his straw hat— conspicuous among the dark forage caps and felts of the soldiers — in the same direc-
tion in which the officer is peering so eagerly through his field-glass. Brady appears twice again in the
[B nii ly]

^l^^MNd

ife^S^^-;:"^ 3

^■.H^

[Brady]

THREE OF THE ••lllt.\I)V" PlIOlXKaUPHS TAKEX IN GILVNT'S L^VST CAMPAIGN'

two lower photographs of the saiiic l<R'alily and time. "I knew Mr, IJrady during that time," writes
William A. Pinkerton, tlic .son of Allan Pinkcrton, who was in charge of the secret-service department
throughout the war, "but had no intimate aaiuaintance-ship with him, he being a man and I I)eing a lx»y,
but I recoUect his face and build as vividly to-day as I did then: a slim build, a man, I should judge, al>oiit
five feet seven inches tall, dark complexion, dark moustiiche, and dark hair inclined to curl; wore glasses,
was quick and nervous. You can verify by me that I saw a number of these negatives made myself."

lBm.l.vI

OXE of tlie gravest difficulties with which the Union gen-
erals liad to contend throughout the war was that of
obtaining reliable information as to the strength and position
of tl)e foe. Except for Lee's two invasions, Bragg's advance
into Kentucky, and an occasional minor essay, sucli as Mor-
gan's raids in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, and Early's dash
at ^Vasliington, in 1864, the seat of war was on Southern
ground, where the populace was hostile, and the only inhab-
itants, as a rule, who would furnish information were deserters
or else the so-called " intelligent contrabands," whose reports
were in many cases utterly unreliable.

Renegade or " refugee " natives many a time came into
the Xorthern lines cocked, primed, and paid to tell fabulous
tales of the numbers and movements of the Southern armies,
all to the end that the Union leaders were often utterly misled
and bewildered. It may have been the fact that they were
fooled once too often that made some of these generals so skep-
tical they would .not believe their own officers, eye-witnesses
to the presence of the foe in force, as when Jackson circled
Pope and dashed upon his communications at Manassas; when
Longstreet loomed up against his left at Second Bull Run,
and when Jackson again circled Hooker and Howard and
crushed the exposed right flank at Chancellors\'ille. Be tliat
as it may, there is no doubt that from the verj' dawn of the
war until its lurid and dramatic close, the Southern leaders
had infinitely the advantage in the matter of information.

The Southern people were practically united, devoted to

[18]

SCOUTS AND GUIDES OF THE ARMY OP THE POTOMAC, 186a

The acout« and guides of the Army ot the Potomac were attached to the secret-service department conducted by Major A. Pinlcerton.
It was more than difficult for the Union generals to obtain reliable infonna^on as to the strength and position of the enemy. The
Southern pet^le were practicftlly united, devoted to Iheir cause and all that it comprised. The only inhabitants, as a nJe, who would
furnish mfonnatiun were deserters or else the so-called "inlelligent contrabands," whose reports were in many cases utterly untrust-
worthy. Therefore it became necessary for these men of indomitable courage to l>rave the halter in order to obtain information.
Dnriog tbe campaign ot the army in front of Fredericksburg. Ihey proved of incalculable value. Bach man was provided with a pass
fiDiQ the coDunonding general, written with a chemical preparation that became visible only when exposed to solar rays. On tbe back
w«a penciled some unimportant memomnda. to deceive the udvcrsanes. should the scout full into their bands. IF captured, he could
drop this paper, apparently by accident, without exciting suspicion; and if successful in his expedition, the pass, after a moment's
e^tonire to the beat, enabled the bearer to re-enter his own lines and proceed without delay to headquarters. The scouts generally
111 Willi as foragers withia tbdr own lines, always coming in with vegetables, poultry, and the like, to preserve their incognito.

4^1 tlttarg JfnfnnnatiBn mh ftuppljj

their cause and all that it comprised. The Xorth was filled
with spies, special correspondents, paid agents, Southern
sympathizers by the score, " copperheads " innumerable, and
among the border States and in Louisiana and Mississippi,
whither Union armies had penetrated in force, the blue lines
enclosed hundreds of homesteads of Southern families whose
men were with their regiments in Virginia or Tennessee, leav-
ing the women and the faithful blacks, the household sen'ants,
to look after what was left of their once fertile and productive
fields and the hospitable old mansions of their forefathers.

It followed that the South often knew pretty much every-
thing worth knowing of the disposition and preparations of the
Union forces — often, indeed, of their carefully guarded plans.
It followed that, on the other hand, the Xorthem generals had
as often to guess at the opposing conditions, since so verj' much
of the information paid for proved utterly worthless.

With an overwhelming force at his back, well organized
and equipped, better disciplined than were the Southern troops
late in 1861, and their equal at least in experience, McClellan's
splendid divisions, fully one hundred and forty thousand strong,
were held up in front of Washington by not more than forty-
seven thousand Confederates, all because agents induced the
overcautious commander to believe he was confronted by fully
two hundred thousand men. Again, on the Peninsula, when
McClellan could have smashed through to Richmond by sim-
ple weight of numbers — such had been the casualties of battle
in the Southern lines — ^the specter of Southern superioritj' in
numbers unnerved the young leader, and the story of thou-
sands of Southern reenforcements drove him to the change of
base and the shelter of the gunboats on the James. A few
weeks later and the same tactics told on Pope and his subor-
dinates. " Old Jack " was at their heels or on their flanks,
with sixty thousand men — " the flower of the Southern in-
fantry," said prisoners who had ridden, apparently acciden-
tally, into the Federal lines.

/ . / "// // .

.N.\.SJIVJLLE CITY POJNU'

Europe«n history abouods in Ulustrationa of all that is scientific imd systetnalic ils rlix'kwork in the logiatics of warfare — all made
poMble because irf their military roads. But In the Civil War it was almost impoasilile to calculate with «ny great degree of certainty
the movement of a single regiment for more than a few milfs, much less the movement of a cumbroua wagon-train. The way of the
armies lay through MSB of mud, through awamp. morass, and tangled wild wood, anil over roaiLt that would seem impossible to a European
army. Fhim the mountains to the aca, the quartermaster's easiest route lay along the great open waterways. The upper photograph
■bow> a quMtermasto's aentiy at Fort Fisher, N. C, on the Atlantic seaboard. In the lower one to the left stands a sentry guarding
Ki at NuhviU^ Tenn., on the Cumberland, while the aentry on the right is at City Point, Va,, on theJamea,

ilitani Unfonnatum mtli diqiply

Again, after Antietam, what tremendous tales of South-
ern strength must have held McClellan an entire month along
the north bank of the Potomac, while Stuart, with less than
two thousand troopers, rode jauntily round about him un-
scathed. It was not until well along in 1863, when the Fed-
erals began to wake up to the use of cavalry, that fairj- tales
gave way to fucts, and Hooker and Meade could estimate the
actual force to be encountered, so that by the time Grant
came to the Army of the Potomac in 1864, he well knew that
whatsoever advantage Lee might have in fighting on his owti
ground, and along interior lines, and with the most devoted
and brilliantly led army at his back, the Union legions far
outnumbered him. Then, with Grant's grim, invincible deter-
mination, there were no more footsteps backward.

Yet even Grant had ver>- much to contend' with in this
very matter. Southern families abounded in Washington;
Southern messengers of both sexes rode the Maryland lanes
to Port Tobacco; Southern skiffs ferried Southern missives in
the black hours of midnight under the very muzzles of the
anchored guns in the broad reaches of the Potomac; Virginia
farm boys, or girls — bom riders all — bore all manner of mes-
sages from rii'er to river and so to the Southern lines south-
east of Fredericksburg, and thus around to Gordonsrille and
the Confederate army.

The Northern newspapers, under the inspiration of pro-
fessional rivalrj', kept the Southern cabinet remarkably well
informed of everj-thing going on within the Union lines, and
not infrequently prepared the Confederate generals for the
next move of the Union army. It was this that finally led
the vehement Sherman to seek to eliminate the newspaper men
from his mihtary bailiwick, about as hopeless a task as the
very worst assigned to Hercules. Grant, with his accustomed
stoicism, ticcepted their presence in his army as something
inseparable from American methods of warfare, adding to
the problems and perplexities of the generals commanding,

[88]

MAP

PHOTO-
GRAPHING
FOR THE ARMY
IN THE FIELD

THE

PROCESS

THAT TOOK

GARDNER INTO I

THE SECRET SERVICE i

Alexander Gardner's uaefulness to the secret service lay in the copying of maps by the methods shown
above — and keeping quiet about it. A great admirer of Gardner's was young WUIiam A. Pinkerton, son
of Allan Pinkerton, then head of the secret service. Forty-seven years later Mr. Pinkerton furnished for
the Pbotoobafhic History some reminiscences of Gardner's work: "It was during the winter of '6X-'fi8
that Gardner became attached to the Secret Ser\-ice Corps, then under my father. I was then a boy, rang-
ing from seventeen to twenty-one years of age, during all of which time I was in intimate contact with
Gardner, as he was at our headquarters and was utilized by the Government for photographing maps and
other artides of that kind which were prepared by the secret ser\'ice. I have quite a number of his views
which were made at that time." These negatives, more than a thousand in number, are among the collection
so l(»ig buried in obscurity before becoming represented in these volumes. Mr. Pinkerton adds: "I used
to travel aiound vitli Gardner a good deal while he was taking these views and saw many of them made."

iltttu^ jfnformatixin m\h Bnppi^

heralding their movements, as did the Virginia maids and
matrons, and impeding them, as did the Virginia mud.

Other writers have described the " IntelHgence Bureau "
of the rank and file, by means of which the troops seemed well
supplied with tidings of everj' Union move of consequence —
tidings only too quickly carried by daring and devoted sons
of the South, who courted instant death by accepting duty in
the secret sen-ice, and lived the lonely Ufe, and in many an
instance died the lonely, unhallowed death of the spy. Men
who sought that calling must have had illimitable love for and
faith in the cause for which they accepted the ignominy that,
justly or unjustly, attaches to the name. Men like Major
Andre and Nathan Hale had succeeded in throwing about
their hapless fate the glamour of romance and martyrdom,
but such halos seem to have hovered over the head of few, if any,
, who, in either army during the bitter four years' war, were con-
' demned to die, by the felon's rope, the death of the spy.

The Old Capitol Prison in Washington was long the abid-
-. ing place of men and women confined by order of our " Iron
s^Secretary " on well-founded suspicion of being connected with
the Southern system, and in the camp of the Army of the
Cumberland, two sons of the Confederacy, men with gentle
blood in their veins and reckless daring in their hearts, were
stripped of the uniforms of officers of the Union cavalrj', in
which they had been masquerading for who can say what pur-
pose, tried by court martial, and summarily executed.

Secret sen'ice at best was a perilous and ill-requited duty.
In spite of high pay it was held in low estimation, first on
general principles, and later because it was soon suspected, and
presently known, that many men most useful as pur\'eyors of
information had been shrewd enough to gain the confidence,
accept the pay, and become the informants of both sides. Even
Secretary Stanton was sometimes hoodwinked, as in the case
of the " confidential adviser " he recommended to Sheridan in
the fall of 1864.

THE PHOTOGRAPHKRS WHO
t-OLLOWED THK AKMV

In the early yeors of the
solcliera Here so niysUfLfil by tlii'
pwulbr-lookiog wagon in wliiirh
Bndy kept liis Irnvtiiiig linrk-
that they nicknurawl it llif "Wluit-

the jihotogtapher's outfit all through
the war. TLi' uppi'r photogrii|)h.
with the two bashful -looking hursi-B
huddling togellier bt-fort th
shows Brady's outfit going to tli
front, in ISftl. The- lowest photii
graph d'

busy photcgmiihcr iK-ciisionally sliiit
ID his camp with the army. The left-

hand of the three eenterpiriures shows
the "miat-is-it?" aguin, fn the Bull
Kun batlJefield: in the next appears
tlie developing tent of Itamurd,
Colonel O. M. Poc'a engini-er-corps
photographer, before one of the cap-
tured Atlanta forts, in SiT)te[iiber,
1HG4: and in tlie last stands Cooley,
ph<itogmpher to the Amiy of the

with his c
haltered parapet of Sutiiler in tSIW.
In »pileof these ekiborati- prepHraliona
of the entiTi)ri»ing photo^ntpherit,
ig the million men in lli.- (iel.l few
knew thai anj- plmlogniplw wen- lieing
t:>keu. 'Eliese volumes will 1h- Die tiist
intriHiuelio
pliotogniphy of fifty years ln'fore.

ilitarg ilnformatuin anb #U|i|ilg

Sheridan had the born soldier's contempt for such char-
acters, and though setting the man to work, as suggested, he
had him watched by soldier scouts who had been organized
under Colonel Young of Rhode Island, and when later there
was brought to him at midnight, in complete disguise, a young
Southerner, dark, slender, handsome, soft-voiced, and fasci-
nating in manner — a man who " had had a tiff with Mosby,"
they said, and now wished to be of sen'ice to the Union and
act in concert with Stanton's earlier emissary, " Mr. Lomas
of Slarj'land," Sheridan's suspicions were redoubled. The
newcomer gave the name of Renfrew — that under which tlie
Prince of Wales (Baron Renfrew) had visited the Slates in
the summer of 1860 — and was an artist in the matter of
make-up and disguise. Sheridan kept his own counsel, had
the pair " shadowed," and speedily found they were sending
far more information to the foe than they were bringing to
him. They were arrested and ordered to Fort Warren, but
in most mysterious fashion they escaped at Baltimore. A few
weeks later and Stanton found reason to beheve that his friend
Lomas was closely allied with the conspirators later hanged
for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and then it dawned
upon Sheridan that Renfrew was probably none other than
John Wilkes Booth.

At best, therefore, the information derived from such
sources could never be relied upon, at least by Union generals,
and Sheridan's scout system was probably the most successful
of all those essayed during the war. It was also most daring
and hazardous, for the men took their lives in their hands,
and the chance of inmiediate and ignominious death when they
donned, as they had to, the Confederate uniform and pene-
trated the Confederate lines. There, if suspected and arrested,
their fate was sealed. Yet it was one of these who successfully
bore to General Grant, Sheridan's urgent " I wish you were
here," when, on the 5th of April, 1865, the latter saw slipping
away the chance of penning Lee's harassed and panting army

THE ARMY PHOTOGHAFHER AHEAD OF THE \VRECKi\G-TRAIN

When the Confederate cavalry made li(e a burden for the United States Military R^lroad Construction Corps in the vicinity ot Wash-
ington, the enterprising photographers on their part were not idle. This photograph shows the engine " Commodore " derailed aitd
lying on its side. Even before the wrecking crew could be rushrd to the scene, the photographer had arrived, as is attested by. the bottle
of chemicals, the developing tray, and the negative rack in the right foreground, as well as the photograph itself. Every negative had
to be developed within five minutes after the exposure, a fact which makes all the more mari'cllous the brilliant work that was accom-
plished. In the buggy and wagon shown in the lower pirture. Rrady safely transported glass pbtes wherever an army could march.

THE b£tE N-OIR of TEIE
SEC'HKT SERVICE

Al tlic lu.'a(l<|uart<'r) <>( Ihi' New
York llrratd in tho ficlil. August.
IHKJ, sit some of the nu-n who
hii<] just n<nvi\\-<il Id tin- bn-u(h-
li-ss nil t ion the tidinfts of Oil-
^'itt battle us it siirf^l to no'i
fro for three iluys on Ui<- fiel.l of
Cletl.vsburi,'. Xo Union gi-neral
(■(Mild objfet lo (ILiseniiiiation of
such iif^ws lis tliis; Ijut yt'uir jiro-
teat was made Hgnillst the cnrre-
s])ondents' activity at other
(imea, their slirewd guesses at the
armies' future movements, thut
kept the Sovithcm Cabinet so re-
niHrkably well-infonnedofevery-
tliing going on within tlie Union
lines, anil not infrequentlj- pre-
pflreii the Confederate generals

for then.

"Ofcc

wrote General Sheiman to his
wife, in a letter from ramp in
front of Vieksliiirg. dated April
10, 1S63, "the newspaper corre-
sjiondcnts, encouraged by the
[Hili Ileal generals, and even
President Lincoln, having full
swing in this and all camps, re-
port all news, secret and other-
wise ... All pereona who don't
have to light must be kept out
of camp, else secrecy, a great
element of military success, is an
impossibility . . . Can you feel
ustonisbed that I should grow
un)^' at the toleration of such
Kiiicidal weakness, that we strong,
intelligent men must bend to a
silly proclii-ity for early news
that should advise our enemy
days in advance?" The news-
paper corres{)ondents pitched
their tents in the wake of the
army, but tbey themselves were
more than likely to be found
with the advance-giwrd. Not a
few of the plucky newspaper men
tell on the field of l>attic, while
others, like KichanUon of the
Tribune, endiiml imprbonment.

^x^

ilitarg informatinn anil ^uppljj * *-

at Amelia Court House. The courier had to ride southward
across a dozen miles of dubious country. It was nip and tuck
whether " Yank " or " Reb " first laid hands on him, and when
he finally reached the wearied leader, and, rousing to the occa-
sion. Grant decided to ride at once through the darkness to
Sheridan's side, and set forth with only a little escort and
the scout as guide, two staff-officers, thoroughly suspicious,
strapped the latter to his saddle, linked his horse with theirs,
and cocked their revolvers at his back. That scout rode those
long miles back to Jetersville with these words occasionally
murmured into his ears, " At the first sight or sound of treach-
erj', you die." Xot until they reached Sheridan at midnight
were they sure it was not a device of the desperate foe. Vol-
umes could be written of the secret service of the Union
armies — what it cost and what it was really worth^ — but the
South, it is believed, could more than match every exploit.

Serious as was this problem, there were others beyond
that of the strategj' of a campaign of even greater moment —
problems the Union generals, especially in the West, were com-
pelled to study and consider with the utmost care. Xapoleon
said, " An army crawls upon its belly." Soldiers to march
and fight their best must be well fed. Given sound food and
shoe leather, and the average army can outdo one far above
the average, unfed and unshod. East and West, the armies
of the Union suffered at the start at the hands of the con-
tractors, because of " shoddy " coats and blankets and " paste-
board " shoes, but in the matter of supplies the Army of the
Potomac had generally the advantage of the armies of the
West — it was never far removed from its base.

From the farms, granaries, mills, and manufactories of
the Eastern and ^Middle States, in vast quantities, bacon, ilour,
coffee, sugar, and hardtack for the inner man; blankets, caps,
coats, shirts, socks, shoes, and trousers for his outer self were
shipped by canal and liver to the sea and then floated up the
Potomac to the great depots of Aquia and Washington, and

THE HARPERS TVEEKLY ARTIST SKETCHING THE GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD. 1803

Fhoto-eograving was unknown in the days of 1861 to IRG5, und it rcinainc<i for thr next generation to make possible the reproduction
in book lonn of the many valuable photographs taken by Matthen- 8. Bmdy anil Alexander Gardner in the North, and George S.
Cook, J. D. Edwatda, A. D. Lytle, and others in the South. The public had to be (xintent nith wood-cnts, after sketches and drawings
mule by the coiretpondents in the field. On this page appears A. R.Wnud, an active staff artiat, in war and peace, tor Harp^f'jIFeeHy.

WAUD at HEADQUARTERS. 1804,

Uttoj 3nfiirmatt0n mtd i^atpplg ^ ^ ^

later in the war up the James to City Point, thence by mule
wagon or militan' railway to the neighboring camps. The
entire army could always be freshly clothed and newly shod
before it set forth on a campaign, to the end that the wagon
train had little to carry but food and ammunition.

The seasoned soldier bore with him none of the white tent-
age that looked so picturesque among the green Iiills around
Washington. The little tente d'ahri of the French sen-ice,
speedily dubbed the " pup tent " by our soldier humorists, was
all he needed hi the field, and generally all he had. So, loo,
with his kitchen and its appliances. The huge pots, pans,
kettles, and coffee-boilers seen about the winter cantonments
were left behind when the army took the field, and " every man
his own cook " became the rule. Each man had speedily
learned how to prepare his own coffee in his own battered tin
mug, season it with brown sugar, and swallow it hot. Each
man knew the practical use of a bayonet or ramrod as bread
or bacon toaster. It was only in the matter of beans that com-
munity of cooking became necessarj-, and the old plains-bred
regulars could teach the volunteers — ready pupils that they
were — famous devices for reducing these stubborn but most
sustaining pellets to digestible form. There never was a time
when the Eastern army, after the first few months, was not
well fed and warmly, if clumsily, clothed.

But in the West it was far different, far more difficult.
Almost from the start the armies of the Ohio, the Cumberland,
the Tennessee, and the forces beyond the Mississippi, setting
forth from such bases as Louisville, Cairo, and St. Louis,
pushed far southward through hostile territory, spinning behind
them, spiderhke, a thin thread of steel, along which, box by
box, car by car, were to roll to them the vast quantities of sup-
plies without which no army can exist. The men of Grant
and BueU, trudging on to Shiloh, had the Tennessee for a
barge and steamboat route, and so fared well upon their
hostile mission ; but the men who later marched with " Old

MAIL AND XKWSPAPERS AT "A. OF P." HEADQUARTERS

It m* importMit for the people st home to reoei v-e
IK-WB of the UTDiea that their enthusiaun might be
kqit hi^ uid tbtnr purses wide open; but it was
abo deainble that the soldier boys should receive
thdr oew*. Whether in swamp, morsss, or on a
mountun-tc^, the moi Id camp nished to read
thai newspapert, and yearned to know what was
gcaag on at home. They wuiUd to know what
the people thought of them, how Ihcy were
deMribJng the aituation of the armies, what they
toM ol their bttttles, and were voracious readers of
■II and every cIm« of publications, magazines as
well •• new^M^rt. In 1864, the post-office at
tbe headquarter* of the Army of the Potomac was

^«

a leading institution. Thousands of letters passed
through it every Week, and so syatematically was
this department conducted under the supervision
of Army Postmaster William B. Uaalett, with a
mail-pouch for every corps and detached command,
that their distribution was seldom delayed when
the army was not on the march. Shrewd mei^
chants, men who were willing to take chances to
earn an honest dollar, followed the army with
wagons or little trucks, selling to the men every
sort of publication, but especially the journals of
the day. In the lower photograph a shown quite
an elaborate outfit then for the sale of Phila-
delphia, New York, and Baltimore n

tittorg informatiim and ^upfilij

^g^

Rosey " to TuUahoma and then beyond the Tennessee, well-
nigh starved to death in their Bragg-beleaguered camps about
Chattanooga, until Hooker came to their relief and established
the famous " cracker line " beyond reach of shot and shell.

Then came long weeks in which, day by day, the freight
trains, squirming slowly down that long, sinuous, single-track
road from the Ohio River, reached the wide supply camps at
Chattanooga, dumped their huge crates of bacon and hard-
tack, or the big boxes of clothing, accouterments, and ammu-
nition, and went rumbling and whistling back, laden with sick
or wounded soldiery, creeping to the sidings even,- thirty miles
or so to give tlie troop and " cracker " trains right of way.
Xearly four long months it took Sherman, newly command-
ing in the AA'est, to accumulate the vast supplies he would
need for his big army of one hundred thousand men, ere again
he started forth another two hundred miles into the bowels of
the land, and every mile he marched took his men further from
the bakeries, the butcher-shops, the commissary and quarter-
master's stores from which the " boys " had received their daily
bread or monthly socks, shoes, and tobacco. Another long,
sinuous, slender thread of railway, guarded at ever\' bridge,
siding, and trestle, was reeled off as fast as Sherman fought
on southward, until at last he reached the prize and paused
again to draw breath, rations, and clothing at Atlanta before
determining the next move.

And then, as in the Kastem armies, there loomed up still
another factor in the problems of the campaign — a factor that
European writers and critics seem rarely to take into account.
From the days of the Roman Empire, Italy, France, Switzer-
land, and even England were seamed with admirable high-
ways. The campaigns of Turenne, of Frederick the Great,
of Napoleon were planned and marched over the best of
roads, firm and hard, high and dry. The campaigns of Grant,
Lee, Sherman, Johnston, Sheridan, Stuart, Thomas, Hood,
Hooker, Bumside, and Jackson were ploughed at times

J* ^'''' p

•l.KTTKRS FROM HOME"— THE .\RMY ^rAIL WAGON
HOW THK SOLDIERS GOT THEIR LETTERS FROM HOME

Lellcrsftoin home were n great fiictor in keeping
up the moTtAt ot the array. Wbcrcsocvor llio
armies i]ii)(ht be located, however far removed
from railroads or from the ordinary means of
communication, llie soldier boy always expected
to receive his mails. The carrying ot letters
from his tent to his beloved ones was also a vilal
neceuity. Each regiment in the field Imil ii
special postmaater, generally appointed by the
colonel, who received all mail and saw to its
proper dbtribution among the men, also receiv-
ing all mail forwarded to the home addn-sa. He
■old stamps to the men, recciveil tlicir Iclters,
uid at stated periods made trips tii wliat would
be established as a sort of mua post-ofRcc. The

man designated as the postmaster of the regi-
ment was generally relieved from all other duties.
Each regiment in the Army of the I'otiimae had a
post-boy. who carrieil the letters of his eonimand
to the brigade hea<l quarters. There the mails
of the different regiments were placed in one
pouc'li anit went up to division hcndquartcrs, and
tlienrc to corps hcBdijuurters. where mail-agents
received them and ilelivered them at tEie prin-
cipa I dejiut of the army to the agent from general
heud(|uarter.s. At times it wus an arduous task
for the mail wagons to transport the aeeumu-
latiil mail over bad roads, and several trips
iiii^bl liavi- 1« Ih- made for the purpose of sreur-
in>r all Ihat was lying at Some distant depot.

xixUix^ Jnformatum anJ» ^upplH + *

through seas of mud, through swamp, morass, and tangled
wildwood. Southern countn' roads, except perhaps the lime-
stone pikes of Kentucky and northern Tennessee, were roads
only in name, and being soft, undrained, and unpaved, were
forever washed out by rains or cut into deep ruts by gun and
wagon wheels. Then there were quicksands in which the mule
teams stalled and floundered ; there were flimsy bridges forever
being fired or flooded ; scrap-iron railways that could be
wrecked in an hour and rebuilt only with infinite pains and
labor and vast expenditure of time and money.

Just what Frederick, or Napoleon, or Turenne would have
done with the best of armies, but on the worst of roads, with
American woods and weather to deal with, is a military problem
that would bafile the critics of all Christendom. It is some-
thing for the American people to remember that when Grant
and Sheridan cut loose from their base for the last week's grap-
ple with the exhausted but indomitable remnant of Lee's gallant
gray army, it rained torrents for nearly three entire days, the
country was knee-deep in mud and water, the roads were ut-
terly out of sight.

It was the marvelous concentration march of Meade's
scattered army corps, however, that made possible the \'ictory
of Gettj'sburg. It was when they struck the hard, white roads
of Pennsylvania that the men of the Army of the Potomac
trudged unflinchingly their thirty miles or more a day, and
matched the records of Xapoleon's best. It was " StonewaU " .
Jackson's unequaled " foot cavalry " that could tramp their
twenty-four hours through Virginia mountain trails, cover
their forty miles from sun to sun, and be off again for another
flank attack while yet their adversary slept. Moltke said the
armies of the great Civil War were " two armed mobs," but
Moltke failed to realize that in the matters of information
and logistics, the Union generals had, from first to last, to
deal with problems and conditions the best of his or Fred-
erick's field-marshals never had met nor dreamed of.

rAiir I

SOI.DIEli LIFE

THE BUSINESS SIDE

OE THE
WAR DEPARTMENTS

EMUARKlNi; TUnni'S [
NINTH AllMY CORPS
LEAVING ACQl'IA CRKP.K
IN FFRRUARV, ine^

tinVKil.SMKST BAKK1{1K.< AT ALKXANDIUA

HMMl^^AitY mil.llENdS AT AT.KXANDRIA

(;i{i>[i'.< AT THE QVAIlTKIlMASTEB-r;l NI;MaI/S office in WASHINGTON

EMPLOYEES, TRANSPORTATION OFFICE, ASSISTANT QLARTEH MASTERS OFFICE. ANU WAREHOLSE NO. 1— WASHINGTON
133]

STORES AT STONEMAN'S STATION nil.. J. B. tKHVAUD, Q. ^[. SIBI.LV. WALL. AND "A" TKNTS

SUPPLIES AT WHITE HOLSE

SUPPLIES AT CITY POIXT

By water, rail, and horse the busy
quorUrmasters traveled during the
war. All kinds o( river and scu-going
craft were employed as transports for
army supplies. In tlie left-hand cat-
ner appears a Tennessee River siilf-
wheel 9t«amer of the type tliiit wus
laid to be able to "run in a hi'iivy
dew," 9o light was its draught!
And in the upper right-hand cor-
ner o( this page a New York (erry-

GRAXD REVIEW AT WASHINGTON

boat is seen at the City Point dock,

on the James River, in Virginia. Both
boats were engaged in bringing food
and other supplies to the Federal ar-
mies in the Geld. Sitting on the box
above is Captain T. W. Forsythc, pro-
vost-marshal. It was fitting that the
army wagons, which had played so im-
IHirtant a part in all the aggressive
niovemenls of the troops, should
have a place in the Grand Review.

L'lTSIDL THE RKPAIIi SHUi':;

BL.\CKSM1TI1 KMI'l.OVEKS

UEELWRICiHT SHul'

Durinj; Ihp i)ri't!ri'S3 of the vnr, rfjKiir
shops wen- <.->lul>lishi-d by Ihe Fnlrral
Guvi-rnnimt at v&rioiLS [Hiints insiilr ils
liDo». includini: Wuliingtiin. Cincinnati.
St. L<>iii». Uiiii-ivilii'. Kcnluckk'. ami Na^h-
villf. T<-nn.-ss,T. The Wu^liiD^rton slu.ps
ai>«vf pii'tiirifl were aniuDg the larp'st iif
their kinil. The huge buililings were used
for the purpose of repairing amiy wagons.

iirtiller.v wap>ns. ambuianre.s. iiiL-i.-H ms.
and e\-er.v kind iif vehide useii li.v tlie
(.iuvemtnent Tor tnuLspiirlatiun. The
materials fur prompt repair wrv always
nn luuiil in these immcDM' eMuhlisliiuenls.
The nieehanii's and artisans were se-
lifliil from the U-st the country afforded.
.Ml of thest' repair depots wen' mainlained
by the Govemuient at great expense.

ClOVERXMEXT WilEKl.W HICIIT SHuP

i^^^jV..-^a

^-j M

}

55 . .^.^J. .-^

UORfE^i .\ND WAGONS OF FIELD REPAIR-TRAIN IN t'ErTEMIlER, 1>63

FIELD FORGE. PETERSBURG BUILDING WINTER-QUARTERS FIELD WHEELWRIGBTS

GOVERNMENT WORKSHOPS. CORRALS. AND RESERVOIR AT CAMP

"Wagon busted, axle broken and wheel
gDtie toamashl" waa a frequent exdama-
tkm that met tbe repair gangs accom-
panying the armlea. Miry or roeky roads
were usually accountable for the disas-
ters to the wheeled vehicles. Even the
best of wagons were liable to break under
tbe heavy strain of the poor roads. Hence
tbe above ciy, with the usual accompany-
ing direction: "About a mile down the

road — have shoved her over into a Seld."
The repair wagons would make for the
scene of trouble, and if possible the break
would be temporarily patched up. If
not. the wagon would be abandoned. The
repair department had many other ac-
tivities at headquarters, and kept exeeU
lent workmen of many trades vrorking
constantly at fever-heat, especially when
the army was engaged in a hand campugn.

MULE-CHUTE AT CAMP NELSON

UNITED STATES "FRANKLIN SHOP B" AT NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

,•

SL-SSS:

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF WAR-MAKING

By William B. Shaw

IT is one of the purposes of this " Pliotoffraphic History " to
show more clearly than has been shown before what the
Civil War meant to the common man, on either side of Mason
and Dixon's Line, whether volunteer or non-combatant. It
must be remembered that thousands of men and women. North
and South, rendered loyal sen'ice to their respective Govern-
ments throughout the four years of strife, without so much as
lifting a musket. This series of photographs shows not only how
battles were fought, but how the armies were made fit to fight
them, how campaigns were conducted, how soldiers were made
out of raw recruits, how railroads and bridges were destroyed
and rebuilt, how rivers were dammed and their channels de-
flected, how blockades were maintained and eluded — in short,
how the business of war went on in America for four full years
of three hundred and sixtj'-five days each, practically without
mterruption.

Clearly, there would have been no wisdom in recruiting
and organizing great annies without making pro^'ision for
feeding and clothing tliem. Even more futile would have been
an attempt to use such armies in aggressive movements with-
out suitable equipment. The essential requisite to every army's
success on the mareh or on the field of battle is good nourish-
ment; yet so lacking in the picturesque was the machinerj'
for feeding the armies in the Civil War, that historians have
given it but slight attention. To equip, clothe, shelter, and
transport a million men in arms at once was the task that con-
fronted the Washington Government in the second year of the
war. The country's long period of peace had not prepared it

r -yt^^a^a^

"HOME ()N FlHLOrGII"— ABOAltD TJIE ARMY TBANSPORT

After Mct'kHan'a Peninsula campaign in 186*, tlioiisanils of Nurtliern soldiirs nerc debilitated by swamp miasma. It was nccessarj'
Ihat alt l)ie men who had been atlackcd by typlioid and VBrious forms cf intermiHent fever should be taken from the environaicnt of
the \'irginia cauipa to their homes in the North for recuperatioD. The pholograph is that of a transport on the Bi^'e^ James carrying
a Dumber of those furloughed men. most of whom had beeome convalescent in the hospitals and so were able to make the homeward
joumey. The lower pholograph shows a transixirt steamer crowded with troops for Grant's concentration of the army at ('ity Point.

1^0 SuBtttfBB ^id^ of liar-ifliaking

for such an undertaking. A wholly new mihtarj- establishment
had to be created. The supply departments of the old army
organization were fitted for the work of provisioning and
equipping a dozen regiments ; they were suddenly called upon
to provide for a thousand. The fact that department and bu-
reau chiefs rose to the situation and responded to these new
and unprecedented demands is usually regarded quite as a
matter of course.

Even' American schoolboy knows the names of the
men who led the armies, whether to victorj' or to defeat, but
who saw that the soldiers were clothed and fed? Hundreds of
faithful officers were engaged in that dutj' throughout the four
wearj- years of war; without their ser^'ices the battles that
brought enduring fame to victorious generals could never have
been fought, much less won. The feats that these men per-
formed were largely unknown to the public and even to the
armies themselves. Frequently in the face of appalling dif-
ficulties, we are told, a whole army corps was saved from star-
vation and defeat by the ready resourcefulness of a eommissar\'.
Jlore than once the intelligent cooperation of the Quarter-
master's Department made possible a rapid movement of
troops, crowning with success the brilliant plans of a com-
mander to whom historj' has awarded all the credit for skilful
execution.

At the outbreak of the war the army's two great supply
departments were directed by the quartermaster-general and
the commissary-general of subsistence, respectively. The
Quartermaster's Department was charged with the duty of pro-
viding means of transportation, by land and water, for all the
troops and all materials of war; it furnished the horses for ar-
tillery and cavalry, and for the supply trains; supplied tents,
camp and garrison equipage, forage, lumber, and all materials
for camps ; it built barracks, hospitals, wagons, and ambu-
lances; provided harness, except for artillery and cavalry
horses; built or chartered ships and steamships, docks and

[M]

TRAN'aPOBT ON THE TLNNES:^EE

AN OCEAN-LINER

Army transports represented all lypps
of rivpr cr&ft and aea-goEng vessels.
Steamboats, propellers, tugs, barBOS.
and canal boats were alt utilized for
this importaDt sen'ice. The veswls
shown upon this page were lued for
moving regiments, brigades, divisions.
and even entire corps from point to
point along the rivers and up unil
down the Atlantic coast-line. The

Araga had been one of the great side-
wheel ocean-liners plying between
New York and Liverpool in the days
preceding the war. She was especially
drsirable for the transportation of
large bod lea of troops along the
Siuthem coast. The Washington
Iri-ing in llie lower picture was a
North River passcngi'r-boal luaned or
leased to the Federal Government.

TRANSl'OUT O.N TUK APPOMATTOX

i|p HuButf BB ^\bB at Wwc-Mukm^ ^ ^

wharves; constructed and repaired roads, bridges, and even
railroads; clothed the soldiers, and super\'ised the payment of
all expenses attending militarj' operations which were not
regularly assigned by law or regulation to some other de-
partment.

Upon the Subsistence Department fell the dutj' of secur-
ing food for the army. During a great part of the war, the
Washington Government was expending approximately one
million dollars a day upon the maintenance and equipment of
troops, and the prosecution of campaigns. The greater part of
this expenditure was made tlirough these two departments, the
Quartermaster's and the Subsistence.

The matter of railroad transportation concerned both of
these intimately. The total railroad mileage of the United
States at the outbreak of the war was 30,635 — about one-eighth
of what it w^as in 1910. The railroads of 1861 connected the
Slississippi valley with the seaboard, it is true, but they had not
yet been welded into systems, and as a means of transporta-
tion for either men or materials they were sadly inadequate
when judged by twentieth-century standards. Deficient as
they were, however, they had reached the Slississippi River
some years in advance of the traffic demands of the country,
and in the exigencies of war their facihties for moving the
wheat and corn of the Mississippi valley were to lie taxed to
their limit for the first time, although the countr\''s total j-ield
of wheat was less than one-fourth, and of com less than one-
third of the corresponding crops in 1910.

In tapping the rich grain fields of the interior, the Gov-
ernment at Washington had decidedly the advantage over that
at Richmond, for the Confederate authorities were ser^'ed by
transportation lines that were even less efficient than those of
the Xorth, and, moreover, a large proportion of their tillable
land was devoted to cotton growing, and the home-grown food
products of the South were unequal to the demands of home con-
sumption. In Januarj', 1862, the Confederate quartermaster-

At Belle Plain, at Ci-nUTvill
uid at Baton Kouge ajipcai
present army wagons, which FiJIni

9 From Wasliingtun to
Gulf. The diraensiona cf the lioi
these useful vehirlea were as folio
Length (inside), lia inches: width <
ude). 43 inrhes: heif-hl, i'i iiitl
Such a wagon co
weighing about i53G pounils. or IJOO
ntiona of hard bread, eoffi'e. sugiir,
and salt. Each wagon was Jruun by
a team of four horses or six mules.

"^■'■ir^ r^ V .,

**;-"-" ^

2* "v*""-^

THE BIVO LAC— WAG ON -TRAIN AT CUMBERLAND LANDING. PAMUNKEY I

Ifp SuHtn?0B Ma of Mm-Makms

general complained that the railroad lines on which his Gov-
ernment was dependent for transportation, were operating
only two trains a day each way, at an average speed of six
miles an hour. Before the war, the railroads of the South had
been dependent for most of their equipment on the car-shops
and locomotive-works of the Northern States. The South had
only hmited facilities for producing rolling-stock. After com-
munication with the North had ceased, most of the Southern
railroads deteriorated rapidly. Quite apart from the ruin
caused by the war itself, many of the railroads soon became
comparatively useless for lack of equipment and repairs, and
the familiar expression " two streaks of rust and a right of
way " was applied with peculiar fitness to some of them.

Yet the railroads played an important part in the war
from tlie beginning. This was indeed the first great war in
history in which railroads entered, to any important extent,
into the plans of campaigns and battles. The Federal quarter-
master-general, not being harassed by hostile movements within
the territory from which his supplies were drawn, perfected the
system of railroad transportation for both troops and supplies,
until he had it working with smoothness and a high degree of
efficiency. The railroad corporations that remained loyal to
the Government 'at Washington, came together in the early
days of the war and agreed on a schedule of rates for army
transportation. This was probably the earliest instance of a
general railroad agreement in the history of the country.
These rates were adhered to throughout the war, and while
the prices of almost all commodities rose far above the price-
level of 1861, transportation rates, so far as the Giovernment
was concerned, remained uniform and constant. The railroads,
for the most part, prospered under this arrangement. Never
before had their rolling-stock been so steadily employed, and
the yearly volume of business, both passenger and freight, was
unprecedented. The Government soon found that in the trans-
portation of troops, the two thousand dollars which was paid

(49]

WEIGHING BHKAD K)R THE UNION ARMY, 1861

The counting of every
pound oT flour waa one oT
the cKsentiab required of
tlie quartennaater's depart-
ment. Each pan ot baked
bread must be weighed.
This vaa systematically
done by the commissary-
aergctmt especinlly detailed
for that purpose. In this
photograph the scales stand
in front of him, while a col-
ored boy has placed a batch
of loaves from the pyramid
of bread upon the sciiles.
A soldier is handing out
another batch of loaves
ready to be weighed. \Mii'n
the Anny of the Potomac
lay in front of Petersburg
in 1851 and 1865. there wen-
a great many invention'^
brought to the [c)re for the
beocflt of the men -seniiig
at the front, .\mong tlieiu
was the army l>akc-uv(-n. a,
r^ular bakers oven jilacecl

on wheels. In the lower
picture the bakers are
shoving the bread juit
kneaded into the cvea to
l>ake. The bearded man
in the foregr<mnd at the
left is the Sremau who
keep.1 the Sres going. From
this bakery the loaves went
out. after each batch waa
duly wi'ighol. to the vari-
ous regiments Recording to-
till' amount requisitioned by

thei

i-eml

It was always a happy
moment for the soldiers
when "fresh-bread day"

came around. It varied
the monotony of "hard-
tack," and formed quite a
luxury after the hard cam-
paign through the Wilder-
nes.1 and across the James
River. Soft bread was
obtainable only in perma-
nent cump. Then' w;is no
tiuie for it on th.' nmreh.

A GOVKRXMEXT OVEN ON WHEEUS

B^— '-

for moving one thousand men one hundred miles by rail was
far less than the cost of marching the same number of men an
equivalent distance over the roads of the country.

Unfortunately, however, campaign plans, more frequently
than otherwise, called for long marches between points not con-
nected by rail. Water transportation was used by General
JlcClellan to good advantage in beginning the Peninsula cam-
paign; after that, the Army of the Potomac, once having made
the acquaintance of Virginia mud, retained it to the end. The
wagon roads of the Old Dominion were tested in all seasons
and by everj- known form of conveyance. A familiar accom-
paniment of the marching troops was the inevitable wagon
train, carrj-ing subsistence, ammunition, and clothing. Twelve
wagons to ever\' thousand men had been Xapoleon's rule on
the march, but the highways of Europe undoubtedly permitted
relatively heavier loads. For the Army of the Potomac,
twenty-five wagons per thousand men was not considered an
excessive allowance. Xo wonder these well-laden supply trains
aroused the interest of daring bands of Confederate scouts!
Such prizes were well worth trj'ing for.

When General Jleade, with his army of one hundred and
fifty thousand men, left Brandy Station, Virginia, in May.
1864, on his march to Petersburg, each soldier carried six days'
rations of hardtack, coffee, sugar, and salt. The supply trains
carried ten days' rations of tlie same articles, and one day's
ration of salt pork. For the remainder of the meat ration,
a supply of beef cattle on the hoof for thirteen days' rations
was driven along with the troops, but over separate roads.
General Thomas Wilson, who was Meade's chief commissary,
directed the movements of this great herd of beef cattle by
brigades and divisions.

The Federal service required an immense number of
draft animals. The Quartermaster's Department bought
horses for the cavalry and artillerj-, and horses and mules for
the trains. In 1862, the Government owned approximately

[501

liAimiNG LliMBER fUH THE (iUVEKNMENT

Vnat qiianlitips of lumlicr ttcn- used by the I'niun armies during Uii' war. The FitltTal Gcvemmcnt was at Ihul
time the largest iiuildiT in Lhen'urltl, The KnginrerCorpa eanied in tercfaaDgeablr porta to replace destroyed rail-
road bridges, and lumber W4t9 neetied for pontiionB. flooriiig. hospital buildings, and L-onslnietion ot every itiiid
necessary lo the welfare ot tbe armies. Often, whea nu lumber wa.H at hand, neighboring Luuaes had to be wreeked
in order to repair a railroad bridge or furnisli flooring for the [ion toon-bridges. TIil- upper photograph shows
a sentry guarding the [iovemment'n lumber-yard al Washington. Mueb at this lumber was doubtless used in
repairing the Orange Si Alexandria Railroad, so frequently destroyed by both armies as they operated lictween
Riehuiond and Washington, In the lower pliolngniiili a si^ntry is guarding a Government mill in the fieid.

sexthy at uovekxment .mill

Ijp lufitoBB Bxht of War-jEaking * *

one hundred and fifty thousand horses and one hundred thou-
sand mules. The forage for these animals was no inconsider-
able item, and the shoeing, stabhng, and driving of the teams
gave employment to a small army of men.

The Confederate authorities were never compelled to make
such extensive purchases of animals either for transportation
or for strictly militarj' uses. Under the system adopted in the
Confederate army, the cavalrj' horses were furnished by the
officers and ehlisted men themselves; the Quartermaster's De-
partment made no purchases on that account. Furthermore,
since the operatit)ns were very largely conducted in tlie home
territory, there was less demand for supply-train transporta-
tion than in the case of the Federal armies, which repeatedlj'
made expeditions into hostile countrj' and had to be fully pro-
visioned for the march.

The Federal forces seem never to have been for any length
of time without abundant food supplies. In the fall of 1863,
while the fighting around Chattanooga was in progress, sup-
plies were deficient, but the shortage was soon made up, and
the railroads brought great quantities of meat from the West,
to feed Sherman's army during its long Atlanta campaign.
These commissarj' stores were obtained at convenient shipping-
points, by contracts let after due advertisement by the com-
missary officers. They were apportioned by the commissary-
general at Washington to the respective army conunissaries
and by them in turn to the corps-, division-, brigade-, and finally
the regimental commissaries, who dealt out the rations to the in-
dividual soldiers, each officer being held to account for a given
quota. Prices fluctuated during the war, but the market for
foodstuffs in the North can hardly be said to have been in a
condition of panic at any time. The Giovemment had no dif-
ficulty in buying all the supplies it needed at prevailing prices.

In the Confederacy, the situation was different. The gen-
eral system of purchasing supplies that the Richmond Govern-
ment attempted to foUow was essentially the same as that

FORK, HARD-TACK. SIT.AR. AND t;OFFBE H)H THE RKGIMKNTAL COMMISSARY AT CKDAR LEVEL

The immense supply and trnnaportiitum fai^ililips of (he North in 1804, contr.uslc'd with the situntion of the Simthpm soLiicry, rrcalb
Bonaparte's terse speech to his army in Ilaly: "Soldiers! You neH ercrylhing — the i-ncmy haa everj'thinR." The Conttilrrales often
acted upon the same prineiple. At City Point, Virginia, Grant's wagon-trains received the army supplies landed from the shipB.

' lustoBB ^'^t at Mnx-Mokixi^ 4- 4-

established at Washington, but, from the very outset, the seced-
ing State Gkivernments were acti^'e in pro%'isioning the Con-
federate armies, and in some instances there was an apparent
jealousy of authoritj% as when Confederate officers began the
impressment of needed articles. The inflated currency and
soaring prices made such action impecatii-e, in the judgment
of the Davis cabinet.

The blockade did not wholly cut off the importation of
supplies from abroad. Indeed, considerable quantities were
bought in England by the Confederate Subsistence Depart-
ment and paid for in cotton. Karly in the war the South
found that its meat supply was short, and the Riclmiond Gov-
ernment went into the pork-packing business on a rather ex-
tensive scale in Tennessee. The Secretary' of War made no
secret of the fact that, in spite of these expedients, it was still
impossible to provision the Confederate army as the Govern-
ment desired, although it was said that the troops in the field
were supplied with coffee long after that luxury had disap-
peared from the breakfast tables of the " home folks."

In the matter of clothing, the armies of both the Federal
and Confederate Governments were relieved of no slight em-
barrassment at the beginning of the war by the prompt action
of States and communities. The Quartermaster's Department
at Washington was quite unequal to the task of uniforming
the " three-months' men " who responded to Lincoln's first call
for volunteers. This work was done by the State Govern-
ments. Wisconsin sent its first regiments to the front clad in
cadet gray, but the uniforms, apart from the confusion
in color, were said to have been of excellent qualit}', and the
men discarded them with regret, after a few weeks' wear, for
the flimsy blue that the enterprising contractors foisted on the
Washington Government in its mad haste to secure equipment.
Those were the days when fortunes were made from shoddy —
an era of wholesale cheating that ended only with the accession
of Stanton, Lincoln's great war secretarj', who numbered

NKARER mLL~AaaiVAL OF THB WAQON-TBAlNa AT BELLE PLAIN LAMDINQ

I|r SuateHB &ibr of liar-iEakut0

among the special objects of his hatred the dishonest army con-
tractor.

After the work of the Quartermaster's Department had
been systematized an() some efTort had been made to anah*ze
costs, it appeared that the expense incurred for each soldier's
equipment, exclusive of arms, amounted to fifty dollars.

For the purchase and manufacture of clothing for the
Federal army, it was necessary to maintain great depots in
New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Cincinnati, Louisville, In-
dianapolis, St. Louis, Detroit, and Springfield, Illinois. Con-
federate depots for similar purposes were established at Rich-
mond, Xew Orleans, Memphis, Charleston, Savannah, San
Antonio, and Fort Smith. Tlie Confederacy was obliged to
import most of its shoes and many articles of clothing. \\'"ool
was brought from Texas and Mexico to mills in the service
of the Confederate Quartermaster's Department. Harness,
tents, and camp and garrison equipage were manufactured for
the department in Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, North Caro-
lina, and Mississippi. The department's estimate to cover con-
tracts made in England for supplies to run the blockade dur-
ing a single six-months' period amounted to £570,000.

It is the conclusion of James Ford Rhodes, the historian
of the Civil War period, that " never had an army been so
well equipped with f<xMi and clothing as was that of the North ;
never before were the comfort and welfare of the men so well
looked after." The appropriations for the Quartermaster's
Department alone, during the war, aggregated more than a
billion dollars. Extensive frauds were perpetrated on the
Government, not only in the clothing contracts of the first year,
to which reference has been made, but in the transport service
and in various transactions which were not properly checked
under a system of audit and disbursement that broke down alto-
gether in the emergency of real war. In the opinion of Mr.
•Rhodes, the administrators of the War Department were not
only efficient, but aggressively honest public servants.

PART I
SOLDIER LIFE

MARSHALLING THE FEDERAL
VOLUNTEERS

A HOLL(m-S(^rARE MANEUVER FOR THE NEW SOLDIERS

This regiment was oigaiiized at Itaiigor. Me,, for three month-s' servitf, and left the State for Willctt's
Point, N. Y., May 14, 1861. Such wa.s llic enthusiasm of the moment that it was mnstered into the I'nited
States service, part for two and part for three years. May •iH, 18(il. It moved to Washinfttun on May
30th. The first camp of the regiment was on Meridian Hill, near Washinfrton.till .Inly 1st. The live-long
days were spent in eonstnnt "drill, <lrill. drill" during this jx-riod. M(<'Iellaii wiis fii-ihioning Hie new
levies into an army. The tolid jioimlation of the Northern States in IHliO was iMSi,.!!!.*. Nc-w En-hmd's
population wa.-* .■t,i;i.5,-»K.t, or al-.iit ..Tie-s<-ventli of the wh.>le. New KiiL-hmd'- tr..,.|,s nnmlHTcd :{fi;t,lli-i,
over one-lenth of it> jx-piilatii.ti, praeti<-;dly i>nc-.-ieveiith tlie total niii-ter .'I l.-n-.-. cai-cil in the N(>rlli
during the war. namely. •i.TTS.lUM, The New Knglan<i j.<.]nihiti..ti «a-. .li^liil.nl.-ii as fi.lluws; Maine.
658,^79; Massachusetts. l,ii;tl,tHHi; Vermont. ai5,098; New llampshin-. Jt-'II.OTa; (.onneelieut. 400.147. and
iss)

;>t" -^* ~

SECOND MAINE INFANTRY AT CAMP JAMESON, 1861

Rhode Island, 174.620. The numl)er nf troops that tlieso Stiites ros|>c( -lively furnished and the losses they
ineurred were: Mauie. 70.107- l<),s,s. !t,:!<l8: Massachusetts. 14().7.{0 loss. i:(.!)4'i; Vcrmoiil, :(:(,'^88— loss,
5,iH; New Hampshire. .tS.n.'t/- loss, 4,88'i: Cnnnecticnt. ;>.i.H«4 l.>ss. .J.IW4; and Rhode Island, ■i.'MSS—
loss. 1.3«1. The total loss was tluis 40,1-.>1. Maine's eontrihntion of inon- than 11 per cent, of its jwpu-
lation took the form of two rcfriinents of cavalry, one n'^ni<-nt i>f heavy artillery, seven Imttenivs of linht
artillery, one battalion and a company of sharpshooters, wilh thirty-three regiments, one l)attalion, and
seven companies of infimtry. The Second Maine fought with tiie Army of the Potomae until ihc hattle of
Chanecllorsville, May 1 to 5, 18(i:t. The rej;iment was onlcre.I home on the 20th of that month, and the
three-years men were transferre<l to tlie Twentieth Maine Infantry. The regiment was nnistered out
June 9, 1863, having lost four officers and 135 enlisted men, killed or mortally wounded, and by disease.

MARSHALING THE FEDERAL ARMY

By ChaSles King

Brigadier-General, United State* Volunteers

UXIOX men wore anxious faces early in the spring of
1861. For months the newspapers had been filled with
accounts of tlie seizure of Go^'erimient forts and arsenals all
over the South. State after State had seceded, and the A'rtc
York Tribune, edited by Horace Greeley, had bewildered the
North and encouraged the South by declaring that if the latter
desired to set up a government of its own it had everj' moral
right to do so. The little garrison of Fort MoiJtrie, in Charles-
ton Harbor, threatened by a superior force and powerless
against land attack, had spiked its guns on Christmas night,
in 1860, and pulled a«'ay for Sumter, perched on its islet of
rocks a mile from shore, hoisted the Stars and Stripes, and
there, in spite of pitiful numbers, with a Southem-bom soldier
at its head, practically defied all South Carolina.

The Star of the West had been loaded with soldiers and
supplies at New York, and sent to Sumter's relief. Then
South Carolina, duly warned, had manned the guns of Jlorris
Island and driven her back to sea. Not content with that.
South Carolina, the envy of an applauding sisterhood of
Southern States, had planted batteries on everj' point within
range of Sumter. All the North could see that its fate was
sealed, and no one, when the 1st of April came, could say just
how the North would take it.

The second week settled the question. With one accord,
on April 12th, the Southern guns opened on the lone fortress
and its puny force. The next day, with the flagstafF shot away
and the interior of the fort all ablaze, the casemates thick with

1661

--'^— '

..^0^^ ^

■■■y^^^^ ^n ^^

E^^l

^K^jji^^^^t

iwm^m

^^^^!/^^BMt

mmm

THE FAMOUS NEW YORK SEVENTH, JUST AFTER REACHING
WASHINGTON IN APRIL, 1861

The first New York State militia regiment to reach Washington after President Lincohi's
call for troops, April 15, 1861, was the Seventh Infantry. The best blood and most
honored names in New York City were prominent in its ranks. It eventually supplied no
less than 606 officers to the Union army. Veterans now hail it as the highest type of the
dtizen soldiers who went to the front. The old armorj' at the foot of Third Avenue could
not contain the crowds that gathered. At this writing (1911) it is just being demolbhed.
The Seventh left for Washington April 19, 1861, and as it marched down Broadway
passed such a multitude of cheering citizens that its splendid band was almost unheard
through the volutpe of applause. On April 24th the regiment reached Annapolis Junction,
Maryland. On that and the day following, with the Eighth Massachusetts (or company,
it had to patch the railway and open communications with Washington. The men were
mustered into service on April 26th, and their camp on Meridian Hill, May 2d to 23d, was
pointed out as a model. They took part in the occupation of Arlington Heights, Virginia,
May 24th to May 26th, and assisted in building Fort Runyon. They returned to Camp
Cameron on the latter date, and were mustered out at New York City, June 3, 1861, but
those not immediately commissioned were mustered in again the following year, and in 1863.

arfiljaUns tJjp Jptoal VabxaXtna

blinding smoke, with no hope from friends, tlie gallant garri-
son could ask only the mercy of tlie foes, and it ^vas given
willingly — the soldier's privilege of saluting his colors and
marching out with the honors of war.

And then the North awoke in earnest. In one day the
streets of New York city, all seeming apathy the day before,
blazed with a sudden hurst of color. The Stars and Stripes
were flung to the breeze from everj- staff and halyard; the
hues of the Union flamed on every breast. The transforma-
tion was a marvel. There was but one topic on every tongue,
but one thought in even,' heart; The flag had been downed in
Charleston Harbor, the long-threatcTied secession had begini,
the very Capitol at Washington was endangered, the President
at last had spoken, in a demand for seventy-five thousand men.

It was the first call of many to follow— calls that even-
tually drew 2,300,000 men into the armies of the Union, but the
first was the most thrilling of all, and nowhere was its effect
so wonderful as in the city of New York,

Not until aroused by the eciio of the guns at Sumter
could or would the people believe the South in deadly earTiest.
The press and the prophets had not half prepared them.
Southern sympathizers had been numerous and aggressive, and
when the very heads of the Government at \^''ashington were
unresentful of rei>ealed ^'iolation of Federal rights and author-
itj', what could be expected of a people reared only in the
paths of peace? The military spirit had long been dominant
in the South and correspondingly dormant in the North. The
South was full of men accustomed to the saddle and the use
of arms; the North had but a handful. The South had many
soldier schools; the North, outside of West Point, had but one
worthy the name. Even as late as the winter of 1860 and 1861.
young men in New York, taking counsel of far-seeing ehlers
and assembling for drill, were rebuked by visiting pedagogues
who bade them waste no time in " silly vanities."

" The days of barbaric battle are dead," said they. " The

[6fil

OFFICERS OF THE SEVT.NTY-FIRST NEW YORK INFANTRY
lliB Serenty-first New York Infantry, or "Second Excelsior," waa organized at Camp Scott, Staten Island, New Y'ork, as the se«md
T^iment of Sickle*' brigade b June, 1861. The men left for Washington July iSd. The lower photograph shows a group oti iluty,
louDgiDg in the brightninshine Deal theircanvas houses — in this case "A" tents. They accompanied McClellim to the Peninsula, and
•erred in all the great battles of the Anny of the Potomac imtil they were mustered out at New York City, July SO. 18S4. The legiment
loitfiveofficasandeighty-threeenlbtedmenkilledandmartally wounded, and two officers and seventy-three enlisted menby diMMCw

MEN OF THE SEVENTY-FIRST NEW YORK AT CAUP DOUGLAS IN IHl

arai;alitts % Jriif ral VnluntcrrB

good sense of tlie American people will ever stand between us
and a resort to arms." The ominous rumbles from Pensacola.
Augusta. Baton Rouge, and San Antonio meant nothing to
these peace proclainiers ; it took the thunderclap of Sumter to
hush them. It took the sudden and overwhelming uprising of
April 15th to bring the hitherto confident backers of the South
face to face with an astounding fact.

Seventy-fi%'e thousand men needed at once! — the active
militia called instantly to the front! Less than fifteen thou-
sand regulars scattered far and wide — many of them in Texas,
but mainly on the Indian frontier — could the Nation muster
in gathering toils. Many a Southern-born officer had resi^ied
and joined the forces of his native State, but the rank and file,
horse, foot, and guimers stood sturdily to their colors. Still,
these tried and disciphned men were few and far between.

Utterly unprei>ared for war of any kind, the Union lead-
ers found themselves forced to improvise an army to defend
their seat of Government— itself on Southern soil, and com-
passed by hostile cities. The new flag of the seceding States
was flaunted at Alexandria, in full view of the unfinislied dome
of the Capitol. The colors of the South were openly and
defiantly worn in the streets of Baltimore, barring the way of
the would-be rescuers.

The veteran Virginian, General Winfield Scott, at the
head of the Ignited States army, had gathered a few light guns
in Washington. His soldierly assistant. Colonel Charles P.
Stone, had organized, from department clerks and others, the
first armed body of volunteers for the defense of the threat-
ened center, and within a few months the first-named was su-
perseded as too old, the second imprisoned as too Southern —
an utterly baseless charge. The one hope to save the capital
lay in the swift assembling of the Eastern militia, and by the
night of April 15th the long roll was thundering from the
walls of every city armory. From Boston Common to the
Mississippi, loval States were wiring assurance of support.

170]

THE WEST IN 1861— BOYS OF THE FOURTH MICHIGAN INFANTRY

While the East was pouring its thousands to Washington, the West, an unknown quantity to the Con-
federacy, was rapidly organizing and sending forward its regiments. In 1860, the population of Michigan
was 748,11:2. In the course of the war Michigan furnished 87,364 soldiers, of which 14,753 gave their
lives. At the outbreak of the war the State had a militia strength of only twenty-eight companies,
aggregating 1,241 officers and men. The State appropriation for military service was only $3,000 a year.
At the President's call for troops on April 15th, Michigan's quota was only one infantry regiment. On
May 7th the Legislature met and passed an Act giving the Governor power to raise ten regiments and make
a loan of 91,000,000. On May 13th, the first regiment left for the seat of war, fully armed and equipped.
Public subscriptions were started at all centers. Detroit raised $50,000 in one day as a loon to the State.

aratialing tift 3shnni HolmttF^rB

And that night the muster began, Massachusetts
promptly rallying her old line-militia in their quaint, high-
topped shakos and long gray overcoats — the Sixth and Eighth
regiments mustering at once. New York city was alive with
eager but untried soldiery. First and foremost stood her fa-
mous Seventh, the best blood and most honored names promi-
nent in its ranks. The old armon' at the foot of Third Avenue
could not contain the crowds that gathered. Close at hand
mustered the Seventy-first — the " American Guard " of the
ante-bellum days. But a few streets away, with Centre Market
as a nucleus, other throngs were cheering about the hall where
Michael Corcoran, suspended but the year before because his
Irishmen would not parade in honor of the Prince of Wales,
was now besieged by fellow countrj'men, eager to go with him
and his gallant Sixt\'-ninth. Four blocks further, soon to be
led by Cameron, brother to the Pennsylvania Secretary of
War, the Highlanders were forming to the skirl of the piper
and under the banner of the Seventy-ninth. West of Broad-
way, Le Gal and DeTrobriand were welcoming the enthusiastic
Frenchmen who made up the old " red-legged Fifty-fifth,"
while, less noisily, yet in strong numbers, the Eighth, the
Twelfth, and in Brooklyn the Fourteenth, were flocking to
their armories and listening with bated breath to the latest
news and orders from Washington.

Orders came soon enough. First to march from the me-
tropolis for the front was Xew York's soldierly Seventh, strid-
ing down Broadway through countless multitudes of cheering
citizens, their splendid band almost unheard through the vol-
ume of applause. Never before had New York seen its great
thoroughfare so thronged; never had it shown such emo-
tion as on that soft April afternoon of the 19th. Prompt
as had been the response to marching orders, the gray column
of the Seventh was not the first to move. The Massachusetts
Sixth had taken the lead one day earlier, and was even now
battling its way through the streets of Baltimore. Barely

[TB]

A YOUNG VOLUNTEER FROM THE WEST

This youthful warrior in his "hickory" shirt looks less enthusiastic than hts two comrades of the Fourth
Michigan Infantry shown on the previous page. Yet the Fourth Michigan was with the Army of the Poto-
mac from Bull Run to Appomattox. The regiment was organized at Adrian, MicK, and mustered in June
30, 1861. It left the State for Washington on June 26tb, and its first service was the advance on ManassaSt
July 16th to 21, 1861. It participated thereafter in every great battle of the Army of the Potomac untQ
it was relieved from duty in the trenches before Petersburg, June 19, 1864. The veterans and recruits were
then transferred to the First Michigan Infantry. The regimental loss was heavy. Twelve officers and 177
enlisted men were killed or mortally woimded, and the loss by disease was one ofificer and 107 enlisted men.

aral^aling tl|r Jriteral HoUutt^rra

had the Cortlandt Street Ferry borne the last detachment of
the Seventh across the Hudson when the newsboys were shriek-
ing the tidings of the attack on the men of New England by
the mob of " blood-tubs " and " plug-ughes " in the Maryland
citj'.

It takes five hours to go from New York to Washington
to-day; it took six days that wild week in 1861. The Seventh,
with the ISIassachusetts Eighth for company, had to patch the
railway and trudge wearily, yet manfully, from Annapolis
to the junction of the old Baltimore and Washington Rail-
road, before it could again proceed by rail to its great recep-
tion on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. Then New
York's second offering started — another wonderful day in
Gotham. In less than a week from the original call, the active
militia was under arms in full ranks, and most of it en route
for the front.

Farther west the Lake cities — Buffalo, Cleveland, De-
troit, Milwaukee, Chicago — each had mustered a regiment with
its own favorite companies — Continentals, Grays or Light
Guards as a nucleus. Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minne-
sota each had been called upon for a regiment, and the response
was almost instantaneous. Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, more
populated, had tendered more than the thousands demanded.

By the 1st of June, there was camped or billeted about
Washington the cream of the State soldiery of everj' common-
wealth east of the Ohio and north of the Potomac — except
Maryland. Marj'land held aloof. Pennsylvania, asked for
twelve thousand men, had rushed twenty thousand to the mus-
tering officers. JVIassachusetts, called on for fifteen hundred,
sent more than twice that number within two days. Ohio,
taxed for just ten thousand, responded with twelve thousand,
and Jlissouri, where Southern sentiment was rife and St. I^ouis
almost a Southern stronghold, tumultuously raised ten thou-
sand men, unarmed, undrilled, yet sorely needed. But for
Nathaniel Lvon of the regular armv, and the prompt muster

I7i]

¥<-j

SOLDIERS FROM THE WEST IN 1861-FOURTH MICHIGAN INFANTRY

No less enthusiastic than the sister State across Lake Michi);an was tJie then far-Westem State of Wisconsin.
Its population in 1860 was 775,881, and the State furnished during the war 91,337 men, or nearly 13 per
cent of the population. The State's loss in men was 12,301. Within a week after the President's call for
75,000 men, April 15, 1861, Governor Randall, ol Wisconsin, had thirty-six companies offered him, although
only one regiment was Wisconsin's quota under the Federal Government's apportionment. Within six
deys the first regiment was enrolled. Wisconsin suffered a financial panic within a fortnight after the fall
of Fort Sumter. Thirty-eight banks out of one hundred and nine suspended payment, but the added
burden failed to check the enthusiasm of the people. The State contained large and varied groups of
settlers of foreign birth. Among its troops at the front, the Ninth, Twenty-sixth, and Forty-sixth Regiments
were almost wholly German; the Twelfth Regiment was compased of French Canadians; the fifteenth of
Scandinavians; the Seventeenth of Irish, and the Third, Seventh, and Thirty-seventh contained a large
enrollment of Indians. Wisconsin's contribution of troops took the form of four re^ments of cavalry, one
re^ment of heavy artillery, thirteen batteries of light artillery, one company of sharpshooters, and
fifty'tour regiments of infantry. Such unanimity for the Union cause surprised the Confederacy.

OTfllialtng tljr Mshsrd^ Holmttpprs

of her Union men, Missouri would early have been lost to the
Nation. And as for Kentucky, though in grand numbers and
gallant seirices her sons repudiated his action. Governor Ma-
goffin refused a man for the defense of the general Govern-
ment, or what he called the " coercion " of the Southern States.

But it was a motley concourse, that which gathered at
Washington where all eyes were centered. The call for seventy-
five thousand militia for three months was quickly followed by
the call for five hundred thousand volunteers for three years,
and such was the spirit and enthusiasm of the North tliat.as fast
as they could he luiiformed, faster than they could he armed, the
great regiments of State volunteers came dustily forth from the
troop trains and went trudging along the length of Pennsylva-
nia Avenue, out to the waiting camps in the suburbs. Within
the month of its arrival, the Seventh New York, led by engi-
neers and backed by comrade militiamen, bad crossed the Poto-
mac,invaded the sacred soil of A''irgiiiia,and tossed the red earth
into rude fortifications. Then it had been sent home for mus-
ter-out as musketmen, but, let this ever be remembered, to
furnisli almost instantly seven hundred ofl^cers for the newh
organizing regiments, regular and volunteer.

Two little classes of West Point cadets, graduated in Ma\
and June respectively, brave boys just out of their bell but
toned coatees, were set in saddle and hard at work drilling
whole battalions of raw lads from the shops and farms, ^^hose
elected officers were to the full as untaught as their men
Local fame as a drillmaster of cadets or Zouaves gave man\ a
young fellow command of a company; some few, indeed, like
Ellsworth, even of a regiment. Foreign soldiers of fortune,
seeing their chance, had hurried to our shores and tendered
their swords, many of them who could barely speak Enghsh
receiving high commissions, and swaggering splendidly about
the camps and streets. Many of the regiments came headed
by local politicians, some who, but the year gone by, had been
fer\'ent supporters of Southern rights and slaven*. A fa\ored

1761

IN THE QLOTA FROM MICHIGAN
WOODSMEN OF THE NORTH WITH THEIR TASSELED CAPS

An officer, privates, and bandsmen of
the Fourth Michigan Infantry, who
cmme from the Went in their tasscled
c*pa to fight for the Union cause. By
the dose of the war Mictiigan had st-nt
deven regiments and two companies
of cavalry, a regiment of heavy
wtitlery, fourteen batteries of light
artillery, a regiment and a company
at engineers, a rpgiment and <^ight
companies of sharpshooters, and
thirty-five re^pmcnts an<l two com-
paniea of infaotiy to the front. In

face of the fact that the original
demand upon the State of Michi^a
had been for one company of infantry,
thb shows something of the spirit of
the West. This vaa one of the eorli-
est regiments sent to the front by the
Slate of Michigan. Some of its com-
panies were dressed in a sort of
Zouave uniform, as shown above,
that is, Canadian caps without visors.
and short leggings; while other com-
panies were dressed in the ordinary
uniform of the volunteer re^ments.

4^1 arfitjaltng tijr Sthttui UnlmtltprB

few came under command of soldierly, skilled young officers
from the regular senice, and most of them led by grave,
thoughtful men in the prime of life who realized their responsi-
bilitj' and studied faithfully to meet the task.

Then wonderful was the variety of uniform! It was
marked even before McDowell led forth the raw levies to try
their mettle at BuU Run. Among the New Yorkers were
Highlanders in plaid " trews " {their kilts and bonnets very
jjFoperly left at home) ,the blue jackets of the Seventy-first, the
gray jackets of the Eighth, and Varian's gunners — some of
whom bethought them at Centreville that their time was up and
it would be pleasanter " going home than hell-ward," as a grim,
red-whiskered colonel, Sherman by name, said they surely
would if they didn't quit straggling. There were half-fledged
Zouaves, like the Fourteenth New York (Brooklyn), and full-
rigged Zouaves, albeit their jackets and " knickers " were gray
and only their shirts were red— the First " Fire " of New
York, who had lost their martial little colonel — Ellsworth —
before Jackson's shotgun in Alexandria. There were Rhode
Islanders in pleated blue blouses — Burnside's boys; there were
far Westerners from AVisconsin, in fast-fading gray. Slichi-
gan and Minnesota each was represented by a strong regiment.
Blenker's Germans were there, a reser\"e division in gray from
head to foot. There were a few troops of regular cavalry, their
jackets gaudy with yellow braid and brazen shoulder scales.
There were the grim regular batteries of Carlisle, Ricketts,
and Griffin, their blouses somber, but the cross caimon on their
caps gleaming with polish, such being the way of the regular.
It was even more man'elous, later, when McClellan had come
to organize the vast array into brigades and divisions, and to
bring order out of chaos, for chaotic it was after Bull Run.

The States were uniforming their soldierj- as best they
could in that summer of 1861. New York, Massachusetts, and
Pennsylvania usually in blue, the Vermonters in gray, turned-
up with emerald, as befitted the Green ]VIountain boys. The

FIRST MINNESOTA INFANTRY AT CAMP STONE, NEAR POOLES-
VaLE, MARYLAND, IN JANUARY, 1862

The First Minnesota Lifantry was the first regiment tendered to the Govern-
ment, April 14, 1861, It was mustered into the ser\'ice April 29, 1861, fourteen
days after the President's proclamation. The regiment embarked June 22, 1861,
for Prairie du Chien, whence it proceeded by rail to Washington, Its first uni-
forms furnished by the State were black felt hats, black trousers, and red flannel
shirts. It served throughout the war. The population of Minnesota in 1860 vas
172,023, including 2,369 Indians. It furnished 24,020 soldiers, of whom 2,584
were lost. While the whole people of Minnesota were striving night and day to
fill up new regiments to recnforce the national armies, they had to maintain gar-
risons along the Indian frontiers. One garrison was at Fort Ripley, below Crow
Wing, and another at Fort Ridgly, in Xicolett County. Fort Abercrombie and
a post on the Red River fifteen miles north of Breckinridge were strongly fortified.
In the Sioux war of 1861, from one thousand to fifteen hundred persons were
killed, and property to the value of over half a million dollars destroyed. Most
of the regiments raised for the war saw some service at home, fighting the Indians
within the borders of the State. Thus the First Minnesota sent two companies
to Fort Ridgly, one to Fort Ripley, and two to Fort Abercrombie to quell Indian
uprisings before they dared to gather at Fort Snelling to leave the State for the
struggle with the South. Minnesota sent two regiments and two batta^ons of
cavalry, one regiment of heavy artillery, three batteries of light artillery, two com-
panies of sharpshooters, and eleven infantry regiments to the front during the war.

raljaUng H^ Jrbpral Holmttr^ra

one Western brigade in the newly formed Army of the Poto-
mac came clad in gray throughout, not to be changed for the
blue until late in September.

But for variety. New York city led the countn,'. A sec-
ond regioient of Fire Zouaves had been quickly formed, as
dashing in appearance as the first. Abram Duryee of the old
militia {with a black-eyed, solemn-faced little regular as sec-
ond in command, soon to become famous as a corps leader)
marclied fortli at the head of a magnificent body of men, the
color-guard, nearly all seven-footers, all in the scarlet fez and
breeches of the favorite troops of France. Zouave rig was by
long odds the most pleasing to the popular eye in the streets
of the big city— and, less happily, to Southern marksmen later
— for all in a day the improvised wooden barracks were throng-
ing with eager lads seeking enlistment in the Zouave regi-
ments. Baxter's in Pliiladelphia, Farnsworth's (Second
Fire), Durj'ee's (Fifth New York), Bendix's, Hawkins', and
" Billy Wilson's " in New York.

To cater still further to the love for the spectacular and
the picturesque, still more distinctive regiments were author-
ized—the Garibaldi Guard — mainly Italians, under Colonel
D'Utassy, in a dress that aped the Bersaglieri. The D'Epi-
neul Zouaves, French and would-be Frenchmen, in the costli-
est costume yet devised, and destined to be abandoned before
they were six months older. Still another French battalion,
also in Algerian campaign rig — " Les Enfants Perdus." Lost
Children, indeed, once they left New York and fell in with the
campaigners of Uncle Sam. Then came the Chasseurs, in verj'
natty and attractive dress, worn like the others until worn out
in one real campaign, when its wearers, like the others, lost their
identity in the universal, most unbecoming, yet eminently ser-
viceable blue-flannel blouse and light-blue kersey trousers, with
the utterly ugly forage cap and stout brogans of the Union
army.

Fanciful names thev took, too, at the start, and bore

TIIK (ilAHD EXAMINING PASSES AT GEOIIGETOWN I-KIMtV

So expert liit.-iiinc tlic piitrols i>( tlie pruvust-giinrd, and so tlioruu(:1i tlie pn'cuutions at lieadqutirtcrit ilurint; llii' lirst liulf-yi'iir of diill
anil piekct duty nlong tlit> Potuiiine. tliut slriiitcling from ciinip t» CHDip. t'sperinlly from onmp to lunn. beoaiiic » lliiiig of the past.
Guania were ■ilutionod at tlio bridges n[id ferr.v-lHHits to exuuiine hI] p.iKjjes. These neru )n^nte<l by Ihe regimental, brigade, or divinioo
comniunders — ur by all tliret — and preseribcd the time uf drpnrliire and also the liDii; of return. The holder nas liable alr<o lo be
stopped by a patrol of tlie provost -Ruani in AVashiiiKton and rcKjuin-d lu show it again. Atlenii)lsnere frequently made by ofJid-rsand
men who had (A'erstayed their leavi- to Ihhiiht with the dates on their passes, bnt these seldom sueceeded. SevcTal offiecTs uere dis-
missed the service, and many a soldier suffi'n-d punlshnient of Iiard labor for Ihis offensi-. Among old army men of 1861-f>i located
near Washington , the .sigraiture of Drake de Kuy, Ad jll tint-General of the War Uepartment. became well-known. His sigiiiiturc was
consiilerably larger even than tlie renowned signature of John Hancock, who made his name under the Ueclariition of lndr])eiidenee
an inscription so I'noniious llial "King (ieorije woiilil not liave lo lake off his glasses to read it." and one not easily mistaken.

SERGEANT AND SENTKY ON GUAHD AT LONG BRIDGE

araliaUng tf^ Mthttul Haliuttrf ra

proudly at home but meekly enough at the front, where speed-
ily the "Ellsworth Avengers" became the Forty-fourth;
the "Brooklyn Phalanx," the Sixty-seventh; the "Engi-
neers," the Thirty-eighth; the "Lancers," the Sixth Penn-
sylvania. Dick Rush's gallant troopers were soon known
as the " Seventh Regulars,!' and well did they earn the title.
So, too, in the West, where the " Guthrie Grays," once Cin-
cinnati's favorite corps, were swallowed up in the Sixth Ohio,
and in St. I^ouis, where the " Fremont Rifles," " Zagonyi
Guar<ls," and " Foreign Legions " drew many an alien to the
folds of the flag, and later to the dusty blue of the L^nion
soldier.

As for arms, the regiments came to the front with every
conceivable kind, and some with none at all. The regular in-
fantry, what there was of it, had hut recently given up the
old smooth-bore musket for the Springfield rifle, caliber 58,
with its paper cartridge and conical, counter-sunk bidlet; but
Harper's Ferrj' Arsenal liad been burned, Springfield could
not begin to turn out the numbers needed; Rock Island Arse-
nal was not yet built, and so in many a regiment, flank com-
panies, only, received the rifle, the other eight using for months
the old smooth-bore with its " buck-and-ball " cartridge, good
for something within two hundred yards and for nothing
beyond.

Even of these there were enough for only the first few
regiments. Vast purchases, therefore, were made abroad,
England selUng us her Enfields, with which the fine Vermont
brigade was first armed, and France and Belgium parting with
thousands of the huge, brass-bound, ponderous " carabines a
tige " — ^the Belgian guns with a spike at the bottom to expand
the soft leaden bullet when " rammed home." With this
archaic blunderbus whole regiments were burdened, some for-
eign-bom volunteers receiving it eagerly as "from the old coun-
try," and therefore superior to anything of Yankee invention.
But their confidence was short lived. One day's march, one

^- Wk

^0*^ 1^ u«r..

! W^

:?^SHS

_.,

,i«u^*H,— _^ -.1

TASTING THE SOUP
A FORMALITY SOON ABANDONED

One of the formalities soon abandoned after the soldiers took the field was
that of tasting the sou|>. Here it appears as observed at the camp of the
31st Pennsyhania near Washington, in 1861. This duty fell to one of the
officers of each company, and its object was to discover whether the soup
was sufficiently strong to pass muster with the men, but as the war went on
the men themselves became the only "tasters." The officers had too many
other pressing duties to i>erforni, and the handling of the soup, when there
was any, became the simple matter of ladling it out to men who were
only too glad to fill up their cans and devour the contents. The hunting-
horn on the hat of the man leaning on hb gun just behind the officer be-
tokens the infantry. It was a symbol adopted from European armies,
where the hunter became by a natural proces.s of evolution the chasseur or
light infantryman. In the Union armies the symbol was stretched to
cover all the infantry'. The presence of the feather in his hat also indicates
that this photograph was taken early in the war. After the first cam-
paign such superfluous decorative insignia were generaUy discarded.

orBtfalmg ti\t 9th$rvii Halmtt^pra

short hour's shooting, and all predilection for such a weapon
was gone forever.

And then the shoes with which the Federals reached the
front! \ot one pair out of four would have borne the test of
a ten-mile tramp, not one out of ten would have stood the
strain of a ten-days' march, and those that first took their
places, the make of contractors, were even worse. Not until
the " Iron Secretarj," Stanton, got fairly into swing did con-
tractors begin to learn that there was a man to dread in the
Department of War, but Stanton had not even been suggested
in the fall of 1861. Simon Cameron, the venerable Pennsyl-
vania politician, was still in office. SIcClellan, the young,
commanding general was riding diligently from one review to
another, a martial sight, accompanied by his staff, orderlies,
and escort.

The weather was perfect along the Potomac that gorgeous
early autimin of 1861. The beautiful wooded heights were
crowned with camps; the plains and fields were white with
snowy tentage; the dust hung lazily over countless drill-
grounds and winding roadways; the bands were out in force
on every afternoon, filling the soft, sunshiny air with martial
melody ; the camps were thronged with smile-wreathed visitors,
men and women from distant homes; the streets of Washing-
ton were crowded, and its famous old caravanseries prospered,
as never before, for never had the Nation mustered in such over-
whelming strength as here about the sleepy old Southern " city
of magnificent distances " — a tawdrj', shabby town in all con-
science, yet a priceless something to be held against the world
in arms, for tiie sacred flag that floated over the columned
White House, for the revered and honored name it bore.

In seven strong divisions, with three or four brigades
in each, " Little Mac," as the volunteers rejoiced to call him,
had organized his great army as the auhunn waned, and the
livelong days were spent in the constant drill, drill that was
absolutely needed to impart cohesion and discipline to this vast

OFFICKRS OF TlIK FOIRTH NEW JKIISKV RKGIMKXT, IfWI
Thb Ihree-montlia regimpnt was forniiil nt Trenton, N. J., in April, 1801, jinit arriviil nt Washington ua May Cth. It waa on duty
Bt Meridian Hill until M.iy 2-lth, when it took part in the otx'Upation of Arlington Heights. It particijHitcd in the buttle of Bull Hun,
July 21at, and ten daya later w.is niu.»tiTnl out at the i-X[iiration of its term of service. Ni'h- Jersey rontributed three regi-
ments of cavalry, five bntteri.-s of light artillery, and forty-one regiments of infantry to tie I'nion armies during the war.

THE FOLTtTH NEW JEHSEY ON THE BANKS OF THE I"OT0.MAC, 1881

arBljdtng tlyt SeiiBtui Balattittpra

array, mostly Aniericati bred, and hitlierto unschooled in dis-
cipline of any kind. When McDowell marched his militiamen
forward to attack Beauregard at Bull Run, they swarmed all
over the adjacent countrj-, picking berries, and plundering
orchards. Orders were things to obey only when they got
ready and felt hke it, other^vise " Cap " — as the company com-
mander was hailed, or the " orderly," as throughout the war
verj- generally and improijerly the first sergeant «as called—
might shout for them in vain. " Cap," the lieutenant, the ser-
geant — all, for that matter — were in their opinion creatures of
their own selection and, if dissatisfied with their choice, if of-
ficer or non-conmiissioned officer ^'entured to assert himself,
to " put on airs," as our early-day militiamen usually expressed
it, the power that made could just as soon, so they supposed,
unmake.

It took many weeks to teach them that, once mustered into
the service of " Uncle Sam," this was by no means the case.
They had come reeling back from Bull Run, a tumultuous
mob of fugitives, some of whom halted not eveti on reaching
Washington. It took time and sharp measures to bring them
back to their colors and an approximate sense of their duties.
One fine regiment, indeed, whose soldierly colonel was left
dead, found itself disarmed, deprived of its colors, discredited,
and a dozen of its self-selected leaders summarily court-mar-
tialed and sentenced for mutiny. It took time and severe meas-
ures to bring officers and men back from \\''as!iington to camp,
thereafter to reappear in toivn only in their complete miiform,
and with the written pass of a brigade commander.

It took more time and many and many a lesson, hardest
of all, to teach them that tlie men whom they had known for
years at home as " Squire " or " Jedge," " Bob " or "' Billy,"
could now only be respectfully addressed, if not referred to, as
captain, lieutenant, or sergeant. It took still longer for the
American man-at-arms to realize that tliere was good reason
why the self-same " Squire " or " Jedge " or even a " Bob "

□

OFFICERS OF THE EIGHTH NEW YORK STATE MILITIA IN'FAXTRY, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS. \TRGIXIA. 1861

There were three organizations from New
York Slate known ss the Eighth Infnntrj—
the Eighth Regiment State Militia Infantry,
or "Waahington Gmj-s"; the Eighth Regi-
m«it Infantry, or "First German Riflps";
knd the Eighth Regiment National Guard
Infantry. The second of these was organize<l
at New York and mustered in April iS.
1S61. It left for Washington on May 2Sth,
and served for two years. It served in the
defenses of Washington till July 16. 1861;
advanced to Manassas, Va.. un tliat duti',
and took part in the battk' of Bull Run July
21st. It did duty in the defenses of Wusli-
ington. with various scouts and reconnuis-
lances. till April. IROi, and then went to the
1 Valley, where it fought in the

battle of Cross Keys. Back to the Rappa-
hannock, and service at Groveton and second
Bull Run, and it was mustered out on April
23, 1863. The day before being mustered
out. the three-years men were consolidated
into B company and transferred to the
Kixty-eighth Regiment of New York Infau-
Irj'. May 5, IR63. Tlie regiment lost ninety
men, killed and wounded, and one officer
and forty-two enlisted men by disease. The
third orgsniiation was a three months regi-
men), organized May 29. 1R62, which did
duty in the defenses of Washington till Sep-
tember !>lh of that year, and whs again
mustered into service for thirty days in June,
1863, and sent to Harrisburg, Pa. It was
mustered out at New York City. July 23. 1863.

arBl^almg tl^ Stbttai Hohmtprra

or " Billy " of the year agone, could not now be accosted or
even passed without a soldierly straightening-up, and a prompt
lifting of the open hand to the \'isor of the cap.

All through the months of August and September, the
daily grind of drill by squad, by company, by battahon was
pursued in the " hundred circhng camps " about Washington.
Over across the Long Bridge, about the fine old homestead of
the Lees, and down toward Alexandria the engineers had
traced, and the volunteers had thrown up, strong lines of for-
tification. Then, as other brigades grew in discipline and pre-
cision, the lines extended. The Vermonters, backed by the
Western brigade, crossed the Chain Bridge one moonless night,
seized the opposite heights, and within another day staked out
Forts Ethan Allen and Marcy, and ten strong regiments fell
to hacking domi trees and throwing up parapets. StiU fur-
ther up the tow-path of the sleepy old Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, the men of Massachusetts, Xew York, and Minnesota
made their lodgment opposite Edwards' Ferrj-, and presently
from Mariiiand Heights down to where Anacostia Branch joins
the Potomac, the northern shore bristled everj'where with the
bayonets of the Union, and with every sun the relentless drill,
driU, drill went on.

At break of day, the soldier lads were roused from slum-
ber by the shrill rattle of the reveille. Following the methods
of the Alexican War, everj- regiment had its corps of drummers
and fifers, and stirring music did the youngsters make. The
mists rolled lazily from the placid reaches of the Potomac
until later banished by the sun, and doctors agreed that miasma
lurked in everj' breath, and that coffee, piping hot, was the
surest antidote. And so each company formed for re^'eille
roU-call, tin cup in hand, or slung to the haversack in those
regiments whose stem, far-sighted leaders required their men
to appear full panoplied, thereby teaching them the soldier
lesson of keeping arms, equipment, and clothing close at hand,
where they could find them instantly, even in tlie dark. It

TWELFTH NEW YORK INFANTRY AT CAMP ANDERSON, 1861

The painfully new uniforms, and tlie attitudes that show how heavy the gold lace lay on unaccustomed
anns, betoken the first year of the war. This three-months regiment sailed from New York for Fortress
Monroe, Virginia, April 21, 1861; it arrived April 23d, and continued to Annapohs and Washington. It
was mustered in on May 2 1861 and assigned to Mansfield's command. It took part in the advance into
Virginia May 23d and the occupition of Ariington Heights the following day. It was there that, under
the supervision of the Enj,meer Corps its members learned that a soldier must dig as well as fight, and their
aching backs and blistered hands soon ni idc them forget their spruce, if awkward, appearance indicated
in this photograph Ten strong regiment-s were set to hicking down trees and throwing up parapets for
Forts Ethan Allen ind Ma^c^ st ikcd out bj the bo^ s from Vermont. Those New York volunteers were
ordered to join Patterson s irm\ on JuK fith ind were part of the force that failed to detain Johnston in
the Shenandoah \all \ With his frish troops lohnston was able to turn the tide in favor of the Confeder-
ates on the field of Bull Run, July 21st. They bore themselves well in a skirmish near Martinsburg, Va.,
on July 12th. On the 5th of August they were mustered out at New York City, Many, however, reenlisted.

arfilialmg ti^t JTf b^al UnlmttF^s

was not the best of coffee the commissaries ser\-ed in 1861, but
never did coffee taste better than in the keen air of those early
misty mornings, and from those battered mugs of tin.

Customs varied according to the caprice of brigade or
regimental commander, but in many a battalion in that early-
day Army of tlie Potomac, a brief, brisk drill in the manual
followed reveille; then "police" and sprucing-up tents and
camp, then breakfast call and the much relished, yet often an-
athematized, bacon, with abundant loaves from Major Beck-
with's huge Capitol bakery, and more steaming tins of coffee.
Then came guard-mounting, with the hand out, and the details
in their best blue and brightest brasses, with swarms of men
from even,' company, already keen critics of the soldiership
of the adjutant, the sergeants, and rival candidates for orderly,
for the colonel and the officer-of-the-day.

Later still, the whole regiment formed on the color line,
and with field-officers in saddle — many of them mightily un-
accustomed thereto — and ten stalwart companies in line,
started forth on a two or three hours' hard battalion drill, field-
officers furtively peeping at the drill books, perhaps, yet daily
growing more confident and assured, the men speedily becom-
ing more spring}' and muscular, and companies more and more
machine-like.

Back to camp in time for a brush-off, and then " fall to "
with vigorous appetite for dinner of beef and potatoes, pork
and beans, and huge slabs of white bread, all on one tin plate,
or a shingle. Then time came for a " snooze," or a social game,
or a stroll along the Potomac shore and a call, perhaps, on a
neighboring regiment; then once again a spring to ranks for
a sharp, spirited drill by company; and then the band would
come marching forth, and the adjutant with his sergeant-
major, and " markers," with their little guidons, would ap-
pear; the colonel and his field seconds would sally forth from
their tents, arrayed in their best uniforms, girt with sash and
sword, white-gloved and precise, and again the long line would

EIGHTH NEW YORK, 1861

Hiis regimeDt was organized for
three mooths' service in April, 1861,
and left for Washington on April
20th. It was known as the " Wash-
ington Grays," It did duty in the
defenses of Washington until July,
and took part in the battle of BuH
Run on July 21st. It was attached
to Porter's first brigade. Hunter's
second division, McDowell's Army
of Northeast Virginia. On August
2, 1861, it was mustered out at New
York City, All of the fanciful regi-
mental names, as well as their varie-
gated uniforms, disappeared soon

after the opening of the war, and
the "Grays," "Avengers," "Lan-
cers," and "Rifles" became mere
numerical units, white the regi-
ments lost their identity in the uni-
versal blue flannel blouse and light-
blue kersey trousers, with the utterly
ugly forage cap and stout brogans
of the Union armies^ — a uniform that
was most unbecoming, yet emi-
nently ser%'iceable for rough work
and actual warfare. The Eighth
New York, for instance, at the bat-
tle of ISulI Run, was mistaken sev-
eral times for a Confederate regi-
ment, although the error was always
discovered in the nick of time.

MEN OF THE EIGHTH REGIMENT. NEW YORK STATE MILITIA INFANTRY, 1861

.►^' V

mrBtfalhig tife 9tlKxai "Babmistrs *

form for the closing, stately ceremony of the day— the martial
dress-parade.

It was at this hour that the great army, soon to be known
as the Army of the Potomac, seemed at its best. Miiny of the
regiments had been able to draw the picturesque black felt hat
and featlwr, the ugly, straight-cut, single-breasted coat of the
regular ser\'ice, and, with trousers of skj' blue, and glistening
black waist, and shoulder-bell, and spotless white gloves, to
pride themselves that they looked like regulars. 51any of
them did.

Excellent were the bands of some of the Eastern regi-
ments, and throngs of visitors came out from Washington to
hear the stirring, spirited music and to view the martial pa-
geant. Often McClellan, always with bis staff, would watch
the M'ork from saddle, his cap-visor pulled well down over his
keen eyes. Occasionally some wandering soldier, on pass from
neighboring camp, would shock the military sensibilities of vet-
eran officers by squirming through the guard lines and oflFering
the little general-in-chief a chance to " shake hands with an old
Zouave."

Once it happened in front of a whole brigade, and I heard
him say "Certainly " before a scandalized aide-de-camp, or
corporal of the guard, coidd hustle the intruder, grinning and
triumphant, away from the imposing front of the cavalcade.

Time and again, in open barouche, with not a sign of
escort, guard, or secret-service officer, there would come the
two foremost statesmen of the day; one of them just rising
above his companion and great rival of the East^ — as he bad
already overcome his great antagonist, the " Little Giant of
the West " — and rising so steadily, rising so far above any
and all contemporaries that, within another year, there lived
no rival to his place in the hearts of the Nation, and within the
compass of the t^vo generations that followed, none has yel ap-
proached it. Tall, lank, angular, even awkward, but simple
and unpretentious, cordial and kindiv and s\'mpathetic alike
[ft

SCIENCE IN

THE TRALNIXG

OF AN AHMY

The stout sprRtiint in front of tlio
adjutant's tent probalily lost some
weight iiuring the proiT.sM usfil by
Gencnil (.IcorRC H. MrCIc'lliin to tnuki;
an army out of llic ruw mati'riul nliii'li
Bocknl to AVasliington in tlii' siiiiiriii-r
anil full of 1R01. Tliroutili oonsliint
drill the viiluHtifrs HjKtifily iH'taiiie
uion' s|>riii)$.v iind niusculitr. jiixl tho
cumiHrnira daily mure a.n<i niort- inu-
chine-likc. Tin- roiitinc was niiicli lli«
same llirougliciut the various iiiinps.
At break of day thi- soldii;r hids w-rre
mused by tlic hurriid nolra c)f the
reveilU-. Hot coffc- was «TT>-.i to
guard ugsinst tlm iniiLsmutii' mists.
and the regiliienls wen' n-qiiircil l)y
their stem, far-siglitiil k'luli-rs to
appear full-panopliiHi. lliiTcliy Icarn-
ing the soldier lesson of kinping iirins.

A VOLtNTKKR AUDIT TO LOSE .-idME WEIGHT

equipment. nnddothingdiuii-Ht hand,
wlicre they cuiild be found initnntly,
even in Die .liirk. This was a lesson
which jirtit'nl invaluahle many a time
later in llie wiir. In many a r-giment
!t bnA. brisk drill in the manual
followed revi-ilie; then ■■iH)liii'" and
spnieing up tents iLn<l eamp. then
breakfast rail. Next en me guard
mounting, and Inter still the whole
retpment formed nn the color line, and
started forth on a two or three hours'
hani battalion drill. Ity the time
General M<<Iell»n was rea.l.v to move
his army to the PeninsuLi they had
leami-<l much of the lesson tliat they
were to |>ut to prui'tii'al nse. They

•tihl It

U.1.T

rouKh the drenching ri

in with equal

liflerene,-. and their ot

ld<«.r life had

insl them lo exposu

lliat would

ve meant sunstroke

m one hand.

on the other.

few months earlier

in the war.

THE EIGHTH NEW YORK GETTING INTO SHAPE

aralfalmg tifp ^thtrul Iffnlimtrerfi

to colonel, corporal, or drum-boy, Abraham Lincoln sprawled
at his ease, with William H. Seward sitting primly by his side
— the President and the Premier — the Commander-in-Chief
and tlie Secretary' of State — the latter, his confident opponent
for the nomination but the year agone, his indulgent adviser
a few months back, but now, with wisdom gained through
weeks of mental contact, his admiring and loyal second.

It was characteristic of our i>eople that about the knoll
where sat ilcCIellan, in statuesque and soldierly |>ose, his aides,
orderhes, and escort at his back, there should gather an admir-
ing tlirong, while about the carriage of the dark -featured, black-
whiskered, black-coated, tall-hatted civilian tliere should be
but a little group. It was characteristic of SlcClellau that he
should accept this homage quite as his due. It was character-
istic of Lincoln that he did not seem to mind it. " I would
hold SIcClellan's horse for him," he was sadly saying, just one
year later, " if he would only do something."

Only a few days after this scene at Kalorama,aU the camps
along the Potomac about the Chain Bridge were roused to a
sudden thrill of excitement at the roar of cannon in brisk action
on the Lewinsville road. General " Baldy " Smith had sent
out a reconnaissance. It had stumbkd into a hornet's nest of
Confederates; it needed help, and Griffin's regulars galloped
forward and into batter}'. For twenty minutes there was a
tliunderous uproar. A whole division stood to arms. The fir-
ing ended as suddenly as it began, but not so the excitement.
To all but two regiments within hearing that was the first
battle-note their ears had ever known — how fearfully familiar
it was soon to be! — and then, toward sunset, who should come
riding out from Washington, with a bigger staff and escort
than ever, but our hero, " Little Mac," and with enthusiasm
unbounded, five thousand strong, the " boys " flimg themselves
about him, cheering like mad, and, after the American manner,
demanding " speech." That was the day he said, " We've had
our last defeat; we have made our last retreat," and then

[Ml

^i^

PLEASANT DAYS IN CI FOR VOLUNTEERS FROM EAST AND WEST

After tlie variuua drilU through the ilny in llie
amps about Wasliington in the fnll of ItWl,
the men had time for a "snooie" or a social
gBmc. They would stroll along Ihp shore of
the Potomac, th«ir minds full of tlic great
battles to come — how great and terrible they
little knew — or rail perhaps on frien<U in a,
neighboring regiment to discuss what Me-
Ckilaa was going to do to the Cunfeilerutra
with hia well-disciplined army in the spring.
They did not suspeet that "Little Mae" was
to be deposed for Bumside. and that the com-
mand of the Army of the Potomac was to pass
on to Hooker and then to Meade. In the
meantime, the star of Grant was to rise
■teadily in the West, and he was finally to
guide the Army of the Potomac to victory. .\ll
these things were hidden to these men of the
Eighth New York State Militia Infantry in
their picturesque gray uniforms. They have

already some of the rough and ready veteran
appearance, as have their Western comradM
fE-'oiirth Michigan) in the smaller picture. At
the outset of the war there was no regular or
[irescribed uniform, and in many regimenta
caeli company varied from the others. One
<-cmpany might even be clad in red, another
ill gray, another in blue, and still another to
white. Since the South had regiments ia gray
uniform and many of the men of the North
were clad in gray, at the first battle of Bull
Run some fatal mistakes occurred, and soldiers
fired upon their own friends. Thereafter all
the soldiers of the Union army were dressed
practically alike in blue, with slight variations
in the color of insignia to designate cavalry,
artillery, and infantry. Head covering varied,
many regiments wearing black hats. Dur-
ing the last years of the war individual soldier*
WOK hats — usually black— 1« the march.

aralialtng % J^rbrral VaixmUtxB

followed the conBdent prediction that the war would be " short,
sharp, and decisive," In unbounded faith and fer\'or, old and
young, they yelled their acclamations. Was there ever a com-
mander by wlwm " the boys " stood more loyally or lovingly?

A few days later still, on the Virginia slopes south of the
Chain Bridge, where was stationed a whole brigade of " the
boys "—Green ^Mountain boys principally, though stalwart
lads from JIaine, Wisconsin, Xew York, and Pennsylvania,
were there also, preparations were in progress for a tragic
scene. There had been some few instances of sentries falling
asleep. Healthy farm-boys, bred to days of labor in the sun-
shine, and correspondingly long hours of sleep at night, could
not always overcome the drowsiness that stole upon them when
left alone on picket. An army might be imperiled — a lesson
must be taught. A patrol had come upon a young Vermonter
asleep on post. A court martial had tried and sentenced, and
to that sentence General Smith had set the seal of his approval.
For the soldier-erime of sleeping on guard, Private Scott was
to be shot to death in sight of the Vermont brigade.

A grave would be dug; a coffin set beside it; the pale-faced
lad would be led forth; the chaplain, with bowed head and
quivering lips, would speak his final word of consolation ; the
firing-party — a dozen of his own brigade — would be marched
to the spot, subordinate, sworn to obey, yet dumbly cursing
their lot; the provost-marshal would give the last order, while
all around, in long, rigid, yet trembling lines, a square of sol-
dierj' would witness a comrade's death. But on the eve of the
appointed day, the great-hearted Lincoln, appealed to by sev-
eral of the lad's company, went himself to the Chain Bridge,
had a long conversation with the young private and sent him
hack to his regiment, a free man. The President of the United
States could not suffer it that one of his boys should be shot to
death for being overcome by sleep. He gave his young soldier
life only that the lad might die gloriously a few months later,
heading the dash of his comrades upon the Southern line at

^VM^^fe^^HkiH^^

inB

4^ j

OFFICERS OF "THK REU-LEGGF,D FIFTY-FIt-r[[' NEW YORK AT FORT GAINES, 1801

Right roynHy did WiLshiiiKtim nil
tingulshed Fn-nc'liQiiin's !«'rvtii'> li
gaaiiA^ in New Y'ork Cilj- ),y (dIu
bifstowed upon hlin tiyr hivOily nic
Fniich uuifoniis iitlracii'd iuik'Ii :i

Hlii!.

I- Ihp Fifty-fiflti New Yi.rk Intiinlry, .siimn

Pl.ilil. R<wi- di- Trolirlimd (who .■nd.-.l tlir '

iliori iin.l .'li<'il.'<l frrqiiriit lnl^^N of iippLii
remit hmils ha.l nish.il tn tbr .h'fn.s,' <.f t1

ml -Gnr.!.' d.> Lnfi.y.-tte" in nipmurj- of that dis-
ilx'r. IHdl. TIh^ "nii-IfeKi-"! Kiftli-fifth" was or-
ir lis n brevi't niajor-p'iUTu! iit viilunUiTs. u rank
dpi) and U-ft f,>r Wushiinftiin AugiiMt 31st. The
!■ :is the crowds on IViinsylvunia Avcmif renUzt-d
r i>niiimoii cuiiilry. Tlie Fitty-fitt\, atrirtiipameii

McC'HUn to III.- I'riiinsiila. and look j.iirt in \\,<- d.-^[..Tiilr ii-wndl .m Mary.'s Heights at Fmlmrksb.irp, utter whiai '^ *'^ '^™"
solidated, in lour ronipanii's. uitli lln; Tliirly-fi(;litli X.'W York Uoirnibcr il, IHGi. The reginifnl lost during service l^i^'l'-*^'-'''
enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and twenty-nine enlisted men by disease. lis gallant eolonrl sur\4ved Un^^^i Ju\j"^^'^*'^-

arstialttiQ tift 9thtrni HalmttP^ra

Lee's ilill^sending, with his last breath, a message to the Pres-
ident that he liad tried to live up to the advice he had given.

It was indeed a formative jieriod, that first half-year of
drill, picket duly, and preparation along the Potomac, and so
expert became tlie patrols of the provost guard, so thorough
the precautions at headquarters, that slragghng from camp to
camp, especially from camp to town, became a thing of the
past. Except a favored few, like the mounted orderhes. or
messengers, men of one brigade knew next to nothing of those
beyond their lines. Barely three miles back from the Potomac,
up the I'alley of Rock Creek, was camped an entire division,
the Pennsylvania Resen-es, in which the future leader of the
Army of the Potomac was modestly commanding a brigade.

Just across the Chain Bridge, he who was destined to
become his great second, proclaimed " superb " at Gettysburg,
was busily drilling another, yet tlie men under George G.
Jleade and tliose under Winfield S. Hancock saw nothing of
each other in the fall of 1861.

Over against Washington, the JerseT-Tnen under dashing
Philip Kearny brushed with their outermost sentries the
picket lines of " Ike Stevens' Highlanders," camped at Cliain
Bridge, yet so little were the men about Arlington known to
these in front of the bridge, that a night patrol from the one
stirred up a lively skirmish with the other. In less than a year
those two heroic soldiers. Kearny and Stevens, were to die in
the same fight only a few miles farther out, at Chantilly.
Only for a day or two did tlie " Badgers," the " Vermonters,"
and the " Knickerbockers " of King's, Smith's, and Stevens'
brigades compare notes with the so-called " California Regi-
ment," raised in the East, yet led by the great soldier-senator
from the Pacific slope, before they, the " Califomians," and
their vehement colonel marched away along the tow-path to
join Stone's great division farther up stream.

Three regiments, already famous for their drill and dis-
dpline had preceded them, the First Minnesota, the Fifteenth

s^«?ft

A DRESS PAKADE OE THE SEVESTEENTII NEW VORK I\ 1861

New York's Seventeenth Infantry Volunteers entered the war us the "Westchester Chasseurs."
It was organized at New York City and mustered in for two years, Colonel H. Seymour Lansing
in command. The regiment left for Washington June "^1, 18B1, and was stationed near Miner's
Hill, just across the Distriet of Columbia line, a mile and a half from Falls Church. It fought on
the Peninsula, at the seeond Bull Run, at Antictam, Fredericksburg, and Chance liorsville, and
took part in the famous '"mud marcli" January 20 to 24, 1863. On May 13, 18(13, the three-years
men were detached and assigned to a battalion of New York volunteers, and on June 23, 1863,
were transferred to tlie U6th New York Infantry. The regiment was mnstered out June 2,
1803, having lost during service five officers and thirty-two enlisted men killed and mortally
wounded, and three officers and thirty-seven enlisted men by disease.

THE SEVENTEENTH NEW YORK .\T MINERS HJLJ,, NEAR WASHINGTON

It was not often during
army life that the advan-
tage of churches or places
of religious worship were
available to the troops in
the field. \Vhen chap-
lains were connected with
regiments in active ser-
vice, any improvised tent
or barrel for an altar or
pulpit was utilized for
the minister's benefit.
The question of denom-
ination rarely entered
the minds of the men.
Where a church edifice
was near the camps, or
when located near some
village or city, senices
were held within the edi-
fice, but this was very
infrequent. The camp
at Arlington Heights was
located directly opposite
Washington and George-
town, D. C, overlooking
the banks of the Potomac
River on the Virginia
side. The Ninth Massa-
chusetts was a re^ment
composed of Irish volun-
teers from the \-icinity of
Boston. The CathoUc
chaplains were very as-
siduous in their atten-
tion to the ritual of the
Chureh, even on the
tented field. Many of
these chaplains have

since risen to high portions in the Church. Arebbiahop Ireland was one of these splendid and
devoted men. An example of the fearless devotion of the Catholic chaplains was the action
of Father Corby, of the Irish Brigade, at the battle of Gettysburg. As the brigade was about to
go into the fiercest fighting at the center of the Federal line and sh<)t and shell were already reaching
its ranks, at the sohcitation of Father Corby it was halted, and knelt: stamiing upon a projecting rock,
the brave father rendered absolution to the soldiers aifor<iing to the rites of the Catholic Church.
A few minutes later the brigade had plunged to the very thick of the fierce fighting at the "Loop,"

1100]

FATHER SCULLY PREACHING TO THE NINTH
MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENT

SERVICE FOR TTIE RECRUITS AT CAMP CASS,
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, VIRGINIA, 1861

Attentive and solemn arc the faoos of these men new to warfare, faeinn dangers as yet unknown, while they
listen to Father Scully's earnest words. Not n few of the re(;iinents in the T^nion armies were led by minis-
ters who assisted in urbanizing them, and then aeeepted the rommand. When the Fiftieth Xcw York
Engineers were stationed iti front of Pt;tcrsburf;, Virftiuia, they made a rustic i)lace of worshiji. spire and all,
after the model of their winter-quarters, A photograph of this soldier-lmilt edifice is show^l on page 257.
The muskets and glistening bay<iiiets of the soldiers, leaning against the fence in the foreground of the
Petersburg picture, contrast vividly with the peaceful aspect of the little church — an ousis in a desert.

in ihi' K.-.br^] .irmi—. ■■•n.l •ivr .Tir l.:in.lr.-.l »> It* Siiut.T. tJlKsrd D. Itukir, w:

Ih- r-nfnl<Ti,'v. Tb» lm..a •■-iitini.Tii in the in W:i.-.hinrf« nh-n ihr nur l>r

S;a'<-i<>.-d.lMh.i.vl>»'ndu.- i.i Frank P. HUiir. l>i'inKBi-l<«'iri<«>lu[LiiH.'o1t.. pmi

Blair 'iiiw^u-nilv j.^nwl (iruntV p.>iniuaiHl sihI knuTnhyii'>yn<>nyni-|''ir-t C'nlifo

wn-.^! »i-li Ili'il IrwW uniil SiHtnian l.oik llw BaWr »»« killoj ul lb'- h^lorit

Mii'in-!i"n-.'-t. WiihSh.Tni»nMiU'>r-i:i'n.'ral Ifcill- ItKlfl. \'iHini:>. <><t»l>T L-l.

]tlairf-i:uht iDCiooreiaimtlthrouich thFCutiUnas. ha<Lbft;aappuinfviibnraHlti-r-ir>'a>'r.

' Mi<--I>-M|>[)l. >»- 'Te^ipIimI in t'>A. A. .

> in ),i- fki"^ <'.<1.'i^l 11. I'. K-llry v:u< in ih-' (

U ■.'11, aiui. nr-rU-,..t VirElT>uIii::in-r>'niar-l..i

.ily ..ri:»nii.-a Pi»r- a. ,1 Si n|. -, H,--.n-(,li..il..M

SMYTH. i>F IlKI.AW.MtK

MirCHi;]

K.WSAS

iF \K\v HAMi'.-iiiii:K

n.iUiary
T.. ilu-

IJltk' IVliin ,>' !unii-l«'J t.i 111" riilt-rai ■RDiH Tho vinrin Aalo «t KanNi' -i-iit fifty n'^n»'n>-. N<w Hanijnl.iR' Hii.t'li--.! ini

lilmn -i'jT'i:.- iiiiliTary KnuiiiiaiioDT. FlM in l>aiiali<-Ti<. andhn'tHiH inin ili- Fiih-ral runi|i>. ureaniiaiiou- r>. ttu I'nlpnil

Ihr Hfid ■-:■' < '..L.ri-1 lluniiiif A. Siiiylb. sitli t)w llri lVi-.ind lufuiitry ii:a« ..n!:inif>^l Hrul l.'.i r.i Ihc C-aniiv .-iiali- htbqie.. rli.. Eni:i .l:~'iT..'ii..Ti .4 !iir-

Kir-I n.lairan.- lnfanir>'. ll^riy i>n.M.o<nl tn tlx- firhl In ruluut-i H. It. MitrluH. a iTt-ran .>f iLp ni-hinc l)i>' mnuiviit nkiili hull rli- l.-«ti>-T i!...r-

mii,iiLin.| nl a bnii-Mh: h- h-J it at (li-lty^hun. if-i. n War. At thv 6m IkiiiIi- in tli' W.-i. laliiy t>JI .4 aiiy intaii'n' .Te:.T>if:iii'.ii in ■>.<'

Kh'-rn it n'H-iv.Hl ifai' Cull f'lr^ ul IVkrti'j Wiiri « x Tn-rb. M.^ . \uAi.-t in. l-iil'. In- va< army. Thi- kilk ilH-l'i;<h N.'h lluiM"l:io. >-.iti-

i-hinc un f'-iu^t-iy ltuln>. July :t. ]>iii3. II- WM TtHin.lr.1. Ai ilf l.aitU- -.( I^■^>'vlltl^ Ittipadivr- niandiil l>)-('uU.u-I K. K. i.'ni'.^ I'].- Filth ivn:-l

bn'vi^iol niui»r-iP-u>ral an.1 Ml at FaimTillr. Uvmral Mi:<'h<'ll n.ii.n.BiiO-'d u •livl^ion in M>^ i:iihr-.\>ii,v..<ili.'l>,.T.ii,a.-, .M i'»'r>.l>un.('«l-

.ra A(jponiaf..i Itiv.T. Vu.. Afril 7. I»«o. Iwu C.v.VV Citi.- .iiwl miiirlit d.-|--rat.1y l» lu.hl lli.- nnf| Cr.", .^.i..ii.3n.l,.,i Hbripad. .«1.i.1mi;.Iii.|...1

■i[i>-<1.'f.>r>'i1i>'~iirr-'nrl-rat App>.nritlox. CiMi- IV->lt'ral U'll flank aii^iin-t a -inld-n un.l il.— llu- Fillli N. llani|^bir". ^ihI om^ killxl ul

rridy lor thr fii-ld in (hp siiitiiiuT of Isiil.
Wilwn's Cnvk, Mlwniri. AinEiut in, IMi], ih.

miliMry orxniiizatiii

■•■,\\ 1,. nrtii.. unil »iiioti|i iiN riiM '-cjnlriliiiiMXi ..I Imxliorr- Ic> botli llii- hVitrrsI i

.~.l<lU'r> wa^ Ci<'uri9' 11. Sifiiiirt, uIk. I"<1 ;i kil- nrmii-s. Mui.>r-<;<MU'nil fiix.rjn

Ciliiin iiT.™ llii' l^rt.llI,lll• i-uriy in KMU. Th.'«' C. ». A„ wa« Ii»

lutii'ric'H of ArL!in- MaoinnikT' f.>U4ili1 .it FirKl Dull Itiin. ur Muiuh- TIikiiihh I.. C'ritl.'iHl

uiirr-Ciwrnl N. I), nix, nii<l Ij-o'n army ut lV'tt'i>l>iirs iTKiiulvil Man'- niuiiiiiitc |H>1itiiiiilv i

I Hi'ciily n'iKiniK- Iniicl lr.xi|>. iiiiitiT itriimclU'r-Cii'iii-rul Sipiiurl. tin- HIih- Craxn Slnl<- will (<.rly-iiinr n-eiiiii-nlii,

CimfHrnli^ iirniii-x I>iirinK llu' nurtliu tillli- burdiT Muf. |H>1i1iiii1Jy iiulluliiinri. unil IhIK^'m nni»i iLr biinliT «> up-

iwTi'nOH.n (CI llH' Fr^Tnix. Tlie Stnt<' wua nciitRi], A'nl fix xiiiiirnti' t>riuiniiiiii<in.i< lu thi- hidclIiH-Slard^nilllHre.uiicliiiuiitprnflviihty dIbU

intiy KTnwi-nl.il in liip .Vriiiy erf NiirihiTn (Nmkili-rali-M in Virjiiniu. and iniii'Ii-ml Ihirty- uruui i» Imltli- nnmnil Ihu Slam and Wri|ii'x and

inia, nuUlily at Anlielum and (ii-tlynbiirg. Rv tuc iIh- IVcIi-riL rnniii.'' uniL liir Uirul di'h^nac priitii'l Ihr rflali' fninj Ciuifcdrrnti.' inrursioDB.

:1 Cnnii'il-Tiiie
3 II, C-titleutlrn,
[ MajirMivm-nJ
^. AlthiHiiih n-

HAXSCI\[,
Thr Iwt iif ihf

■Akni.

r[.KIll[

F TKNN?;SSK]-:

Tied with the pi'iiH-em in the xpirit oilh nhiih It fiimixluvl Iur('ii1}--unc uiilituTj' i<rEaniuliiin!< ddiwiwih, liiditiiiit hiTuii-nlly i>n Trnnexn-r w>il.

it enleml llw war. Wilb thi' l''ir!<l North C'iir.>- In thr- fcmfiilrniti- t'lrci-x. uid tlmiinihiiiit thi< Al Shilob, Clrbunte'i briiiHili'. and uI Murlirni-

iinn, Liru(.-<^. MhII W. KunHini wm un ihi^ wHTniuintuinniluviininiUMhiinirdi-lensi'. Itslnn^ b'iru, Clint lanmiKD, anil Franklin, Majur^ii'n^&l

firins-Unc e»rly in I^SIil. ['nd<'r bix U'lul.-txliip iiu»« xoldii-r In take Iho fu'ld nbrn tlu' t*tM<- win P. 11. CkhutneV diviHitin luund Ibi- pi>xl of

M brisBdier-ceneral, North Canilinianx rarri'-d itH'niui'd by a ntniiiK Fi-di-rsl I'ljH'diliun in Fi-b- beiniir. At Franklin Ibia mllunt Irixliman "Thn

the Man anil Itnrs un all Ihi- gn'al ImltLrKcklx ruuiy, IWI. van Brigailirr^ii-nrrai Jcw-ph FiiiF- 'Slnni'wnlt' Jark»iil uf Iho KVat." IrJ Ti'nni*-

of the Army nl N'onbirn \'indnia. Thi' Slali' tan. Haxllly eatlimnit M-utteml ih'tui'hmriil*, N-<'unx f.n' ih« ln»t timi! anil Ml rhiw In Ibe

4^1 arBt;aling % Jrln^ral l&akmistts

and Twentieth Slassachusetts, followed by longing hearts and
admiring eyes, for rumors from Edwards' Ferry told of fre-
quent forays of Virginia horse, and the stories were believed
and these noted regiments envied by those held back here for
other duty. The Fortieth New York, too, had gone — Tam-
many Hall's contribution to the Union cause — Tammany that
a year back had been all pro-slaver\'. Something told the fel-
lows that grand opportunity awaited those favored regiments,
and something like a pall fell over the stunned and silent camps
wlien late October brought the news of dire disaster at Ball's
Bluff. Baker, the brave Union leader, the soldier-senator, the
hero of Cerro Gordo, the intimate friend of Abraham Lincoln,
shot dead, pierced by many a bullet — Raymond Lee and many
of his best officers wounded or captured — the Fifteenth and
Twentieth JIassachusetts tricked, ambushed, and driven in be-
wilderment into the Potomac, brave and battling to the last,
yet utterly overwhelmed.

No wonder there was talk of treacherj'! Xo wonder the
young faces in our ranks were grave and sad ! Big Bethel, Bull
Run, Bali's Bluff — three times had the Federals clashed with
these nimble foenien fropi the South, and every clash had
wrought humiliation. Xo wonder the lessons sank home, for
young hearts are impressionable, and far more than half the
rank and file of the Army of the Potomac was under twenty-
one — far more than a third not then nineteen years of age.
With all its fine equipment, its rapidly improving arms, its
splendid spirit that later endured through every trial, defeat
and disaster, with all its drills, discipline, and preparation, the
army East and West — Potomac, Ohio, or Tennessee, had yet
to learn the bitter lessons of disastrous battle, had yet to with-
stand the ordeal by fire. It took all the months of that forma-
tive period, and more, to fit that army for the fearful task
before it, but well did it learn its lesson, and nobly did it do its
final duty.

PART I
SOLDIER LIFE

GLIMPSES OF

THE CONFEDERATE

ARMY

THE FIRST HISTORICAL PUBLICATION OF SCENES PHOTOGRAPHED WITHIN
THE CONFEDERATE LINES, DURING THE* CIVIL WAR, UAT BE FOUND IN THE
ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE CHAPTERB BT ADMIRAL FRENCH E. CHADWICE AND
GENERAL MARCOS J. WRIGHT, ON PAGES 86-110 OF VOLUME I. HORB OF
SUCH PKEVIOOBLT UNPUBLISHED PHOTOGRAPHS APPEAR IN VOLUME HI,
PAGES 16^171. WITH THE THREE CHAPTERS THAT FOLLOW ARE PRESENTED
AN EVEN LARGER NUMBER OF WAR-TIME CONFEDERATE PHOTOGRAPHS. ALL
THE SERIES ABOVE REFERRED TO WERE NEVER BEFORE REPRODtJCBD, OR
EVEN collected; in FACT, THE VERY EXISTENCE OF SUCH FAITHFUL CON-
TEMPORARY RECORDS REMAINED UNKNOWN TO HOST VETERANS AND HIS-
TORIANS UNTIL THE PUBLICATION OF THIS "PHOTOGRAPHIC HI8TOHY." THE
OPPORTUNITY THUS FURNISHED TO STUDY THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE CON-
FEDERACY AS THEY CAMPED AND DRILLED AND PREPARED FOR WAB IS (JNIQUB.

A VIVID r.LlMlVK OF THE CONFEDERATK ARMY"

1861

This spirited pliotD^'riiph liy Kilwiinls of Now Orleans supjn^sts iiiorc tliiiii viiKiitu" of history (.tMilil tell of
the eiitlm^iasiii, tlio Iiopr, witli wliii-li the yoiiiiii Cniifederjite volunteer*, with their C|UOi-riy varie^'ated

eqiiii)iiietit.spr;inL'l.>ilu-.l.-r.-n-.-..r'llLi-irliiii.ii(i "(il. Aroiiiiil tlii- lo<-iility in Fli.ri.|;i .--.iii.- of the very earliest
operation- ■vnt. ■ml. Fori M.Ii.-r :muI tlie a.Ija.riil l.att.T!e< lia.I |i;i-.-;.-i! iiiln C.nlVii.Tiil.- hau.U .m Jaiuiary
H. ISIil. wlieti I.i,-iileii;iiH A.laiu .1. SlenllmT with.lrew with hi, ei;;lity-1«o rii.-n 1o Full Pirk.-n- in l'eiLs;l.-ola
Harbor. The laek of euii\e»tioiial military uniformity .-howu abo\e must not Ik- tliuu^ht exceptional. Con-

INSIDE TllK liATTKRY NORTH OF FORT M< IIEK AT FKNSACOIA

federate eaiiips jind iticti in peruTi
ill liliie. We:i|MHis, liiiwewr, witi
biisi)y [)<>lis)iiiiK tlirir iimskcls. swi
and"tattered iiniforriis" wx-iil togcl

1 pretended t<) iiotliinn likr llie " sniartiiess " of the wfll-i'<|uii>ped Ikivs
(■are<i for. All llinnif-'h llic Simtheni eamps, soldiers ciniid l>o found
>rd,s, and liuvdnets witli wiwd aslio.-; woU nioUtened. "IJriglit ninskets"
liiT in Hie Army nt Nurtliern Virginia. Swords, too, were iiriglit in Florida,

judging fnim iKe two young volunteers flourishing theirs in the photograph. Tliis i.s one of the liatteries
which later bombarded Fort Pickens and the Union fleet. It was held by the Confederates until May i, lB(i4.

GLIMPSES OF THE CONFEDERATE
ARMY

By Randolph H. McKim, D.D.

I^te First Lieutenant, atui A. D. C. 3d Brigade, Army of Xorthem Vtrginia

[This chapter was prepared by Dr. McKim at the request of the Editors
of the " Photofrraphic Historv of the Civil AVar " to describe the Confederate
amir from the standpoint of the individual and to bring out conditions under
which the war waa waged by that army, as well as to show the differcTtces
between those conditions and the life and activity of the Union anny. The
following pages are written under the limitations imposed by these conditions.]

RITERS on the Civil War frequently speak of the

most illustrious leaders of that army, Robert E. Lee and
" Stonewall " Jackson, to name no more, were in fact opposed
to secession; though when Virginia at length withdrew from
the Union, they felt bound to follow her. I think it likely
indeed that a verj' large proportion of the conspicuous and
successful officers, and a like proportion also of the men who
fought in the ranks of the Confederate armies were likewise
originally Union men — opposed, at any rate, to the exercise of
the right of secession, even if they believed that the right
existed.

It will be remembered that months elapsed between the
secession of the Gulf States and that of the great border States.
Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, which furnished so
large a proportion of the soldiers who fought for the Southern
Confederacy. But, on the 15th of April, 1861, an event oc-
curred which instantly transformed those great States into Se-
cession States — the proclamation of Abraham Lincoln calling

1108]

7»^

^fe

THE DRUM-MAJOR OF THE FHIST VIRGINIA. APRm, 1861

C. R. M. PohU of Richmond, Virginia. <lrum-inaji>r of the crai^k Richmond re^ment. the Rrat Virppja, prctented a magnifictnt light
mdeedawhen thia photograph waa taken in April. 18G1. The Army of Northern Virginia did not find banda and bcknldn hats preferable
to food, and both the former soon dinappearcd. while the supply of the latter became only intermittrat. Btuidt, however, still played
thar put now^and then in the Virginia men's fighting. David Homer Bates records that when Early deacmded on WaiJiington a scout
npocted to General Hardin at Fort Stevens: "The enemy are preparing to make a grand assault on thia fort to-ni^t. They are
tearing down fences and are moving to the right, their bands playing. Can't you hurry up the Sixth Corps?" Hany of the regiments
raised among men of wealth and culture in the larger cities of the Confederacy were splendidly equipped at the outset of the war.
Obtain Alexander Duncan of the Georpa Hussars, of Savannah, is authority lor the statement that the i^iment spent tU,000 on its
mitial outfit. He also adds that at the doae of tbe war the uniforma of thU ocanpany would have bma^ about twenty-five cents.

linqtaeB of tlft CSon&bfrate Antig

upon them to furnisli their quota of troops to coerce the se-
ceded States back into the Union. Even the strongest Fed-
eraHsts, like Hamilton, liad, in the discussions in the Consti-
tutional Convention, utterly repudiated and condemned the
coercion of a State. It was not strange, then, that the summons
to take up arms and march against their Southern brethren,
aroused deep indignation in these States, and instantly trans-
formed them into secession states. But for that proclamation,
the Southern army would not have been much more than half
its size, and would have missed its greatest leaders.

A glance at its persoimel will [)erhai)s be instructive. In
its ranks are ser\'ing side by side the sons of the plain farm-
ers, and the sons of the great landowners — the Southern aristo-
crats. Not a few of the men who are carrying muskets or
ser\'ing as troopers are classical scholars, the flower of the
Soutliern universities. In an interval of the suspension of hos-
tilities at the battle of Cold Harbor, a private soldier lies on
the ground poring over an Arabic granmiar — it is Crawford
H. Toy, who is destined to become the famous professor of
Oriental languages at Han-ard University. In one of the
battles in the Valley of Virginia a volunteer aid of General
John B. Gordon is severely wounded — it is Basil L. Gilder-
sleeve, who has left his professor's chair at the University of
Virginia to ser\-e in the field. He still lives (1911), wearing
the laurel of distinction as the greatest Grecian in the English-
s[)eaking world. At the siege of Fort Donelson, in 1862, one
of the heroic captains who yields up his life in the trenches is
the Reverend Dabney C. Harrison, who raised a company in
his own Virginia parish, and entered the army at its head. In
the Southwest a lieutenant-general falls in battle — it is Gen-
eral Leonidas Polk, who laid aside his bishop's robes to become
a soldier, having been educated to arms at West Point.

It is a striking fact that when Virginia threw in her lot
with her Southern sisters in April, 1861, practically the whole
bodv of students at her State University, 515 out of 530 who

1110]

CONFEDERATE VOLINTEERS
OF "ei— OFFICERS OF THE
"NOTTAWAY GRAYS'"
After John Brown's at tempt at
Harper'a Ferry, the people ot thp
border elatca begun to [urm inLlitBiy
companies in almost every county and
o imiform, arm. and drill thtni. In
the beginning, each of these componica
bore some de«ignatiou iosteiid uf a
company letter. Tbere were various
"Guards." "Gniya," and "Riflea" —
the last a ludicroiis misuonier. the
""ri6es" being mostly represented by
fiint-lock muskets, dating Froin the
War of IBie. resurret-tpd from Stale
aracnala and ranging the old "buek
and ball" unimuDiUon. "caliber '89."
On this and the following illustration
page are shown some members uf

CAIT.U.V II. CONNALLY

( "ompuny G, Eighteenth Virginia
Hi'giment. first ealled NotUvay RiBe
(iuunls and afterward Nottaway
llmys. The (vnipany wiis organised
.in the Ifth of January. IHBI.
uriginiil roll was sifjni'd by fifty m
April 13, IMtll, iU services w
tendered to Governor Letchci '
repel every hostile demonstration,
either tipon Virginia or the Con-
federate Stales." This sentiment of
home defense animated the Con-
federate armies to heiuie deeds,
company from Xoltaway, for example,
was active in every importnnt combat
with the Army of Northern Virginia;
yet it was composed of citizens wl
had. with possibly one exception, i
military education, and who, but f
llie exigencies nl the time, would
never have joined a oiilitary company.

rAPTAIN AR( H. CAMPBELL

(^1 ItmjfBM of tiff ffiimfiebf ralf Armg

were registered from the Southern States, enlisted in the Con-
federate army. This army thus represented the whole
Southern people. It was a self-le\'j' en masse of the male popu-
lation in all save certain mountain regions in Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.

One gets a perhaps new and surprising conception of the
diaraeter of the rank and file of the Southern army in such
incidents as the following: Here are mock trials going on in
the moot-court of a certain artillery company, and the discus-
sions are pronounced by a competent authority " brilliant and
powerful." Here is a group of privates in a Marjiand in-
fantrj' regiment in winter-quarter huts near Fairfax, "X'irginia ;
and among the subjects discussed are the following: Vattel and
Philmore on international law; Humboldt's works and trav-
els; the African explorations of Barth; the influence of climate
on the human features; the culture of cotton; the laws relating
to properly. Here are some Virginia privates in a howitzer
company solemnly officiating at the burial of a tame crow;
and the exercises include an English speech, a Latin oration,
and a Greek ode!

These Confederate armies must present to the historian
who accepts the common view that the South was fighting for
the perpetuation of the institution of slaverj' a difficult — in fact,
an insoluble — problem. How could such a motive explain the
solidarity of the diverse elements that made up those armies?
The Southern planter might fight for his slaves; but why the
poor white man, who had none? How could slavery generate
such devotion, such patient endurance, such splendid heroism,
such unconquerable tenacity through four long years of pain-
fully unequal struggle? The world acknowledges the superb
valor of the men who fought under the Southern Cross — and
the no less superb devotion of the whole people to the cause of
the Confederacy.

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt has written, " The world has
never seen better soldiers than those who followed Lee."

LIKI'TKN'ANT
R. FKHCl'SON

IJKITKNANT

E. H. MLSE

I-IKITENANT
AL. CAMPBELL

COMPANY G

OF THE

EIGHTEENTH VIRGINIA

'■OLD IRONSIDES-

A liKik ill Ihesf frank, stniigh (forward features coDveys at ii
giiiin-e tbe tjilibt-r uf Ihc pprajnacl in the Anny of Northi-m
\'irKiuia. Goiid Aincrinin furrs tiiey are. with good old-fmhiotntl
Angiu-Suxon numca — CHmplx-ll, Ferguson, Hordj-, Irby, Sydnor.
They took part in the first batlie ol Bull Run, and "Isjitpd
powder." In the fall of '6 1 Flret-Li-eutenant Richard Irby resigni'ii
to take his sent in the General Assembly of Virginia, but on April if).
186^. be was back as captain of the company. He was woundiil
twice at .Second Manassas and died at last of prison tei'er. Coni-
l)iiu>' ti took part in Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. Of the men
nlui nent into the batlle, only six came out unhurt. Eleven were
killed or mortally wounded, and nineteen were wounded. The
eiiiiiimny fought to the bitter end: CaptHin Cauipbell (page 11 1 1
wai killed at Sailor's Creek, only three days before Appomallcn:.

LIKITENANT
SAMI'EL IIAHDV

CAPTAIN
P. P. ROWLETT

CAPTAIN
RICHARD IRBY

UEUTENANT
i. D. CRENSHAW

LIEUTENANT

J. E. raviN

COLOR-SERGEANT
E. G. SYDNOR

General Hooker has testified that " for steadiness and efficiency "
Lee's army was unsurpassed in ancient or modern times. " We
have not been able to rival it." And General Charles A. Whit-
tier of Massachusetts has said, " The Army of Northern Vir-
ginia will deser^'edly rank as the best army which has existed on
this continent, suffering privations unknown to its opponent."

Xor is it credible that such valor and such devotion were
inspired by the desire to hold their fellow men in slavery? Is
there any example of such a phenomenon in all the long records
of history?

Consider, too, another fact for which the historians must
assign a sufficient motive. On the bronze tablets in the rotunda
of the University of Virginia, memorializing the students who
fell in the great war. there are upwards of five hundred names,
and, of these, two hundred and thirtj'-three were still privates
when they fell ; so that, considering the number of promotions
from the ranks, it is certain that far more than half of those
alunmi who gave up their lives for the Southern cause, volun-
teered as private soldiers. They did not wait for place or
office, but unhesitatingly entered the ranks, with aU the hard-
ships that the sen'iee involved.

Probably no army ever contained more young men of
high culture among its private soldiers — graduates in arts, in
letters, in languages, in the physical sciences, in the higher
mathematics, and in the learned professions — as the army that
fought under the Southern Cross. And how cheerful— how
uncomplaining — how gallant they were! They marched and
fought and stan-ed, truly without reward. Eleven dollars a
month in Confederate paper was their stipend. Flour and
bacon and peanut-coffee made up their bill of fare. The hard
earth, or else three fence-rails, tilted up on end, was their bed,
their knapsacks their pillows, and a flimsy blanket their cov-
ering. The starry firmament was often their only tent. Their
clothing — well, I cannot describe it. I can only say it was " a
thing of shreds and patches," interspersed with rents.

A FINE-LOOKING GROUP OF CONFEDERATE OFFICERS

The officers in camp at the east end of Sullivan's Island, near Charleston, illustrate forcibly Dr. McKim's
description of the personnel of the Confederate army. The preservation of the photo^aph is due to the
care of the Washington Light Infantry of Charleston, S. C, in which these men were officers. To the left
stands M. Master, and in front of him are Lieutenant Wilkie, R. Choper, and Lieutenant Lloyd. Faring
them is Captain Simmonton, and the soldier shading his eyes with bis hand is Gibbs Blackwood. It is
easy to see from their fine presence and bearing that these were among the many thousands of Southerners
able to distinguish themselves in civil life who nevertheless sprang to bear arms in defense of their native
soil. " In an interval of the suspension of hostilities at the battle of Cold Harbor," writes Randolph H.
McKim in the text of this volume, "a private soldier lies on the ground poring over an Arabic grammar^
it is Crawford H. Toy, who is destined to become the famous professor of Oriental languages at Harvard
University, In one of the battles in the Valley of Vir^nia, a volunteer aid of General John B. Gordon is
severely wounded — it is Basil L. Gildersleeve, who has left his professor's chair at the University of Vir-
ginia to serve in the field. He still lives (1911), wearing the laurel of distinction as the greatest Gredan
in the English-speaking world. At the siege of Fort Donelson, in 1862, one of the heroic captains who
yields up his life in the trenches is the Reverend Dabney C. Harrison, who raised a company in his own
Virginia parish and entered the army at its head. In the Southwest a lieutenant-general falb in
battle — it is General Leonidas Polk, who laid a«de bis bishop's robes to become a soldier in the field."

limtiBPB of tiff (HatdtlitmiB Armg

But this was not all. They had not even the reward which
is naturally dear to a soldier's heart — I mean the due recog-
nition of gallantrj' in action. By a strange oversight there was
no provision in the Confederate army for recognizing either by
decoration or by promotion on the field, distinguished acts of
gallantry. No " Victoria Cross," or its equivalent, rewarded
even the most desperate acts of valor.

Xow with these facts before him, the historian will find it
impossible to believe that these men drew their swords and did
these heroic deeds and bore these incredible hardships for four
long years for the sake of the institution of slavery. Ever^'one
who was conversant, as I was duiing the whole war, with
the opinions of the soldiers of the Southern army, knows that
they did not wage that tremendous conflict for slavery. That
was a subject verj' little in their thoughts or on their lips.
Not one in twenty of those grim veterans, who were so terrible
on the battlefield, had any financial interest in slavery'. No,
they were fighting for liberty, for the right of self-government.
They believed the Federal authorities were assailing that right.
It was the sacred heritage of Anglo-Saxon freedom, of local
self-government, won at Runnymede, which they believed in
peril when they fiew to arms as one man, from the Potomac to
the Rio Grande. They may have been right, or they may have
been wrong, but that was the issue they made. On that they
stood. For that they died.

Not until this fact is realized by the student of the great
war will he have the solution of the problem which is presented
by the qualities of the Confederate soldier. The men who
made up that army were not soldiers of fortune, but soldiers
of duty, who dared all that men can dare, and endured all
that man can endure, in obedience to what they believed the
sacred call of Country. They loved their States; they loved
their homes and their firesides; they were no politicians; many ^^^^SZ
of them knew little of the warring theories of Constitutional "^-^

interpretation. But one thing they knew — armed legions were

TALENTED YOUNG VOLUNTEERS UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS
IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE WAR

There u an artist among the young Confederate volunteers, judging from the device on the tent, and the
musitnans are betrayed by the violin and bugle. This photograph of '61 is indicative of the unanimity with
which the young men of the South took up the profession of arms. An expensive education, music, art,
study abroad, a knowledge of modem and ancient languages — none of these was felt an excuse against
enlisting in the ranks, if no better opportunity offered. As the author of the accompanying article recoUa:
"When Virginia threw in her lot with her Southern sisters in April, 1861, practically the whole body of students
at her State University, 515 out of 530 men who were registered from the Southern States, enlisted in the
Confederate army. This army thus represented the whole Southern people. It was a self-levy en vuuse
of the male population." The four men in the foreground of the photograph are H. H. Williams, Jr., S. B.
Woodberry, H, I. Greer, and Sergeant R. W, Greer of the Washington Lif^t Infantry tA Charleston, S. C.

lijtqifipfi 0f % OlmtfrJiif rate Armg * -^

mardiing upon their homes, and it was their dutj* to hurl them
back at any cost !

Such were the private soldiers of the Confederacj' as I
knew them. Not for fame or for glorj', not lured by ambi-
tion or goaded by necessitj', but, in simple obedience to duty as
they understood it, these men suffered all, sacrificed all, dared
all — and died ! I would like to add a statement which doubt-
less will appear paradoxical, but which my knowledge of those
men, through many campaigns, and on many fields, and
in many camps, gives me, I think, the right to make with
confidence, viz.: the dissolution of the Union icas not tvhat
the Southern soldier had chiefly at heart. The establishment
of the Southern Confederacy rvas not, in his mind, the supreme
issue of the conflict. Both the one and the other were sec-
ondary to the preservation of the sacred right of self-govern-
ment. They tcere means to the end, not the end itself.

I place these statements here in this explicit manner be-
cause I believe they must be well considered by the student of
the war, in advance of all questions of strategy, or tactics, or
political policy, or racial characteristics, as explanatory' of what
the Confederate armies achieved in the campaigns and battles
of the titanic struggle.

The spirit — the motives — the aims— of the Southern sol-
dier constituted the moral lever that, more than anj-ihing else,
controlled his actions and accounted for his achievements.

A conspicuous feature of this Southern army is its Amer-
icanism. Go from camp to camp, among the infantr^s the cav-
alry, the artillery, and you are impressed with the fact that
these men are, with very few exceptions, Americans. Here
and there you will encounter one or two Irishmen. JMajor
Stiles tells a story of a most amusing encounter between two
gigantic Irishmen at the battle of Gettysburg — the one a Fed-
eral Irishman, a prisoner, and the other a Rebel Irishman,
private in the Ninth Louisiana — a duel with fists in the midst

iy~

OFFICERS OF THE WASIIIXtiTOX ARTILLEKV OF NEW ORLEANS

This pilot offraph slioivs officers of the Fifth ('oini»imy. Washington Artillery of New Orleans, in their panoply
of war, shortly iK'fore the battle of Shiloli. On the foUowinK page is a photograph of niembers of the same
organization ius they looked after passing throngli the four terrible years. Nor were sucli foree and ability
as show in the uxpressioiLs of these officers huking in the gray-dad ranks. "And how cheerful — how un-
complaining^liow gallant they were!" Dr. MeKiin records. "They had not even the reward which is
naturally dear to a soldier's heart — I mean the due recognition of gallantry in action. By a strange over-
sight there was no pro\ision in the Confederate army for recognizing, either by decoration or by promotion
on the field, distinguishing acts of gallantrj'. No 'Victoria Cross,' or its equivalent, rewarded even the
most desperate acts of valor." But brave men' need no such artificial incentive to defend their homes.

I limpHf H iif llf0 CUnnfjpfttratf Armg

of the roar of the battle I Very, very rarely you will meet a
German, like that superb soldier, Major Von Borcke, who so
endeared himself to "Jeb" Stuart's cavalry. But these ex-
ceptions only accentuate the broad fact that the Confederate
army was composed almost exclusively of Americans. That
throws some light on its achievements, does it not?

I think the ^-isitor to the Confederate camps would also
be struck by the spirit of bonkommie which so largely pre-
vailed. These " Johnnie Rebs," in their gray uniforms (which,
as the war went on, changed in hue to butternut broT^Ti) are
a jolly lot. They have a dry, racy humor of their own whidi
breaks out on the least provocation. I have often heard them
cracking jokes on the very edge of battle. They were soldier
boys to the bitter end!

General Rodes, in his report, describing the dark and dif-
6cult night-passage of the Potomac on the retreat from Get-
tysburg, says, " All the circumstances attending this crossing
combined to make it an aifair not only involving great hard-
ship, but one of great danger to the men and company officers;
but, be it said to the honor of these brave fellows, they en-
countered it not only promptly, but actually with cheers and
laughter."

On the other hand, some from the remote country districts
were like children away from home. They could not get used
to it — and often they drooped, and sickened and died, just
from nostalgia. In many of the regiments during the first
six months or more of the war, there were negro cooks, but as
time went on these disappeared, except in the officers' mess.
Among the Marylanders, where my service lay, it was quite
different. We had to do our own cooking. Once a week, I
performed that office for a mess of fifteen hungry men. At
first we lived on " slapjacks " — almost as fatal as Federal bul-
lets!— and fried bacon; but by degrees we learned to make
biscuits, and on one occasion my colleague in the culinary
business and I created an apple pie, which the whole mess

1120]

few.

t -?

i&^^S": '.Mif^'^!«R^. 5P^

f; •

->^^?5

iqI^B^^m^^B^^^^!^

"THESE -JOHNNIE REBS' ABE A JOLLY LOT"

^u* quotation from the accompanjing text i.i thoroughly illustratrd by the photograph rrproduccd above. It was taken in 1861
by J. D. Edwaidi. a pioneer camera-man of Now Orleans, witbin the Barbour sand -batteries, aev^ the lighthouse in Pensscola harbor.
Nor wu the Confederate good humor merely of tbe moment. Throughout the war, the men in gray overcame their hardships by a
grim gaiety that broke out on the least pruvocatioD — at times with none at all as when, marching to their armpits in icy water, for
lack of bridges they invented the term "Confederate pontouns" in derision of the Federal engineering apparatus. Or while a Federal
bripde magnificently led— and dad — swept un to the char^. the ragged line in gray, braced against the assault, would crackle into
; laughter with shouts of "Bring on those good breeches!" "Hey, Yank, mi{^t as veil hand me your coat now as l>t«rl**

^l IxmpBtB at tljr ffimifrhrrate Armg

considered a chef d'oeuvre! May I call your attention to those
ramrods ttTapped round with dough and set up on end before
the fire ? The cook turns them from time to time, and, when
well browned, lie withdraws the ramrod, and, lo! a loaf of
bread, three feel long and hollow from end to end.

The general aspect of the Confederate camps compared
unfavorably with those of the men in blue. They were not, as
a rule, attractive in appearance. The tents and camp equi-
page were nothing like so " smart," so spick and span — very far
from it, indeed! Our engineer corps were far inferior, lacking
in proper tools and equipment. The sappers and miners of the
Federal army on Cemetery Hill, at Gettysburg, did rapid and
effective work during the night following the first day's bat-
tle, as they had previously done at Chancellorsville — work
which our men could not begin to match. When we had to
throw up breastworks in the field, as at HagerstonTi, after
Gtettysburg, it had usually to be done with our bayonets.
Spades and axes were luxuries at such times. Bands of music
were rare, and generally of inferior quality; but the men made
up for it as far as they could by a gay inaouciance, and by sing-
ing in camp and on the march. I have seen the men of the
First Marjiand Infanlrj' trudging wearily through mud and
rain, sadly bedraggled by a long march, strike up with great
gusto their favorite song, " Gay and Happy."

So let the wide world wag as it will.
We'll be gay and happy still.

The contrast between the sentiment of the song and the
ennronment of the column was sufficiently striking. In one
respect, I think, our camps had, the advantage of the Union
camps — we had no sutlers, and we had no camp-followers.

But though our camp equipage and equipment were so
inferior to those of our antagonists, I do not think any experi-
enced soldier, watching our marching columns of infantr}' or
cavalrj', or witnessing our brigade drills, could fail to be

CONFEDERATE TYPES— "GAY AND HAPPY STILL"

A conspicuous feature of the Southern army was its Americanism. In every camp, among the infantry, the
cavalry and the artillery, the men were, with few exceptions, Americans. In spite of deprivations, the men
were light-hearted; given a few days' rest and feeding, they abounded in fun and jocularity and were noted
for indulgence in a species of rough humor which found suggestion in the most trivial incidents, and was
often present in the midst of the most tragical circumstances. In so representative a body the type varied
almost as did the individual; the home sentiment, however, pervaded the mass and was the inspiration of
its patriotism — sectional, provincial, call it what you will, Thb was true even in the ranks of those knight-
errants from beyond the border: Missourians. Kentuckians, Marylanders. The last were nameworthy
sons of the sires who had rendered the old "Maryland Line" of the Revolution of 1776 illustrious, and,
looking toward their homes with the foe arrayed between as a barrier, they always cherished the hope of
some day reclaiming those homes— when the war should be over. To many of them the war was over long
before Appomattox — ^when those who had "struck the first blow in Baltimore" also delivered "the last in
Virginia." To the very end they never f^ed to respond to the call of duty, and were — ^to quote thdr
favorite song, sung around many a camp-fire — "Gay and Hiq>py Still. "

UtnpBW nf tiff CHonfrJirratf Armg * *

thrilled by the spectacle they presented. Here at least, there
was no inferiority to the army in blue. The soldierly qualities
that tell on the march, and on the field of battle, shone out here
conspicuously. A more impressive spectacle has seldom been
seen in any war than was presented by " Jeb " Stuart's bri-
gades of cavalry when they passed in review before General
Lee at Brandy Station in June, 1863. The pomp and pa-
geantry of gorgeous uniforms and dazzling equipment of horse
and riders were indeed absent ; but splendid horsemansliip, and
that superb esprit de corps that marks the veteran legion, and
which, though not a tangible or a visible thing, yet stamps itself
upon a marching column — these were unmistakably here. And
I take leave to express my own indi\'idual opinion that the
blue-gray coat of the Confederate officer, richly adorned with
gold lace, and his light-blue trousers, and that rakish slouch-
hat he wore made up a uniform of great beauty. Oh, it was a
gallant array to look upoi — that June day, so many years
ago!

When our infantry soidiers came to a river, unless it was
a deep one, we had to cross it on " Confederate pontoons," i. e.,
by marching right through in column of fours. This, I remem-
ber, we did twice on one day on the march from Culpeper to
Winchester at the opening of the Gettysburg campaign.

Among the amusements in camp, card-playing was of
course included; seven-up and ^-ingt-et-un, I believe, were pop-
ular. And the pipe was " Johnnie Reb's " frequent solace.
His tobacco, at any rate, was the real thing — genuine, no make-
believe, like his coffee. Often there were large gatherings of
the men, night after night, attending prayer-meetings, always
with preaching added, for there was a strong religious tone in
the Army of Northern Virginia. One or two remarkable re-
vivals took place, notably in the winter of 1863-64.

It seems to me, as I look back, that one of the charac-
teristics which stood out strongly in the Confederate army was
the independence and the initiative of the individual soldier.

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ItrajiHPB nf % fflmtfeJipraJe Armg

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It would have been a belter army in the field if it had been
welded together by a stricter discipline; but this defect was
largely atoned for by the strong individuality of the units in
the column. It was not easy to demoralize a body composed
of men who thought for themselves and acted in a spirit of in-
dependence in battle.

It was a characteristic of the Confederate soldier — I do
not say he alone possessed it — that he never considered himself
discharged of his duty to the colors by any wound, however seri-
ous, so long as he could walk, on crutches or otherwise. Look
at that private in the Thirty-seventh Virginia Infanlr\' — he has
been hit by a rifle-ball, which, striking him full between the
eyes, has found its way somehow through and emerged at the
back of his head. But there he is in the ranks again, carr>'ing
his musket — while a deep depression, big enough to hold a good
sized marble, marks the spot where the bullet entered in its
futile attempt to make this brave fellow give up his service
with the Confederate banner! Look at Captain Randolph
Barton, of another Virginia regiment. He is Ii\'ing to-day
(1911) with just about one dozen scars on his body. He would
be wounded; get well; return to duty, and in the verj' next bat-
tle be shot again! Look at that gallant old soldier, General
EweU. Like his brave foeman. General Sickles, be has lost his
leg, but that cannot keep him home; he continues to command
one of Lee's corps to the very end at Appomattox. Look at
Colonel Snowden Andrews of ^Maryland. At Cedar Moun-
tain, in August, 1862, a shell hterally nearly cut him in two;
but by a miracle he did not die; and in June, 1863, there he is
again commanding his artiUen.' battalion! He is bowed
crooked by that awful wound; he cannot stand upright any
more, but still he can fight like a lion.

As you walk through the camps, you will see many of the
men busily polishing their muskets and their bayonets with
wood ashes well moistened. " Bright muskets " and " tattered
uniforms " went together in the Army of Xorthem Virginia.

CONFEDERATES WHO SERVED THE GUNS

MEMBERS OF THE FAMOUS

"WASHINGTON ARTILLERY" OF NEW ORLEANS

The young men of the cities and towns very generally chase the artillery branch of the service for enlistment;
thus. New Orleans sent five batteries, fully e(niipi)e(l, into the field — the famous "Washington Artillery" —
besides some other batteries; and the city of Richmond, which furnished but one regiment of infantry and a
few separate companies, contributed no less than eight or ten full batteries. Few of the minor towns but
claimed at least one. The grade of intelligence of the personnel was rather exceptionally high, so that the
artillery came in time to attain quite a respectable degree of efficiency, especially after the objectionable sys-
tem under which each battery was attached to an infantry brigade, subject to the orders of ita commander, was
abolished and the battery units became organized into battalions and corps commanded by officers of their
own arm. The Confederate artillery arm wa.s less fortunate than the infantry in the matter of equipment,
of course. From start to finish it was under handicap by reason of its lack of trained officers, no less than from
the inferiority of its material, ordnance, and ammunition alike. The batteries of the regular establishment
were, of course, all in the United States service, commanded and served by trained gunners, and were easily
distributed among the volunteer "brigades" by way of "stiffening" to the latter. This disparity was fully
recognized by the Confederates and had its influence in the selection of more than one battle-ground in order
that it nugbt be neutralized by the local condiUons, yet the service was very popular in the Southern army.

ItatpBM of IJjf ffionfobf rate Armg * *

IvT^'^:

Swinton, the historian of the Army of the Potomac, exclaims,
" Who can ever forget, that once looked upon it, that army of
tattered uniforms and bright muskets, that body of incompar-
able infantr}', tlie Army of Xorthern Virginia, which for four
years carried the revolt on their bayonets, opposing a constant
front to the mighty concentration of power brought against
it; which, receiving terrible blows, did not fail to give the like,
and which, vital in all its parts, died only with its annihilation.'*
Apropos of muskets, you will obsen-e that a large portion
of those in the hands of the Confederate soldiers are stamped
" U. S. A." ; and when you visit tlie artillery camps you will note
that the three-inch rifles, the Napoleons, and the Parrott guns,
were most of them " Uncle Sam's " property, captured in bat-
tle; and when you inspect the cavalrj' you will find, after the
first year, that the Southern troops are armed with sabers
captured from the Federals.* During the first year, before the
blockade became stringent, Whitworth guns were brought in
from abroad. But that soon stopped, and we had to look
largely to " Uncle Sam " for our supply.

We used to say in the Shenandoah Valley campaign, of
1862, that General Banks was General Jackson's quartermas-
ter-general — yes, and his chief ordnance officer, too. General
Shields was anotlier officer to whom we were much indebted
for artillerj' and small arms, and later General Pope.f But
these sources of equipment sometimes failed us, and so it came
to pass that some of our regiments were but poorly armed even
in our best brigades. For instance the Third Brigade in
EweU's corps, one of the best-equipped brigades in the army,
entered the Gettysburg campaign with 1,941 men present for

* It is estimated by sur\4\'ing orilnance officers that not less than
two-thirds of the artillery in the Army of Northern Virginia was captured,
especially the S-inch rifles and the 10-pound Parrotts.

t General Gorgas, Chief of the Confederate Ordnance Bureau, stated
that from July 1, 1861, to Jan. 1, 1865, there were issued from the Rich-
mond arsenal 323,231 infantry arms, 34,067 cavalry arms, 44,877 swords
and sabers, and that these were chiefly arms from battlefields, repaired.

^^^^P" "y" •*.-i^^^^^^H

^^^^ir.

THE ONLY KNOWN PHOTOGRAPH OF TEXAS BOYS IN THE ARMY
OF NORTHERN VIRGINU

This group of the sturdy pioneers from Texas, heroes of many a wild charge over the battlefields of Virginia,
has adopted as winter-quarters insignia the words "Wigfall Mess," evidently in honor of General Wigta]),
who came to Vir^nia in command of the Texas contingent. The general was fond of relating an experience
to illustrate the independence and individuality of his "boys." In company with Major-General Whiting
he was walking near the railroad station at Manassas, and, according to wont, had been "cracking up" his
"Lone Star" command, when they came upon a homespun-clad soldier comfortably seated with his hack
agunst some baled hay, his musket leaned against the same, and contentedly smoking a pipe. The two
officers passed with only the recognition of a stare from the sentry, and Whiting satirically asked Wigfall
if that was one of his people, adding that he did not seem to have been very well instructed as to his duty,
To his surprise the Texan general then addressed the soldier: "What are you doing here, my man? " " Nothin'
much," replied the man; "jes' kinder takin' care of this hyar stuff." "Do you know who I am, sir?" asked
the general. " Wall, now, 'pears like I know your face, but I can't jes' call your name — ^who is you? " " I'm
Genera] Wigfall," with some empham. Without rising from his seat or removing his pipe, the sentry
extended his hand: "Gin'ral, I'm pleased to meet you — my name's Jones." Less than a year later, this same
man was probably among those who stormed the Federal entrenchments at Gaines' Mill, of whom "Stone-
waD" Jackson said, on the field after the battle: "The men who carried (Aw pontion were soldiers indeedl"

ItntpHM of tiff fflnnfipJirralf Anng

duty, but only 1,480 muskets and 1,069 bayonets. But this
was not all, or the worst. Our artiUerj' ammunition was in-
ferior to that of our antagonists, which was a great handicap to
our success.

When General Alexander, Lee's chief of artillerj' at
GJettysburg, was asked why he ceased firing when Pickett's
infantrj' began its charge — why he did not continue shelling
the Federal lines over the heads of the advancing Confederate
column; he replied that his ammunition was so defective, he
could not calculate with any certainty where the shells would
explode; they might explode among Pickett's men, and so
demoralize rather than support them. It will help the reader
to realize the inequality in arms and equipment between the
two armies to watch a skirmish between some of Sheridan's
cavalrj' and a regiment of Fitzhugh Lee. Obsen'e that the
Federal cavalrjTnan fires his rifle seven times without reload-
ing, while the horseman in gray opposed to him fires but once,
and then lowers his piece to reload. One is armed with the
Spencer repeating rifle; the other with the old Sharp's rifle.

In another engagement (at Winchester, September 19,
186-4), see that regiment of mounted men give way in dis-
order before the assault of Sheridan's cavalrj-, and dash back
through the infantn,'. Are these men cowards? No, but they
are armed with long cumbrous rifles utterly unfit for mounted
men, or with double-barreled shotguns, or old squirrel-rifles.
What chance has a regiment thus armed, and also miser-
ably mounted, against those well-armed, well-equipped, well-
mounted, and well-disciplined Federal cavalrj'men ? *

Another featiu* of the conditions prevailing in the Con-
federate army may be here noted. Look at Lee's veterans as

*Tbe arms and equipment of the Confederate army will be found fully
discussed by Professer J. W. Mallet, late Superintendent of the Ordnance
Laboratories of the Confederate States, and Captain O. E. Hunt, U.S.A.,
in a chapter on the " OrganiEation and Operation of the Ordnance Depart-
ment of the Confederate Army " in the volume on " Forts and Artillery."
11301

L-:

AMUSEMENTS IN A CONFEDERATE CAMP— 18M

Thia CMit)^ ot Confcderale pickets on Stono Inlet near Charleston, S. C, was photographed by George S. Cook,
the MUM artist who risked his life taking photogniphs ol Fort Sumter. It illustrates the soldiers' methods of
entertaining themselveB when time lay he«vy on their bauds. Among the amusements in camp, card-playing
was of course inrluded. "Seven-up" and "Vingt-et-un" were popular. And the pipe was "Johnnie Reh's"
frequent solace. His tobacco, at any rate, was the real thing — genuine, no make-believe, like hit coffee. Often
one might see large gatherings of the men night after night attending prayer-meetings, always with [vesching
added, for there was a, strong religious tone among Southern soldirrii. espeeially in the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia. One or two remarkable rcnvala took place, notably in the winter ot 1865-64. That this photograph wa*
Uken eariy in the war is indicated by the pifsenro of the Negroes. The one with an axe seems about to d»i^ firewood
tor the use of the cooks. A little later. "Johnnie Reb" considered himself fortunate if he had anything to cook.

IxntpBtB nf tl|j Cnnfriipratf Armg * *

they inarch into Pennsylvania, in June, 1863. See how many
of them are barefooted — -literally hundreds in a single division.
The great battle of Gettysburg was precipitated because CJen-
eral Heth had been informed that he could get shoes in that
little town for his barefooted men !

These hardships became more acute as the war advanced.
and the resources of the South were gradually exhaustedj while
at the same time the blockade became so effective that her ports
were hermetically sealed against the world. ^\'ith what grim
determination the Confederate soldier endured cold and naked-
ness and hunger I need not attempt to descrilw. but there was
a trial harder than all these to endure, which came upon him
in the fourth year of the war. Letters began to arrive from
home telling of food scarcity on his little farm or in the cabin
where he had left his wife and children. Brave as the Southern
women were, ricli and ]xx>r ahke, they could not conceal al-
together from their husbands the sore straits in which they
found themselves. Many could not keep back the cry: " What
am I to do? Food is hard to get. There is no one to put in
the crop, God knows how I am to feed the children! "

So a strain truly terrible was put upon the loyalty of the
private soldier. lie was almost torn asunder between love for
his wife and children and fidelity to the flag under which he was
serving. What wonder if hundreds, perhaps thousands, in
those early spring months of 1865, gave way under the pres-
sure, shpped out of the Confederate ranks, and went home to
put in the crop for their httle families, meaning to return to
the colors as soon as that was done! Technically, they were
deserters, but not in the heart or faith, poor fellows! Still,
for Lee's army the result was disastrous. It was seen in the
thinning ranks that opposed Grant's mighty host, week after
week. This is the South's explanation of the fact, which the
records show, that while at the close of the war there were
over a milhon men under arms in the Federal armies, the ag-
gregate of the Confederates was but 133,433.

[132 J

il^

RUINS OF THE TREDEGAH IRON WORKS IN RICHMONU. APRIL. 1805— THE MAIN FACTOKY
l-X)R HEAVY CANNON IN THE SOCTII

The Tredegar Iron Works
in Richmond was prm-tically
the only factory lor cannon
in Ihc South, especially tor
piecesofheavycaliber. This
supplied one ot the chief
reasons for the Confederate
GovemmeDt's orders to
bold Richmond at alt haz-
ards. Thus the strategy of
Confederate generals was
hampered and conditioned,
through the circumstance
th«t Richmond contained in
the Tred^sr Works almost
the o6\y means of supply-
ing the South with cannon.
Augusta, Georgia, where
the gretit powder factory
o( the Confederacy was lo-
cated, was another most
important point. Military
strategists have dehated
why Sherman did not turn
ande in his march to the
■M in order to destroy this
fMtory. Augusta was pre-
pued to make a (tout do-

AFTER THE GREAT RICHMOND FIBB

fcnse, and the Confedenu?
was olrendy crumbling at
this time. The Union ar-
mies K'erc fast closing about
Richmond, and possibly
Shcnnan regarded such an
attempt as a work of supn-
erogalion and a useless sac-
rifice of life. Only « few
months more, and Ricb>
mond was to fall, with a
conflagraticn that totally
demoliabcd the Tredegar
Works. Colonel John W.
Clarke, of llOS Greene
Street, an old mhabitant of
Augusta, who made an ea-
cellent record in the CoD-
federste array, tells <d •
stoiy cnirent in that ci^
that the sparing of Augusta
was a matter of sentiment.
Sherman recalled his former
connection with the local
Military Academy for
boya. and that here dwelt
some of his former twcet-
iKwti Bul v*lned fricndi.

linqtBf B of % fflmtffiiirrate Antu] * *

How could an army so poorly equipped, so imperfectly
armed, so ill fed and ill clothed, win out in a contest with an
army so vastly its superior in numbers and so superbly armed
and equipped?* How could an agricultural people, unskilled
in the mechanical arts, therefore unable to supply properly its
armies with munitions and clothing, prevail against a great,
rich, manufacturing section like the North, whose foreign and
domestic trade had never been so prosperous as during the
great war it was waging from 1861 to 1865?

Remember, also, that by May, 1862, the armies of the
Union were in permanent occupancj- of western and middle
Tennessee, of nearly the whole of Louisiana, of parts of Flor-
ida, of the coast of North and South Carolina and of south-
eastern, northern, and western Virginia. Now, the population
thus excluded from the support of the Confederacy amounted
to not less than 1,200,000. It follows that, for the last three
years of the war, the unequal contest was sustained by about
8,800,000 Southern whites with their slaves against the vast
power of the Northern States. And yet none of these consider-
ations furnishes the true explanation of the failure of the Con-
federate armies to establish the Confederacj'. It was not supe-
rior equipment. It was not alone the iron will of Grant, or the
strategy of Sherman. A power mightier than all these held the
South by the throat and slowly strangled its army and its
people. That power was Sea Power. The Federal navy, not
the Federal army, conquered the South.

■" In my opinion," said Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley,
in a private letter to me, dated November 12, 1904, " in my
opinion, as a student of war, the Confederates must have won,
* I do not enter upon the contested question of the numbers serving
in the respective armies. Colonel IJvermore's Numbers and Losses in
the Civil War b the authority relied upon usually by writers on the
Northern side ; but his conclusions have bem strongly, and as many of
us think, successfully challenged by Cazenove G. Lee, in a pamphlet
entitled Acts of the Republicau Party as Seen by Hbtory, and published
(in Winchester, 1906) under the pseudo "C. Gardiner."

Mrij|tfm|ajgMi^^pH_ n~jl

^^^^^K7"4

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wK^^^PfS^BE^i^ hHE^m|A^P^9

A FUTURE HISTORIAN. WHILE HISTORY WAS IN THE MAKING— 1864

In the center of this group, taken before Petersbui^, in August, 1864, sit!< Capt^ Charles Francis Adams,
Jr., then of the Krst Massachusetts Cavalry, one of the historians referred to in the text accompanying.
In his oration on General Lee, delivered October 30, 1901, Captain Adams vigorously maint^ns that the
Union was saved not so much by the victories of its armies as by the material exhaustion of the Confed-
eracy; a view ably elaborated by Hilary A. Herbert, former colonel of the Confederate States Army, in an
address delivered while Secretary of the XaVy, at the War College in 1896. A quotation from it appears
on page 88, of Volume I, of the Photociraphic History. In the picture above, the officer on Ciq>tain Adama'
left is Lieutenant G. H. Teague; on bis right is Captain E. A. Flint. The fine equipment of these officers
illustrates the advantage the Northern armies enjoyed through their splendid and never-failing system of
supplies. The First Massachusetts was in active service at the front throughout the war and the condi-
tioiu that Ciq>tain Adams actually witnessed afford a most direct basis for the truth of his concluaioiu.

limpsPB of tijf (Eovifthtr^ Ant^

had the blockade of the Southern ports been removed by us.
... It was the blockade of your ports that killed the Southern
Confederacj', not the action of the Northern armies." Compare
with this mature opinion of the accomplished English soldier
the words of Honorable Hugh McCuUoch, one of l^incoln's
Secretaries of the Treasury. " It was the blockade that isolated
the Confederate States and caused their exhaustion. If the
markets of Europe had been open to them for the sale of their
cotton and tobacco, and the purchase of supplies for their
armies, their subjugation would have been impossible. It was
not by defeats in the field that the Confederates were over-
come, but by the exhaustion resulting from their being shut
up within their own domain, and compelled to rely upon them-
selves and their own production. Such was the devotion of
the people to their cause, that the war would have been success-
fully maintained, if the blockade had not cut oflF all sources of
supply and bankrupted their treasury." Again he says : " It
must be admitted that the Union was not saved by the victo-
ries of its armies, but by the exhaustion of its enemies." Charles
Francis Adams, in his oration on General Lee, vigorously
maintains the same view, and Colonel Hilary A. Herbert, while
Secretary of the Na\y, delivered an elaborate address in 1896,
in which he demonstrated the correctness of that interpretation
of the true cause of the failure of the South.

In concluding, I may recall the well-known fact that the
men in gray and the men in blue, facing each other before
Petersburg, fraternized in those closing months of the great
struggle. A Confederate officer, aghast at finding one night
the trenches on his front deserted, discovered his men were all
over in the Federal trenches, plajnng cards. The rank and file
had made a truce till a certain hour I

/•

///

^'^

PART I
SOLDIER LIFE

THE CONFEDERATE
OF '61

I IN A CONFEOEKA'
CAMP— 1861

■M'

THE CONFEDERATE OF '61

By Allen C. Redwood

Fifly-Jijik Mrginia Regiment, ConfederaU Stale* Armjf

THE ill-fated attempt of John Brown at Harper's Ferry
was significant in more directions than the one voiced
in the popular lyric in the Southern States. The militia sys-
tem had fallen into a condition little less than farcical, but the
effect of Brown's undertaking was to awaken the public sense
to an appreciation of the defenseless condition of the com-
munitj', in the event of better planned and more comprehen-
sive demonstrations of the kind in the future.

Rural populations do not tend readily to organization,
and the Southerner was essentially rural, but under the impetus
above indicated, and with no immediate thought of ulterior
ser\-ice, the people, of the border States especially, began to
form militarj' companies in almost every county, and to uni-
form, arm, and drill them.

The habit and temper of the men, no less than the puta-
tive intent of these organizations, gave a strong bias toward
the cavalry arm. In the cities and larger towns the other
branches were also represented, though by no means in the
usual proportion in any regular establishment. In Virginia
the mounted troops probably outnumbered the infantry and
artillery combined. All were imperfectly armed or equipped
for anything like actual campaigning, but at the beginning
of hostilities a fair degree of drill and some approach to dis-
cipline had been attained, and these bodies formed a nucleus
about which the hastily assembled levies, brought into the field
by the call to arms, formed themselves, and doubtless received
a degree of " stiffening " from such contact.

[1*8]

CONFEDERATES OF '61

THE CLINCH RIFLES 0\ MAY lOTH

NEXT DAY THEY JOINED A REGIMENT DESTINED TO FAME

On the day before they were mustered in as Company A, Fifth Regiment of Georgia Volunteer Infantry,
the Clinch Rifles of Augusta were photographed at their home town. A. K. Clark, the boy in the cent«r
with the drum, fortunately preserved a copy of the picture. Just half a centuiy later, he wrote : "I weighed
only ninety-five pounds, and was so small that they would only take me as a drummer. Of the seventeen
men in thb picture, I am the only one living." Hardly two are dressed alike; they did not become
"uniform" for many months. With the hard campaigning in the West and East, the weights of the men
also became more uniform. The drummer-boy filled out and became a real soldier, and the stout man ly-
ing down in front lost much of his superfluous avoirdupois in the furious engagements where it earned its
title as a " fighting regiment." The Confederate armies were not clad in the uniform gray till the second year
of the war. So variegated were the costumes on both sides at the first battle of Bull Run that both Ccm-
federates and Federals frequently fired upon their own men. There are instances recorded where the colonel
of a regiment notified his supports to which ude he belonged before daring to advance in front of them.

1 1 fflnttfe Jipratr of' fil * * * +

In the beginning, each of these companies bore some
designation instead of a company letter; there were various
" Guards," " Grays," " Rifles " — the last a ludicrous misnomer
— the " rifles " being mostly represented by flint-lock muskets,
dating from the War of 1812, brought to light from State ar-
senals, only sen'iceable as issued, and carrj-ing the old " biick-
and-ball " anmmnition. " Cal. .69,"

Even this rudimentary armament was not always attain-
able. When the wTiter's company was first called into camp,
requisition was made upon all the shotguns in the vicinity,
these ranging all the way from a piece of ordnance quite six
feet long and which cliambered four buckshot, through vari-
ous gages of double-barrels, down to a small single-barrel
squirrel-gun. Powder, balls, and buckshot were ser\ed out
to us in bulk, and each man made cartridges to fit the arm he
bore, using a stick whittled to its caliber as a " former."

As the next step in the armament the obsolete flintlocks
were converted into percussion as rapidly as the arsenals could
turn them out. These difficulties were supplemented, however,
by certain formidable Aveapons of war privately contributed —
revolvers, and a most tniculetit si)ecies of double-edged cutlass,
fashioned by blacksmiths from farrier's rasps, and carried in
wooden scabbards bound with wire, like those affected by the
Filipino volunteer. They proved very useful later on for
cutting brush, but, so far as known, were quite guiltless of
bloodshed, and soon went to the rear when the stress of active
campaign developed the need of even,- possible reduction of
impedimenta. One or two marches sufficed to convince the
soldier that his authorized weapon and other equipment were
quite as much as he eared to transport.

The old-pattern -musket alone weighed in the neighbor-
hood of ten pounds, which had a way of increasing in direct
ratio with the miles covered, until everj' screw and bolt seemed
to weigh a pound at least.

But I anticipate somewhat — we were really in our

COMPANY D, FIRST GEORGIA— OGLETHORPE INFANTRY

Tlie i>hotograp)i shows sLxty-oiie Soiitlieriiers ivlio on Alun-li Hi, 1861, l)ec«!ii(r f'onipany D o( the First
Georfeda. Glowing in their hearts wius tliat rare courage wliitli ini])elleij them to the defense of their homes,
and the witlistaiiding through fmir long years of terrible blows from the better equipped and no less de-
termined Northern armies, whieh finally outnumbered them hopelessly. As Company D, First Georgia,
they served at Fensacola, Fla., in Ai)ril and May, 1801. The Fifth was then transferred to Western \'irginia,
serving under Gen. R. E. Ijce in the summer and fall of that year, and under "Stonewall" Jackson,
in his winter campaign. Mustered out in March, 1862, the men of Company D, organized as Company B,
Twelfth Georgia Batt., served for a time in Eastern Tennes.see, then on the coast of Georgia and last
with the Army of Tennes.see under Jolmston and Hood in the Dalton and Atlanta campaign, and Hood's
dash to Nashville in the winter of '64. Again transferred with the remnant of that army, they fought at
Bentonville, N. C, and surrendered with Johnston's army, April 26, 1865, at Greensboro, N. C. Some
significant figures pertaining to Georgia volunteers appear in a pamphlet compiled by Captain J. M. Folsom,
printed at Mac'on, in 1864, "Heroes and Martyrs of Georgia." Among 16,000 men considered, 11,000 were
original members of the organizations in which they ser\'ed, and 5,000 were recruits who joined from time
to time between 1861 and 1864. Only 100 were couscript.s. Of the total number treated of by Captain
Folsom, 5,000 died in ser\'ice during the first three years of the war, 2,000 were permanently disabled by
wounds, and 5,000 who were wounded, recovered. These figures represent the individuals wounded, some
of them two or three times. It would be quite fair to assume that 11,000 of the Georgians were hit, and
that the hits totalled 16,000, or one for every man in the ranks.

Iff (Snn&iifrate nf 'Bl * * * *

novitiate according to the dictum of Xapoleon, who rightly be-
lieved that the proper school of war is roar. By a species of
lucua a non lucendo mode of designation, the uniforming of
this inchoate force was not so irregular early in the war. Gray
had been adopted as the color most seniceable, but the supply
of cloth of that hue was soon exhausted under the influence of
the blockade, and so numerous varieties came into use and were
accepted as coinpl>ing with the requirements of the service.
Thus, in the writer's regiment, the companies were garbed from
dark gray to almost white-kersey " nigger cloth." The facings
varied from black, through various shades of blue and rifle-
green, to artillery-red.

To revert to the matter of equipment, there was no oflicial
attempt in the beginning to do more than to arm the troops
and to provide the purely warlike accouterments of cartridge-
boxes, belts, and haversacks. Canteens and the like were pro-
vided quite as a matter of course, and, in default of blankets
and waterproof coverings, requisition was made upon the house-
hold slock of the individual and duly honored — bed-quilts and
homespun " spreads " were freely contributed, also buggj' lap-
robes, and pianos and tables were despoiled of their oilcloth
covers to fend the rain from the men gone from the homes to
do battle for the Cause, which was even dearer to the women
left behind, who were steadfast to the end.

The minor courtesies and obsen-ances of militarj- life were
not readily inculcated in this mass of civiUans as yet in process
of conversion into soldiers, and this difficulty was present in a
peculiar degree, perhaps, in the Confederate ranks. The mode
of hfe, the whole ritual of his civilization, tendered to foster in
the Southerner an individuality and independence of character
to which the idea of subordination to authority was entirely
foreign. He had come to war to fight, and could see no sense
in any such " tomfoolery " as saluting his ofiioer, lately
" Tom " or " Jack," and his associate on terms of equality, es-
pecially when the elevation to the title had been, as it was in
li«j

A MILITIA COMPANY IN LOUISIANA AT DRILL

BEFORE ITS ARMORY

1861

During its half-centuiy of oblivion, damage came to this unique photograph of a militia
company in Louisiana hopefully drilling in front of its armory os the war began. In many
sections, the notions of the hastily organized companies in regard to military discipline
and etiquette were crude in the extreme. A certain Virginia regiment, for the first time
in its service, held a dress-parade. At the stage of the ceremony when the first-sergeants of
the respective companies announce the result of the evening roll-call, one reported thus:
"All present in the Rifles, except Captain Jones, who is not feeling well this evening, but
hopes to be feeling better to-morrow." Of like tenor was the response of a militia field-officer
in the late autumn of 1861, when challenged by a sentry who demanded: "Who comes
there?" "We kem from over the river, gwine the grand rounds," was the response of him
who presumptuously sported the insignia of a colonel. From such raw material was de-
veloped the magnificent Confederate army which supplied the "matchless infantry" of l>e.

^[^1 I|f dtrnfthtrnts nf* fil -*^ * * * +

of the ways and constrained to make a choice between stay-
ing in the Union their ancestors had helped to estabhsh and
to which they were bound by the traditions of a hfetime, and
taking arms against their fellow countn'men whose institu-
tions and political creed accorded with their own.

It is to be remembered that Virginia steadfastly declined
in its conversion to sever its connection with the Government
of which it had formed so large and so significant a part
from its formation, until called upon to furnish its quota of
troops for the army of invasion, and the final decision was
made with fuU recognition of what the choice implied, of the
devastation and bitter misery to be visited upon the territorj-
thus predestined to become the main battle-ground of the con-
tending forces.

And so those wiser in the ways of war had, perforce, to
proceed cautiously, to feel their way in the undertaking of
welding these heterogeneous elements into a tempered weapon
capable of dealing effective and intelligently directed blows,
when the time should arrive for confronting the formidable
adversarj- assembling his forces just across the border. The
primary policy of the Confederate Government of attempting
to defend its entire frontier, mistaken as it was soon proved to
be, in the purely militan>' sense, was possibly influenced in
large degree by this consideration.

The deficiency of transportation may have also wielded
its influence; indeed, the entire staff administration was, for
quite a year or more, scarcely organized, and any movement
of even a small body of troops could only be effected by the
impressment of teams and wagons from the adjacent countn,-,
if leading away from the railway lines, and these last were
neither numerous nor very efficient in the South at that period.

Yet, in spite of the many incongruities and deficiencies

already indicated, the Southern volunteer was perhaps more

prompt to acquire the ways of war than was his Northern

opponent. The latter indisputably outclassed him in point of

iwi'

SOUTH CAROLINA SOLDIERS IN '61

A group of Charleston Zouave Cadets — militia organized befoie the war, hence among
the few that had swords and guns to start with in '61. The Zouave Cadets, under
command of Captain C. E. Chichester, formed part of the First Re^ment of Rifles,
Fourth Brigade, South Carolina, at the outset of the war. The Fourth Brigade was
the largest organized body of State militia. It was commanded by Brigadier-General
James Simons, was well-organized, well-drilled and armed, and was in active service from
December 87, 1860, to May, 1861. Some of its companies continued in service \m.til
the Confederate regiments, battalions, and batteries were organized and finally absorbed
all the effective material of the brigade. One of the first duties of these compames was
to guard some of the prisoners from New York regiments who were captured at the first
battle of Bull Run, sent to Charleston harbor, and incarcerated at Castle Pinckney.

'--^v

lj0 ffionfipbtrate of 'fil * +

material, and was, in general, more amenable to discipline, for
reasons heretofore stated — having been recruited, in large part,
in the cities and large industrial centers. The Xorthern sol-
dier had already formed the habit of subordination. The com-
pany or regimental commander simply replaced the general
manager or the " boss "^it was merely a new job, and in one
case as in the other what the sujierior said " went." The
countrj'-bred Southerner, on the other hand, was accustomed
to the exercise of almost absolute authority over liis slaves,
few or many, according to his estate. But the simple and
more primitive habit of his rural mode of life stood him in
good stead when he came into the field. A gun was by no
means an unfamiliar implement in his hands; he had known
its use from boyhood and could usually hit wliat be aimed at.
And in the mounted senice his efficiency in action was in no
wise impaired by preoccupation mth his mount. He could no
more remember when he learned to ride than when he learned
to walk, and had graduated from the " school of the trooper "'
long before he brought himself and his best saddle-horse into
the field.

It was in this arm of the ser\'ice peculiarly that the South-
erner, at tlie outset, held a long lead in ad\'ance of his ad^er-
sar\'. As has been already stated, there were many organized
bodies of horse in existence before the beginning of hostilities,
and finer cavalry material has rarely, if ever, been assembled.
The ser^'ice had naturally tended to attract, for the most part,
young men of wealth, leisure, and intelligence, forming a
species of corps d'elite, and the equine part of the force could
boast the best blood of Virginia and Kentucky stables. A few
battlefields sen-ed to make good all deficiencies of equipment,
so that by the time the war was well under way there was no
distinction between the opposing forces in this respect: arms,
saddlery, accouterment, down to blankets, haversacks, and
canteens — all bore the stamp of some United States arsenal —
" requisition on the spot," without process of Ordnance or

ijF CCnnffbtral^ of 'fil

Quartermaster's Department. The discriminating eye could
discern from a glance at its equipment whether or not a regi-
ment or brigade had been so engaged. It might, indeed, with-
out straining the point unduly, be asserted that long before the
close of the war the Federal Government had fitted out both
armies.

The artillery arm was less fortunate, and for obvious rea-
sons. This branch of the service is not so readily improvised
as either of the other fighting forces. From start to finish it
was under hajidicap by reason of its lack of trained officers, no
less than from the marked inferioritj' of its material, ordnance,
and ammunition. The batteries of the regular establishment
were, of course, all in the United States service, commanded
and ser\'ed by trained gunners, and were easily distributed
among the volunteer brigades by way of " stiffening " to
the latter. This disparity was fully recognized by the Con-
federates and had its influence in the selection of more than
one battle-ground, in order that it might be neutralized by
local conditions, yet the sen'ice was very popular in the South-
ern army, and it was pervaded by a strong esprit de corps.

The young men of the cities and towns very generally
chose it for enlistment; thus, New Orleans sent a battalion
of five batteries, fully equipped, into the field — ^the famous
" Washington Artillerj' " — besides some other batteries, and
the city of Richmond, which furnished but one regiment of
infantry and a few separate companies, contributed no less
than eight or ten full batteries. Few of the minor towns but
claimed at least one. The grade of intelligence of the per-
sonnel was rather exceptionally high, so that in the school of
war, already referred to, these came in time to attain quite
a respectable degree of efficiency, especially after the abolition
of the system under which each battery was attached to an
infantry brigade, subject to the orders of its commander, and
the battery units became organized into battalions and corps
commanded by officers of their own arm.
[1.

ift CUnnfpJipratP of 'Bl

Some of the early organizations were quite erratic; for
a while, " legions " were a good deal in favor — mixed bodies
comprising the several arms of the sen'ice under one com-
mand. These were speedily ahandoned as unwieldy and in-
operative. They probably had their origin in tradition, dating
back to the days of Marion and Sumter and " Light Horse
Harry " Lee, and may possibly have been effective in the par-
tisan operations of that period. Otherwise, the regiments hur-
ried to the front were thrown together into brigades in the
hap-chance order of their arrival; gradually those hailing from
the same State were brigaded together as far as practicable,
an arrangement significant in its recognition of the State
feeling, of the issue pending between the sections. This fea-
ture was not generally prevalent in the Federal ranks. As
a result, the unit of the brigade persistently maintained its
prominence in tlie estimation of the Confederate soldier
throughout the whole term of his service; when vaunting his
prowess he was apt to speak of his " brigade "; with liis antag-
onist it was usually the " corps." The rivalry between the
respective States had probably no .small influence in stimula-
ting his zeal; the men from Georgia or the Carolines could
not hold back when the Alabamans or Texans on right or
left were going ahead. It was but the repetition of Butler's
rallying cry at Cherabusco, "Palmettos! stand your ground
remember ichere ifoit came from!^' when Bee, at Manassas
]Hjinting to the Virginians, " standing like a stone wall," re-
stored his wavering line.

The Confederate soldier of the ranks may be said to have
been 8iii generis. In the mass he was almost devoid of mili-
tarj' spirit, as the term is popularly applied, and quite indif-
ferent — antagonistic, even — to the " pomp and circumstance
of glorious war." As to devotion to his flag, he had scarcely
time to cultivate the sentiment which figured so largely in the
patriotic fen'or of his opponents. Xo one of the " motley
many " national ensigns ever entirely received his approval.

1 13* I

TWO MEMBERS OF THE McCLEI.LAN ZOUA\-ES IN ISfil

The host of ornately uniformed and iirnicd companies wliich sprang up at tlie outset of the war was ulti-
mately merged into the gray monotone of the respective repinicnls into whicli they were incori jo rated. The
Confederate soldier on the left is Ellis Green, of the MeClellan Zouaves, and his eonipanion on the right
belonged to the same conii)any. The photographs were taken at Charleston, S. C, and the spnice appear-
ance and spotless uniforms make it imnceessari' to add that they were taken early in the war. The Southern
volunteer wa-s perhaps more prompt to acquire the ways of war tlian wa.s hi.** Northern opponent. The
latter was more amenable to discipline, having l>een recruited, in large part, in the cities and large industrial
centers. lie had already foniied the haliit of subordination. The country-bred Southerner, on the other
hand, wa.s aeeustonied to the exercise of almast absolute authority over his slaves, but the sintjjle and more
primitive habits of his rural mode of life stonxl him in good stead when he came into the field.

Ijf ©onfr&pratp of' fil * + +

The original " Stars and Bars " he regarded as a sort of off-
spring of the discarded " gridiron " — of this abandonment he
often expressed himself in terms of regret, by the way — and
its successors he was wont to describe irreverently as " shirt-
tails." He did, in time, come to develop respect and affection
for his battle-flag, the little red square charged with the
star-studded blue saltire, but even that his eminently prac-
tical mind conceived mainly as a convenient object upon which
to dress up a line of battle or to ser\'e as a ralljing-point in
the event of that line being broken. It was essentially bis,
the soldier's flag, and was never at any stage the national flag ;
its traditions were all of his own creation and he had baptized
it with his blood. In the main, he regarded his seirice in the
light of an unpleasant dut>', and he went at it much as he would
have undertaken any other disagreeable job.

General Lord Wolseley — then Colonel Wolseley — relates
an intcn-iew he had with General Lee, during a visit to the
headquarters of the latter, just after the Alar^iand campaign
of 1862. Having intimated a desire to see the troops of whose
performance he had heard so much. General Lee took him for
a ride through the lines, and upon their return remarked to his
distinguished guest:

" Well, Colonel, you have seen my army — how does it
impress you, on the whole? "

" They seem a hardy, ser^'iceable looking lot of fellows,"
Wolseley replied, " but, to be quite frank, General, I must say
that one misses the smartness which we in Europe are accus-
tomed to associate with a militarj- establishment — but perhaps
it would not be reasonable to look for that so soon after the hard
campaign they had just gone through."

'* Ho! " replied " Marse Robert," " my men don't show to
advantage in camp, and to tell the truth, I am a little ashamed
to show them to nsitors. But, sir, you should see them when
they are fighting — then I would not mind if the whole world
were looking on! "

-' -1

^Ei^ lis iS^iiMliH

f/3

fjS

^SM^y^

[#' m!^H1

BC^z^^^^Kl^^^^^HH^^^^v J^^^^^VJkHH

fwil

gfej^^^^^^^^

WHERE rNll'X)RMS WEHE LArKIXG. lilT RESOLITION WAS HRM

The Confi'iLTiitos »1i<> it.K-d in lliis «vll-fnrtn.'i1 lint- »>» .i.tiv.- xTvio' rr.nii tli.' i';irli<'-^l |»-rii»l i>f Ili<- wnr. The day that Tlorida
SmviM tr-m t!i<' rniun. rir>t-l.i.nitt-iMnt A.laiii J. R.;mnuT nillulr.'n villi C.m.iKiny <; ,.l tlir FlM I'liito.! St.itrs Artill.'ry rrom the
shor.- Iy l-..rl l'i.k.-[i,. ..n Ih.' wot.-rn .xtnniity ,.f S;,nla II,.-.! J-hu.l r,.l..„. I W. 11. Cliii-^.^ «:.^ in (■.m.i.ian.l ..( th.- .■ioulh.-mera
an<) .h-ni;in.i.-,l fh.- -iirr-mliT ..f Fori Pi.Uns Ji,nii:..ri- lit. \^'i\. Il Is r.-„.r.i.-,l ll,;,! Li- \ni.-,- ..l„H.k ;.ii,l lii. ryci fill.-d with toars
wlirn li<> atl>-iniiti''l tn rtiul his rortniil ilciiiamt for the siirn'mliT; he rvuMzril. witli nil trui- unJ fur-slghti^ Aincriciins, how tenihlc s
[1S61

A ('OXFKDKRATK DHILI. IN K)BT MiHKK, TKN'SACOLA HARBOR

blow H'liji iiiiix-niliim in lli<> fiinii nf Fnilriridiil >trifi', l.ii'iilciiiinl SI<-iniiiiT n-fiisi-d the domand. Colonel Chaw hod an insufficient
tiaiv nt Ihi- liiiK- to tiik.- tin- fori li.v slorin. Xovi-nilxr ■H^l iitxl :t»<l. tlic I'liiln) Stiiti-a viimeU Xtagara and Richmond, together
Willi Fori IVlci'iiH and tin- ii.ljoiiiitiu IkiIIi-K.-s. )i<imlitinlf<l Ik- Confnkrulr lines. Although Kort MrRcc was so batlly damaged
lllut G<ilcnil ItniklC MioiiKlit of ii]iiinai>]iinR it. tljc ijurriiuiit luld Tinn. and the |i]un of Ihe Voiun »>nmiRnclrrn to "tukp unil drstroy it"
did not mifcrtii. Fiirls Mc-Rpc and Barnincas were IxindHirdwi ugain by the Union wanihipa and batteries January 1. 1802.

THE CONFEDERATE IN THE FIELD

By Aixex C. Redwood

Fifty-jifih Virginia Regiment, Confederate Slates Army

A QUESTION which is often asked of the sun-ivor of the
Civil War, when recounting the " battles, sieges, and for-
tunes he has passed," is, " How does it feel to he in battle? " If
he is in the habit of taking account of his sensations and impres-
sions the answer is not so simple as might appear at first sight.

Much of the ground disputed by the contending forces
in our Civil ^Var was quite unlike the popular conception of
a battlefield, derived from descriptions of European campaigns
or from portrayals of the same, usually fanciful. The choice
of a battle-ground in actual warfare is not determined by its fit-
ness for the display of imposing lines, as at a reWew. As often
as not, the consideration of concealment of those lines has much
to do with the selection, or else there is some highway which
it is important to hold or to possess, or again, some vulnerable
point of the foe in^-ites attack, in which case the actual terrain
is such as may happen, and the disposition of the forces is made
to conform as far as possible thereto.

The first engagement in which the writer took a modest
part had been entirely foreseen, yet its development refuted all
preconceived ideas of what a battle was like. It was the begin-
ning of the series which resulted in frustrating MeClellan's
campaign on the Peninsula and raising the siege of Richmond,
in 1862. We had been holding the left of the Confederate line
on the Meadow Bridge road, picketing the bridges spanning
a fork of the Chickahominy at tliat point — a Union picket-post
being at the crossing of another branch, about a hundred yards
distant, and in plain view from our outpost.

ONFKDKKATKS AT 1>R1L1,-N()T -SMAItT " HIT FKiKTKK^

"Ooe misapa Ihi- smarlnras which we in Kuropp arc acciistomed to jissiwiatc nitli military I'stiibtiahi-icnts." Tlic sikIiI ot this
Confederate officer in hi.i ahlrt-slpcvcs. and of hia determincd-lookinK oninKiny behind, rci'dlH this remark, mode by Gcnrml Lord
Wolaeley, then Colonel Wolseley and later Govemor-Gencml of Canudn. afli-r inspcTlinR Ix*'s army in the lower Shenandoah Valley
just after the IVIarylan<l eampaif^n of l^m — Ihe year after the Floriila photofn'aph alK>ve was taken. The look of the men. fcaunt
and hollow-eyed, worn with marehini; iiiir! luck of jiroper fond, until they cliil not carry an ouni'e of superiluoiis Aefih; iHiwden'd Ihiek
with iluat until their <'1othing anil Hrcoutrriiient were alt one uniform dirly fjray. except where tlic eomminfiliil f^me and nreat
had Htreaked an<l erualed Ihe skin on face and head; tin- jaded, unkempt horses and itiill. miid-bespatteml gim-earriages ami eais-
aons of the artillerj-; even trivial details; the nauseating flavor of the unsalted provisions, the pungent smell <if the roail-dust which
fillod the nostrils — all these im|in'ssions came Ihrongin); hack across llic inlcrvcninj; years wliieli have transfurme<l the l>eardle»i
young soldier into the grizzh'il veteran wliii still "lags su|n'rlluous on Ihe sta»!i'." and who r<-<'Blls these thing.i that have passed.
And he glories in "Marse ItolxTt's" reply: "No. my men don't show ti> advantage in camp, and to tell Ihe truth t am a little
uhuned \o show them to visitors. But. sir," he resumed, his face flushing and his eyes kindling, as sometimes happened when stirred
(rom hia habitual poise, "you should see them when they are Bghting — then I would not mind if the whole world were looking onl"

Ijr danUhn^ in lift JFtrlh

At the date of the opening of the battle, Jxine 26, 1862,
it was the turn of the regiment for this duty, our company
holding the advanced post at the bridges. But we had supposed
that we were to receive an attack from the foe, being ignorant
of the fact that the Federal force on the north bank was " in
the air," owing to the retention of McDowell's corps, before
which we had retired from Fredericksburg, and which was to
have joined and extended this flank on the Rappahannock.
Thus, when the advance began, we were the first to cross the
river. For some distance the road was a corduroy through
the swamp, which our company traversed at double-quick and
without opposition until we came into the open and approached
the small hamlet of IVIechanicsville, at the intersection of a road
leading to Richmond and the Old Cold Harbor road, running
almost parallel with the Chickahominy.

Thus far we had seen no Federals except the picket, which
had promptly retired before our advance. Nor was the coun-
try about us in any way distinctive — just an ordinary eastern
Virginia landscape of fields, farmhouses, and commonplace
woods, and seeming peaceful enough in the light of a summer's
afternoon. Before opening this vista the column, marehing in
fours, was halted in a shallow cut of the road, and some one
ahead called back an order to " clear the road for the artil-
lery 1 " A wild scramble up the banks ensued, under the ap-
prehension that we were about to be raked by McClellan's
guns. But the real intent was to advance a section of our brig-
ade battery traveling in our rear, to " feel " a thin belt of
timber intervening between us and the viUage. This was our
first scare; number two was soon to follow.

Meanwhile, we had formed line on the right of the road
and approached the wooded camp-site in which, as we sup-
posed, the foe was concealed and awaiting us. When almost
up to it, some excited soldier discharged his musket; at once,
and without orders, the entire right wing of the regiment blazed
away at the numerous collection of tent-poles and cracker-

[160]

THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER AT WORK

The photograph of this garrison at a ".sand batterj'" on the Gulf Coast gives a view of the Con-
federate at work tliat will be treasured by veterans. Ever>' one of them knows how eminently unsatis-
factory an occupation is war for the private in the ranks. lie is ordered, he knows not whither, he knows
not why, and, likely as not, has to stay there to die. "I wondered if they were deliberately planning my
death," recalled an old soldier who was in^'ariably chosen for the skirmish line. "First, we had to go out
there to see if anyone could be induced to slioot at us; and if they did, and we. got back alive, we had to
take our places in the ranks and go for\vard with the other fellows, taking an equal risk with them after
the other fellows were entirely through .'ihooting at us individually. Somehow it didn't seem quite fair."

Ift ^anUhtrvAi in tt;? JFipUi

boxes, reminders of its late occupation. At that time there
probably was not a Federal soldier nearer than the further side
of Beaver Dam Creek, nearly a mile distant. But we were to
hear from them before long.

Having passed through the straggling little village we
were halted again just beyond, in a dip of the ground through
which coursed a small rivulet, and some of us took the oppor-
tunity to fill canteens. It was while waiting there that we re-
ceived the first hostile shots from the guns beyond the creek.
They soon got our range and it began to look like real war at
last.

It was at this point that, for the first time, I saw a man
killed in battle. We were standing to arms awaiting orders to
advance; another regiment of the brigade was supporting us a
short distance in the rear — the Sixtieth Virginia, under Colonel
Starke, who was killed later while commanding a Louisiana
brigade at Sharpsburg, in September, 1862. A shell plowed
the crest of the elevation in front, and our line made a pro-
found obeisance as it passed over; it seemed as if it must clear
us but about reach the Sixtieth, and as I ducked I glanced
back that way and witnessed its effect in their ranks. The
body of a stalwart young fellow suddenly disappeared, and on
the ground where he had stood was a confused mass of quiv-
ering limbs which presently lay still — the same shell, as I
learned afterward, carried away the top of. a man's head in
our own regiment.

Another took effect soon after, as we were moving out by
the left flank, knocking over several men and killing one of
them. By this time the fire had grown quite brisk, and we lost
more men as we lay in the open field before entering some
woods still more to the left, where the regiment commenced
firing, against an imaginary foe, I have cause to believe. Yet,
these same skittish troops, under fire for the first time, just
four days later charged and captured a regular batter}' of
12-pounder guns and were complimented on the field by

THE WORK OF WAR WITH COASTWISE GARRISON— INSIDE Sl'MTER, 1864

The soldiere of the Army of Northern \'irginiB, with the Confederate troops nho struggled over the Western mountaina and avampi,
were wont to allude to cooat "garrisiin" duty as an easy berth, but this Confederate photograph of the interior of Fort Sumter, taken
in 18S4, does not Endientc iiny de)|Tee of superfluous ease and eonveniencf. The garrison drawn up in the baekground. in front of the
ruined barracks, could point to the devastation wrought by the borobardment. visible in the foreground and on the parapet* with jurt
pride. In spite of the hundreds of shells that crashed into the tort from the belching guaa of the Federal fleets, the Stars and Ban
still Boated deBant throughout the four years of the war. The Southern heart may well glow with pride at the thought ot the little lort.
[1-111

Ij0 Olmifiebpratr in % ¥'uUi

General Longstreet — such progress had they made within that
brief period in the " school of the soldier."

We are coming to the period in this narration when we
might fairly claim to have been soldiers indeed; when the dis-
jointed fragments had at last been welded together into an
army. We had been "shooted over" and even "blooded";
had heard the screech of shell and the hiss of minie balls, and
had learned to discount their deadliness in some measure; had
learned how to make ourselves snug and comfortable in camp,
even though our wagons still might be miles hi the rear; had
learned to cook without utensils and to improvise a shelter with-
out tents or, failing that, to take the weather as it came and say
no more about it. We knew that a march meant much fatigue
— agony, even — and accepted both as a matter of course and
part of the work on which we were engaged. Blistered feet, we
had come to learn, were indeed serious, and as a coroUarj',
that it was wise to get a foot-bath, and to put on dr}' socks upon
going into camp for the night, even if one were tired out,
and felt more disposed just to lie down and rest. There was
to-morrow's march to be considered, and we had come to recog-
nize that to-day's exertion was by no means exceptional.

We knew how to make a fire which would last all night;
that it was well to start out before daylight with just a bite,
if no more, rather than upon an empty stomach, and to con-
fine the consumption of water while on the road to what was
in the canteen, though that might be lukewarm, instead of
going out of ranks at a spring or well — the canteen's contents
were just as wet — and one was not tempted to drink too much
when overheated, and most important of all, he did not have to
overfatigue himself in trying to catch up with his command in
a road full of other troops, who had " troubles of their own "
and were by no means disposed to get out of the way.

The soldier could find water in a perfectly unfamiliar
countrj' just by the lay of the land, and by a kind of prescience
almost amounting to instinct, and, at a glance, could estimate

■-««iwC*!t?^''^

THE CHANGE FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Wftll-tenta, such as apppar in this photograph of 1861, wero not aetn for lonfi Id the ConfedoratP army. At the begiimiiig, no loa
thui three nagona ixinvcyed the impedimenia of a company of the Fifty-fifth Virginia — one having been provided by private subsctiption
to transport the knapsacks! The rest of the transportation was in proportion. The regimental train, as it left the Rappahannock,
would have sufficed amply tor the use of at least a brigade. But a few months later, just after the "Seven Days," all this was changed
kud the soldiers began for the first time to realise what actual soldiering meant and to find out bow very few were the artidea Mie
needed in his kit when he had to transport tliem on bis person. An inkling of this had been gamed before, however, when the brigade
retained as an outpost at Frederiduburg, after Johnston's army went to Yorktown. evacuated that positirai before the advance of
UcDowell't Corps, which was moving overiaud to join McClellan north of the Cbickahominy and complete the investmetit at Richmond
on that side. This movement rel^ated to the rear the capacious mcw-cbefts and wall-tents which had hitherto been regarded m requinte
y paraphernalia tor fieU lervice. The loldiaa in the field wen panutted to ictain onljr the "flic*" bdcogbig la tbe teau.

ijr Olmifipb^ratP in tljt 3'w\h

the merits or demerits of a camp-site, at the end of a day's
march. Also, we had grown weather-wise in forecasting the
final events to which all the preliminaries tended, from indica-
tions whose significance the experience of sen-ice enabled lis
to read with a fair approach to certaintj-, however these might
varj', as they did, with the outward conditions — accidents of
locality, the immediate object in view, and the like.

Many of the early engagements, from the point of view of
the man in the ranks and the officers of the lower grades, seemed
quite impromptu. Of one of the most stupen<Ious of these—
that of Gettysburg — a Confederate officer of high grade has
said, " We accidentally stumbled into this fight."

It seemed so to the writer, then seizing in Heth's division
of the Third Army Corps, and which opened the engagement
on the morning of July 1, 1863. Usually we knew there must
be trouble ahead, but not always how imminent it might be. The
column would be marching as it had been doing for perhaps
some days preceding, the fatigue, heat, dust, and general dis-
comfort being far more insistent upon the thought of the men
than any consideration of its milJtarj' objective. Perhaps the
pace may have been rather more hurried than usual for some
miles, and a halt, for any reason, was most welcome to the foot-
sore troops, who promptly proceeded to profit by even,' minute
of it — lying down on the dusty grass by the roadside, easing
knapsack straps and belts, and perhaps snatching the oppor-
tunity for a short smoke (for which there had been no breath to
spare previously) or for a moistening of parched throats from
the canteen.

This might be of longer or shorter duration, often it was
aggravatingly cut up into a series of advances or stops, more
fatiguing than the regular marcliing swing. Getting up and
down is rather tiresome when one is carr\'ing the regular cam-
paigning kit of a soldier and when muscles have been taxed un-
til there is no spring left in them — quite another affair from the
same process when fresh and unencumbered. It is then that

11661

WALL-TENTS
COMPARATIVE COMFORT ON THE CONFEDER^VTE COAST

AJthougli most comforts had disappeared from the Army of Northern Virginia by 1863, as well as from
the armies in the West, the port garrisons like those around Charleston were able to keep their wall-tents.
So great is the "luxury" among this mess of the Washington Light Infantry in garrison at Charleston,
that they even have initials painted upon their water-bucket; and, wonder of wonders! there hangs a towel.
One who inquired of a veteran as to the opportunities for toilet-making was answered thus: "On the march
we generally had water enough to wash our hands and faces, but sometimes, especially when there was brisk
skirmishing every day, the men didn't get a chance to wash their bodies for weeks together. It was fun in
a country comparatively free from the enemy to see a column strike a river. Hundreds of the boys would be
stripped in an instant, and the rivor banks would reecho with their shouts and splashing. It was only on
garrison duty or in winter-quarters that the supreme luxury, laundry from home, could ever be attained."
The men in this photograph from left to right are Sei^ant W, A. Courtney, Privates H. B. Olney, V. W.
Adams, and Sergeant R. A. Blum. The organization still existed, half a century after the scene above.

Ift (HtmUhtml^ in tlyt Jfe lir

the voice of a man with a " grouch " is heard in the land. There
is sure to be one in every company, and his incessant jere-
miads by no means tend to alleviate the discomforts of his fel-
lows, and so receive small sjTnpathy from them.

A mounted orderly comes riding back, picking his way
through the recumbent ranks, and pretending indifference to
the rough chaffing prescribed by custom in the infantry as the
appropriate greeting for the man on horseback — good-natured
on the whole, even if a little tinged with en^-y — or some general
officer with his staff is seen going forward at a brisk trot
through the fields bordering the road, or maybe a batterj- of
guns directing its course toward some eminence. It becomes
apparent that the check ahead is not due to such ordinan-
causes as a stalled wagon or caisson or to the delay occasioned
by some stream to be forded; the objective aspect of the situa-
tion begins to assert itself; the thought of present personal dis-
comfort gives place to that of prospective peril, and a certain
ner\'ous tension pervades the ranks.

Soldiers are but human, and the veterans who have been in
battle before know what is implied in the work ahead and
tliat some — and it may be one as well as another — wiU prob-
ably not answer at next roll-call. The " eagerness for the
fray " of which we read so often, rarely survives the first battle;
in all that follows, it is conspicuously absent, however the men
may have gained in steadiness and have acquired self-possession
under fire.

The troops in front are moving now, filing off to right or
left, to take their allotted position in the line, or possibly be-
ginning a fiank movement; there may be no fight to-day after
all — ^these things have happened before, without anything seri-
ous coming of it. The hostile force may be only a small one
and we daresay will not give battle, but retire on its main body.
For, in the field we live merely from day to day anyhow and
" sufficient imto the day is the evil thereof." We are not in the
confidence of the powers that be and know nothing of their

CONFEDERATES IN CAMP

This photograph of Confederate troops in camp was taken at Camp Moore, Louisiana, in 1861. The man
writing the letter home on the box is Eniil Vaquin, and Arthur Roman is the man completing the washing.
Thomas Russel b gleaning the latest news from the paper, and Amos Russel is grinding coSee. The fifth
man is Octave Babin. Names of French extraction, these, appropriate to Louisiana. The soldiers are
fadng their period of "breaking-in." A veteran of the eastern army describes this trauMlion period: "Our.
breaking-in was rather rough — it was the beginning of a prolonged spell of wet, raw weather, which is so
often mentioned in McClellan's reports of hU operations on the Peninsula — and, with UtUe notion of how to
adapt ourselves to the situation, we suffered much discomfort at first. After the experience of a few months
and with half the equipage we then possessed, we would have been entirely comfortable, by campwgning
standards. As yet we were drawing the full army ration, including the minor items of coffee, sugar, rice,
and beans, and were abundantly supplied with the necessary utensils for their preparation whenever we
were in contact with our wagons, but we simply did not know how to use this bountiful provision and had yet
to learn that the ^tuation was not exoeptional or ephemeral but would be just the same in the future months
of war, and must be met and faced in permanent fashion — that it was 'all in the day's work,' and that any
departure from these hard times, as they then seemed, would be in the direction of 'worse a-comin',''-*'

ift OInnffbwatP in tlyp jFwlb

machinations, however intimately these may concern our for-
tmies. We only know that we have " no orders " as yet.

This condition of affairs may continue for hours or for
minutes. Meanwhile, the best thing to do is to make ourselves
as comfortable as possible — the philosophy of the seasoned sol-
dier, in all circumstances — and take the chance of being per-
mitted to remain so, and we shall be aU the better prepared
for the work if it does come. But, hello! look yonder 1 the bat-
tery-men, who have been lounging about, are standing to their
pieces now, and immediately become busy executing mysteri-
ous movements about the same, in the methodical fashion dis-
tinctive of their arm. Those about the nearest gun suddenly
break away to right and left. A dense white stream of smoke
leaps from the muzzle, and the crashing report strikes our ears
a few seconds later, as the gunners step forward again, lay hold
of handspike and spokes, and run the gun back into position.
Another shot and another, and yet another, and the smoke thick-
ens and we discern only vaguely the movements at the cannon
— but the war-music has begun and we know the battle has
opened.

From somewhere in front comes another and fainter re-
port, and possibly in mid-air above our battery a round cloud
jumps into view, snowy white against the blue sky; another
remote, jarring growl, followed by a fluttering sound but too
familiar to our ears and growing louder each moment, and a
spurt of earth is projected into the air not far from the iroad we
occupy. One finds the foe does not propose that the argument
shall be all on one side and is rising " to a point of information."

Evidently it is this road which is the object of their curi-
osity; just now we also are interested, but in the sense of wish-
ing we were somewhere else before their aim shall have become
more accurate with practice — we don't like the talk to be too
one-sided either, and they are beyond the range of our ord-
nance, while the ground in front which conceals from view
what is beyond affords slight protection. Ah! there is a staff-

[170]

•i

"IMPEDIMENTA" DID NOT HARASS THE CONFEDERATES
AN UNUSUALLY LUXURIOUS CAMP

This is an unusually luxurious Confederate camp for the second year of the war. The photograph was taken
by Scheier of Nashville, Tenn., and the scene is indicated as on the Harding road. The shining muskets
stacked in front of the tents contrast with the .<)oIdiers' nondescript costumes. The boxes and barrels have
rather the appearance of plunder than that of a steady supply from the commissary department. Con-
spicuous are the skiUet on the barrel-head, and the shirt hung up to dry. The Confederate soldier
traveled light. Indeed, a long train would have impeded, perhaps fru5tra,ted, the swift movements whidi
were so great an element of his strength. The old Romans rightly termed their baggage "impedimenta,"
when put upon their mettle. However, the size of their wagon-train was seldom a cause of anxiety to the
Confederates. Jackson's "Foot Cavalry" could always outstrip the wagons, and the size of tte UnioD
wagon-trmn was apt to interest them more frequently. For the rank and file of the Army of Northern
Virginia, there were no more tent.s after the middle of the war. The camping site was almost always in the
woods, as giving ready access to fuel and being as near as possible to .some stream of water. Each company
selected ground in the rear of its stacks of arms, but beyond that there was little semblance of order in the
arrangement. The consideration of level ground, free from stubs or roots, usually detemined the selection.

i(t ffinnfeJif rate t« % 3xtUi

J}^

officer talking in an animated tone to the brigade commander,
motioning with his hand, while the other closely studies a fold-
ing map which has just been handed to him and which he
presently returns, nodding the while to signify that he under-
stands what he is expected to do. " Attention ! " — but we are
already on our feet in advance of the order, and most willingly
leave the road, now growing momentarily more insalubrious,
following tlie head of the column througli fields of stubbie or
fallow or standing com, the blades of which cut and the pollen
irritates the moist skin. Or it may be through dense woodland,
wliere nothing is visible a few yards distant, in which furious
lighting may occur and many men fall with the opposing lines
in close contact, yet entirely concealed from each otiier. the
position of either being only conjectured by the smoke and the
direction of the firing, as the bullets from the opposite side
come rapping against the tree trunks and cutting twigs and
leaves overhead.

Before this stage is reached, however, there may be nmner-
ous changes of direction, countermarching and the like to at-
tain the position; long lines of battle require a good deal of
space for their deployment, and in tlie ^\'oods, especially, it is
not easy to determine in advance just how much ground any
command will occupy. In each case, hoivever, at some stage,
the troops are in line, and we may suppose them there, await-
ing the attack or about to deliver it, as may be.

It is perhaps the most ominous moment of all when the
command is heard, "Load at will — load!" followed by the
ringing of ranmiers in the barrels and the clicking of gun-locks
— neither of which sounds, with the arms of to-day, has any
significance, but it was othenvise when we loaded " in nine
times," as the manual prescribed. The modern soldier fails
utterly to grasp the meaning of biting cartridges; a cartridge
to him is essentially a brass shell with the fulminate enclosed
in its base, requiring only to be taken from his belt and put
in the chamber of his rifle — nowadays, indeed, they go in in

;-vfl

FIKLD AND FOREST— TAVO CONTRASTING BIT FAMOIS SCENES OF CONFLICT

The two phutograplis arc eloquent uf the two distinct styles ot warfare tliiit Captain Redwood runtrasts. Over the wide fields near
Gettysbiii^, acmss the trampled slubblc where lie th<' bodies uf Confedcrali's fullin in the battle, ten. Efteen. twenty thousand men
could be maneuvered intelhKently. But in the dense woodland conflicts were wiiged blimlly. in tolnl ignorance of the strength
Mid location of the toe — yet sanRiiinary. as the plmlop-iipli of the battlefield of the Wilderness l)elow ntti'sts.

^' v^fX'vi-^-i^f'-ili

<i\ f;)^^U^*l^UH|&^8£L^^ft)^^AXH

jjB|ffl^^^^^^P''Tiw!i^^H

^^H ^'iwM

^^^^^^^^K -iJI^Kk

^^^^^^^HH ^v- ^'SodlflBHIlH^i^^^^^^HI^^^I^^^I

Iff fflotifeiifratj in tift Mitlh

"clips " of five. But we veterans mana^^d to fight through the
big war with the old muzzle-loaders, and they seem to have
done some execution, too. It has " a strange, quick jar upon
the ear," the dry metallic snapping running along the line when
it came to " prime," and each man realized that when next
heard it will be n'ith no uncertain sound and closely followed by
the command, " Fire! "

Once engaged, the soldier's attention is too much taken
up with delivering his fire effectively to give heed to much else
— it is hard work and hot work, in the literal, no less than in the
figurative, sense, and extremely dirty work withal. The lips
become caked with powder-grime from biting the twist of car-
tridges, and after one or two rounds the hands are blackened
and smeared from handling the rammer ; tlie sweat streams down
and has to be cleared from the eyes in order to see the sights of
the rifle, and the grime is transferred from hands to face.

Think you of a gang of coal-heavers who have just fin-
ished putting in a winter's supply ordered by some provident
householder in midsmnmer, and you get a fair impression of
troops at the end of a day's fighting. The line soon loses all
semblance of regular formation; the companies have become
merely groups of men, loading and firing and taking advan-
tage of any accident of ground — natural depression, tree, rock,
or even a pile of fence rails that will give protection. But if
the soldier is about where he belongs — to right or left of the
regiment^ colors, according to the normal place of his com-
pany in line — he feels reasonably sure of resuming formation
whenever the command may come to " cease firing " and to
" dress on colors " preparatorj' to an advance or a charge. If
the latter, though the move next may begin in perfect order,
it is almost immediately lost.

The charge delivered by our brigade at Frayser's Farm
— ^to whidi allusion has been made earlier in this chapter —
was, as seen by a Federal general who was captured there,
" in V-shape, without order and in perfect recklessness." This

WHERE THE COURAGE TO

FIGHT IN THE D.\RK WAS

NEEDED

Old soliliera say that it tnkca
courage to fight with bu unseen foe .
than il ilocs to awecp in long linoa
through the open fields to thp mouths
of the roaring batteries. A veti'nui
cavairyman has stated that lie thought
a cavalry charge took leas bravery
tban any other kind <if aetiou. There
is the dasli. the emulation, the "thun-
der of the captains qdiI the ahouting"
all stimulating tJie participant to
Buprenie effort. Such arc the famous
European battles of song and storj' —
uaually wagiHl in open Gelds; but the
.\merican soldier soon became an
adept at fighting an unseen enemy.
These dense woodlands ol the Wilikr-

ncss arc not the European idea of a
battlefield, but the ghastly ruins of
the human frame, and the trees dipped
and broken by the fearful bail of shot
and shell, attest that here was a battle
where they (ought in the lUrkness of
the woods, instead of on the open
plain. These photographs convej'
wonderful mute tributes to the cour-
age of every American participant,
from the South or from the North.
The forest-trees are pitted and scored
and haeked and gnawed by the galliag
fire of musketry — in some instances,
entirelj' felled from this cause alone,
for thecountry afforded but little sct^
for the employment of artillery by
either aide. The underbrush, withered
and reddened by the summer's sun,
lies at all angles aa the bullets have
rut it down along the battlefield.

!|? (RanUhBruis in % JTirlb *

formation was in no wise intentional, the apex of the V in ques-
tion being simply the brigade commander, General Field, who
personally conducted tlie attack upon the battery and the slope
of the sides, as the individual prowess of his followers might
determine. Even more characteristic of a Confederate infan-
trj' onset was the description of an officer of high rank on that
side, " A tumultuous rush of men, each aligning on himself,
and yelling like a demon, on his own hook." The " yell " which
has become historical, was merely another expression of the in-
dividuality of the Southern soldier, though as its moral force
came to be recognized, it was rather fostered officially, and grew
into an institution — it was the peculiar slogan of the Gray peo-
ple. A gallant, accomplished staff-officer of General Meade's
household, in a recent work on the battle of the Wilderness,
pays the thrilling yell this tribute, " I never beard that yell that
the countrj' in the rear did not become intensely interesting! "
And more than one Federal soldier has borne similar testimony.
This allusion recalls to mind a visit of two days' duration,
made to that historic field in the summer of 1910, after an
interval of forty-six years, which served to illustrate forcibly
what has already been recorded in these recollections as to the
absence of distinction in the features of a battle-ground per se.
When last seen the blighting breath of war had but lately
passed over those dense and tangled woodlands and the signs
of strife, deadly and determined, were manifest everywhere.
The forest trees were pitted and scored and hacked and gnawed
by the galling fire of musketrj', in some instances, entirely
felled firom this cause alone, for the country afforded but little
scope for the emplojTnent of artillerj' by either side. The un-
derbrush, withered and reddened by the summer's sun, lay at
all angles as the bullets had cut it down, as if some one had gone
over the ground with a machete and given each little bush or
sapling a stroke. In all directions, one came upon the rude
breastworks hastily thrown up, of earth, logs, rails — anj-thing
that might serve to stop a bullet. They had failed to stop a

[176]

IN THE
WILDERNESS
Id these pliotograplis reappeurs the dread-
ful Wilderness as it looked in IBOl— the
shambles in the thicki'ts, with llie forest
trees pitted and 9carr«l and hncki^d nrni
gcawed by the galling muskelry lire,
where the dcftdfltilloiilnuiiibtred file liv-
ing, where the woods bonlcrlng llieOmiine
Plojik Road were tliiekly strewn with tlie
bodies o( Hancock's men who hail mi
furiously assailcil Hill and Longstreet nn
that line. The underbrush, witben'd
and reddened by the suminiT's sun. lay
at hII angles iis the buUeU had eul il
down, as if someone had gooe over the
ground nith a macliele and given eitili
little bush or aupliog a stroke. In nil

directloni one cnme upon the nide '
brcHstworks. hastily thrown up, of cortfaa

logs, rails^ — anything that might serva
to slop a bullet. But nearly halt a cen-
tury later, a i-isitor could find here the
deep significance of peace: ns Captain
Redwood records in hb aeeompanpng
reminiscence; "The hark has closed over
the bullet scars on the trees: a new
gronth bin spruDf( up to replace thkt
leveled by the musketry; giMjdly tree*
even, are standing upon the diminished
earthtrorks. The others have long since
rotted into mould. The travc-ler might
easily pass along that quaint road, M
hotly contested, with never a suspicion
of what befell there — 'grim-visagcd w»r
has smoothed his wrinkled front' indeed."

tup: orangr plank road
as it looked in 1804

"THE GRIM HARVEST" OF THE WILDERNESS— SOLDIERS* GRAVES
AfTER THE BATTLE

I l|p (SimfrbpratP tn tljr Jirlb

good many, and all the failures were not recorded upon the
natural groMtli.

In this sparsely settled region, but lately so populous, the
dead occupants still outnumbered the living. The woods bor-
dering tlie Orange plank road were thickly strewn with tlie
mouldering bodies of Hancock's men who had furiously as-
sailed Hill and Longstreet on that line. Here gallant old
A\'ebb, for whom " taps " have sounded, led his staunch brigade
against Gregg's Texans and IjOw's Alabamans, almost up to
the works, and the trefoil badges — the " clover-leaves " on the
cap-fronts of the fallen covered the ground on the edge of the
A\'idow Tapp's field where I^ee attempted to lead the Texans'
charge, and the men refused to go forward until he consented
to go back. Cattle were quietly browsing the herbage in a
little grass glade at this point, their pasture the aftermath of
the grim hardest reaped there on that Jlay morning long ago.

To-day scarcelv a trace remains of all that. In the in-
tervening years beneficent Xature has been silently but unre-
mittingly at work eflPacing the marks of man's devastation of
her domain. The bark has closed over the bullet-scars on the
trees, so that diligent search is required to detect them now; a
new growth has sprung up to replace that leveled by the mus-
ketry; goodly trees, e^-en, are standing upon the diminished
earthworks. The others have long since rotted into mold. The
traveler might easily pass along that quaint road, so hotly
contested, with never a suspicion of what befell there — " grim
visaged war has smoothed his wrinkled front," indeed.

The war is definitely over. In its time it ravaged our fair
land almost beyond recognition, put our young manhood to the
uttermost proof, and left in its track many deeper and more
poignant wounds than those in the AVilderness woods, but it
ended at last. And time has been closing over the scars ever
since and new growth springing into life all the while. Who
was right; who was wrong? — the God above us " who doth all
things aright " alone knows surely.

PAKT I
SOLDIER LIFE

THE SCHOOL OF THE
SOLDIER

These drummer- boys of thp Eighth Regiment of the National Guonl of the Slute of New
York were photogniphed in tlie '50». wearing their Merican Wiir uniforms. The boys of
this regiment went to tlit front in these same iinifonm and murehed throughout the war.

THE SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER

By Fenwick Y. Hedley

Brevet Captain United States Volunteers, and AdjiittitU, Thirty-second
Iliinmjt Infantry

THE American volunteer of 1861-65 never before had his
like, or ever will again. He was of only the third gen-
eration from the Revolutionary War, and the first after the
Slexican War, and he had personal acquaintance with nicTi
who had fought in each. Besides, a consideration of much
meaning, he ^vas brought up in a day wlien school declamation
was practised, and once a week he had spoken or heard Pat-
rick Henry's " Give me liberty or give me death," Webster's
" Reply to Hayne," " The Battle of Buena Vista," " The
Charge of the Light Brigade," " The boy stood on the buniing
deck," and the like. So it was, when Lincoln called him, he
responded with a heart intensely patriotic and aflame with mih-
tary ardor, and he proved marvelously adaptable as a soldier.

At the outset and occasionally afterward, many young men
went into service in companies and regiments of militia. A few
were well drilled, the greater number indifferently. These were
but a sprinkling in the great mass of volunteers, who were with-
out such experience, and came fresh from farms, workshops,
stores, and schools. But most of them had been members of the
uniformed clubs in the exciting political campaign of 1861, and
were fairlj'' proficient in ordinary marching movements and
handling torchsticks in semi-mihtary fashion, which proved of
advantage to them in entering upon a soldier's life.

L^^sually for a few weeks before taking the field, the embryo
soldiers lay in camps of instruction. Probably in every regi-
ment were some veterans who liad seen ser\'ice in the Mexican

J*^**^!^

■V

A TIME-STAINED PHOTOGRAPH OF THE 'FIFTIES

OFFICERS AND XON-f'OMMISSIONED OFFICERS

COMPANY "P," EIGHTH NEW YORK

These officers of the Eighth New York are garbed in the .same uniforms that they wore to the Mexican War.
This and the hotly contested political campaign of 1861 served asthetwogreat" drill-masters "of the Federal
recruits at the outset of the war. A few of tliem were indifferently drilled through their connection with
regiments of militia, but these were but a sprinkling in the great mass that thronged from the farms, the
workshops, and the schools. Most of these had marched as members of the uniformed clubs in the exciting
political campaign of 1861, and were fairly proficient in ordinary movements and in handling torch-sticks
instead of rifles. Probably in every quota there were some men who had seen service in the Mexican War!
or in the militia. They had become accustomed to militaiy systems now obsolete, but their truning enabled-
them to speedily put off the old and put on the new, and they often proved hi^ly capable drill-masters.

^hf drl|00l 0f «|f BalhUr

^"^^^^^

War or in the militia. They had been accustomed to military
systems now obsolete, but their training enabled tlieni to speed-
ily put off the old and put on the new, and they proved fairly
capable drillmasters.

It was days, often weeks, before uniforms were provided,
and entire battalions performed their evolutions in their civil-
ian clothes, of all cuts and hues. Longer were they without
arms. The sentries, or camp guards, walked their beats day
or night with clubs. At the regimental headquarters were a
score or two of " condemned " muskets which were utihzed all
day long by alternating squads of non-commissioned officers,
practising the manual of arms in preparation for instructing
the men.

Now armed and equipped, the men were industriously
drilled, by squads, by companies, and by battalions, six to eight
hours a day. There were awkwardness and blundering; ser-
geants would march their platoons, and captains, their com-
panies, by the right instead of by the left flank, or vice versa,
to the destruction of a column or square, necessitating re-for-
mation and repetition of the movement, sometimes again and
again. But, on the whole, the men progressed well, and soon
performed ordinarj' evolutions with creditable approach to sol-
dierlike exactness.

The greatest stress was laid upon the use of the musket,
and this was the young soldier's severest experience. To begin
with, the arms were old muzzle-loaders — muskets of Mexican
War days, altered from fiint-lock to percussion, or obsolete
Austrian or Belgian guns, heavy and elumsy. The manual of
arms, as laid down in the text-book of the time, Hardee's
" School of the Soldier," was complicated and wearisome. In
particular, the operation of loading and firing involved numer-
ous counted "motions" — handling the cartridge {from the
cartridge-box) , biting oflf its end, inserting it in the gun-barrel,
drawing the ramrod, ramming the cartridge home, return-
ing the ramrod, and placing the percussion cap upon the

"THE SCHOOL OF THE SUI.DIEK"— BAYONET DRILL OF THE IDHTIEIH MASSACHUSETTS,

The center photograph ahows
one of the lessons that hod to
be Icumcil by the soldiers of
both sides. This mock Iwittery
at Sea brook Point, South
Carolinn — higs of wood to
represent guns — was Federal ;
but the Confederates, at
Centen-ille, Port Hudson, and
elsewhere, used "dummy"
guns effectively. Before the
soldiers met these prubleiiis,
howeviT, they had to eonqiicr
the muniiiU of anns. iin<l were
diligt^ntly drilled in hring, by
file and by company, (o the
right oblii]ne, to the left
oblique, and to the rear. But
most awkn'nnt and wearisome
of all wax the Ikayonet en-
perienee. us shown in the Up-
per photogniph of the Forti-

-WHEN IS A CrX NOT A GIX?"— WHEN IT IS .

DIiMMV. LIKE THESE AT SEABROOK

POINT. S. C, 1802

cth MassuehiLsetts Infantry
al bayonet drill. The men
were drilled in open order so
as to admit of tree movement
and give the instrueting offi-
cer an opportunity to see the
performance and action of
each individual man, and cor-
rect his mistakes. Less
arduous than bayonet drill
was morning guard-mount.
The men detailed to this duty
were a.ssembled about nine
o'clock, drilled in a few of the
mo\'enients of the manual of
arms, and inspected by the
officer of t he day, disti nguished
by a searf across the shoulder.
Then they were marched out
to relieve the guards on duly,
and their full tour of thia

<luty

y-toi.r hour

GUARD-MOUNT OP A SMART REGIMENT— THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOURTH NEW YORK

'^I i|f i^rlfonl nf tljr ^nlbirr

guu-nipple. This feat (or series of feats) required much prac-
tice. The musket was to rest upon the ground, immediately in
front of the soldier, and exactly perpendicular. Its excessive
length made it impossible for a short man to draw and return
his ramrod in precise manner, and, in either act, he frequently
interfered with the man upon his right, breaking the sjTiimetrj'
of the movement, and provoking language forbidden by the
" Articles of War."

Further, the men were diligently drilled in firing — by file
and by company, to the front, to the right oblique, to the
left oblique, and to the rear. But most awkward and weari-
some of all was the bayonet exercise, requiring acrobatic agil-
ity, while the great length of the musket and fixed bayonet
rendered the weapon almost impracticable except in the hands
of one above the average stature. As a matter of fact, all of
the accomplishments thus particularized — methods of loading
and firing, and bayonet exercise — fell into disuse with entrance
upon actual field-sen-ice, as having no practical worth.

With such preparation and such equipment, the soldiers
marched to their first battle. The experience of a single regi-
ment was that of thousands. The drums sound the " long roll,"
or the bugle " the assembly," and companies form and march
to the regimental color-line. A few moments later the regi-
ment marches forward until the first scattering fire of the foe is
received. Sometimes the antagonists are visible; often but few
are seen, but their presence is known by the outburst of flame
and smoke from a fringe of forest. The regiment forms in line
of battle, and at the word of command from the colonel, passed
from company to company, opens fire. Xo thought now of
manual of arms, but only of celerity of movement and rapidity
of fire. Shouted a gallant officer who at home (as he was in
the field, the war through) an exemplary Christian gentleman,
" Load as fast as you can, and give them the devil ! " The bat-
tle is now on in earnest, and the discharge of thousands of mus-
kets becomes a roar. The range is not more than two hundred

r~^

THE VOLUNTEER'S TEACHEKS-^LASS OF 1860, UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY
IN THE FIELD, 1862

The men who founded the United States MDitarj- Academy in 180S little thought that, three-score years
later, hundreds of the beat-trained military men in America would go forth from its portals to take up the
sword against one another. Nine of the forty-one men who were graduated from West Point in 1860 joined
the Confederate army. The men of this elass and that of 1861 became the drill-masters, and in many cases
the famous leaders, of the Federal and Confederate armies. The cadet who stood third at graduation in
1860 was Horace Porter. He became second-lieutenant, lieutenant-colonel three years later, and brigadier-
general at the close of the war. He received the Congressional medal of honor for gallantry at Chickamauga,
and later gained great honor aa ambassador to France. Two other members, James H. Wilson and Wesley
Merritt, fought their way to the top as cavalry leaders. Both again were found at the front in the Spanish-
American War. The former was chief of the Cavahy Bureau in 1864 and commanded the assault and
capture of Selma and Montgomery, Ala. He was major-general of volunteers in the Spanish-American
War, commanded the coltmm of British and American troops in the advance on Peking, and represented
the United States army at the coronation of King Edward VII of England. General Wesley Merritt
earned six successive promotions for gallantry as a cavalry leader — at Gettysburg, Yellow Tavern, Hawe's
Shop, Five Forks, and other engagements — and was one of the three Union leaders to arrange for the sur-
render at Appomattox. He participated in several Indian campaigns, commanded the American troops in the
Riilippines, and was summoned from there to the aid of the American Peace Commisnon, in sesuon in Puis.

If J #rifnnl of tljp j&nlhter

.,,\\

yards — suflScient for antiquated weapons carrying a nearly
three-quarter-inch ball and three buckshot.

It may be here remarked that early in 1862 practically
all the obsolete muskets were replaced with Springfield or En-
field rifles, the former of American, the latter of English make,
and the best of their day. They were shorter and lighter than
the discarded arms, well balanced, and of greater effieiencj-,
carrj'ing an elongated ball of the minie pattern, caliber .58,
with a range of a thousand yards.

At times the regiment shifts its position, to right or left,
sometimes diminishing the distance. During much of the time
the men experience heavy artillery as well as musketry fire.
At the outset a lad threw away a pack of cards, saying, " I
don't know they would bring me any bad luck, but I wouldn't
want to be killed and have them found in my pocket, and
mother hear of it." He lived the war through, but never again
so disburdened himself.

A grape-shot tore off the end of a lad's gun as he was cap-
ping it. He finished the operation, discharged his weapon,
and recovered it for reloading, to find that, while the ragged
muzzle would receive the powder, it would not admit the hall.
"Don't that beat the devil," he exclaimed — his very first use
of language he was taught to abhor. On the instant he had
grasped another gun from the hands of a comrade by his side.

A youth, in a regiment which had lost nearly half its men,
his ammunition exhausted, fell back into a ravine where the
wounded had crawled, to replenish from their cartridge boxes.
Returning, he saw so few of his comrades that he thought the
regiment gone, and started for the rear. He came face
to face with the colonel, who called out, " Where are you go-
ing? " " To find the regiment! " " Well, go to the frontl All
that are left are there," said the colonel. " All right," responded
the lad, and he again went into action.

The first battle was a great commencement which grad-
uated both heroes and cowards. A few, under the first fire,

[1881

THE ■■iiKE}' ^KILLERS OF THE ARMY

OFFICERS' "STRIKERS" AT HEADQUARTERS

l.-^

■«« .TtM

^Bw{*

WASHDAY IN WINTER-Q CARTERS HUSHING UP A CAMP

The recruit soon learned that slaughtering cattir, cooking, cleaning and washing accouterments, chopping wood, and laundry wodcall
come within the province of the soldier. The upper left-hand photograph was taken at Yorktown in May, 188!. In the upper rj^t-
hand view we see cooking, washing, and the vigorous polishing of a scabbard. Enlisted men who were discovered to be efficient artiaana
were taken from the ranks and transferred to the repair department. A group of these "veterans" is shown in the lowest photograph.

MECHANICS OF TH£ PIBST DIVISION, NINTH ABMY COBFS, NEAB VSISBSBUBG. 18M

^[^lllp &rJ|ool of % ftnUifer

\r\

ran away, ami are only known on their company rolls as de-
serters. An elbow comrade of the lad whose gun was shot
away, as told of above, ran from the field, and died the next
day, from sheer fright. Men were known to fire their muskets
into the ground, or sk^^vard. In various battles scores of mus-
kets were found to contain a half-dozen or more charges, the
soldier having loaded his gim again and again without dis-
charging it. and many a tree in Southern forests held a ramrod
wliicii had been fired into it by some nervous soldier. A great
majority of those who had demonstrated their worthlessness.
soon left the sen'ice, usually under a surgeon's certificate of
disability, for they were generally so lacking in pride as to be
unconformable to health-preserving habits. There were, how-
ever, some who fell short at first, but eventually proved them-
selves good soldiers, and the great majority of volunteers were
pluck personified.

A soldier who saw the war through from beginning to end
has said that he knew only two men who actually enjoyed a
battle. The majority held to their place in the line from duty
and pride. Except among the sharpshooters, charged with
such a duty as picking off artillerists or signalmen, few sol-
diers have knowledge that they ever actually killed a man in
battle, and are well satisfied with their ignorance.

More than thirty years after the war, an lUinoisan went
into the heart of Arkansas to bury a favorite sister. After
the funeral sen'ice, in personal conversation with the attend-
ing minister, Northerner and Southerner discovered that, in
one of the fiercesi: battles of the first war year, their respective
regiments had fought each other all day long; that they were
similarly engaged in the severest battle of the Atlanta cam-
paign, and finally in the last battle in North Carolina, in 1865 ;
also that, in the first of these, as determined by landmarks
recognized by each, the two men had probably been firing
directly at each other. These past incidents, with the pathos of
the present meeting, cemented a lasting friendship.

"Jinimy" Dugan was a bugler-boy in the band at Carlisle buiracka, the cavalry depot
in Pennsylvania, na the Civil War opened. One who knew hiro writes: "He waa about
three Feet six high, could ride anything oo four legs, sound all the eolla, a
behind the band at guard-muunting at the n^gulntion twenty-eight- indi s\i.-p at the riak of
splitting hinuelf in two." "Jinimy" was beard of later when Che aerious work began, and,
like many another daring youngater in the field-music contingent, did hia duty under Grc.

^~f^

BOYS OF THE WAR DAYS

By Chaeles Kixq

BrigadifT-GeiKTal, United Stales Volunteers

TIME and again of late years Grand Army men have
made this criticism of the organized militia, " They
look like mere boys." But it is a singular fact that, man for
man, the militia of to-day are older than were the " old boys "
when they entered seirice for the Civil War. In point of fact,
the war was fought to a finish by a grand army of boys. Of
2,778,804 Union soldiers enlisted, over two million were not
twenty-two years of age — 1,151,438 were not even nineteen.*

So long as the recruit appeared to be eighteen years old
and could pass a not very rigid physical examination, he was
accepted without question; but it happened, in the early days
of the war, that young lads came eagerly forward, begging to
be taken — lads who looked less than eighteen and could be
accepted only on bringing proof, or swearing that they were
eighteen. It has since been shown that over eight hundred
thousand lads of seventeen or less were found in the ranks of
the Union army, that over two hundred thousand were no more
than sixteen, that there were even one hundred thousand on
the Union rolls who were no more than fifteen.

Boys of sixteen or less could be enlisted as " musicians."
Every company was entitled to two field musicians; that made
twenty to the average war-time regiment. There were 1981
regiments — infantry, cavalry, and artillery — organized during
the war, and in addition there were separate companies sufficient
in number to make nearly seventy more, or two thousand and
fifty regiments. This would account for over forty thousand
• Abercrombie, Paper before Militaiy Order of the Loyal Legion,
Illinois Conmiaadery.

A VOUNG OFFICER OF THE CONFEDERACV— WILLIAM II. STEWART

The subject of this war-Lime portrait. William H. Stewart, might well have bwn a college liid from hia
looks, but he was actually in coitimunil of Ciinfifjenite troops throughout the entire war. Uistase is
tjpical. He was horn in Norfolk {'ountj-. ^'irginia. of fighting stork; his grandfather. Alexander Stewart,
hud been h soldier of 181 J. and his grenl-granitfather, C'harles Stewart, member of a Virginia regiment
(the Eleventh) during the Revolution. It was no mieommon thing to find rfgulnrly enlisted men of
eighteen, seventeen, or even sixteen. And numerous officers won distinction, though even younger timn
Stewart. His first command, at the age at twenty-one, was the lieutenancy of the Wise Ught Dragoons.
two years before the war. After hostilities began, he soon woo the confi<lenc« of liis superiors in spite of
his boyish face. During the Antietam advanee. September, 1801. be was left in command of the force
at Dristoc's Station. In the WildcmesB eampiiign he commanded a regiment in General R. H. Andei-
jion's division. In the battle of the Wilderness. May 0th. he took part in the flank movement which
General Longstreet planned to precede hi.i own assault on the Federal lines. Colonel Stewart served
also at Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor, and helped to repel the assaults on the Petersburg enlrencluDentii.
On the evacuation of Petersburg the next April, he morehed with the advanee guard to Amelia Court
House, and took part in the battle of Sailor's Creek on April 6tb. Thus, like many another youth of
the South. Colonel Stewart did not give up as long aa there was any army with which to fight.

nga of ti^ Var Saga

boy musicians. Here, at least, the supply far exceeded the de-
mand ; there were mere lads of twelve to fourteen all over the
land vainly seeking means of enlistment. There were three
hundred boys of thirteen or under who actually succeeded in
being mustered into the Federal military ser\'ice.

Many of the fine regiments that took the field early in
1861 had famous drum-and-fife corps made up entirely of
boys. In those days, too, each regiment had two or more
" markers," who, with the adjutant and sergeant-major, estab-
lished the alignment on battalion drill or parade, and these
were generally mere lads who carried a light staff and flutter-
ing guidon instead of the rifle. There were little scamps of
buglers in some of the old regular cavalrj' regiments and field-
batteries, who sometimes bad to be hoisted into the saddle, but
once there could stick to the pigskin like monkeys, and with
reckless daring followed at the heels of the squadron leader in
many a wild saber charge.

There were others, too, that were so short-legged they
could not take the ser^'ice stride of twenty-eight inches and
were put to other duties. One of the most famous of these
was little Johnny Clem, who at the age of eleven went out as
drummer in the Twenty-second Michigan, and before long
was made a mounted orderly with the staff of Major-General
Gleorge H. Thomas and decorated with a pair of che\Tons and
the title of lance-sergeant.

Another Western boy who saw stirring ser^-ice, though
never formaUy enlisted, was the eldest son of General Grant,
a year older than little Clem, when he rode with his father
through the Jackson campaign and the siege of Vicksburg.
There were other sons who rode with commanding generals,
as did young George Meade at Gett}'sburg, as did the sons
of Generals Humphreys, Abercrombie, and Heintzelman, as
did " Win " and Sam Sumner, both generals in their own right
to-day, as did Francis Vinton Greene, who had to be locked
up to keep him from foUowing his gallant father into the

JUDSON KILPATRICK

BRIGADIER -GENERAL

ADELBERT AMES AS BKIGADIKR-GENERAL WITH HIS STAFF

SnrTOundnl by hia staff, some of whum
arc older limn he, sils Adclbcrt Ames
(third from the left), a brigadier-gen-
eral at twenty-eight. He giaduateii
fifth in his cbsa at West Point on Muy
8, 1801. and was assipied to the artil-
lery service. It woa while seriing as
first-lieutenant in the Fifth Artillery
that he distinguished himself aL Bull
Run and vas brevetted major for gal-
lant and meritorious service. He re-
mained upon the field in eommand of
a McUon of Griffin's battery, direeting
its fil« after being severely wounded,
and refusing to leave the field until
too weak to sit upon the caisson,
where he had been placed by the men
of this command. For this Ite was
awarded a medal of honor. About a
year later he again distinguished him-
self, at the battle of Malvern Hill.
He then became colonel of the Twen-
tieth Maine Infantry, from bid native
State, and on the twentieth of May,
1863, was made brigadier-general of
volunteers. He had a distinguished
part in the first day's battle at Gettys-
burg. July 1, 18e.S, and in the capture
of Fort Fisher, North Canilina, Janu-
ary 15, 1865. For this he was pro-
moted to major-general of volunteers.
In the class ol '01 with Ames at West
Fdat VM Judwm Kilpatrick, who

stood aeventeenth, and who became a
general at twenty-seven. He, loo,
was assigned to the artillery, but alter
a short transfer to the infantry, in
the fall of 1801, was made lieutenant'
colonel of the Seeond New York
Cavalry, rising to the rank ol briga-
itier-gcneral uf volunteers on June 18,
18G5. It was in the cavalry service
that he became a picturesque figure,
distinguishing biuiself at the battle of
Aldic. in the third day's battle at
Gettysburg, and in the engagement at
Rcsaea, Georgia. In June. 1803, he was
made major-general of volunteers and
later brevetted major-generul in the
United States Army.
The third of these youthful leaders, a
general at twenty-seven, was Wesley
Merrill. He graduated Irom West
Point the year before Kilpatrick and
Ames. He was mode brigadier-g< n-
eral of volunteers un June iO, 1803.
distinguished himself two days later
at Gettysburg, but won his chief
fame as one uf Sheridan's leailers of
eavalrj'. He was conspieuutis at
Yellow Tavern and at Hawe's Shop,
was made major-general of volunteers
tor gallant service in the battles of
Winchester anil Fisher's Hill, and
brigadier-general in the United States
Army for Five Forks. The boy gen-
erals won more than their share of
glory on the grim "foughten fielii."

UAJOH-GENEHAL WESLEY MEBHIIT AND STAFF

ogB of tl;e Wax Bap

thick of the fray at Gettysburg, but " lived to fight another
day " and win his own double stars at Manila.

And while the regulations forbade carrying the musket
before reaching one's eighteenth birthday, they were oddly
silent as to the age at which one might wield the sword, and
so it resulted that boys of sixteen and seventeen were found
at the front wearing the shoulder-straps of lieutenants, and
some of them becoming famous in an army of famous men.

Two instances were those of two of the foremost major-
generals of later years — Henry W. La^-ton, of Indiana, and
Arthur SlacArthur, of Wisconsin. Lawton, tall, sinewy, and
strong, was chosen first sergeant, promoted lieutenant, and
was commanding a regiment as lieutenant-colonel at the close
of the war and when barely twenty. JMacArthur's case was
even more remarkable. Too young to enlist, and crowded
out of the chance of entering West Point in 1861, he received
the appointment of adjutant of the Twenty-fourth Wiscon-
sin when barely seventeen, was promoted major and lieuten-
ant-colonel while stil) eighteen, and commanded his regiment,
though thrice wounded, in the bloody battles of Resaea and
P'ranklin. The " gallant boy colonel," as he was styled by
GJeneral Stanley in his report, entered the regular army after
the war, and in 1909, full of honors, reached the retiring age
(sixty-four) as the last of its lieutenant-generals.

The East, too, had boy colonels, but not so young as Mac-
Arthur. The first, probably, was brave, soldierly httle Ells-
worth, who went out at the head of the Fire Zouaves in the
spring of 1861, and was shot dead at Alexandria, after tearing
down the Confederate flag. As a rule, however, the regiments.
East and West, came to the front headed by grave, earnest
men over forty years of age. Barlow, Sixty-first New York,
looked hke a beardless boy even in 1864 when he was com-
manding a division. The McCooks, coining from a famous
family, were colonels almost from the start — Alexander, of
the First Ohio, later major-general and corps commander;

BOYS WHO

POLGHT AND PLAYED

WITH MEN

Tbe boys in the Iowit photograph have
qualified as men; they are pUying carda
with the grown-up soldiers In the quiet of
camp life, during the winter of 1863-3.
They are the two drummers or "fidii
musicians," to which each company was
entitled. Many stories were told of
drummer-buys' bravery. .-V po<:m [Kipii-
lar during the war centered around an
incident at Vicluburg. .\ general assault
was made on the town on May 19. IHDS,
but repulsed with severe loss. Durins its
progress a boy eame limping back fr»m
the front and stoppiit in friiiit of Grni-nLl
Sherman, while the blood formed a little

pool by his toot. Unmindful of his own
condition, he shouted, "Let our soldiers
have some more cartridges, sir — caliber
fifty-four," and trudged off to the rear.
Another poem is based on an incident m
the first year of the war. A drummer-boy
had heat his ral-lal-loo for the soldieia
until he had been struck on the ankle by
a fij'ing bullet. He would not fall out,
but. mounted on the shoulders of a grown
comrade, he o<intinued to beat his drum
as the ci>mpuaj' chur)^ to victory, and
at the cnit of the day's fighting he rode to
camp sitting in front on the genenJ'a
horse, sound asleep. Tlie drammcr-boy
was the inspiration of mail}' a soldierly
deed and ballad both N'ortli and South.
The little ehaph in the photogmph UC
not as long as the guns of their

A DRUMMER IN "FILL DRESS'

DHL'MMER-BOYS OFF DUTY— PLAYING CARDS IN CAMP. WINTER OF 'M

0gH of ti^t War 9aga

Dan, of the Fifty-second Ohio; Edward, of the Second Indiana
Cavaln-; and gallant " Bob," of the Ninth Ohio, named briga-
dier-general before he was killed in August, 1862.

With the close of the second twelve months of the war
came the first of the little crop of " boy generals," as they
were called, nearly all of them young graduates of West
Point. The first of the " boy generals " was Adelbert Ames,
of the class of '61, colonel of the Twentieth Maine, closely fol-
lowed by Judson Kilpatrick, colonel of the Second Xew York
Cavalrj', and by Wesley Merritt, whose star was given him
just before Gettj'sburg, when only twentj'-seven.

AVith Merritt, too, came Custer, only twenty-three when
he donned the silver stars, and first charged at the head of the
Wolverine Brigade on Stuart's gray squadrons at the far right
flank at GJettysburg. A few months later and James H. Wil-
son, Emorj' Upton, and Ranald Mackenzie, all young, gifted,
and most soldierly AVest Pointers, were also promoted to the
stars, as surely would have been gallant Patrick O'Rorke,
but for the bullet that laid him low at Gettysburg. That
battle was the only one missed by another boy colonel, who
proved so fine a soldier that New York captured him from his
company in the Twenty-second Massachusetts and made him
lieutenant-colonel of their o«ti Sixty-first. Severe wounds
kept him out of GJettysburg, but May, 1864, found him among
the new brigadiers. JMajor-general when only twenty-six, he
gave thirty-eight years more to the ser\-ice of his countrj', and
then, as lieutenant-general. Nelson A. Sliles passed to the re-
tired list when apparently in the prime of life.

The South chose her greatest generals from men who
were beyond middle life — Lee, Jackson, Sidney Johnston,
Joseph £. Johnston, Bragg, Beauregard, and Hardee. Long-
street and A. P. Hill were younger. Hood and Stuart were
barely thirty. The North found its most successful leaders,
save Sherman and Thomas, among those who were about
forty or younger.

PART I
SOLDIER LIFE

MARCHING AND FORAGING
EAST AND WEST

'^M'im^

A WESTEBN BAND — FIELD-MUBIC

OF THE FIRST INDIANA HKAVY

ARTILLERY AT BATON BOUOE

GUANTS SOLDIERS DIGGING POTATOES— ON' THE MARCH TO COLO HARllOR. MAY *H. ISCl
icnls. liliinki-ts. pim's ..f sh<!(.T-t.>nl, a

These boys of the SiMli ( orps hinv (ii*t iisiiiv Uii-ir heavy umiiiteniii
cheerfully lu iliggiiij; ]>olatocs from .1 ro;iil,-iili- "(.'iirilrii patili." Oni
rush towani tin- CoiifnliTatf work!— llii'ii •.laiTf'.r tu i«\,-r. »iUi I
puU'il l>-.s> lUii MUva miiiut.-s. \\]u-n Gr.iut foiin.i tluit [••■ ha<l b.i'11
enecul<i! it flank niovi-mfnl past Lee's rig)il, his Wfukcst |)«int. The Si
were used in the flank movement and secumi a more favorable positi
I 108 I

i niblKT Llankels. and svt

^•k hU-T Ihi'lr i;.Ti>. »ill r.^rtii iKirt of tbf blue Urn- that »iH
tU>ii:<.i].| mm V\V,:l ^^..midM, or missing in a p.'rio.l otmi-
il-p-mr,,l,-,l \.y I..-,- ,.n Ih.- N..rtli Aniiii Riv.-r. he ii.mi«liately
(.'•jrjisjinilthi'Snxuiil (oqis, togi'tliiTwith Sheridan's cavalrj-,
thirty-fi\-e miles nearer Sirbniond. It vas Khile Srdgwick'a

FORAGING A WEEK HEFORE THE BLOODIEST ASSAULT OF THE WAR

Sixth Corps was passing over the tiinvas pont(M>ii-l)ridgps arross l)ie Pamiinkpy at Hnnovcrtown, May 88. 1864, thai this phutograph
was taken. When tbe furagers in the furfgruiind liiivt exhaiistcfl this particiilnr polaln^fielii, one of tlie wagons of th? quartermaster's
train now crossing on the pontoon will halt and take aboard the prize, carrying il fomsrd to the next regular halt, when the potatoes
will be duly diatributed. Not alone potatoes, but wheal and melons and turnips, or any other class of eatables apparent to the soldiers'
eye above ground, were thus ruthlessly appropriated. This incongTuous episode formed one o( the many anomalies of the life of the
soldier on the march. Especially when he was approaching an enemy, he relaxed and endeavored to secuK as much comfort as posuble.

THE ULSY ENGINEERS STOl* TO EAT

This is the rsinp at an pnginrrr or pontonier company. The pontoons rating on thrir wagon basm are ready to be launched. But
before work cvmrs a pause For an important crremoay — dlDDcr. In tJip oyts uT the rank and file tlie company cook wu more im-
IwrtaDt than most officers. TIk soldiers in the upper photograph are located neartheheailquarters' wagons, vhilc the cook hioiself is
■landing proudly near the center, "monareh of all he surveys." To hb left Is seen one of the tieevesthatissoontotiesacriGcedtDthe
suhiiera' appetites. Of the two lover photographs on the left-hand pa^, one shows cooks of the .4ni)y of the Potomac in the winter

PRKlURINd A MEAL IN WLNTKlt-QLARTERS

COOKINC OIT-OK-DOORS

THE COMPANY COOK WITH HIS OLTHT "IN ACTION "—BKEF ON THE HOOF AT HAND

of IHfil. snug in tht-ir winti-r-qmirtprs, itnd iJic next illustrates cooking in progress outdoors. The two lower pholograplus on the-
right-hand page draw a e<intmat between dining in a p<'rmuncnt eaiiip and on tlic march. On the left is a mess of some of the offic«ra
of thr Ninety-third New York Infantry, dining wry much at eiuie. with their folding tables and their eolored seri'anli:. at Realtou,
Virginia. th<; month atti'r (lettyiibiirg. But in the luhl |>liutogrnph a. sulilier is cuwering apprehensively over the fire at Culpepcr,
Virginia, in .August, IfiOi, while Die buffliil Army uf \'ir)!iniii iiniler Poih' wus retreating before l.ee'a lictoriuus nurthward sweep.

OFFICERS' LUXURY AT ItKALTON— AIJGUST. 1883 A MOUTHFUL DURING TOl'ES RETREAT

'■"^tp^i

MARCHES OF THE FEDERAL ARMIES

Brevet Captui

Bv Fenivick Y. Hedley

, I'nlted Stalex Volunifers, ami AdjutanU Thirty-second
IllinoU Infaiitrtf

IT was said of Xajjoleon that lie " o\'erran Europe with the
bivouac." It was the bivouac that sapped the spirit and
snapped the sinews of the Confederacy. Xo other war in his-
tory presents marches marked with such unique and romantic
experiences as those of the P'ederal armies in the Civil War.

It is worth while to note one march which has received lit-
tle attention from annalists — one of much unportance at
the moment, in the meaning it gave to the word " discipline."
and, also, in the direction it gave to the fortunes of the man
who was destined to direct all the armies of the Union.

Early in the opening war-year, 1861, an embrj-o Illinois
regiment was on the verge of dissolution. It was made up of
as good flesh and blood and spirit as ever followed the drum.
But the colonel was a pohtician without military training, and
under him the men refused to serve. There was no red tape
to cut. for there had been no muster-in for service. So the re-
jected colonel was sent his way, and a plain, modest man.
Ulysses S. Grant by name, was put in his place.

Colonel Grant was ordered to Jlissouri. He declined rail-
road transportation. Said he, " I thought it would be good
preparation for the troops to march there." He marched his
men from Camp Yates, at Springfield, to Quincy, on the Mis-
sissippi River, about one hundred miles, expecting to go as
much further, when an emergencj' order from the War Depart-
ment required him to take cars and hasten to another field.
So early in the war, such a march was phenomenal. It was

Tlipro is nothinK Id siikk<-sI niilitiiry hrLlliiiiiry
niaa sLiniiing wilh militiiry (■orrii'lTii-?%.s i.s llif i
soldier who coiilil avcnigc sixti'<'n iiiiirs u iIh.v Ci
miles oviT » luird Hi-nnsj-lviiniii luBliway. Sixl

THE ('IVII, \YAR ?;ai,l>lF.U AS IIK REALLY UKJKEl) AND MARniEl)

prosaic as iini

lul tliiii squait. Allitiiiirs an as pnBaif as iinifomis iiri' iiii]iifliirr.sqiif. 'I'hf only
•T at Ihi- Ii-ft-liuiiil mil. Rut Iliis nii.s Die mutrriul oiil of uhiiii niih ili'Vrlopi'd the
t'l'ks on ond. nnil il<>, on o<'<'usion, Jiis thirt.v miles tlin>i]f>li VirKinia niiiil un.I his forty
miles u ilii.v lines tiol sceDi fur lo a single (leilestriau. bill iiiuri'liiii^; nilli a regiiiimt

bears liiit litllf relation to a soliliiry stroll nioii): a sunny riiml. It i.s n far diffrrrnl nialler lo tnnlRi- ulong cnrrjinji a lu'avy burden,
phoked by tbe dusl kieked up l.y him.lnils of nwa truni])iii« alonjj! iti fr.inl. and swelterinfi in Ihe sun— or trinl((.- still nior.- drearily
along in n i>elting ruin wliii'h added pcmnils lo a soakeil and eliugiTig uniform, and •-:iTJsed llie soldiers to slip and stagger in llie mud.

-- — 1

,/ /^/ ■/ ./

^^■..■■■:'^rm,m4

tfli

mZfmst

W^M^^f^Si

{-- -^^^

VVv^

^^^^^M^^l

L-^jsii^^WB

.-*ii.T^J^

'■r_.

ft-ap'-^— -.

- . ..

•RIGHT rillOLLDER SHItT'-COLL-MX OF TOL^RS— THE TttTNTY-SECOND NEW YORK ON THE ROAD

4jJ,| arriving anJ» jFnraging

midsummer, and the men, fresh from school, workshop, and
farm, suffered severely. From the day Grant assumed com-
mand of the Twenty-first Illinois, it gave as good an account
of itself as did any in the service.

In the East, throughout the war, the principal military
movements were restricted to a comparatively small territory
— the region about the Confederate capital, Richmond, and the
approaches thereto. The chief exception was the Gettysburg
campaign, in 1863, involving a march of somewhat more than
two himdred miles. The famous marches in this part of the
country were forced ones, short in duration, but involving in-
tense fatigue and hardship, and often compelling troops to go
into battle without much-needed rest. In the hasty concentra-
tion at Gettysburg there were some very noteworthy perform-
ances by Meade's army. The Sixth Corps started from Man-
chester, Maryland, at dark, on July 1st. " Without halting,"
says General Wright, " except for a few moments each hour
to breathe the men, and one halt of about half an hour to enable
the men to make coffee, the corps was pushed on to Gettysburg,
where it arrived about 4 p.m. after a march variously estimated
at from thirty-two to thirty-five miles."

Early in the afternoon of May 4, 1864, Grant telegraphed
Bumside to bring the Ninth Corps immediately to the Wilder-
ness. The divisions were stationed along the Orange and Alex-
andria Railroad, but by the morning of the 6th all were on the
battlefield. Some of the troops had marched over thirty miles.
Gieneral Grant says, " Considering that a large proportion,
probably two-thirds, of the corps was composed of new troops,
unaccustomed to marches, and carrying the accouterments of
a soldier, this was a remarkable march." For hardships and ex-
haustion few marches exceeded the race from the North Aima
to the Pamunkey in May, 1864. Hundreds of men dropped
dead from lack of proper precaution in the intense heat.

In the West, unlike the East, the principal Union armies
were almost constantly in motion, and on long extended lines.

A rainiTlI AHMY corn's DIVISION AT SHAM IJAITLK N'KAR MISSIONARY RIDOE. 1863

The pccuUiirity of the drill in Ihe U'csU'm unnira wns Ihcir Ion); swinging titridc. The rrgulittion urniy step was twrnty-eight inches,
sn<l tlic men in lliu Kusl were held rigiilly to thin n'qiiiri'niciit. Hut the AVi-sterrers swunB fiirwanl with a long swwp of the leg wliirh
cnubled them to ruver grail ilistiiiicc.s at a rapitl iiiin'. In NuveniU'r, lH(i3, Shern>Hn ninn'hnl liijj Kiftrenlli Coqis fulir hundred miles
over alnxist impassable ruuds fruui ^lempliia tu ( 'liuttaniHitnt: yet his slnrily wildier Ihivn were ready to gn into action next day.

A SKNTUY ON THE KAMPARl'S AT KNOXVILLK, TENNESSKi:. 18«*

arriving anh Swcsgm^

Their field oijerations. from beginning to end, extended
through seven States — Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Ala-
bama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Xorth Carolina, in all of
which they fought important battles. Some of their divisions
and brigades operated in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and
Texas.

Operations in the West opened early in 1861, with St.
Louis and the Ohio River as primaiy bases. By the summer
of 1862, armies under Halleck in Missouri, under Grant in
Tennessee, and under Buell in Kentucky had pushed tlieir
way hundreds of miles southward. These operations invohed
much marching, but, in vie%v of later experiences, «'ere not
marked with such peculiar incidents as to claim attention here.

In September, 1862, occurred a march which alarmed the
Xorth much as did Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania the
following year. General Don Carlos Buell's troops occupied
points in Tennessee. The Confederates, under General Bragg.
so threatened his rear that he was obliged to abandon his
position. Then ensued a veritable foot-race between the two
armies, on practically parallel roads, with LouisWlle as the
goal. Buell reached the city just in advance of his opponent
— both armies footsore and jaded from constant marching and
frequent skirmisliing.

An early march, and one well worthy of remark, was that
ordered and directed by General Grant, in the fall of 1862.
The objective point was the rear of Vicksburg. His army
moved in two columns — one from La Grange, Temiessee, un-
der his own personal command ; the other from Memphis, Ten-
nessee, under General Sherman. Their advance reached the
neighborhood of Grenada, ^Mississippi, having marched a dis-
tance of one hundred miles. Further progress was stayed by
the capture of Holly Springs, Mississippi, in their rear, with
all its ammunition stores and commissary supplies, by the Con-
federate general, Forrest, As a consequence, a retrograde
march was ine\'itable.

I«w]

//'

PROTECTING THE REAR FOR THE MARCH TO THE SEA— A TYPICAL ARMY SCENE— 1864

The armed guard indicates that
the pick-and-ahovel dplail is
made up of delinquent soldiers
BCTving 'petty sentences. It
seems strange tliat the throw-
ing up of cntrenehmcnta about a
city should form an essential
part of marching, hut ao it wiia
in the case of the greatest march
of the Civil AVar, which covered
a total distance of a thousan<l
miles in less than six months.
Sherman did not dare to k'ave
Athuita with his Gi,000 veterens
until his rear was properly forti-
fied against the attacks of Hood.
The upper photograph shows
some of Sherman's men digging
the inner line of entrenchments
at Decatur, Atabama, a task in
vivid contrast to the comfortable
quarters of the officers at the
Decatur Hotel shown in the cut
below. Their military -Hppeai-

OFFICERS' QLAnTERS AT DECWTL'R IIOTEI, 18(U

ance suffers somen'hat from their
occupation, but digging was often
more important than fighting, for
the soldier. Having despatched
Thomas to Naah\'ille. anil having
left strongly entrenched garrison*
nt Allatoona and Rcsaca, as well
Hs at Decatur, Sherman launched
his army from Atlanta. Novem-
Ifcr 15. 18M. He cherished the
iiope that Hood nould attack
cine of the fortified places he h*A
left behind, and that is precisely
wliat occurred. Hood and Beau-
regard believed that Sherman's
army was doomed, and turned
toward Tennessee. Sherman be-
lieved that his march would be
the culminating blow to the
ConfeddBcy. The lower photo-
graph shows the pontoon-bridge
built by Sherman at Decatur at
the time his army marched swiftly
to the relief of Chattanooga.

F0NT00N-4BIDGE AT DECATUR

arrt|mg anh JFnraging * * * ^^ *

While southward bound, the Union troops found just suf-
ficient opposition by the Confederates under General Pem-
berton to keep them engaged, without impeding their prog-
ress. The conditions were now changed. They were greatly
harassed, and at times were obliged to march with the utmost
speed to avoid being cut off at an intersecting road in their rear.
Their unusual and protracted privations were experiences such
as had been heretofore unknomi. They had set out in the
lightest marching order known at that time. Wagon trains
were reduced to carrj' only ammunition and indispensable food.
Xo tents were carried except a few for officers.

When Grant advanced upon Vicksburg in ilay, 1863,
the army again " marched light," and it has been said that the
general's only baggage was a package of cigars and a tooth-
brush. Vicksburg surrendered on July 4th, and the same day.
without entering the city, a large portion of the army marched
rapidly away to attack General Johnston, at Jackson. The
distance was little more than fiftj' miles, but never did troops
suffer more severely. It was a forced march, under an intense,
burning sun ; the dust was stifling, and the only water was that
from sluggish brooks and fetid ponds.

In November, 1863, General Sherman marched his Fif-
teenth Corps from Jlemphis to Chattanooga, a distance of
nearly four hundred miles, over almost impassable roads. AVhen
he arrived his men were in a most exhausted condition, yet they
were ready to go into action the next day.

Following almost immediately after the march above men-
tioned, Sherman moved his men from Chattanooga to the relief
of Bumside at Knox^-iUe. The distance was not great, about
one hundred and twenty-five miles, but the troops were utterly
worn out by their forced march in the intensely cold mountain
atmosphere.

In Februarj', 1864, General Sherman marched a force of
twenty thousand men from ]Memphis and Vicksburg to Sleri-
dian, Mississippi, a distance of one hundred and fiftj' miles.

[8081

ON THE MARCH— WATER FOR THE OUTER AND INNER MAN

It was a hot and dusty tramp after Spotsylvania in May, 1864, as Graat strove to outflank Lee. Wheo Grant's
men reached the North Anna River, they found that the bridge had been bumcd. Ignorant of the fighting before
them at Cold Harbor, where ten thousanii men were to be shot do»ii in a few minutes, they enjoyed a refreahing
Bwim and bath. The lower photograph will bring memories to every veteran of the Virginia campugns — the
eager rush of the men on the march for the deep dark well of the \'irgima plantations. This one has been covered
and a guard placed over it to prevent waste of water; for a well soon runs dry when an army commences to drint

arrtiing m\h JTora^mg

The troops moved in light marching order. The expedition en-
tailed severe labor upon the men in the destruction of the ar-
senal and supply depots at Meridian, and the practical demoli-
tion of the railroad almost the entire distance.

Sherman's " march to tlie sea " is unique among marches.
The army had goo«l training for its undertaking. Its com-
mander had led it from Chattanooga to the capture of At-
lanta, and had followed the Confederate general, Hood, north-
ward. Shortly after Sherman abandoned the pursuit of Hood,
he detached Stanley's Fourth Corps and Schofield's Twenty-
third Corps to the assistance of Thomas, in Tennessee. This
march of nearly three hundred miles was one of tlie most ardu-
ous of the war, though lacking in the picturesqueness of that
to the sea; it included the severe battle of Franklin, and had
\'ictorious ending at XashWlle.

Sherman's army marched from Atlanta and vicinity on
November 15, 1864. The men set forward, lifting their voices
in jubilant song. As to their destination, they neither knew
nor cared. That they were heading south was told them by the
stars, and their confidence in their leader was unbounded.

It was a remarkable body of men — an army of veterans
who had seen three years of constant fie]d-ser\'ice. Through
battle, disease, and death, nearly everj' regiment had been
greatly reduced. He was a fortunate colonel who could mus-
ter three hundred of the thousand men he brought into ser\-ice.
Thirty men made more than an average company; there were
those which numbered less than a score. It M-as also an army
of youngsters. Most of the older men and the big men had
been worn down and sent home.

To each company was allowed a pack-mule for cooking
utensils (frying-pans and coffee-pots), but frequently these
were dispensed with, each soldier doing his own cooking after
even more primitive fashion than in Iiis earlier campaigns. All
dispensable items of the army ration had been stricken out, the
supply being limited to hard bread, bacon, coffee, sugar, and
I«ioi

THE EXTREMmES OF
THE THOUSAND-MILE
FEDERAL LINE ON
THE MISSISSIPPI
It WM from Cairo that the
Federals in 1862 cautiously
btgui to operate with large
(orcea in Confederate ter-
ritory. And it was in New
Orleans, the same spring.
that the Federal Military
Depnrtment of the Gulf es-
tablished its headquarters.
Farragut had forced the
forts, and the dty had
fallen. The lower photo-
graph allows the Federal
Headquarters at Ni'w Or-

dtiiv ^-,^,

J^nit^Hd/ii^d

leans, a thousand milea
from Cairo. The orderlie*
on the porch and the flag
floating in front of the deli-
cate "banquettes" of tie
building, the iron traceiy
that came over from France,
show that the city has
passed into Union hands
and become the head-
quarters of the Military
Department of the Gulf.
The flag can be dimly de-
scried opposite the corner
of the building just below
Hie roof. There was evi-
dently enough wind to
make it flap in the breeze.

CAIRO. WHEN THE ADVANCE BEGAN

mm^:

»''y*!lli?iUJ-.JN

THE BUILDING USED AS NEW ORLEANS HEADQUARTERS OP THE 1
DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF
I»-U]

^^I arrlftng mth Joraging

salt. A three days' supply of bread and bacon was issued at
intervals to last the soldier ten days, the " foragers," of whom
more anon, being his dependence for all else. CoflFee, the
greatest of all necessities to the soldier, was liberally proi-ided,
and the supply seldom failed. The soldier's personal effects
were generally limited to his blanket, a pair of socks, and a
piece of shelter tent, though many discarded the latter with
contempt. In addition to his gun and cartridge-box with its
forty rounds, the soldier carried his haversack, which with his
food contained one hundred and sixty rounds of cartridges.
After everj' occasion calling for expenditure of ammunition,
liis first concern was to restock, so as constantly to have two
hundred rounds upon his person.

The train with each corps had been reduced to the lowest
possible number of wagons. Nothing was transported but
ammunition, commissary supplies, and grain for the animals
— the latter only to be used when the countrj' would not
afford animal subsistence. In addition, to each regiment was
allowed a single wagon to carry ammunition, a single tent-fly
to shelter the field-desks of the adjutant and quartermaster, a
small mess-kit for the officers in conunon, and an ordinary-
valise for each of them. In case of necessity {not an uncom-
mon occurrence on account of crippled horses and bad roads),
some or all of these personal belongings were thrown out and
destroyed.

The army marched in four columns, usually ten to fifteen
miles apart, on practically parallel roads. The skirmishers and
flankers of each corps extended right and left until they met
those of the next corps, thus giving a frontage of forty to fifty
miles. As a consequence, the widely dispersed forces were soon
ready for handling as a unit. At a river, two or more corps
met, to utihze a pontoon, train in conmion.

The day's itinerary was much the same throughout the
march. Soon after daybreak the bugle sounded the reveille, and
the men rolled their blankets and prepared their meal. An

COMMISSARY DEPARTMENT AT ARMY OF THE POTflMAC HEADQIIAHTERS. APRIL, 1801

The big burracks of n messhall H*ith
such (oud as would make a s»Mirr
grumble in times of pcurp. would liuvp
sn^ined a veritable Mecca to a soldier
of 1884 in camp or on the marrb. The
aeeompanying photographs s]iow how
the commissary tlepartment of the
Army of tlie Potomac supplied the
individual soldier with meat anil
water. Above is displayed a ™m-
misiary at the front in full awing

WAITING FOR SUPPER

ON A CHILLY AUTUMN

EYHNING OF WS

fillinR their wati

[o punrd i\n precious
soldiers can be seen
a well, and

waiting while on attache of the com-

niLssary department cuts off round
of beef ami issues portions to th
tarious messes. The photograph li
the center shows the final result, wil
nessed by the savory-looking steal,
blown from the kettle on top of the
charred timbers.

TUE SOLDIERS' WATER CART

SERVING OUT RATIONS

arrl|tn$ anii Satu^ia^

hour Inter, at the call of the assembly, they fell in, and soon
l(M»k up the line of iimrch, reaching the end for the day in the
luiddlf of the aftcrncxHi or early evening. The rear brigade
a>i'«ittHi the movement of the wagon train and fell in behind.
It fmiuently did not reach tite halting-place until midnight,
nnd sonu'tiuR's much later. The average distance covered daily
was something more than sixteen miles.

The men marehe«I " at will," with little semblance of mil-
itary order, yet each knew his plaee. (Jood-natiired badinage,
songs. seb(xi|-day recitations, discussions as to destination —
these ser^■t•d to pass the time. Seldtmi was halt made for a noon-
time meal. tU' men eatnigas they marched. At an occasional
halt. M>nie gathenn) t>ver their eartls: some put a few stitclies
in a dilapidattnl garment; some beat the sand and dust out of
their sIhk's. anil nurseil their blistereti. travel-worn feet. The
evening was pleasantly passe<l around the camp-tire.

But a ilay seldom passes! without its trials. Frequently
a Confetlerate fonv apjH'ared in fn>nt: the cavalr>' advance
was tlriven l>aek. while a regiment or brigade, and a few pieces
t>f artillerj'. niovetl rapidly Ui the frt'mt. A lialf-hour later the
fw hail %'anlsliei]: a grave or two was dug Iwueath tlie ^adow
t»f the trtvs; an amhtilani'e reeeiveil a few wotmded men. and
the U)arv*lt was resumed.

Again, the min fell in torrents the day long. and. some-
tiuies, for tlays. The men man*hetl in soakeil clothing. The
r\i«ids wen.' qtiagmires. and thiHisands of men laliored for hours
traring iknvn fences and felling saplings to make a cordurov
r««ad. over which the artiller}' and wagon trains might pass.

At aiM>ther time the march lay aeniss or near a railway
which viNihl he of umch use to the t\»nfe»ierales. The sokhers
Utrnt up along its length and. lifting the ends of the ties, lit-
erally overtun»eU the inm way. The ties were piled together
aiKl fired: the iron rails were thmwn upon them. and. after they
were *-eU heated in the miikUe. they were wrapped around
trees, or twisted with eant-liM^s.

ii.

PICKETS SEVEN HUN-
DRED MILES APABT

The two picket statioiu
shown in these photognph^
illustrate the extended area
over which the Federal sol-
diers marched out to picket
duty. European wars, with
the exception oT Napoleon's
Rusuan campaign, have
rarely invtdved such widely
separated points simultane-
ously. Picketing waa con-
sidered by the soldiers a
pleasant detail. It relieved
them of all other cBuip re-
quirenients, such us ilrills
and parades. The soldiers
in the photographs arc loll-
ing at ease with no apparent
apprehension of any enemy,
but it must not be a.ssumed
from Ihtir n-lanation that
they arc nut vigilant, lle-
yond these little camps

h- - -Mj

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VIRGIXIA— FEDER.4L PICKET STATION NEAR BULL RUN. 18fi«

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GEOBGU— PICKETS JUST BEFOBE THE BATTLE OF ATLANTA. JULY U. 1B64

regular sentinels are on
duty with keenly observant'
eyes. When their tour o(
duty has been completed
they will be relieved by
some of the men who are so
much at ease. The pickets
retreated before any ad-
vance in face of the Con-
federates, and rejoined the
main body of troops. In
the Atlanta photograph,
the "reserve post" u
slightly in the rear of the
outer line of pi<^t«. Judg-
ing from the rough earth-
works, the dilapidated
house, and the smashed
window-frame in the fore-
ground, there has evident-
ly been fighting at this .
point. Nearly all of the
men have on high-erowned
hats, which afforded bet-
ter protection against the
mu thju the fongn cap.

arrljuij anh Iffnragtag

•'*>

General Sherman reduced foraging to a system in the
West, and, more especially during his rapid and extended
marches, foraging hecanie a necessary means of subsistence for
men and animals. As the general expressed it, " No army could
carry food and forage for a march of three hundred miles, and
there being no civil authorities to respond to requisition, this
source of supply was indispensable to success."

In preparing for his march to the sea, he issued specific
instructions for foraging " liberally upon the country," and
these were reasonable in the interest of his men, and humane as
regarding the people who were to be foraged upon. Each
brigade commander was to send out a foraging party under
a discreet conmiissioned officer, to gather in from the region
adjacent to the route traveled whatever might serve as subsist-
ence for man and beast, also wagons, horses, and mules for con-
veying the supplies to the troops ; the animals were then to be
utilized in the artillery and wagon trains to replace those worn
out. Entering dwelling-houses was forbidden. With each
family was to be left a reasonable portion of food, and discrim-
ination was to be made in favor of the poor. As a matter of
fact, few soldiers saw or heard of these regulations until after
the march was ended. But, with the remarkable adaptability
of the American soldier, they became on the instant " a law
unto themselves," and in spirit and deed carried out the pro-
visions of their commander, of which they had not heard.
These foraging parties numbered twenty-fi\'e to fifty men
each. They set out usually before the troops broke camp, and
extended tlieir expeditions three to five miles on either flank.
They brought in their supplies in every manner of vehicle-
wagons, carts, and carriages, drawn indiscriminately by horses,
mules, oxen, or cows, strung together with harness, rope, or
chains; a complete set of harness was seldom found.

The supplies thus obtained were turned over to the brig-
ade commissary for issue in the regular way to the various regi-
ments. The result was general dissatisfaction. At no time

I'RKPAIUTIONS ytm THE MARCJI TO THK SEA— ATLANTA, 1K64

The MiMiiTS sjirnu linf! <m l]i<- fri'iKlit-rara
guanln. in prc|>itriilU>n fur his fumoiis mn
actiiinpiiniFd Ihe tmups im this muvFincn
tiuns. Tht miliiior's pcrnonal effrrts wci
distanii'J evpn the liittor. Nothing viu
nDiniiils. All invalids and Ihune in<';i|m

i, and estahlishing
livol.v !vw wHRons

irt- (ini' (if llie bodies ut triioiw tliat Sherman whs shifting! — chBDRinft garrison

eh t<j tlio sen. Ui-lon appears a nngon-train leaving Atlanta; hut eiimpurii

. Everylhing piissible wiih diivarded and sent hnek uver Sherman's at riing I

neni'ndlj- liniiliHl In )iL» blanket, ii pair <it socks, nnd a piere of shelter*tent. although many

trans) xirti'd but ammunition, absolutely necessary conimissar.v supplies, ami graiii for the

itiited for hard mnrching were sent iKU'k, and the nvera([e company was less than thirty men.

ONE OF SHERMAN'S WAGON-TRAINS

arrt^ mdi jfuraging

was there a sufficiency for ail. The men provided a remedy.
Probably everj' regiment in the army sent out its independent
foragers — a class known in history as " Sherman's Bummers,"
and there were no more venturesome men. They had no official
being, but were known to all, from commanding general down,
and their conduct was overlooked unless flagrant.

The forager or "bummer" at first was usually afoot;
sometimes he rode a horse or mule whidi had been " con-
demned " and turned out of the wagon train. His search at
the first farm was for a fresh mount; with this, success was
assured. The forager frequently found a willing ally ui the
plantation negro, who would guide him to a swamp where ani-
mals had been taken, or to a spot where pro^nsions had been
buried. In some instances what appeared to be a grave was
pointed out, which would yield treasures of preser^-es, choice
beverages, and jewelrj'.

Nearly all the inhabitants had gone farther into the in-
terior, taking with them what of their possessions they could;
in such cases, the deserted buildings were utterly despoiled.
The few people who remained were old men, women, and chil-
dren. To these the forager was usually respectful, ei'cn sjtii-
pathetic, and in some instances he laid the foundations for a
personal friendship which exists to this day. But with all
his good nature, the forager was diplomatic, and he so skilfully
directed his conversation that he frequently acquired knowledge
of sources of supply at the next plantation, and even of move-
ments of the Confederate soldiery, which was esteemed of value
at headquarters.

If the foragers were fortunate, the meal of their squad or
company was incomparable — turkeys, chickens, smoked meats,
sweet potatoes, presen-es, sorghum, and not infrequently a jug
or keg of whisky. The ceUars of some abandoned mansions
yielded even richer store — cobwebbed wine-bottles dating back
to the '30's.

Thus lived Sherman's army for eighteen days on its march

rSS.

^ft^

. WUEltK THE iM.UlLH BEGAN— TROOIti AT THE "INDIAN MOUND"

SCENES AT THE ItEC.INNlNG,

MIDDLE. AND END

OK SHERMANS MAIU 11

TO THE SP:A

In lh<»

sluniv

ginning

Ihroe ijlnl<.f,ri|)lis

iiidlc nntl pml i>[ ~ih(
niann miirch to th<! s<h llitui
(.'hatlanoDgit anil \tluntii hi n
busj htrongthemng thi? nar
AtluntA lie RuthiriMl his n soiin
and made his hniil ill posilmns I

Die

grint

arcli His

markablir Ixxl) of men tin mujiirit\
veterans who had seen three jears
of constant field stnice. ypt in cim-
siderable proportion not yi^t old

HALF-WAY— SIUiRMAN'S MEN
llESTINr. AT ATLANTA

enough Id votf. Miinj' r.f Ihc staff
anil compHny ofdnTS were as young
iLS the men in thu ranks. The army
marehoii in tour eoliimns usually
ten to fifteen miles ajiart. and the
-skirmishes and flankers of the vari-
ous niriw pstendcd over u frontage
of forty or fifty inilra. The day's
itinerary was niueh the same
llirouglmut — revei lie scMin after day-
break, breakfast, assembly, and " for-
wnnl nmreh." The end of the day's
iiiareb was reaehed in the middle of
the afternoon or early evening, and
the average distance was sumething
more than sixteen miles. The »ea
was finally sighted at Savannah,
Georgia, on the lOtb of December.

THE SEA AT LAST— FEDERAL TROOPS IN FORT McALLlSTER JUST AFTEH ITS CAPTURE

orrl^ mtb J^nragms

through Georgia. But this season of feasting was followed by
a dismal fortnight of almost famine on the outskirts of Savan-
nah, before entrance to the city was obtained. In the subse-
quent march through the Carohnas, foraging was resumed as
in the interior of Georgia, but, except in a few favored localities,
the provisions were neither so plentiful nor so choice.

The forager experienced a startling transformation in
April of 1865. The war was over. Sliernian's men were
marching from Raleigh, North Carolina, for the national cap-
ital to be disbanded. The citizens no longer fled at their ap-
proach, but flocked to the road to see them pass. Among them
were scores of Lee's or Johnston's men, still clad in their " but-
ternut " uniforms. The forager's occupation was gone, and
he was now in his place in the ranks, and he stepped out, now
and again, to buy eatables, pajnng out " Uncle Sam's green-
backs."

Sherman's last two campaigns may be called a march in
three acts. The mareh to the sea began at Atlanta and ended
at Savannah, a distance of three hundred miles, consuming
eighteen days. After a period of rest began the march through
the Carolinas, ending at Goldsboro, four hundred and twentj--
five miles, in the words of Sherman, " concluding one of the
longest and most important marches ever made by an organ-
ized army," and culminating in the close of hostilities with the
surrender of General Johnston.

After a few days the march to Washington was begun, a
further distance of three hundred and fifty miles, and May
24, 1865, the troops marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in
presence of applauding thousands, then to be at once disbanded
and never to assemble again.

The total distance marched between Atlanta and Wash-
ington, in less than six months, was about one thousand miles.
Genera! Sherman claimed for his army, in its various marches,
beginning at Vicksburg and ending at Washington, a total of
twenty-eight hundred miles, including the many detours.

[2i

PART I
SOLDIER LIFE

WITH THE
VETERAN
ARMIES ;.:

itfife;

lAkm li'iV ... . '<

w^BS^SiBml^SSi

THE

WELL-DISCIPLINED

"REGULARS"— A SCENE OF APRIL S. IStH

MEN WnO DEMONSTRATED THE \ ALVE OF TR.\IN1NG AT GAINES' MILL

They stand up verj- straight, these regulars who formed the tiny nucleus of the vast Union armies. E\en
in the distance they bear the stamp of the trained soldier. At Bull Run the di.sciplined -soldiers .•ihoweil
a solid front amid the throng of fugitives. At Gaines' Mill, again, they kept together against an o^■er-
nheliiiing advance. It was not long, however, before the American ^■oiuntee^s on both sides were drilled
and disciplined, furnishing to <irant and Lee the fine.st soldiery that ever trod the field of battle. There
were .surprisingly few regulars when 'fll lanie. The United States regular army c-oiild furnish only six regi-
ments of cavalry, sixty batteries i>f jirtillcry, a battalion i)f engineers, and niuclicn regiments of infantrj'.

THE

ELEVENTH "U. S."
IX THEIR TRIM CAMP AT ALEX.\XDRIA

THE AMERICAN \ OLUNTEERS. HOWEVER, SOON ACQUIRED THE SOLDIERLY BEARING

Of the 3,559 organizations in all branches of the servnce in the Union armies, the States furnished 3,47S.
The Eleventh Infantry in the regular army was organized at Fort Independence, Boston Harbor, by direc-
tion of the President, May 4, 1861, and confirmed by Act of Congress, July W, 1S61. It fought throughout
the war with the Army of the Potomac. This photograph was taken at Alexandria, Va., a month before
the Wilderness, The regiment participated in every important battle of the Army of the Potomac, and
was on provost duty at Richmond, Va., from May to October, 1865. The regiment lost during service eight
officers, 117 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and two officers and eighty-six enlisted men by disease.

VETER-^NS LN CAMP— THE IHTH PENNSYLVANIA AT BRANDY STATION, WINTER OF IMS

A vivid iUustration d the <My cunp life of Uie Army of Uie Potonuc Id the «-inter of ISCS-M u supplied by these two photograplis
of the lame scene a few momenta apart. On the left-hand page the men Me playing cards, loafing, strolling about, and tvo of them
are eogaged in a boxing match. On the right the horse in the foreground is dragging a man seated on a barrel over the snow on a sled,
another man is fetching water, and the groups in front of the huts are reading newspapers. Id the lower photograph the card-pUiing,

BELOW, THE SAME AS IT HAD SHIFTED A FEW MOMENTS LATER

lounging, aikd boxing continue, the hones have bn-n ridden, led, and driven out of the picture, and the man vjtfa tix bucket bu
turned Rway. During t}ie war Pynnsylvanin funii.slipd In tin- service twenly-ciglit regimenta, Ihree battalions and twenty-two com-
panies of cavalry, fin' regiments, two bntlalions. and three companies uf heavy artillery, one battalion and twenty-nine baltcriea ol
liolit artillery.il company of cnpini'prs, on i- of sbarpshimters, and 258 regiments, five bat taliona, and twenty -five companies of iotantty.

WITH THE VETERAN ARMIES

Bv Chaeles King
Brigadier-General, United State* Vaiunteera

IT was a fine, enthusiastic army that General McClellan
finally marched forward on Manassas in the early spring
of 1862. So far as dress and " style " were concerned it far sur-
passed that with which, two years later, General Grant crossed
the Rapidan southward, and, unlike all preceding command-
ers in that field, took no backward step until he had crushed
his foe.

But in point of discipline, efficiency, and experience — ^the
essentials of modern militarj' craft — it is doubtful if the world
contained, man for man, anything to equal the two armies
confronting each other in May, 1864, the matchless soldiery
of Grant and Lee. Three years had they marched and maneu-
vered, fenced and fought— three tremendous years — and now
it seemed as though every man realized that this would be the
final struggle, that the question of the supremacy of the Union
or of the South was to be settled forever.

Beautiful and bright had been the colors that fluttered
over each proud battalion as it took the road for Manassas —
gay and vivid the uniforms of the " foreign legions " and the
Zoiiaves, spick and span the blue battalions, all with gleaming
belts and brasses, many with white gloves, and some even with
white gaiters. In spite of the clerical cut of his uniform, the
average ofiicer had a soldierly look about him, enhanced by a
trimly buttoned coat well set ofl* by the crimson sash. Those
were the days of the dandy, encouraged by the example of
many a general like McClellan, Porter, " Phil " Kearny, and
Hooker, who believed in fine accouterments and glittering

[226]

HOOKER— HANDSOME IN PERSON AND EQUIPMENT

General Joseph Hooker, whose photograph appears above, was one of many able generals, such as McClellan,
Porter, "Pliil" Kearny, and otlicrs, who believed in fine accouterments and glittering trappings. These
leaders used the casthest of housings and horse etiuipnients, and expected their staff officers to follow suit.
The latter were nothing loth; much money was s|)ent at the outset of the war in gi\'ing the army as trig
and smart an appearance as a European host. But there were no military roads in the United States,
and the pageantry of a European army is not adapted to the swamps and raoras.ses, the mountain heights,
and rocky roads over which the war was fought. By the end of the second year the red sash which set off
the trimly buttoned coat had turned to purple or disappeared entirely, and in many instances the coat was
gone as well. The costly shoulder-straps of gold embroider^' had given pl.oce to metal substitutes, and the
"hundred-dollar housings" of the grand review in the fall of 1861 were left in the swamps or lost in battle.

I ttlf tljr Ufteran Antitea

trappings, used the finest of housings and liorse equipments,
and expected their staff officers to follow suit. Those were
tlie days when each regiment still had its hand, some of them
strong in numbers and splendid in effect. «hen each band still
had its spectacular drum-major, and some few of them even a
prettily dressed vivandierc. By common consent, the glitter-
ing epaulet had been abandoned, but the plumed felt hat. the
yellow sash and gantlets still decked the martial persons uf
the corps, division, and brigade commanders, and the regi-
mental officers hi many an instance made the most of the regu-
lations as to uniform.

Much of the picturesque remained with the army wIkm
McClellan floated it around to the Peninsula and lost priceless
weeks at Vorktown, But the few vivandieres seemed to wilt
after Williamsburg. Many a bandsman balked at having tn
care for the wounded under fire. Quite a few chaplains decide:!
that their calling was with the hospitals at the rear rather tliaii
with the fighters at the front. Then the humid heat of a
Chickahominy June had taken the starch out of the last collar.
and utterly killed the buttoned-up coat. Officers and men l>y
thousands shed the stiff and cumbersome garment, marched
and fought in their flannel shirt-sleeves until they could get
the uncouth but unbothersome " blouse." Regiments that long
had paraded in leggings or gaiters kicked themselves loose and
left the rehcs strung out from Mechanicsville to Malvern.
When next they came tioidging out toward ISIanassas, to join
John Pope and his hard-hanmiered army, many men had
learned the trick of rolling the trousers snug at the ankle, ami
hauling the gray woolen sock, iegging-wise, round them.
There was a fashion that endured to the last, and spread west-
ward and southward to the ends of the lines.

But with the second summer of the war the hooked stand-
ing collar and buttoned-up coat were almost gone, ilen had
learned wisdom, and wore the blue blouse and gray-flannel
siiirt — open at the throat in warm weather, snug-fastened in

ONE FORKICX r.NIFOUM RETAINED TIIKOr(;il()rT THE WAR— A "RISII HAWKINS'

ZOUAVE" AT tJENERAL GILLMORE'S HEADQUARTERS. 1863
The vivid siinlighl in this photojjniph makes the grass and roof look almost like snow, but the place is Folly
Island before Charleston in July, 1863. In the foreground to the left stands one of Bush Hawkins' Zouaves,
from the Ninth New York Infuntry, Ho adheres to his foreign uniform, although most of the white gaiters
and other fancy trappingsof the Union army had disappeared early in '6i. But his regiment did gmid service.
It fought at South Moimtain, at Antietam. and Fredericksburg, with much scouting and sevenil forced
marches before it was mustered out May 20, X803. The three-years men, after they were assigned to the
Third New York Infantrj', whicli was ordered to Folly Island in July, 186S, retained their uniforms when in
entire companies. The scene is the head(]uarters of General Quincy Adams Gillmore, who was promoted to
lieutenant-colonel April 11, 1862, for gallant and meritorious senicc in the capture of Fort Pulaski, Ga.,
and to colonel, March 30, 1863, for gallant and meritorious ser\'ice in the battle of Somerset, Ky. lie
became major-general of volunteers in July, 1863. Note the black shadows cast by the soldier and t)ic trec>

itl; Hft Vtitrmi Anm^B * * * * -^

cold — and so lived and marched in comfort. Almost ever\'-
thing that was conspicuous or glittering had disappeared from
the dress of horse or man. The army that came back from
Fair Oaks and Gaines' Mill plodded on through the heart
of Marj'Iand in quest of Lee. bronzed, bearded in many cases,
but destitute of ornament of any kind. The red sash had
turned to purple or faded away entirely: the costly shoulder-
straps of gold embroidery, so speedily ruined by dust and rain,
had given place to creations of metal, warranted to keep their
shape, nor rust or fade— no matter what the weather.

Officers «bo proudly bestrode " hundred -dollar housings "
at the grand renew in the fall of 1861, had left them in the
swamps or lost them in battle, and were now using the eavalrj'
blanket instead of the shabrack, and the raw hogshide. rough
stitched to wooden saddle-tree, instead of the stuffed seat of
the Jenifer — and speedily learning that what they lost in style
they gained in comfort. So. loo. had the polished brass or
steel stirrup given way to the black-hooded, broad-stepj»ed.
wooden frame wherein the foot kept warm and dry whatever
the weather.

Only generals were wearing, with the second and third
years, the beaAily frogged and braided overcoats of dark
blue. Capes, ponchos, and cavalry surtouts were the choice of
the line-officer, and the men of the ranks had no choice. By
the time they had finished the second summer of the war, had
later crossed the icj- Rappahannock and vainly stormed the
heights at Fredericksburg, and later still had followed " Fight-
ing Joe "' to Chancellorsville— and back — the pomps and vani-
ties of soldier life had become things of the remote past : they
had settled down to the stem realities of campaigning. It was
a seasoned, a veteran army that marched to Gettj'sburg and
for the first time fairly drove the Southern lines from the
field. Long before this the treasured colors were stained, faded,
rent, and torn. Some had been riven to shreds in the storm
of shot and shell along the Chickahominy, in front of the

The soldier in the field had to learn to take care of bis health between battles as well as to save his skin while the bullets were flying.
In these tvo photographs, separated by only a few moments. Union men appear at the work of sanitation. Huts are being erected
and ditches dug for drainage near the headquarters of General George Vi'. Getty, Sixth Army Corpi. In the upper photograph the
man with the wheelbarrow i( juat starting away from the tent with a load. In the lower, he has reached the unfinished hut. The
men standing opiigtit m the upper {Mctme have bent to their work and the lentry hat paced a little farther along on his beat.

iti) tlyf Bptrrau Armit a * * ^ ^ *

unfinished railway at Second Bull Run, in the cornfields of the
Antietam, on the frozen slo|)es of Marj-e's Hill, or among the
murky woods of Chancellorsville. Now, in many a regiment,
by the spring of 18G4, half the original names had gone from
the muster-rolls, tlie fearful cost of such battling as had been
theirs — ^theirs, the home-loving lads who came flocking in the
flush of youth and the fen-or of patriotism to offer their brave
lives at the earliest call, in 1861.

It was a veteran army of campaigners with which Meade,
Hancock, and Reynolds, those three gallant Pennsylvanians,
overthrew at Gettysburg the hard-fighting army of the South
— Reynolds laying down his life in the fierce grapple of the
first day — veterans, yet more than half of them beardless boys.
Few people to-day who see the bent forms and snowy heads of
our few remaining " comrades " of the Ci^-il War, begin to
know, and fewer still can realize, the real facts as to the ages
of our volunteers. It is something worthy of being recorded
here and remembered for all time, that the " old boys," as they
love to speak of themselves, were young boys, verj' young,
when first they raised their ungloved right bands to swear
allegiance to the flag, and obedience to the officers appointed
over them.

It is something to be inscribed on the tablets of memory
— the fact that over one million of the soldiers who fought
for the preservation of the Union were but eighteen years of
age or less at date of enlistment— that over two millions were
not over twenty-one. It is a matter of record that of a total
of 1,012,273 enlistments statistically examined it was found
that only 46,626 were twenty-five years of age — only 16,070
were forty-four. It is something for mothers to know to-
day that three hundred boys of thirteen years or less (twenty-
five were but ten or under) were actually accepted and en-
listed, generally as drummers or fifers, hut, all the same,
regularly enrolled and sworn in by the recruiting officers of
the United States. Manv a time those little fellows were

^ MILITARY MUSIC OF THE
' BEGINNlS'G

Mimy of Uie Union regimeiits
started the war vith complet«
and magnificent bands, but
when active campBigmng began
they proved too great a lumty.
Every man waa needed then

to fight. It WB3 the bands-
man's duty during an cngag«-
mcDt to attend to the wounded
on the field, a p^nTnl and
dangerous task which discour-

aged many a mudcian. The
topmost photograph shows one
of the bands that rentuned in
permanent hesdquartera, in
camp near Arlington, Vir^nia.
In the next appears the field
music ot the 164th New York.
In the next photograph the
post musicians of Fortress
Monroe stand Imposingly be-
ncalhtheirbearsldns. Thebot-
tom picture shows a band at
winter headquarters — C amp
Stoneman, a

inrntt/t-^

'^wt»jij^sasE!2

itlf % Hftpran ArmiTH * * * * +

under heavy fire. JIany a time they were cheered for deeds
of bravery and devotion.

But with the coming of the spring of 1864 such a thing as
a bojish face was hard to find among them. Yomig faces there
were by hundreds, but the boyish look was gone. The days of
battle and peril, the scenes of bloodshed and carnage, the
sounds of agony or warning — all had left indelible impress.
Eyes that have looked three years upon death in every horrible
shape, upon gaping wounds and battle-torn bodies, lose grad-
ually and never regain the laughing light of youth. The cor-
respondents of the press filled many a column with descrip-
tion of the boy-faced generals — ^men like Barlow, Merritt, and
curly -haired Custer; but a closer study of the young faces thus
pictured would have told a very different storj'— a storj- of
hours of anxious thought and planning, of long nights of care
and vigil, of thrilling days of headlong battle wherein a single
error in word or action might instantly bring on disaster.

In both East and West, by this time, there were regiments
commanded by lads barely twentj' years of age, brave boys who,
having been leaders among their schoolfellows, on enlistment
had been elected or appointed lieutenants at seventeen, and
who within two years had shown in many a battle such self-
control, such self-confidence, such capacity for command that
they rose by leaps and bounds to the head of their regiments.
Of such were the boy colonels of the Western armies — Law-
ton of Indiana, SlacArthur of Wisconsin. There were hut
few young colonels in the camps of the Army of the Poto-
mac, as the buds began to burst and the sap to bubble in the
groves along the swirling Rappahannock — the last springtide
in which those scarred and ravaged shores were ever to hear
the old familiar thunder of shotted cannon, or the rallying
cries of the hattUng Blue and Gray.

Three winters had the men of McClellan, of Hooker, and
of ]SIeade dwelt in their guarded Unes south of the Potomac,
three winters in which the lightest hearted of their number

(83*1

^W-''f'M

'^^fSBf^F sfi

Jj^^^^^^M

v§

mwl^l

mm-.

-m^^n

tBti^~'^-

.^^HjTTBHHIl

FIELD MliSIC
The fife and drum corps be-
came the chief depcodeiica
of the regimental com-
manders for music a^ the
fighting wore on. They re-
mained with the army to
the end, and sounded all
the "calU." They served
under the surgeon. Acbeer-
lul bit of music is an ioipir-
iog thing to a tired cotumu
of soldiers on a long d^'a
mareh or before a danger-

EVENING MUSIC AT PLEASONTON'S HEADQUARTERS, AUBURN, ltJ63

THE MUSIC THAT STAYED WITH THE SOLDIERS— TALTYS FU'ERS AND DRUMMERS

ous foe. General Sheridan
recogniied the value of this
stimulus to the men, and
General Horace Porter
records that as late as
March 30, 1865, he en-
countered one of Sheridan's
bands under heavy Sre at
Five Forks, playing "Nellie
BIy" as cheerfully as if it
were furnishing music for a
country picnic. The top
photograph shows one of
the cavalry bands at Au-
burn.inthefalloflSSS, The
frayed trousers of the band
bdon show hard service.

A BAND THAT HAD SEEN SERVICE, NEAR FAIRFAX, IBes

Itlj tljj Hfteran ArrafeH *****

must have matured ten years. What sights had they seen,
what miles had they marched, what furious battles had they
fought, yet to what end ? In spite of all their struggles and all
their sacrifices, here they lay along the same familiar slopes
and fields, with the same turbid stream still barring the south-
ward way. Once had the grand Army of the Potomac, led by
AlcClellan, turned the opposing line, tried the water route,
marched up the Peninsula, and after a few weeks of fighting,
drifted back again. Twice had the gallant Army of Xorthern
Virginia, led by Robert E. Lee, turned the opposing lines,
tramped up to the Cumberland valley, and after the stirring
days of Antietam and Gettysburg, fallen back, fearfully crip-
pled, yet defiant. Xow, nearly two to one in point of num-
bers, and with a silent, simple-mannered Westerner in com-
mand of a great array made up mainly of Eastern men, the
Army of the Potomac was to begin its final essay. In size
it was about what it had been when it set forth in the spring
of 1862. In discipline, in experience, in knowledge of the war-
game, it was immeasurably greater.

The winter had been long and dull. The novelty had long
since worn off; the camps and cantonments bad been made
as snug and comfortable as so many homes; rations were abun-
dant and fairly good; the sutler shops were full of temptmg
provender; the paj-master's visits had been regular; currenc\,
in greenbacks, " shinplasters," and postal notes was plentiful
Drills, except for recruits, were well-nigh done away with. Re-
views and parades were few and far between. Guard and
sentr}% patrol and picket, were about the only duties ordered,
so time hung heavily on the hands of all. Writing home was
one relaxation; cards, checkers, or dice supplied another, but in
almost every regiment after nightfall and before tattoo, men
gathered together and talked of those they had lost, of those
that remained in high command, and sang or crooned their
soldier songs. Across the Rapidan — where all day long silent,
statuesque, yet undeniably shabby, sat in saddle those gra\

DRUMMER-BOYS OF THE WAR DAYS
IDENTIFIED BY COMRADES HALF A CENTURY LATER

The rub-a-dub-dub of the drums and the tootle-te-toot of the fifes inspired the Union armies long after there
remained in the service but a few of the bands which marched to the front in '61. All the calls from
"reveille" to "taps," "assembly," breakfast call, sickcall, were rendered by the brave little boys who were as
ready to go under fire as the stoutest hearted veteran. Many a time a boy would drop his drum or fife to
grab up the gun of a wounded soldier and go in on the firing-line. Fifty years afterward, members of this
group were recognized by one of their companions during the war. The one standing immediately below the
right-hand star in the flag, beating the long roll on his drum, is Nen'ton Peters. He enlbted at fifteen, in the
fall of 1861, and served throughout the four years, not being mustered out until June 89, 1865. The boy
standing in the front line at his left is Samuel Scott, aged sixteen when he entered the army as a drummer
in August of 1862. He, too, was faithful to the end, receiving his discharge on June 1, 1865. The leader,
standing forward with staff in his right hand, is Patrick Yard, who serv'ed from November 14, 1861, to July 1,
1865, having been principal musician or drum-major from July 1, 1868, These are only a few of the forty
thousand boy musicians who succeeded in securing enlistment in the Union armies, and followed the flag.

itiy tlje Urtprati Armit a

vedettes — the widely dispersed amiy of Lee had been under-
going a great religious revival, until they entered upon their
final and fateful campaign with fen'ent hope and prayer and
self-devotion.

Along the north bank, the spirit of the Union host, as
compared with the lightsome heart of 1861, had become tinged
with sadness. It was manifest in their songs. The joyous,
spirited, or frolicsome lays of the earlier months of the war had
been well nigh forgotten. Men no longer chorused " Cheer
Boys Cheer," or " Gay and Happy," for the songs of 1864
were pitched in mournful, minor chord. The soldiers sang
of home and mother and of comrades gone before — " Just Be-
fore the Battle," " We Shall Jleet, but We Shall Miss Him "
were in constant demand. Only rarely did the camps resound
with " The Battle Cr>' of Freedom "and " The Red, White,
and Blue." They had seen so much of the sadness, they had
thus far known so little of the joy of soldier life. In the West
it had been different. There they had humbled the foe at
Forts Henrj' and Donelson. They had fought him to a draw,
wimiing finally the field, if not the fight, at Shiloh and Stone's
River. Brilliantly led by Grant, they had triumphed at Jack-
son and Champion's Hill, and then besieged and captured
Vicksburg, setting free the Mississippi. They had suffered
fearful defeat at Chickamauga where, aided by Longstreet and
his fighting divisions from Virginia, their old antagonist,
Bragg, had been able to overwhelm the Union lines.

Yet within three months the Army of the Cumberland,
led by George H. Thomas, and under the eyes of Grant, had
taken the bit in their teeth, refused to wait longer for Sher-
man's columns to their left, or Hooker's divisions sweeping
from Lookout to their rear, and in one tumultuous rush had
carried the heights of Missionary Ridge, sweeping Bragg and
his veterans back across the scene of their September triumph,
winning glorious victory in sight of those who had declared
they could not fight at aU. They of the West had more than

ti-

AX INTERLUDE OF WARFAltK —SERENADING THE COLONEL

The colonel of the regiment is sitliiif; upon ii oluiir fronting the honse, hnlrling his baby on his lap. His
family has joined him at his he!id<|narters. which he is fortunate to havo estabhshetl in it comfortable farm-
house near I'nion Mills, Virginia, early in 18fi^. A veteran, exaniiuiiig this photograph, found it to repre-
sent a rartr event in soldier lifi — the sereiunling of an officer by the regimental hand. These oi%'amzations,
which entered the servic-e with the regiments of 18(11 and 180>i. <li[| not retain llieir organization very long.
Their duly during action was to care for the ivonnded on the fiehl and earn.- them to the rear, but it was
s<H>ii found that those with sufficient courage for this service were needed on the firing-line with nniskets in
their hands, and they either became soldiers in the ranks or were nuistered out of .ser\ice. Thereafter the
regiments dejx^nded for music upon their own fife and drum corps and buglers, or upon brigade bands.

^^ittlj tlyr Hftoan ArmiPB

held their own. and now as the spring released them from their
winter quarters along the Tennessee, they were eager to be
marclied onward to Atlanta, even to Mobile. They had with
them still many of the leaders whom they had known from their
formative period — notably Sherman, Thomas, McPherson,
Stanley, and by them they enthusiastically swore.

They had lost Halleek, Pope, Grant, and Slieridan, as
they proudly said, " sent to the East to teach them Western
ways of winning battles," but Halleek and Pope had hanily
succeeded, and Grant and Sheridan were yet to try. They had
as yet lost no generals of high degree in battle, though they
mourned L\-tle, Sill, Terrill, W. H. L. Wallace, and " Bob "
McCook, who had been beloved and honored. They were des-
tined to see no more of two great leaders who had done much
to make them the indomitable soldiers they became— Buell
and Rosecrans. They had parted with Crittenden, McCook,
and McClernand, corps commanders much in favor with the
rank and file, though not so fortunate with those higher in
authority. They were soon to be rejoined by Blair and Logan,
generals in whom they gloried, and all the camps about Chat-
tanooga were full of fight. '

But here along the open fields in desolated Virginia there
was far different retrospect; there was far less to cheer. With
all its thorough organization, armament, equipment; with all
its months of preparation, its acknowledged superiority in
drill and its vaunted superiority in discipline, the Army
of the Potomac had been humbled time and again, and
it was not the fault of the rank and file — the sturdy
soldiery that made up those famous corps d'armi€._ At First
Bull Run they had been pitted from the very start against
forces supposed to be beyond the Blue Ridge, and overthrown
at the eleventh hour by arriving brigades that a militia general
was to have held fast on the Shenandoah. At Ball's Bluff
they had been slowly surrounded by concentrating battalions,
no precaution having been taken for their extrication or

PASTIMES

OF OFTICERS

AND MEN

Occaiionally in perma-

from memben of tbar
families or friends. Tbis
photograph showa an
earnest game of chess be-
tween Colonel (afterward
Major-General) Martin
T. McMahon, assistant
adjutant-gentral of the
Sixth Corps. Army of
the Potomao, and a
brother oMcer. in the
spring of ISM just pre-
ceding tbe Wilderness
campaign. Colonel Mc-
Mahon, who sits near

'^Iil\

#J^

m -.*. i

**' '■' \M

! vi N

tbe tent-pole, ta evi-
dently studying hi*

with <

The

young officer clasping
the tent-pole is one of
the colonel's militaiy
udra. Chess was also
[ashionablc in the Con-
federate army, and it is
recorded that General
Lee frequently played
chess with his aide.
Colonel Charles Mar-
sliall. on a three-pronged
pineslicksunnounledby
a pine stab upon which
the squares had been
roughly cut Budtheblack
ones inked in. Napoleoa
Bonaparte is said to
have been another ear-
nest student of chesa.

A GAME OF CIIKSS AT COLONEL McM.UION'S CAMP

WHEN THE ARMY RELAXED

Wth the first break of spring the soldiers would seite the opportunity to decomte th«r winter huts with gieen branches, as tbii
photograph shows. Care haa been cast aside for the moment, and with their arms stacked on the paimde ground the men are
lomiging comfortably in the soft spring air, while the more enterprising indulge in a game of cards. From the intentneM of tbdr
coouMlea who are looking over their shoulders, it may be imagined that there is a little moaey at Itake, •• wu tmquetitly the caK.

ttlf % Bete ran AnnitH

support. In front of Washington, long months they had been
held inert by much less than half their number. At York-
town, one hundred thousand strong, they had been halted by a
lone division and held a fatal month. At Williamsburg they
had been stopped by a much smaller force. At Fair Oaks
their left had been crushed while the right and center were
" refused."

At Gaines' !M)I1 their right had been ruined while the cen-
ter and left, under MeClellan's own eye, had been held passive
in front of a skeleton hne. At Second Bull Run they had
been hurled against an army secure behind embankments, wliile
another, supposed to be miles away, circled their left flank and
crushed it. At Antietam, bloodiest day of the storj' thus far,
they had been sent in, a corps at a time, to try conclusions with
an army in position, to the end that, when Lee slipped away
with his battered di\isions, even with superior numbers Me-
Clellan dare not follow. Twice within six months had Stuart,
with a handful of light horsemen, ridden entirely around
them, and with abundant cavalry had failed to stop him. In
Xovember they had mournfully parted with their idol of the
year before, never to look again on " Little Mac," realizing
that something must have been wrong, though It was not theirs
to ask or to reason why. Obedient to Burnside's orders, they
had stormed the heights of Fredericksburg in the face of Lee's
veterans, lajTng down their lives in what they knew was hope-
less battle.

Confident in their numbers, in their valor, in their com-
rades, and hopeful of their new and buoyant commander,
they had crossed above Fredericksburg, while Sedgwick men-
aced from the north, and then, worst fate of all, had found
themselves tricked and turned, their right wing sent whirling
before " Stonewall " Jackson, whom Hooker and Howard had
thought to be in full retreat for the mountains, their far su-
perior force huddled in helpless confusion and then sent back,
sore-hearted, to the camps from which they had come. They

THE BIRTH OP BASE-
BALL

Some of the men wbo vent
home on furioiigh b 186S
returned to their rcgimenti
with tatea of a marveloua
new game which was spread-
ing through the Norlhem
States. In camp at AMiite
Oak Church near Falmouth.
Vn., Koamy'a Jersey bri-
gadc and Bartlett's brigade
played this "baseball," aait
wasknown. Bartlett'i boys
won this histuric biill-j^me.

lion of the soldien who
fought for the Union were
not ovef twenly-one. It
was an array of boys, and
in cunp they acted as such.
They boicd and
and pUycd tricks on each
other like boys in school.

A DIVERSION AT GENERAL O. B. WILCOX'S HEADQUARTERS, IN FRONT OF
PBTERSBUBG, AUGCST, 1664

^^|ttlf tlje Beteran AnnifH

liad taken full measure of recompense for this humiliation in
the three tremeniious days at Gettysburg, had triuniplied at
last o\'er the skilled and vahant foemen who for two long years
had beaten them at every point, but even now they could not
make it decisive, for, just as after Antietam, they had to look
on while I^ee and his legions were permitted to saunter easily
back to the old lines along the Rapidan. They had sen'ed in
succession five different masters. They had seen the stars of
McDowell, JlcClellan, Pope, Burnside. and Hooker, one after
another, effaced. They had seen such corps commanders as
Sumner, Heintzelman, Keyes, Fitz John Porter. Sigel, Frank-
hn, and Stoneman relieved and sent elsewliere. They had lost,
killed in battle, such valiant generals as Philip Kearny, Stevens.
Reno, Richardson, Mansfield, Whipple. Bayard. Berry, AVeed,
Zook, Vincent, and the great right arm of their latest and last
commander — John F. Reynolds, head of the First Corps, since
he would not be head of the army.

They had inflicted nothing like such loss upon the Army
of Northern Virginia, for " Stonewall " Jackson had fallen,
seriously wounded, before the rifles of his own nieTi, bewildered
in the thickets and darkness of Chancel lorsville. They had
been hard hit time and again — misled, misdirected, mishandled
—yet through it all and in spite of all had maintained their
high courage and dauntless spirit. Tried again and again in
adversitj- and disaster, saddened, sobered, but resolute and in-
domitable, they asked only the chance to try it again under
a leader who would stay, and that chance they were now to
have — that test which was destined to be the most deadly and
desperate of all; for though Meade was conmiander of the
Army of the Potomac, Grant had come, supreme in comman<l
of all, and Grant had brought with him that black -eyed little
division commander from the Army of the Cumberland whose
men had broken loose and swept the field at Missionary Ridge.
The cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac was to take the
field under, and soon to learn to swear bv, Philip Sheridan.

WHEN WAR HAD LOST ITS GLAMOUR-PROVOST-ALVRSHAL'S OFFICE
IN ALEXANDRIA, 1863

The novelty had departed from "the pomp and pageantry of war" by the fall of 1863, The Army of the
Potomac had lost its thousands on the Peninsula, at Cedar Mountain, at Second Bull Run, Antietam,
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. The soldiers were sated with war; they had forgotten
a host of things taught to them as essential in McClellan's training camps that first winter around Washing-
ton. The paraphernalia of war had become familiar, and they yearned for the now unfamiliar paraphernalia
of peace. This photograph shows the provost-marshal's office in Alexandria, Virginia, in the fall of 1863.
The provost- marshal's men had long since learned to perform their duties with all the languid dignity of
a dty policeman. Attached to the flag-pole is a sign which heralds the fact that Dick Parker's Music Hall is
open every night. Two years before the soldiers might have disdained to seek such entertainment in the face
of impending battles. Now war was commonplace, and the "gentle arts of peace" seemed strange and new.

ttl| % IBtUrwx ArmifB

* •*

And they had need of all their discipline and determina-
tion, for over against them, along the southern shores of the
Rapidan, Lee's widely dispersed army was girding up its loins
for the last supreme struggle, sustained and strengthened as
never before. There had always been a devout and prayerful
spirit among their chieftains, notably in l^ee, Jackson, and
"Jeb" Stuart.

And so as the soft springtide flooded with sunshine the
Virginia woods and fields, and all the trees were blossoming,
and the river banks were green, the note of preparation was
sounding in the camps of Meade, from Culpeper over to
Kelly's Ford, and one still May morning, long before the dawn
— their only reveille the plaintive call of the whippoorwill^ —
the Army of the Potomac stole from its blankets, soaked the
smouldering fires, silently formed ranks and filed away south-
eastward, heading for the old familiar crossings of the Rapi-
dan. Three strong corps were there, with Hancock, 'Warren,
and Sedgwick as their commanders, while away toward the
Potomac stood Burnside, leading still another.

It was the beginning of the end, for the strong and dis-
ciplined array that marched onward into the tangled Wilder-
ness nearly doubled the number of Lee's tried and tnisted
soldier}'. It was the last stand of the Confederacy along that
historic line, but was a stand never to be forgotten. Away
to the southwest were the cheerless camps of the Southern
corps, led by grim, one-legged old Ewell (he had lost the
other in front of the Western brigade at the opening fight of
Second Bull Run), by courtly A. P. Hill, by Grant's old
comrade in the army, now Lee's " best bower," Longstreet.
It was an easy march for the Army of the Potomac — Sheri-
dan's troopers picking the way. It was far longer and harder
for those ragged fellows, the Army of Northern Virginia, but
the Northerners reeled and fell by hundreds imder the ter-
rific blows of Longstreet, when, with the second day, he came
crashing in through the tangled shrubber%'. It cost the North

[4461

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SHIFTING GROl^PS BEFORE THE SUTLER'S TENT— 1864
In tbe early days, when then were delays in paying the troops, the sutlera dbcouated thrir pay-chedu at niinoiu rates. Sometimea
when the paymaster arrived the sutler would be on hand and absorb all tbe money due to some of the soldiera. Before the end
of tbe war the tenn "sutler" came to have no very honorable nie«iiiiig, and an overturned wagon GDed with his itoret found plenty
of volunteers to send it on its way, somewliat lighter as to load. Sometimes, howe^, a popular and honest vendor of the store sup-
plies contributed by his industry and daring to smooth tbe comert of hard i^itipaigw and bieak the monotony of camp tan.

- a g I i i t a .1 I

H S S i S .2.

ttl| tl|f Urtpraw Armit a

f.W""'^-''"'f;^-i

the lives of two great leaders — Hays and Wadsworth, and
hosts of gallant officers and men, did that battle of the AVilder-
ness. Fearful was the toll taken by Lee in his initial grapple
of the last campaign, for no less than eighteen thousand men,
killed, wounded, and missing, were lost to Grant. It would
have cost ver\- much more but for one potent fact that, in the
hour of success, triumph, and victory, even as Lee's greatest
corps commander had been stricken just the year before and
almost u-ithin bugle-call of the ven' spot, Lee's next greatest
corps commander, Longstreet, was here shot down and borne
desperately wounded from the field.

And when another morning dawned, and through the
misty Ught the wearied eyes of the Southern pickets descried
long columns in the Union blue marching, apparently, away
from the scene of their fearful struggle, away to the barrier
river, the woods rang with frantic cheers of exultation. Small
wonder they thought that Grant, too, had given it up and gone.
They had yet to know him. They had barely time to spring
to arms and dart away, full tilt by the right flank, on the east-
ward race for Spotsylvania, there once again to chnch in furi-
ous battle — to kill and maim almost as many of Grant's in-
domitable host as three days at Gettysburg bad cost them, and
still, with an added eighteen thousand shot out of his ranks,
that grim, silent, stubborn leader forced his onward way. On
to the North Anna, and another sharp encounter; on to Cold
Harbor and the dread assault upon entrenched and sheltered
lines, where in two hours' fighting the Southern army, suffer-
ing heavily in spite of its screen, none the less took ten times its
loss out of the assailing lines, and still had to fall back, amazed
at the persistence of the foe. Sixty-one thousand effectives in
round numbers, could Lee muster at the first gun of the cam-
paign. Fifty-five thousand effectives in round numbers at the
last gun had they shot from the ranks of Grant — nearly their
own weight in foes. But even Cold Harbor could not turn
that inflexible Westerner from his purpose. With nearly half

[«S0]

AT LIIJBY

F()URTEK\TH IOWA VETER.VNS
PRISON, RICHMOND, IN 186«, ON THEIR WAY TO FREEDOM

In tlic bntllc of Shiloli Ihc Ftmrti-ontli Iowa Iiifjintry formed i>art of tlmt self-constituted forlorn lioiJc which
made the victorj' of April 7, ISfi'i, jxissihle. It held tho center at the "Hornet's Nest," fighting the live-long
day against fearful odds. Just a,s the «wn was settinp. Colonel William T. Shaw, seeing that he wassurrounded
andfiirtlierresistanccuseless, surrendered the regiment. These officers and men were held as prisoners of war
nntil Octol>er 12, IHflii, when, moving by Richmond, Virginia, and AnnjijM>lis, Maryland, they went to Benton
Barrack.*, Missouri, heiiig released on parole, and were declared exchanged on the lOth of November. This
photograph wa,s taken while they were held at Richmond, opposite the cook-houses of Libby Prison. The
third man from the left in the front row, standing with his hand gra.sping the lapel of his coat, is George
Marion Smith, a descendant of General Marion of Revolutionary fame. It is through the courtesy of his
son, N. II. Smith, that tliis photograph appears here. The Fourteenth Iowa Infantry wa.s organized at
Davenport and mustered in November 6, 1861. At Shiloh the men were already veterans of Forts Heniy
and Donelson. Those who were not captured fought in the battle of Corinth, and after the prisoners were
exchanged they took part in the Red River expedition and several minor engagements. They were mustered
out November 16, 1864, when the veterans and recruits were consolidated in two companies and assigned
to duty in Springfield, Illinois, till August, 1865. These two companies were mustered out on August 8th.
The regiment lost during service five officers and fifty-nine enlisted men killed and mortally wounded,
and one officer and 138 enlisted men by disease. Iowa sent nine regiments of cavalrj', four batteries
of light artillery aud fifty-one regiments of infantry to the Union armies, a grand total of 76,942 soldiers.

itJ( llfr Brteran ArmwH

□

his army strewn from the Rapidan to the lines of Richmond,
Grant flung his pontoons across the James, and marched to
Petersburg.

And there at last he had to pause, refit, reorganize, for
Sedgwick and Hancock were lost to him — Sedgwick killed at
the head of the Sixth Corps, still mourning for their beloved
T_ ncle John " ; Hancock disabled by wounds. New men,
but good, were now leading the Second and Sixth corps —
Humphreys, and Wright of the Engineers, while Warren still
was heading the Fifth. And now came the details of Sher-
man s victorious march from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and later
of the start to the sea. Here the waiting soldiers shouted
loud acclaim of Thomas' great victory at Nashville, of the
pursuit and ruin of the army under Hood. Here they had to
lounge in camp and read with envy of Sheridan and the Sixth
Corps playing havoc with Early in the Shenandoah, and now
with occasional heavy fighting on the flanks, here they heard
of Sherman at Savannah, and a little later of his marching
northward to meet them.

And then it seemed as though the ven,' earth were crum-
bhng at Petersburg, the Government at Richmond. With
Thomas, free now to march eastward up the Tennessee and
through the Virginia mountains at the west; with Sherman
conung steadily from the south, with Grant forever hammer-
ing from the east, and with formidable reserves always mena-
cing at the north, what could be the future of that heroic, hard-
pounded army of Lee ! Long since the last call had been made
upon their devoted people. The aged and the immature were
side by side in the thinned and stan-ing ranks. Food and
supplies were well nigh exhausted. The sturdy, hard-marcb-
ing, hard-fighting Southern infantrj' had learned to hve on
parched corn; their comrades, the gaunt cavalrj', on next to
nothing. With the end of March, Sheridan came again, rid-
ing buoyantly down from the Shenandoah, singing trooper
songs along the James River Canal, rounding the Richmond

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SOLDIER 1.1 KK tXDERGROLND- BOMB-PROOFS ON THE LINES IN FRONT OF PETERSBliRG, 1861

There were pincea on the ad-
vanced line arounii Pclers-
burg where it was almost
certain death to look over
the side of the Irencli.
There pickets had tu be
ch&nged at night. The eon-
atant hail of ahot and shell
made life underground, such
as the soldiers in these
pholiigraphs are leading,
not only nelcome but neces-
sary. There are two dis-
tinct kinds of physical cour-
age. The story is UAd of
a burly camp-bully who
threatened U> thrash a wiry
little veteran half bis site
for some trivial or fancied
■light. " No," said the vet-
«rui, "I won't fight you

now. but co[n<' u lit on picket
where you can bi- idunc after
dark with me to-night."
They crept out silently to
relieve the picket in the
outer trench that night, but
a dislodged stone altraeted
the Confederates' attention
and the shots whistled
about their ears. "Ob!"
whined the camp-bully, ai
he crouched in the bottom
of the trench, "they're try-
ingtokill me!" "Of course
they are," replied the little
veteran quietly: "They've
been trying to kill me for
the last six nights." But
there was do fight left in
the camp-bully when be wu
required to face bullets.

BOHB-PROOFS NEAB ATLANTA. GEORGIA

ttlj tife VtUran ArtnitH

fortifications, and rejoining Grant at Petersburg. Within a
week he bored a way into the dim, dripping forests about Din-
widdie, found and overwhebned Pickett at Five Forks, and,
with thirty thousand men, turned Lee's right and cut the South
Side Railroad.

That meant the fall of Petersburg — the fall of Richmond.
There was barely time to fire the last volleys over the third
of Lee's great corps commanders, A. P. Hill; to send hurried
warning to Jefferson Davis at Richmond; to summon I^ong-
street, and then began the seven days' struggle to escape the
toils by which the army was enmeshed. There had been no
Sheridan in command of the cavalry when the Southern army
fell back from the Antietam in 1862, or from Gettysburg in
1863, hut now, on their moving fianks, ever leaping ahead and
dogging their advance, ever cutting in and out among the
weary and stragghng columns, lopping off a train here, a
brigade there, but never for a moment, day or night, ceasing
to worrj' and wear and tear, Sheridan and his troopers rode
vengefully, and there was no " Jeh " Stuart to lead the South-
ern horse — Stuart bad gone down before his great foeman in
sight of the spires of Richmond, long months before — and
at last, with their wagon-loads of waiting rations cut ofl^ and
captured before the eyes of their advance, with ever\' hour
bringing tidings of new losses and disasters at the rear, worn
out with hunger, fatigue, and loss of sleep, their clothing in
shreds, tlieir horses barely able to stagger, the men who never
yet had failed " Marse Robert," as they loved to call him,
found their further way blocked at Ai)pomattox ; the road to
Ljnichburg held by long lines of L'nion cavalry, screening the
swift coming of longer lines of infantry in blue. And then
their great-hearted leader bowed his head in submission to the
inevitable.

" Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note " when the
British buried Sir John Moore at Corunna. Xot a shot was
lieard, not a single cheer, not a sjTnptom of triumph or

lUi]

WTIEN TIME SKEMED U)\G. Bl'T IIOMK WAS NEAR— OiN DUTY AT EOKT WHIPPLE
IN JUNE, Tw

The war is over and the great machine of the Union
armies which has been whirring at breakneck speed
for full four years is now moving more and more
slowly. Hut it oannot be stopped all at once, and
the men who form its component parts arc going
llirongh motions now Iiecome mechanical. The
scene is Fort WTiipple, Va., part
of the vast system of defenses
erected for the protection of
Wa.shington. The time is June,
1865. With the sash across his
breast stands the Officer of the
Day, whose duty it is during his
tour of twenty-four hours to in-
spect all portions of the ramp
and to see that proper order is
preserved. Just at the moment
when this picture was taken, the
adjutant of the re^nient was
giving some information to the
Officer of the Day from his general
order book. It b safe t^ assume
that the thoughts of the three
other officers, as well as those of
the sentry pacing to and fro. are

all tinged with alluring pictures of home and tlie
comforts that have been so long denied to them.
The sturdy bugler below will need no urging to
sound taps for the lust time. He is a .soldier of the
2Gth Michigan. It was his regiment that issued the
par< lies to Lee's .soldiers at Ap|x»mattos. In a few
weeks he may re.st his eyes on the
long undulations of the inland
prairies. In his western home
he will often find echoing in
his memory the mournful dying
notes of the bugle !is it soinided
"taps" and will recall the words
soldiers have fitted to the music;
"Go to sleep. Go to sleep. The
day Ls done." One of the marvels
of our war to the belligerent na*
tions of Europe was that, having.
raised and trained such gigantic
armies, we should dispcr.se them so
quietly when the fighting was over.
There is an apocryphal story of a
mad scheme to combine the ar-
mies of tlie North and South and
proceed to intervene in Mexico.

A BUGLER OF THE S6TH MICHIGAN

1^1 itif % Brtoan Arntwa

rejoicing when the Army of the Potomac leaned at last npon
their rifles, and from under the peaked visors of their worn
forage-caps watched the sad surrender of the men of I^ee.
Four long years they had fought and toiled and suffered; four
long years they had everynhere encountered those grim gray
Hnes, and always at fearful cost; four long years had they been
cut off from home and loved ones, to face at any moment death,
desperate wounds, the prison stockade, hardship, and privation,
all that the gi-eat Union might be maintained — that even these,
their skilled and valiant opponents, might prosper in future
peace and unity under the rescued and resistless flag. All the
peril, privation, and suffering were ended now. All the joys
of home-coming were soon and surely to be theirs. Glad, gl<jri-
ous thanksgiving \velle(l in every heart and woidd ha\'e hurst
forth in shout and song and maddening cheers, hut for the
sight of the sorrow in those thinned and tattered ranks, the
unutterable grief in the gaunt, haggard faces of these, their
brethren, as they stacked in silence the battle-dinted arms and
l)ent to kiss, as many did. the sacred remnants of the battle-
flags that had waved in triumph time and again, oidy to be
borne down at tlie last, when further struggle was hopeless,
useless, impossible. It was but the remnant, too, of his once
indomitabte array that was left to Lee for the final rally at
Appomattox. The South had fought until lietween the cradle
and the grave there were no more left to muster- — fought as
never a people fought before, and suffered as few in the Xorth-
land ever yet knew or dreamed.

AVithout a sound of exultation, without a single cheer,
we have said, yet there was a sound — the murmur of pity and
sjTnpathy along the serried lines in blue, as there slowly passed
before their eyes the wearied column of disarmed, dejected
soldierj-, weak from wounds, from hardship, from hunger.
There u-as a cheer — a sudden spontaneous outburst from the
nearest di^-ision, when, almost the last of aU, the little remnant
of the old Stonewall brigade slacked the arms they had borne

[858]

-H^-k^

CHAPLAINS OF THE NINTH ARMY COR RS— OCTOBER,

Nearly every regiment that
went into the Civil War
from the Northern cities
hod s chaplain aa a member
td its ttaff. Many of these
peaceful warriors kept on
through the campaigns.
They worked in the field-
hospitals, often under fire
on the fidd itself where the
wounded lay. More than
one was ouried away by
patriotic ardor and. grasp-
ing the mniket and car-

tridge-box of a wounded
sc4dier, was seeo to sally out
on the firing-line, and bear
hinuelf as courageously as
any vetetao — after the bat-
tle returning to the duty of
ministering to the wounded.
And in several instances,
chapbiins asked for a com-
mand after a few months
in the field. The church
shown below was built by
the Fiftieth New York
Petcrsbui^-

SPIKE AND BAYONETS

FEDERAL VETERANS IX WEST AXD EAST. ISOJ— TWO ENTIRE REGIMENTS IN LINE

lliese two p)tal»grBpba ate unusual as showing each an entire regiment in line on parade. Here sisnds the type i>f soldier
devebprd Wt-st and East by the tsr-fluDg I'nion armies. The Fifty-seventh llliDois were already- veterans of FoitsI)<>n<lMm and
Heniy mnl tlie l.toody field uf Shiloh when Ihis photOffraph was taken, and had seen hard scr\*ice at the siepe of Curinth. Tin ir camp
is near the Ccrinth battlifield. May, 1863. The Forty-fourih New York, knonn as Ihe "PeopU-"s Kll^nerth llepinient." was :• untd-
uate of Bull Run, the PeninsuU, .\ntietam, Seeond Bull Run, Frederieksburj;, (.'hBncelicrsville, and (iettysburg. It teiik part in even

^•^1, j

ABOVE, THE FIFTY-SEAENTH ILLINOIS; THE FOBTY-POURTH NEW YORK BELOW

more pitched balttea than the Illinois regiment and Its loss was proportionately larger. Both were known as " fighting regimcata."
The Firty-seventh Illinois lost during servire three officers and sixty-five enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and four officen
and I IS enlisted men by disease. The Forty -ruurtli New York lost four officers and 178 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded,
and two officers and 14S enJisteil men by disease. The long lines uf soldiers shown in these photiigraphs have already looked death
[n the face, and will do so again; the Westerners at .\llanta and Keneaaw, the New Yorkers in the Wilderness and before Petersbiug.

ttlj tijf Tffrtpran Anttif a

on everj- field from First Bull Run, but the cheer was for the
gallant fellows who had fought so bravely and so well. It was
the tribute of innate chivalrj' to a conquered foe, and many an
officer, listening a moment in mute appreciation, suddenly
swung his cap on high and joined the cheer, or, too much
moved to speak, unsheathed the sword that so long had flashed
in defiance of the Southern cause, and in silence lowered the
battle-wom blade in salute to Southern valor.

For that was the lesson learned by these men who had
borne the brunt of so many a desperate battle; for this army
was the finished product of four long years of the sternest
discipline, the hardest fighting, the heaviest losses known to
modem warfare. The beardless boys of the farm, school, and
shop had been trained by the hand of masters in the art to the
highest duties of the soldier of the Nation; and now, their stern
task ended, their victory won, it was theirs to be the first to take
this foeman by the hand, comfort him with food and drink,
and words of soldier cheer and s>'mpathy, and then, turning
back from the trampled fields of Virginia, to march yet once
again through the echoing avenues of Washington, to drape
their colors and to droop their war-worn crests in mourning
for their martyred, yet immortal President, to place their
battle-flags under the dome of the Capitol of their States, and
then, unobtrusively to melt away and become absorbed in the
throng of their fellow citizens, conscious of duty faithfully
performed, and intent now only on reverent obser\'ance of the
last lesson of him who had been through all their patient,
prayerful, heaven-inspired leader. " To bind up the Nation's
wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and
for his widow and his orphan — to do all which may achieve
and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and
with all nations.'*

PART II
MILITARY INFORMATION

THE SECRET SERVICE

OF THE

FEDERAL ARMIES

WIIXIAH WIISON — A SCOOT
WITH THE AitHT OF THE POTOltAC

pi.

:l»i

Wt^mluj^'

THE FAMOrS ALLAN PIXKERTON— THE MONTH OF THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM

The name ot Allan tHnkprton became one of the most famous in secret-service vork. the world over. This keen-witted delective
came lo America (rom Scotland abont tnenty yeara before the tuning of Ihe Civil War. He »as ciinductinp a siiccessful agency in
Chicago when his friend. George If. JfeTl-llan. seni for hini lo be chief delet-ti>e in Ihe Department nf the Ohio. Shortly after, be
went to Washington and under General MK'lellan direetrti the .•>e<ri>l-.ier\i<T operation.* in the Army i-( the Potomac, besides doing
extensive detective work fiir the pn.vost- marshal at the f apilal. As a .stanch admirer of MK [Altn. I'inkerton refused to continue in
the military end of the ser\ice after the gi-neral's removiil in November. IHGi. He n^miiined. however, in (iuvemment service, invesli-
gkting cotton claims in New Oiieans. with other detective work, until the close of Ihe war, when he returned to his agency in Chicago.
(M3I

AT THE TENT OF McCLELLAN'S CHIEF DETECTIVE, 1862

Only a handful of people, in Xorth and South together, knew the identity of "Major Allen," as, cigar in
hand, he sat before his tent in 1862. His real name was Allan Pinkerton. As the head of his famous de-
tective agency, he had been known by General MoCIellan before the war. He was chosen as the head of
"Little Mac's" secret service, and remained until McCIellan him.self retired in N'o^'ember, 1862, only a
month after this picture was made. Directly behind "Major Allen" stands young Babcock (in the same
costume that he wears with his beautiful horse in the frontispiece), between George H, Hangs and
Augustus K, Littlefield. two operatives. The man seated at Pinkerton's right is William Moore, private
secretary to Edwin M. Stanton, the Secretary of War, down from the Capital to consult Pinkerton.

A NEW SECRET SEBMCE— TIIE "MILITARY INFORMATION BlREAl"

After I^kertoii'a ilrpartiin- fnim the Army iiF the I'ulnmHC the scm-t-servicr dcpiirtment vat ullowcrj to [;U1 intii hoprlcss ni^IiN't.
Al) orgitniz;ition I'nni.slinl. When (ii^enil Ilixikcr assiminl iiimnuinil then- was liarHIy a mvnl ur lioruruenl uf any kind at Load-
quarter' ti< ipve inri.>miutii>n >if hIliI t)ii' ('iinfi'')'-r.it>-'i u-ri- ili<in);. IIiHikpr nus a-: lunoriinl nf nbit nut going on jiut acniss the
RappiiluinniH'k a» it K\> (ippinii'iil-- li:ii| loin in r!;iii;i. \Villi thr •'ni'rt;y Hiat [ii:irk--<l his pnlin' Liiur-t' nf nrpiniialiun. he put (^olonel
GrorK<' II. ShiiiTH'. of the Hllth \.'» Vnrk n .:imrn(. In vli..ri:,- of -.i s|>.-<'ial iin.l ~rty.ir.iU- l.iir'Mit. kmiwn a. Mililar>' Informal -on. ^<lla^H■
WM appiiintnl ilriiuty provivt-niar-'hul-cfiuTH]. Kn-iii Manti :«). IHIiJ. until llu- iln-i' •if llii- H':ir. tlio Duri'au of Militur}' Intormn-
tion. Army of the Potomae, bad no other head. Guthering a staff of knii-witted men, ehieSy from the ranks, Shaipe never let hii atta-
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_■ ^«--' ^_;^. '^SSti

RESTING .VtTEIl THE HARD WORK Of THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN

manding gcnrnil suffer for lack of proper informalion as to the strength and movemeDts of Lee'a army. The Confederate advance
into Pennsylvania, in June, taxed the reiiuun'es uf the bureau greatly. Sciiuta and apeHal agents, as well as signal-men, were kept
in inecBsaat action, locating and following the various detAehnients of the int'ading force. It was & difficult matter to eatimate.
friiin Ihe numerous reports and accounts received daily, just what Lee was trying to do. The return to Virginia brought some relief
to the secret-service men. In August, while Lee hastened back to the old line of the Rapidan, Colonel Sharpe lay at Bealelon, and
here the army photographer took his picture, aa niKive. on the extreme \eh. Next to him sits John C. Babcock: the right-hand
figure Ih that of John McEntee, detailed from the 80th New York Infantrj'. These men were little known, but immensely ii-ieful.

THE FEDERAL SECRET SERVICE

By Geoege H. Casamajob

THERE was one fact that became evident with startling
emphasis to the American people the moment secession
was established, and this was that it was not political ties alone
that had held the Union together. Financial, commercial, and
domestic bonds had, in seventy years, so stretched from North
to South that to divide and disrupt the social organism was a
much more difficult feat to accomplish than mere pohtical sep-
aration upon a point of Constitutional interpretation. An un-
paraUeled state of public confusion developed in the early
months of 1861, which was all the worse because there was little
or no uncertainty in the individual mind. Probably every cit-
izen of the countrj' capable of reason had reached conviction
upon the points at issue.

Not only the Government at Washington but the whole
world was astounded that the new Confederacy could bring
at once into the field a militarj' force superior in numbers to the
standing army of the United States. Kvery department at
the capital was disorganized by the defection of employees
whose opinions and ties bound them to the cause of the South.
Legislators in both houses, cabinet officers, and judges volun-
teered their ser^'ices in the making of the new nation. Minis-
ters and consuls hastened from foreign countries to enter its
councils or fight for its existence. Army and na\'5' officers
left their posts and resigned their commissions for conmiands
under another standard. The Episcopal bishop of Louisiana
exchanged the surplice for the uniform and rode at the head of
an army corps.

Opinion was positive, but it did not separate along

[266)

£:

Ijf JFrbtral 0prrpt #f rtrtrr * + 4 *

geographic lines. Thousands in the North beUeved sincerely in
the justice of the Southern cause. Business men deahng
largely with the South realized that hostilities would reduce
them to poverty. Xorthern men established in Southern ter-
ritory, solicitous for their fortunes and their families, found
that an oath of allegiance would mean the confiscation of their
property and the ruin of their hopes. Pohtical combinations
and secret societies in the most loyal parts of the Union were
aiding the new Government to establish itself on a firm basis.
Individuals, for reasons more or less advantageous to them-
selves, were supplWng men, money, materials of war, and sup-
plies to the Confederacy.

This review of existing conditions is necessarj' to under-
stand the full scope of the secret ser\'ice which was necessary
in order that the Federal Goverimient might comprehend and
grapple with the situation. Congress had not anticipated the
emergency and made no proAisions for it, but the Constitution
gives the President extraordinary powers to suppress insur-
rection, and these were employed at once and with energj-.
Most intportant was the organization of that branch of the
military sen'ice whose function it is to obtain information as
to the adversary's resources and plans, and to prevent like
news from reaching the opponents. But the work of fighting
was only a portion of the task. All communication between
the North and South was carefully watched. The statutes of
the post-office were arbitrarily changed and its sacredness \-io-
lated, in order to prevent its use as a means of conveying m-
formation. Passengers to and from foreign countries were
subjected to new passport regulations. A trade blockade was
instituted. The writ of habeas corpus was suspended in many
places, and all persons who were believed to be aiding the South
in any way were arrested by special ci\-il and military agents
and placed in military' custody for examination. Most of this,
it will be evident, had to be accomplished by means of detection
known as " secret service."

[«68)

IN' THK IIKART OF TilR HCWTILK COUNTRY— M.\Y. IB6S

Aa the necret'nervice men sit at Follen's hutiac, near CumbprluDiJ LandioK. ull h n-aiiy tor the advance to the Chickahominy and to
Riehmonii. The scouts and Kiiiilrs are au-are that then' is hard and dan){en)us work bi.-fon- them. Their skilful leader, nhum thejr
know as Major Allen, »ita apart fniin the ffruup at the table. smokioR his pipe and thinking hard. He miut send bis meD into tbe
CoDfe<lerate linm to find out how stronR is the exposing anny. Probably some o[ them will never come bock. Tbe mi'n vck new to
the work, and had not yet learned tu approximate the nurabers of large masses of troops. Thus it happened tbat Rnkurton greatly
overestimated the size of the Army of Northern Virginia, and McCIHlao acted aa if dealing with an overwhelming opponent. Had
he discovered that he greatly outnumbered tbe Coutederatea, the war in the Eaat might have been ended by the 1st of July, 1803.

Iff JffrJipral ^trrrt ^prmrt ^^ * * +

The Federal Go^-errmient was, in the beginning, lacking
in any organized secret seirice. The Department of State, the
Department of War, and the Department of the Na\'j- each
took a hand in early attempts to define the line between loyalty
and disloyalty to the Union cause, but upon that of State fell
the greater share of the effort. Secretary Seward engaged a
force of detectives, and sent them to Canada and frontier places
to intercept all communication between the British dominion
and the South. He assigned other secret agents to the specific
task of stopping the sale of shoes for the Confederate army.
The police chiefs of Northern cities were requested to trail and
arrest suspected persons. No newspaper editorial that might
be construed as containing sentiments disloyal to the Union
appeared in print but some one sent a copy to Washington,
and, if necessarj', the offending journal was suppressed.

The police commissioners of Baltimore were arrested, as
was also a portion of the Maryland legislature. So active was
the multifarious work of the secret ser^'ice that the prisons
at Forts Warren, Lafayette, and SIcHenrj' were soon over-
flowing with prisoners of state and war. Distracted wardens
pleaded that there was no room for more, but it was not until
the middle of Februan.', 1862, that relief was afforded. By
this time the Government felt that the extent of all forms of
activity in the Southern cause within the existing Union were
well understood and under control. The President was anxious
to return to a more normal course of administration and issued
an order for the release on parole of all political and state
prisoners, except such detained as spies or otherwise inimicable
to public safetj'. Henceforth, important arrests were made
under the direction of the militarj' authorities alone.

These, meanwhile, had not been idle, since detective work
in regard to the plans and movements of the foe has always
been one of the most important departments of warfare. The
organization of the Federal militarj- secret service involved no
complicated machiner)'. In everj- militari,- department the

:=^

aa^S

PINKKRTON KVTKKTAINS VISITOItS THOM WASiriMiTOX

DETKCTIVE WORK R)l{ TITK

KKDERAL ADMIMSTRATIOX

TIb; prosimily of llic headquorltrs cf the
Army of the Potomac to the Nutionul ('ajii-
bil, afl^r the iHtttIc of iVnlictain, ilrcn' many
vbitiirs from Washington during t)ic [ilviisant
OctolK-r .lays of IHOi. Xaliirally lliey spfiit
some lime willi All.in Pinkorton. whom thfy
knpw ns Major Alien, tor he had come to he
a pmminent figure in the cily. Thete lie
made his hcadiguartcrs. and couhl be fuunil
Khffa not in the field with the eommanding-
gencral. In theC'apital city there was much
noik todoofakind for which Pinkerton was
already famoua. Wheo he arrived from

A CHARACTERISTIC POSE

Cliicufin slinrtly nfter the first Imttlc of Rull
Run. lie broiiglit hi.s <'ntire fore with li!m
iinil Ix-fian to invcstipile people siispci'tcd at
nssistinB llw Confcdemtc cause by sending
infomiiition srereUy to Ilichmond and the
Southern armies in llie field. lie niude a
niinitx'r of importiLnt arrests, butli in Wash-
ington and in Italtimorc. acting nniler onli-rs
from Provost-Mar-ihai Andrew Porter, as
well as General MeClellan and the heads of
(he Departments of Stale and War. Several
of his moat skilful operatives, both men and
women, were constantly traveling between
Richmond and Washington, bringing valu-
able information of the plans of President
Davb and his advisers, military and dvil.

ifs JfrJijral Bttnt &rnrirr

conunander appointed a chief detective who gatliered about
him such a force of soldiers and civilians as he required to per-
form the work of espionage and investigation. These detec-
tives were responsible to the heads of the military departments.
Besides these the War Department employed special agents
who reported directly to the secrelan.'.

The imagination is apt to enwrap the character of the de-
tective or spy in an atmosphere of mystery and excitement,
against which these individuals are generally the first to pro-
test. An aptitude for the work naturally implies an amount of
fearlessness and daring which deadens the feeling of danger
and affords real pleasure in situations inx'olving great risk.
We must picture the successful secret-senice agent as keen-
witted, observant, resourceful, and possessing a small degree
of fear, yet realizing the danger and consequences of detection.

His work, difficult as it is to describe precisely, lay, in
general, along three lines. In the first place, all suspected per-
sons must be found, their sentiments investigated and ascer-
tained. The members of the secret sen-ice obtained access to
houses, clubs, and places of resort, sometimes in the guise of
guests, sometimes as domestics, as the needs of the case seemed
to warrant. As the well-knowTi and time-honored shadow de-
tectives, they tracked footsteps and noted every action. Agents,
by one means or another, gained membership in hostile secret
societies and reported their meetings, by which means many
plans of the Southern leaders were ascertained. The most
dangerous sen'ice was naturally that of entering the Confed-
erate ranks for information as to the nature and strength of
defenses and numbers of troops. Constant vigilance was
maintained for the detection of the Confederate spies, the in-
terception of mail-carriers, and the discovery of contraband
goods. All spies, " contrabands," deserters, refugees, and pris-
oners of war found in or brought into Federal territory' were
subjected to a searching examination and reports upon their
testimony forwarded to the various authorities.

"M.\JOR" PAIXINE CLSHMAN, THt FEDERAL SPY WHO BARELY ESCAPED HANGING

Pauline Ciishman was a dcvcr actresa. and her art fittol her wuH to plnj the part of a spy. AltLough a
native of New Orleans, she spent much of her girlhood in the North, and niis so rievoted to the Union lial
she risked her life in its secret service. The Ferlenil Government employed her Grst in the hmil for Southern
sympathizers and spies in Louisville, and the discovery of how they managed to convey ioformalion and
supplies into the territory of the Confederacy. She performed the same work in Nashville. In May, 1803,
us Roscerans was getting ready to drive Bragg across the Tennessee River, Miss Cushnian was sent into the
Confederate lines to obtain information as to the strength and loeation of the .Vrroy of Tennessee. She was
capttired, tried by court-mortial, and sentenced to be hanged. In the hasty ei'acuation of Shelbyville, in
the last days of June, she was overlooked and managed to regain the Union lines. It was impossible to
describe the joy of the soldiers when they found the brave spy, whom they had tluiught of a<i dead, ouce
more in their midst. Her fame after this spread alt over the land. The soldiers called her " Major" uud
■he wore the accouterments of that rank. Her aeeumte knowledge of the roads of Tennessee. Georgia.
Alabama, and Mississippi was of great value to the commander of the .4rmy of the Cumberlaod.

%Lmnal»m.t»^rmn

As the conflict progressed the activities of the baser ele-
ments of society placed further burdens upon the secret service.
Smuggling, horse-stealing, and an illicit trade in liquor with
the army «ere only the lesser of the many crimes that in-
e^-itably arise from a state of war. Government employees and
contractors conspired to perpetrate frauds. The practice of
bounty-jumping assmned alarming proportions. Soldiers' dis-
charges were forged and large sums coUecteti upon them.
Corrupt ]>olitical organizations attempted to tamper with the
soldiers' vote. The suppression of all this was added to the
already hea\y labors of the secret agents.

There nere, fi-om the verj' beginning, several strongly con-
centrated centers of suspicion, and of tliese probably the most
important and dangerous was located within tlie higher social
circles of the city of Washington itself. In the spring of 1861,
the capital was filled with people suspected of supplying infor-
mation to the Confederate authorities. These Southern men
and women did not forget the cause which their friends and
families in the home-land were preparing valiantly to defend.
Aristocratic people still opened their doors to those high in
office, and who could tell what fatal secrets might be dropped
by the guests, or inadvertently imparted, to be sent to the
leaders of the South? Nor were the activities confined en-
tirely to homes. At office doors in the department buildings
the secret agents watched and waited to learn sonie scrap of
information; military maps and plans were often missing after
the exit of some visitor.

Such vital information as this was constantly sent across
the Potomac: " In a day or two, t^velve hundred cavalrj' sup-
ported by four batteries of artillery will cross the river above
to get behind Manassas and cut oflf railroad and other com-
munications with our army whilst an attack is made in front.
For Gold's sake heed this. It is positive." And again: " To-
day I have it in my power to say that Kelley is to ad^'ance
on Winchester. Stone and Banks are to cross and go to

>, ^/.

'r n

GUERRILLA AND SCOUT— ■'TINKER DAVE" BEATTY fflTII UK. HALE

General Crook. wrilinR to GcTionil James A. Garfield, chief of aUB, Aniiy of Ihe Ciitnbrrliuul,
in March. 18(13. aakeJ. " Wlio k 'Tinker Dave" Bcalty?" One would like to learn nhat Crook
had heard about the linker. There is no record Ihat (JarGcld ever replied to the question,
and perhaps he. too, knew very little of this famous character. David Beatly was the leader
of an irregular bund nf guerrillas working in the Federal cause throughout middle Tennesiiee.
The Confederate officers, to whom they gave constant trouble, refer to them as " bush-
vhaekers" and "tories." Especially annoying wifre Itetilty and his men to Captain John M.
Hughs, commanding a imall detachment from Brngg's nnny. Hughs attempted to slop
Beatty's marauding expeditions. On September 8. 1863, he utiacked Bcally, killing eight
of his men and putting the rest to rout. Agsb on February 14, 1804. Hughs fell upon Beatty,
who this time had a band of about one hundred. The Confederate troops killed seventeen
knd captured two of the band, and the remainder disappeared. Beatty continued his irregular
activities from lime to time. He often worked in cunnertiiin with Dr. Jonathan P. Hale, who
was Ihe chief of scouts of the Army of the Cumberland under Rosecrana and Thomaa. Both
leaders valued Hale's servicer highly. He kept special watch on Morgan. Forrest, and Wheeler
when they were in his neighborhood, making constant reports as to their strength and location.

ift 3Fph?ral Bttrtt ^tmmt

Leesburg. Bumside's fleet is to engage the batteries on the
Potomac, and McClellan and Company will move on Centre-
ville and Manassas next week. This information comes from
one of McClellan's aides."

In the secret-service work at Washington the famous name
of Allan Pinkerton is conspicuous, but it is not on the records,
as during his entire connection with the war he was known as
E. J. Allen, and some years elapsed before his identity was
revealed. Pinkerton, a Scotchman by birth, had emigrated to
the United States about twenty years before, and had met with
considerable success in the conduct of a detective agency in
Chicago. He was summoned to grapple with the difficult sit-
uation in Washington as early as April, 1861. He was willing
to lay aside his important business and put his ser^-ices at the
disposal of the Government. But just here lie found his ef-
forts hampered by department routine, and he soon left .to be-
come chief detective to Genera! McClellan, then in charge of
the Department of the Ohio.

When this secret service was well established, Pinkerton
went to Washington, shortly after the first battle of Bull Run.
He immediately pressed his entire stafT of both sexes into the
work, but even that was insufficient for the demands upon it.
Applications came in on all sides and not the least of the prob-
lems was the selection of new members.

Pinkerton was in daily contact with and made reports to
the President, Secretary of War, the provost-marshal-gen-
eral and the general-in-chief of the armies. But his connec-
tion with the military concerns of the Government was brief.
In November, 1862, McClellan, to whom Pinkerton was sin-
cerely attached, was removed. Indignant at this treatment,
the detective refused to continue longer at Washington. He
was, however, afterward employed in claim investigations, and
at the close of the war returned to Chicago.

Later on, when Hooker took command of the Army of
the Potomac, Colonel George H. Sharpe was placed at the

A I,0('OMnTI\'F, THAT
TIA.NdKI) KKaiT
MKN AS sriES

In April, ISOi. J.

Kenluckj* iind a s|iy in

(irawrsl Buell'a employ men I

propnanl .wizing a locomiiU\

Ihe W(^tU-^^ and Atktitit- Kailrnuil nt

8i>mp point Ix'luw ChiittHniHjgii anil running

it back lo thatplact, culling tclegraiih wi

and Jiuming hriilgfa on t/iii way. (ienrml O. M.

Mili'htJ autlioriiiil lli« plan an.1 tw«itj'-twii men voluntivivil to varry it iiiit. On the morning of April lith, the train they were oa

!itii]i|i«il Bt llig Shanty slutiiiii f()r bn'akfa.st. Thi- briilgc-bumiTS (wbii were in i-ilizcii*' flolln's) dctafheJ the liieoniulivc unil tUree

iKix-ntrs ami Htiirtcil at full sprnl tor (.'hattanuogn. hilt after a run of ubont h hutulrcil miles tlieir fuel waa exiiansteil und their pur-

suerx were in -liglit. The whole luirty was captured. Anilrcwa wat conilemned as a s[iy and liangiil at Atlanta, July 7l)i. The otbera

wiTe eunlined at (.-hHttanouga, Knoxville, and afterwani at .\tlantii. where seven wiic exn'lited un spies. Of the fourteen survivon,

i-iglit cscuped from prison; and of these, tin eventually reached the L'nion lines. Six were removed tu Richmond und c<inlin«<l in Castle

Thunder until they were exchanged in 1S03. The Confederates attempted to destroy the locomotive whi'n they evacuated Atlaala.

Ijr Ifthtrai ^prrrt #frmr^ * h^ + ^

head of the Bureau of Xlihtary Information and supen'ised
all its secret-sen'ice work until the close of the war. He
brought the bureau to a state of great efficiency. Lieutenant
H. B. Smith was chief detective of the Middle Department,
which comprised Slaryland, Delaware, and part of Virginia.
His headquarters was at Baltimorp, one of the most fertile
fields for the work of the secret service. This city, of all that
remained within the Union, was probably the most occupied
in aiding and abetting the cause of the South.

Smith gathered about him a staff of about forty soldiers
and civilians, and an immense amount of significant informa-
tion as to the plans and movements of the citizens, some of
them of great prominence, began to pour into the provost-
marshal's office, ilany schemes were frustrated and the of-
fenders arrested. The numerous coves and bays of the Chesa-
peake offered secure harbors and secluded landing-places for
contraband vessels. On one occasion. Smith and two of his
assistants came upon a fleet of a dozen schooners riding at
anchor in an isolated spot. The crews were unarmed and the
three agents succeeded in capturing the entire lot of blockade-
runners with their rich cargoes.

Spies and mail-carriers were constantly apprehended and
their acti^-ities interrupted. Deserters were pursued and
brought to justice. In Slarch, 1865, one Lewis Paj-ne was
arrested in Baltimore on a criminal charge. Smith believed
the man to be a spy, but a searching examination failed to
procure anj- definite evidence. The cautious detective, how-
ever, made him take the oath of allegiance, and recommended
his release on condition that he would go to some point north
of Philadelphia and remain there until the close of the war.
A month later Payne committed the attack on William H.
Seward and others at the secretar}'*s Washington home.

During the presidential campaign of 1864, certain party
powers at Albany were striving for the election. They sent
their political agents to various voting-agencies of the Xew

COmxEL STIAHPK GKITENC; HKADY 1X)R THE I.A.ST GKANU MOVE-lSfil

In tlie spring iif lH(i4. the liE'silquurtcrs of the Army uf Ihc Potuniiic W'iks nciir Brandy SlAtiun, Virginia. One uf the busiest spoU U
■hown in this picture — the ln'Oilqiiartcrs uf Coluncl Shurpi'. deputy pruvost-niiirshal-gi-nrnil, wliii vtiL< organizing liis scijuts niid .secret-
service men for the turning campiiittn- It is April, und allhougli nu one knuw.t yet what the newCienvnil-in-t'liicf jiuqxMt'.i duing.he
h&s announced Ilia inlentiun uf ninkini; his ]ieiid[|uarters with the ^Vriny of tlic Putomiic. Mnny licoutinf; [>^irties liuve Ixm sent
BOUtUwaril beyond the Kupiilun, where tlie .\rniy of XortJicm \'irgini.i lies entrenched. Sutlers und their eiiijiloyees have
been ordered to leave the army. General Palriek, tlic provost-nuirthal-genentl. has recalled! all permits grantiil ciliieiis U) remain
nilhin the lines; leaves of absence and furlouKhs have been revoked; arrny-lists have been called (iir. The secret-service men around
Colond Sharpe's quarters know Uiat they will Nxin lie off on their iminy dangerous missions, as the eyes and ears of thi- moving army.

' 3ehnui Betvtt B^rnm * +

York troops with instructions to forge the officers' affidavits
that acconipanietl the votes and turn in illegal ballots for their
candidate. The keen eye of Smith detected an unknown ab-
breviation of the word " Cavalrj- " on one of the signatures, and
this led to the exposure of the plot and the arrest of three of the
corrupt agents. The detective also did much work in western
Mar\-land and West A'irginia in observing and locating the
homes of Slosby's famous raiders who were a source of great
trouble to the Federal army.

Other missions often took Smith outside the boundaries
of liis department. In the guise of a Xew York merchant he
took into custody in Washington a Confederate agent who was
endeavoring to dispose of bonds and scrip. JIany visits to Xew
York and I*hiladelphia were made in connection with boiuity-
jumping and other frauds, and he once arrested in New York
an agent of the Confederacy who was assisting in the smug-
gling of a valuable consignment of tobacco. All this was com-
bined with various and hazardous trips south of tlie Potomac,
when necessar}', in search of information concerning the
strength and position of Confederate defenses and troops. It
all denotes a hfe of ceaseless activity, but it is very typical of
the secret agents' work during the Civil War.

In addition to the various detective forces in the field, the
War Department had its special agents directly under the con-
trol of tlie President and the Secretary- of War. These, too,
were employed in the midtiform tlulies previously outlined.
One of the most noted of the special agents, Colonel I^afayette
C. Baker, was a Xew Yorker by birth who had removed to
California, but was in the East when the conflict opened. He
hastened to put his sen'ices at the command of the Union, and
on account of his work on the Vigilance Conmiittee in the
stormy days of 1856, was engaged as a detective in the Depart-
ment of State.

The authorities at Washington were most anxious to ob-
tain information as to the Confederate force at Manassas.

I.ATKR SCOI'TS AND GUIDES
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

As the Federal secret service developed under experience, a great change came over the personnel of its mem-
bers. Less and less were civilians employed. Instead, capable scouts were drafted from the army. Much
had been learned through the excellent results obtained by the Confederate scouts, who were chiefly the
daring cavalrymen of Ashby, Morgan. Wheeler, and Forrest. In this picture appears a group of scouts
and guides headed by Lieutenant Rol»ert Klein, Third Indiana Cavalry, who spent some time with the
Army of the Potomac. On the ground by his side is his young son. Many of the men here depicted were
among the most noted of the army's .secret-service men. Standing at the back are James Doughty, James
Canunock, and Henry W. Dodd. On the ground are Dan Flue, W, J. Lee, — Wood, Sanford Magee, and
John W. Landegon. Seated at the left b John Irving, and on the right is Daniel Cole, seen again on page 289.

If0 JTf brral 6ttvtt &ento * * *

Five men had been sent to Richmond; of these two had been
killed, and the others were thought to be prisoners. In July,
1861, Baker started for the Confederate capital. He was
promptly arrested but managed to coninnce both General
Beauregard and President Davis that he belonged in Ten-
nessee. So cleverly was the part played that he was sent
North as a Confederate agent, and before the end of three weeks
was able to give Gteneral Scott a vast amount of valuable in-
formation regarding Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Rich-
mond, together with the plans of the Confederate leaders, and
the scheme for blockade-nmning on the Potomac. After that
he reported on suspected persons in Baltimore, and was sent to
Niagara Falls to watch and arrest the Southern agents there.

When in Februar\% 1862, the secret sen'ice came directly
under the control of the War Department, Baker was em-
ployed as special agent. He was given a commission as colo-
nel and organized the First District of Columbia Cavalry, a
regiment chiefly employed in the defense and regulation of the
National capital, although it saw some ser\'ice in the field.

Baker's concerns were chiefly with matters that had little
to do with the active conduct of the war. He took charge of
all abandoned Confederate property ; he investigated the fraud-
ulent practices of contractors; he assisted the Treasury Depart-
ment in unearthing counterfeiters; he was the terror of the
bounty- jumper, and probably did more than anyone else to
suppress the activities of that vicious citizen. His last notable
achievement in the secret ser\'ice was the pursuit and capture
of the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.

Another valuable agent in the War Department was
William P. Wood, superintendent of the Old Capitol Prison,
at Washington. In pursuit of his duties Mr. Wood was in
daily contact with the most important of the military prisoners
who fell into the clutches of the Federal Government. He lost
no opportunity of gaining any sort of information in regard to
the workings of the Confederacy and the plans of its armies.

SELKKT-SKHVKK IIKADgrARTEHS IN Tll^: L.WT .MONTHS OF THE WAH

During tlic winlcr of 186i-65, General (irant had his lii-adqiiHrters Ht <'it,v Poinl, \'irKiniji, and tlie biiililinR iH'i-iipi(il by Ilu' si'crel-
sen-ioe men is showii here, as well as n group of somU who are as itile as Ihe two iirniii's in the Petersburg trcni'lies. Hut a feiv weeks'
work in the opening spring, as Grant maneuvers to starve I#e out of Pel<'rsburB. and Ihe seouts' duti<'s will bt-ovor. Sheridan will
come, loo, from the Shenandoah with his cavalry scouts, the finest body of inforuiiilioa seekers developed by Ihe war. General Grant
was in a constant state of uneasiness during the winter, fearing thai Lee would Ic-ave his strong lines around Petersburg anil unite with
Johnston. Consequently he depended on his secret-service men to beep him infumieil as tu any si^ns of movement on the part of l^ee.

^[^lijr JT^bfral &prrpt ^prmrr 4- +

and his reports to the Secretarj' were looked upon as among the
most helpful that reached the department.

The maintenance of the secret ser\'ice was a large item
in the conduct of the war. The expenses of the provost-mar-
shal's oiRee at ^\'ashington alone, covering a period of nearly
three years, were nearly $175,000 for detective service and in-
cidental expense. This, of course, was only a small portion of
the total outlay.

In dealing with the secret sen'ice the words *' spies " and
" scouts " are constantly used. A clear and definite distinction
between the two is indeed difficult to make. By far the greater
number of persons described as spies in an account of the war
would be classed as scouts by a militarj' man. To such a one
the word " spy " would most often mean a person who was lo-
cated permanently within the lines or territory of the opponent
and applied himself to the collection of all information that
would be valuable to his military* chief. The latter communi-
cated with his spies by means of his scouts, who took messages
to and fro. The real spies seldom came out. Scouts were
organized under a chief who directed their movements. Their
duties were various — bearing despatches, locating the foe, and
getting precise information about roads, bridges, and fords
that would facihtate the march of the army. Thus many op-
portunities for genuine spy work came to the scout and hence
the confusion in the use of the terms, which is increased by the
fact that an arrested scout is usually referred to as a spy.

The use and number of Federal spies were greatly in-
creased as the war went on and in the last year the system
reached a high degree of efficiency, with spies constantly at
work in all the Confederate armies and in all the cities of the
South. In the verj' anonjTnity of these men lay a large part of
their usefulness. The names of a few, who occupied liigh places
or met with tragic ends, have been rescued from obscurity.
Those of the remainder are not to be found on any rolls of
honor. They remain among the unknown heroes of hlston,-.

PART II
MILITARY INFORMATION

THE SECRET SERVICE

OF THE

CONFEDERACY

UNCONSCIOUS ALLIKS OF THE CONFEDEHACT'

N?:W8PAPER CORRESPONDENTS IN THE FIELD WITH
THE UNION ARMY, WHOSF. MOVFJtfENTS WERE MANY
TIMES REVE.VLED BY NEWSPAPER DF^SPATCBES
SUPPLYING INFORMATION TO THE SOUTHERNERS.

THE CONFEDERATE SECRET SERVICE

By John W. Headlev

Captain, Confederate States Army

rilHE Confederate States had no such secret-sen-ice organ-
X ization as was developed and used by the Federal Gov-
ernment during the Civil War, and yet it is probably true
that, in the matter of obtaining needed military information,
the Confederacy was, on the whole, better ser\-ed than was the
North. Of course, many uses of the Federal secret senice
were not necessarj' in the South. The Government at Wash-
ington had to face at once the tremendous problem of sepa-
rating in the non-seceding States loyalty from disloyalty to
the idea that the Union formed under the Constitution was a
unit and could not be divided. Thousands of citizens in the
North not only denied the right of the Federal Government
to invade and coerce the South, but in this belief many stood
ready to aid the Confederate cause.

From such conditions as these the Southern States were
practically free. They contained nothing that the North
needed for the coming conflict, while the latter had much to
give. The pre^'ention of assistance to the North was not one
of the problems of existence. So, while a certain class of spies
and detectives for the Union and the Confederacy operated
on both sides of the dividing line, the Confederacy needed none
of these in its own territory. Capable devotees of the South
readily volunteered for secret sen-ice within the Federal mili-
tary lines or territorj', while the United States Government
was compelled to organize and employ several classes of spies
and detectives all over the North, for the purpose of suppress-
ing bounty-jumpers, fraudulent discharges, trade in contra-

(2861

1 (Oh ^^^H|^|k

••

NANCY HART
THE ("ONKKDKItATP: (Jl TDK ANO r:iPY

The women of the moiuitsin districts of Virginia were as ready to do scout and spy worii for the Con-
federate lexers as were their men-folk. Famous among these fearless girb who knew every inch of thu
rpgions In which they lived wai Nancy Hart. So valunlilp was her work a» a guide, so cleverly and often
hud ahe led Jacksun's cavalry upon the Federal outposts in tVest Virginia, that the Northern Govern-
ment offered a large reward for her capture. Lieiit-enaut-Colonel Starr of the Ninth West Virginia
finally caught her nt Summeriille in July, 1862. 'Wliile in a temporary prison, she faced the camera for
the lirst time La her life, displaying more alarm in front of the innocent contrivance than if it had lieen a
body of Federal soldiery. She posed for an itinerant photographer, and her captors placed the hal
decorated with a military fenther upon her head. Nancy managed to get hold of her guard's musket,
shot him dead, and escaped on Colonel Starr's horse to the nearest Confeiienite delaehment. A tew
days later. July 251h. she led two hundred troopers un-der Major Bailey to Summerville. They reached
the town at four in the niorning. complctclj- surprising two companies of the Ninth Wi-at Virginia, They
firetl three hoiLtes, captnred (.'olcmel Starr, Lieutenant Stivers and other officers, and a large nunilier
of the men, and disappeared immediately over the Sutton road. The Federals made no resisUuiee.

Ijr Qlonfrhf rate &earrt Btrmxt

band goods, and contract frauds, thus maintaining a large
force which was prevented from doing any kind of secret
service within the Southern hnes or territorj'-.

The personality, the adventures, and the exploits of the
Confederate scouts and spies are seldom noted in the annals
of the war, and yet these unknown patriots were often a con-
trolling factor in the hostilities. Generals depended largely
on the information they brought, in planning attack and in
accepting or avoiding battle. It is indeed a notable fact that
a Confederate army was never surprised in an important
engagement of the war.

Apart from the militarj' service in the field, the State
Department at Richmond maintained a regular line of cou-
riers at all periods between the capital and Slaryland, and thus
kept familiar with every phase of the war situation at Wash-
ington and in the North. The operations of these skilful secret
agents gave constant emploj-ment to the detective force of the
Federal Middle Department. One efficient means of securing
information was through agents at ^Vashington, Baltimore,
New York, and other Xorthem points, who used the cipher
and inserted personals in friendly newspapers, such as tlte New
York Xexcs, Ej-press, and Day Book. These journals were
hurried through to Richmond. At the opening of the war
many well-known people of Baltimore and Washington were
as hostile to the Federal Government as were the inhabitants
of Richmond and New Orleans, and these were of great sen*-
ice to the Southern armies.

Colonel Thomas Jordan, adjutant-general of the Confed-
erate forces under General Beauregard at Manassas, matle
arrangements with several Southern sympathizers at Wash-
ington for the transmission of war information, which in
almost ever}' instance proved to be extremely accurate. On
July 4, 1861, some Confederate pickets captured a Union sol-
dier who was carrying on his person the returns of McDowell's
army. " His statement of the strength and composition of

OLD CAJMTOL PItlSON, WASHINGTON, IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE WAIt

This historic biiililinR
onee the teiiipuniry
Capitol of tlie I'nit<-<1
Stiiteg, phij-eil .1 Lirgr
part in thr workinga
of tll« PVili-nil swret

tpnilfiit. Williiini I',
Wood, wiia a S|H'lilll
Bwri'l agonl of tlic Wiir
DepsHiiu'nt. It wns
uawl forlhf incarcera-
tion of miiny C<.nte.i-

auspoct.H unil politicdl
offenclfrs. Mr. \Voo<i
frequently subjecleii
his wunia to searching
exam i nation. In For-
mation thus gained was
immediately forward-
ed lo the Secretary of
War. Mrs. Greenhow,
Belle Boyd. Mrs. Mor-
ris, M. T. Walworth,
Josiah E. Bailey, Pliny
Bryan, and other
f a m on s Confederate

The advantage gained

c Ciinfederate
sccri't ngi'nts «iu> often
nulllli<-d througli the

s lo the I

itrcnfit h of the

parts of the

Mrginia. These men
would go forward until
they discovered the
line of Confederate
pickets, and then use
all their trained powers
of observation to find
out what was behind
it. Citizens in the
neighborhood were
closely questioned, and
all the information
procurable was turned
in to Coknel Sbarpe.

DANIEL COLE. A FEDEBAL SCOUT

'^ Ijr fflnufehrratf ^ttnt ^sxrnct

that force," relates Beauregard, in " Battles and Leaders of
the Ch-il War," " talUed so closely with that which had been
acquired through my Washington agencies . . . that I could
not doubt them. ... I was almost as well advised of the
strength of the hostile army in my front as its commander."

Not only that, but Beauregard had timely and accurate
knowledge of McDowell's advance to Manassas. A former
government clerk was sent to Mrs. Rose O'Neal Greenhow.
at Washington, who was one of the trusted friends of the
Confederacy and most loyal to its cause. She returned word
in cipher immediately, " Order issued for SIcDowell to march
upon Manassas to-night," and the vitally important despatch
was in Beauregard's hands between eight and nine o'clock on
that same night, July 16, 1861. Every outpost commander
was immediately notified to fall back to the positions desig-
nated for this contingencj', and Johnston in the Valley, who
had likewise been informed by careful scouting parties that
Patterson was making no mlve upon him, was able to exer-
cise the option permitted by the Richmond authorities in favor
of a swift march to Beauregard's assistance.

Thus " opportunely informed," .the Confederate leader
prepared for battle.. without-. orders or .ad^-ice from Richmond.
The whole of these momentous Confederate activities were
carried out through the seirices of couriers, spies, and scouts.
In the opening of the war, at least, the Confederate spy and
scout system was far better developed than was the Federal.

As the war went on, each commanding general relied
upon his own spies and the scouts of his cavalrj' leader. Colo-
nel J. Stoddard Johnston was a nephew of Albert Sidney
Johnston and served on Gleneral Bragg's staff from Stone's
River to Chattanooga. All through this important campaign
he had charge of the secret -sen-ice orders and reports. He has
related how he always utilized soldiers of known intelligence,
honor, and daring as spies, without extra compensation, and
employed the cavalrjTuen of Wheeler, Morgan, and Forrest

-"^

BELLE BOYD— A FAMOUS SECRET AGENT OF THE CONFEDERACY

Thia ardent daughter of Virginia ran many hazards in her zeal to aid the Confederate cause. Back and forth she went from her home
at Martinsbiirg. in the Valley, through the Federal lines, while Banks, Fr^ont, and Shields were trying in vain to crush "Stonewall"
Jackson anil relieve Washington from the bugbear of attack. Early in 186! she was seDt as a prisoner to Baltimore. However, General
Dix. for lack of evideDce. deci<led to send her home. This first adventure did not dampen her ardor or stop her activities. Since she
vas now well known to the Federals, her every movement was watched. In May she started to visit relatives in Bichmond, but at
Winchester happened t<j overhear some plans of General Shields, With this knowledge she rushed to General Ashby with intoimation
that assisted Jackson in planning his brilliant charge on Front Hoyal, On May 21sl she wa« arrested at the Federal picket-line. A
search shuwnl that she had been entrusted with important letters to the Confederate army. About the 1st uf August Miss Boyd was
token to Washington by order of the Secret»iy of War, incaKeratcd in the Old Capitol Prison and was afterward sent Soutli.

^ji l^ fflmrff Jipratr ^ttx^t &f rmrt

rts scouts. It was the same witli I^ee and the commanders in
the Trans- Mississippi Department.

In " Stonewall " Jackson's 1862 campaign against Banks.
Fremont, and Shields in the Valley of Virginia, the Faleral
forces ^vere defeated, mthin a month, in five battles by an
army that aggregated one-fifth their total, though divided,
numbers. This great achievement must not be attributed en-
tirely to the genius of Jackson and the valor of his army. A
part of the glory must be given to the unknown daring spies
and faithful scouts of Ashby's cavalry, who were darting, day
and night, in all directions. Their unerring infonnation en-
abled Jackson to strike and invariably escape. On the other
hand, the Federal generals had no such means of gathering
information, and they seem never to have been protected from
surprise or advised of Jackson's movements.

Among the most noted bands of Confederate scouts was
one organized by General Cheatham, o\er whicli one Henry
B. Shaw was put in command. Shaw, who had been a clerk
on a steamboat plying between Nashville and Xew Orleans,
had an accurate knowledge of middle Tennessee, which in the
summer of 1863 was in the hands of the Federal army, owing
to Bragg's retreat from Tullahoma. He assumed the disguise
of an itinerant doctor while in the Federal lines, and called
himself Dr. C. E. Coleman. In the Confederate army he
was known as Captain C. E. Coleman, conmiander of General
Bragg's private scouts. The scouts dressed as Confederate
soldiers, so that in case of capture they would not he treated as
spies. Nevertheless, the information they carried was usually
put into cipher.

Shaw was finally captured and sent to Johnson's Island.
The command of the famous scouts devolved upon Alexander
Gregg, who continued to sign despatches '■ C. E. Coleman,"
and the Federal authorities never knew that the original leader
of the daring band was in safe-keeping in Sandusky Bay.

On April 7, 1864, President Davis, at Richmond, sent the

NEW YORK HKHAI.l) IIKADQIARTKUS 1\ THK KIELD. IHlia

ssjiaiMT

The Confederate swrct stTviee workpd throuyli the Nortliern newsj)
extent litllc appreciated. Without nny disloyulty im the purl al tlie
mpn, this was neeossurilj- the rase. Tlie Norlli smirninl witli spies, speeinl eiir-
rcspondents, paid .■iK<'nl8, Simtliern sympnthizers by lln' seiire, and " copperlieiicis"
innumerablf. H fi]ll.iKi>€l llml Rielimunci often knni prc-tty niiieh e\-.Tylliing worth
Itnowing of the c!is[msi(ion stnd preparjition of the Inion forirs. and even of their
carefully guanlecl plans. The Xortliem newspaper coirespondcmt with the armies
incurred practically all the perils that fell up«n the soldier himself, and the irore
enterprising and suecesaful he became, the less he inKTatialed himself with Ihe
commanding generals, whose plans he predicted and whise ecinduct he crilieised
in newspaper leaders. But it was necessary that the people at home, whose money
WIS paying for the armies in the field, should be kept informed how those armies
tared, and it is safe to contend that a great debt was due to the American war-cor-
respondents. While they were a source of information to the South on occasions,
they were also active and indefatigable allies of the Northern Government, in that
they persuaded the people at home to submit to the extraordinarily heavy taxation
necessary to support the large and costly armies and prosecute the war to the end

Ijr CUnnfpJirrate Bttttt ^txrntt

foUo«-ing telegram to the Honorable Jacob Thompson, in Mis-
sissippi, " If your engagements permit you to accept seirice
abroad for the next six months, please come here immediately."
Thompson was a citizen of Oxford, Mississippi, and said to
be one of the wealthiest men in the South. He was, besides,
a lawyer and a statesman, had sen'ed in Congress, and in the
cabinet of President Buchanan as Secretarj' of the Interior.

The reason of the sending for Thompson was that the
Confederate Government had decided to inaugurate certain
hostile movements in Xorthem territory. Clement C. Clay.
Jr., of Alabama, was selected as Mr. Thompson's fellow com-
missioner to head the Department of the North. Both were
among the foremost public men of the Confederac}'. Their
mission was one of great secrecy, and if one of their projects
could be successfully accomplished there was no doubt, in the
opinion of the Southern Government, that the war would be
brought to a speedy conclusion. Negotiations looking toward
peace were opened with men like Horace Greeley and Judge
Black, but the correspondence with Greeley was made public,
and the matter reached an untimely end.

There existed in the Northern States an essentially mili-
tarj' organization known as the Sons of Liberty, whose prin-
ciple was that the States were sovereign and that there was
no authority in the central Government to coerce a seced-
ing State. It was estimated that the total membership of this
societj' was fully three hundred thousand, of whom eighty-five
thousand resided in Illinois, fifty thousand in Indiana, and
forty thousand in Ohio. The feehng was general among the
members that it would be useless to hold the coming presi-
dential election, since Mr. Lincoln held the power and would
undoubtedly be reelected. Therefore it was planned to re-
sort to force. Plans for a revolution and a new Confederacy
were promoted, in all of which the Southern commissioners
took a most active interest.

The grand commander of the Sons of Liberty was C. L.

-^1

VESPASIAN CHANCELLOR
ONE OF "JEB" STUARTS KEENEST SCOUTS

The scouts were the real eyes and ears of the army. From the very beginning of the war the Confederate
cavalry was much used for scouting purposes, even at the time when Federal commanders were still
chiefly dependent upon civilian spies, detectives, and deserters for information as to their opponents' strength
and movements. They saw the folly of this, after much disastrous experience, and came to rely like the
Confederates on keen-witted cavalrymen. The true scout must be an innate lover of adventure, with ibe
sharpest of eyesight and undaunted courage. Such was Vespasian Chancellor, one of the most successful
scouts in General J. £. B. Stuart's cavalry coDunand. He was directly attadied to the general's headquarters.

Vallandigham, a sii-nipathizer with the South, who in 1863
had been expelled from Federal territon.' to the Confederacy.
He managed, however, to make his way to Canada, and now
resided at Windsor. The prominence of his attitude against
the further prosecution of the war led to his receiWng the
Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Ohio, and, braving
rearrest, lie returned home in June, 1864, ostensibly to begin
the campaign, but with a far deeper purpose in Wew.

In brief, Vallandigham purposed by a bold, vigorous,
and concerted action, engineered by the Sons of Liberty, to
detach the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio from the
Union, if the Confederate authorities would, at the same time,
move sufficient forces into Kentucky and Missouri to hold
those lukewarm Federal States. The five commonwealths
would thereupon organize the Northwestern Confederacy upon
the basis of State sovereignty, and the former Federal Union
would now be in three parts, and compelled, perforce, to enti
the contest with the South. The date for the general uprising
was several times postponed, but finally settled for the 16th
of August. Confederate officers were sent to various cities to
direct the movement. Escaped Confederate prisoners were
enlistetl in the cause. Thompson furnished funds for perfect-
ing county organizations. Arms were purchased in Xew York
and secreted in Chicago.

Peace meetings were announced in various cities to pre-
pare the public mind for the coming revolution. The first one,
held in Peoria, was a decided success, but the interest it aroused
had barely subsided when the publication of the Greeley cor-
respondence marked the new Confederacy as doomed to still-
birth. The peace party in the Union was won over to the idea
of letting the ballot-box in the coming presidential election
decide the question of war or peace. Tlie Sons of Libertj',
none too careful as to who were admitted to membership, inad-
vertently elected a number of Federal spies to their ranks.
Prominent members were arrested. The garrison at Camp

FEDERAL PRECAUTIONS AGAINST SURPRISE AS PHOTOGR-APHED BY A
SECRET-SERVICE ADVERSARY

Tlif ronfederatus, kopL out of Lhpir Fonner stronghold nt R«ton Rougp, Luuisiaaa, by the I'nion urmy
of occupation. sliU obtained knonlcdge of llie atutp of uffnira tlit'rc Ihniugh Lytic, the photographer,
"ho sent pictorial cviiience of the Fedcnil occupation in secrecy to the Southern leaders. The indiis-
trious anil Bccomuiodating photographer, who was willing lo photograph batteries, regiDirnts, camps,
headquarters, rortifioations. every detail, in Tact, nf the I'nion arni.v. did not limit himself toaeudingthia
exact knowledge tlirough to the Confederate secret aer^nce. With flag and lantern he used to signal
from the observation tower on (he top of the ruins of the Biilon Rouge cupitol to Scott's Bluff, whence
the messages were relayed to the Confederates al New Orleans. Here is pictured the wreckage o(
private houses torn down by Colonel Kalbert E. Paine, in order that the Federal batteries might com-
mand the approaches to the town and pre\'eot b surprise. In August, 1802, General Butter, fearing
an attack on New Orleans, had dedded to concentrate all the forces in his department there and urrlen.il
Colonel Paine to bring tnmpa from Baton Rouge. The capital of Luuiaiana accordingly was evueualeil,
August 21st. Paine left the Emex and dunhoal A'o. 7' in the Mississippi with instructions to bombanl
the dty in case the Confederate army, thcji in the neighboThood. should make any attempt to enter.
Tlie citirarns promised that Breckinridge's troops would not do so, and thus the town was spared.

ht dimfrberatp Btcrtt Btrmct *

Douglas, Chicago, was increased to seven thousand. The
strength of the allies was deemed insufficient to contend with
such a force, and the project was abandoned. The Confeder-
ates returned to Canada.

Before the prospects of the Northwestern Confederacy'
had begun to wane, Captain Charles H. Cole, one of Forrest's
cavalrymen, confined as a prisoner on Johnson's Island in San-
dusky Bay, made his escape. Reporting in Canada to Mr.
Thompson, plans were made at once for the seizure of the
United States gunboat Michigan, which was guarding John-
son's Island, and the release of the prisoners. The plot devel-
oped rapidly, and the services of Captain John Y. Beall of the
Confederate navy were added in carrjing out the scheme. The
Confederates on the island were ready to overpower their
guards as soon as the Michigan and her fourteen guns were
in Beall's hands. The 19th of December was decided on for
the date of the seizure. Cole, who had become very friendly
with the Michigan's officers, was to go on board and give the
signal for Beall and a boat-load of Confederates to approach
and surprise the vessel. Beall, who had mustered some twenty
Confederates at Windsor, was approaching Sandusky Bay in
the steamer Phih Parsons, whidi he had seized, when seven-
teen of his men mutinied, and he was obliged to turn back. To
make the failure complete. Cole fell under suspicion and was
arrested even while waiting for Beall to appear.

The latter was arrested at the Suspension Bridge rail-
way station, about the middle of December, while working on
a plan to rescue seven captured Confederate generals, as they
were being transferred from Johnson's Island to Fort Lafay-
ette. He was hanged in New York, Februarj' 24, 1865, by
order of a militarj- court, for the seizure of the steamer Philo
Parsons.

The active commissioners were also attempting to carry
out an economic policy which had been suggested by Secretary
of State Benjamin and developed by a Nashville banker, John

WW//

TllK FIRST INDIANA 11KA\ V AUTIl.l.KKV AT BATON KOLCE

The clearest and most trustworthy evidence of an opponent's strength is of course an actual photograph. Such evidence, in
spite of the early stai;^ of the art and the difficulty of "running in" chemical supplies on "orders to trade." was supplied the Con-
federate leaders in the Southwest by Lytle, the Baton Rouge photographer — really a member of the Confederate secret service.
Here are pliotogrnplis of the First Indiana Heavy Artillery (formerly the Twenty-first Indiana Infantry), showing its strength
and position on the arsenal grounds at Baton Rouge. As the Twenty-first Indiana, the regiment had been at Baton Rouge during
the first Federal occupation, and after the fall of Port Hudson it returned there for garrison duty. Little did its officers suspect that
the quiet man photographing the batteries at drill waa about to convey the "information" beyond their linea to their opponents.

I|? Cnnfpbfratf ^prrrt BBtxntt

Porterfield by name. It was hoped thereby to work great dam-
age to, and bring much distrust upon, the Federal finances.
The Southern sj-mpathizers in the Xorth had, in obedience to
request, converted much paper money into gold and withdrawn
it from circulation. This, however, caused the price of gold to
rise until it reached 290, which great figure naturally caused
a change of policy. When the precious metal had fallen as
low as 180, Mr. Porterfield went from Montreal, his tem-
porarj' residence, to New York and began purchasing and
exporting gold, selling it for sterling bills of exchange, and
reconverting this into gold, the amount lost in trans-shipment
being met out of the funds placed at his disposal by the com-
missioners. About two million dollars was thus exported, but
before any perceptible disaster had been wrought upon the
national finances. General Butler, in New York, arrested a
former partner of Porterfield, and the latter prudently returned
to Montreal.

About the 1st of September, Thompson's force of secret
workers in the Southern cause had been joined by Colonel Rob-
ert M. Martin, who had been a brigade commander in Jilor-
gan's cavalrj-, and myself, who had sen-ed on Martin's staff.
We had been detached for this service by the Secretan.' of
War. We expected to take an active part in an attempt by
the Sons of Liberty to inaugurate a revolution in Xew York
city, to be made on the day of the presidential election, Novem-
ber 8th. Thompson sent Martin with seven selected Confed-
erate oflUcers, myself included, to report for duty to the leaders.
Martin was in charge of the whole thing. The plot was ex-
posed by Northern secret-ser\'ice agents, and General Butler
with ten thousand troops arrived, which so disconcerted the
Sons of Liberty that the attempt was postponed. We re-
mained in the city awaiting e\-ents, hut the situation being
chaotic we had nothing to do.

When Sherman burned Atlanta, November 15th, Martin
proposed to fire New York city. This was agreed to by

■I

now THE FEDEHAL (_AM1' f.W HV IIIK UD.UJ OF APPailACll

A HECONNAISSAME
BY MEANS OF THE CAMERA

Lj-tie, the Confederate socret agent at
Baton Kuiige. sent photographs of the
Fcileral occupation from time to lime
lo his genorsL). Thus they could de-
termine just where the invading troops
were located. The position of the
large camps north of the State House,
bchinii the penitentiary nnd near the
Methodist Church, their relation to
the avenues of approach, coulil be
noted through the photographs. One
of General Ranks' llrst acts on assum-
ing command of the Department uF

the Cuif had bc'i'n t., nrcli-r the re-
orcupntion of Baton ll.mge. Go
DwmlKT 17. I8H<, C.n<rul (Irover
amii-d with forty-five hundred men.
Ahiiul fi\e hundred Cdnfederales who
were in the town immerlialely di»>
pniled, and Grover prepare<l for W)
attack which did not tvme. Baton
Rouge suffrreil less than riii^ht haro
been eipected during the war, Hutlec
gave orders for its deslriirtion in
August IH6i but un account of tho
□inn\ jnatitutioos it euntained theat
acre reM-mded The Stale IlouM
nas burned Decimber iH, 1HG2, but
this Halt du< to H defective flue and
not lu an mcendiiiry's van<lnl toreb.

THE CAMP NEAR THE PEXITBNTI.iHY

THE CAMP IN FRONT OF THE MLTHOUIST Cril'RCIl

l|r ffinnfrbrralp ^ttnt drnrirr

Thompson, and tlie project was finally undertaken by Martin
and five others, including myself.

On the evening of November 25th, I went to my room in
the Astor House, at twenty minutes after seven. I hung the
bedclothes over the foot -board, jJiled chairs, drawers, and other
material on the bed, stuffed newspapers into the heap, and
poured a bottle of turpentine over the whole mass. I then
oi>ened a bottle of " Greek fire " and quickly spilled it on top.
It blazed instantly. I locked the door and went downstairs.
Leaving the key at the office, as usual, I passed out. I did
hkewise at the City Hotel, Kverett House, and United States
Hotel. At the same time ilartin operated at the Hoffman
House, Fifth Avenue, St. Denis, and others. Altogether our
little band fired nineteen hotels. Captain Kennedy went to
Barnum's Museum and broke a bottle on the stairway, creat-
ing a panic. I^ieutenant Harrington did the same at the
Metropolitan Theater, and Lieutenant Ashbrook at Niblo's
Garden. I threw several bottles into barges of liay, and caused
the only fires, for, strange to say, notliing serious resulted from
any of the hotel fires. It was not discovered until the next day,
at the Astor House, that my room had been set on fire. Our
reliance on " Greek fire " was the cause of the failure. We
found that it could not be depended upon as an agent for in-
cendiarj' work. Kennedy was hanged in New Vork, March
23, 1865.

We left New York on the foUowhig Saturday over the
Hudson River Railroad, spent Sunday at Albany, and arrived
in Toronto on Monday afternoon.

Kvery Confederate plot in the Xortli was fated to fail.
The Federal secret sen'ice proved to be more than a match
for the Sons of Liberty and the Confederates. Captain T. H.
Hines, another daring officer of Slorgan's command, had
undertaken an even more extensive plot in Chicago for No-
vember 8th, election night. He had to assist him many escaped
prisoners of war, Confederate soldiers, and members of the

[302]

rin^ FATE OF A CONFKDERATE SPY
BEFORE PETERSBURG

1804

The photograph gives an excellent idea of a military execution of a Confederate spy wif liiri
the Federal lines. The place was in front of IVtershiirg; the time August, 1864. It is all
terribly impressive; the double line of troops around the lonely gallows waiting for the
unfortunate victim who is alxiiit to suffer an ignominiou.s death. Many devoted sons of the
South met their fate by accepting duty in the secret ser>'ice and performing the work of a
spy. The penalty of capture was certain death on the gallows, for the real spy wore civilian
clothes and consequently could not claim the protection of the uniform. Many men
refused to do mait kinds of secret-service work, scouting and gathering information, unless
they were permitted to wear the insignia of their calling, but sometimes it was absolutely
impossible to appear in uniform, and then the worst penalty was risked. Many men.
Federals and Southerners too, actuated by the most patriotic and self-denying motives,
thus met death not only in shame, but also completely severed from all that was dear to
them; for in their anonymity had lain tlie large part of their usefulness. Their names will
n»rt be found on any roll of honor. Their place is among the unknown heroes of history.

'^ mp Cnnff hrrate Srrwt Strnto * * +

--^

Sons of Libertj'. The plot involved not only the overpowering
of the little garrison at Camp Douglas, and the release of over
eight thousand military prisoners, but tlie cutting of telegraph
wires, the seizure of banks, the burning of the railroad stations,
the appropriation of arms and ammunition within the city, in
fact, the preparation for a general uprising in favor of termi-
nating the M-ar.

The Federal secret sen'ice, however, forestalled the con-
spirators' plans, and one hundred and six of them were arrestetl
on November 7th. They were subsequently tried by a niili-
larj' court at Cincinnati, and many were sent to penitentiaries
-for terms ranging from three years to life.

Such were the last of the Confederate operations from
Canada. The considerable force collected there gradually re-
turned to the Confederac}'. Slartin and I left during the first
week of Februarj*, 1865. We went from Toronto to Cincin-
nati and Louisnlle, where we attempted to kidnap the Vice
President elect, Andrew Johnson, on his way to the inaugu-
ration. This failing, about ten o'clock on the morning of
March 1st we went to a stable where Major Fossee of General
Palmer's staff kept three fine horses. Two of these we seized,
locked the surprised attendants in the stable and rode away to
the South. We were at Lynchburg when I-.ee surrendered at
Appomattox, eighteen miles away.

As we came to Salisburj', North Carolina, we met two
gentlemen strolling alone in the outskirts. Martin recognized
them as President Davis and Secretary of State Benjamin.
We halted, and Mr. Benjamin remembered Martin. He en-
quired for Colonel Thompson. Continuing south, we fell in
at Chester, South Carolina, with Morgan's old brigade under
General Basil W. Duke, and marched in President Da\'is'
escort as far as Washington, Georgia, where he left us all be-
hind, and the Confederacy perished from the earth.

PART II

MILITARY

INFORMATION

CENTRAL STATinX,
WASHINGTON,
SIGNALING
ACROSS TIIE
POTOMAC

THE
SIGNAL
SERVICE

A QUIET EVENING, BEFORE THE DANGEROUS WORK BEGAN

Fashionable folks from Washington have come to the signal camp to look at what seems a strange new
pastime of the soldiers, playing with little sticks and flags and entertaining themseh-es at night with fire-
works. But now the :>liad()ws lengthen, and the visitors are mounting their horses and about to take
their places in the waiting haRHiche to depart. In the foreground the signal-nion are lounging comfortably,
feet in the air. or drowsing agaiti-t Ihe sides of their tents. Tlieir work is iliuie, unless practice is ordered
with the rockets and lights after the nightfall. A few months from now Ihey will Ik' in a place where the
patronizing visitors will be loth to follow. With Confederate shelb shrieking about them on the Peninsula,
|3oei

SIGNAL CAMP OP INSTRUCTION. AT RED HILL, GEORGETOWN, 1861

the men with the flags will dip and wave and dip agtun, conveying sure information to "Little Mac"
more sjK^dily than the swiftest courier. Who would grudge them these few moments of peaceful
comfort at twilight when he leams that the ratio of killed to wounded in the Signal Corps was one
hundred and fifty percent,, a,s against the usual ratio of twenty per cent, in other branches of the serv-
ice? Many found their fate in Confederate prisons. Sense of duty, necessity of exposure to fire, and
importance of mis.sion were conditions frequently incompatible with personal safety — and the Signal
Corps paid the price. In no other corps can be found greater devotion to duty without reward.

EXPERTS OF THE INITED STATES SICNAL SERVKE
PHOTOGRAPHED IN 1861

General I'tlieii Major) Xlyer is 4listiii^uisliat>Ie, leaning agam^il tlie Iiilile on the ri}!lit-han(l page. l»y tlio
doiihle niw of buttons on Iiis field-officer's coat. The pronp comprises LiexitenanI Samuel T. Ciislniif;,
Peeond I'nited States Infantry, with seventeen officers selrttwl for signal duty from the noted Pennsylvania
Resen-e Coqis. Mi)st of the enlisted men were fnim the same vohinteer iirgjini7;ation. It is interestinp
to examine the field |>araplirrnah;i wiHi which tlie n>r[w wa-; prnvidcd. Kvcry nian has a ctillapsiiile tele-
SCOjw. or a i>ott-erfnl fichl-ijla", I^-anint; ayain-t the lal.Ic i> a l.iiitch ..f <lafT<. Ici which the flags were
attached, for wig-wagging >ignals. One nf lh<' >igTial flag- i- lyicig in fnmt nf the gnmp, and another is
extended in the breeze behind. \\'hite flags with a red center were most frequent. In case of snow, a

1308)

CHIEF SKiXAI, OhTICEIt A. J. MYKIl. WITH A (iUOUr' OF HIS SUltORDINATFS
AT RKI> HILL

black flag was used. Against a variegated background the red rolor was seen farther. In everj- important
canipaigii and on every bloody ground, these men risked their lives at the forefront of the battle, speeding
stirring orders of advance, warnings of impending danger, and sullen admissions of defeat. They were on
the advanced lines of Yorktown, and the saps and trenches at Charleston, Vicksburg, and Port Hudson,
near the battle-lines at Chickamauga and Chancellors ville, before the fort-crowned crest of Fredericksburg,
amid the frightfiil carnage of Antietam, on Kenesaw Mountain deciding the fate of Allatoona, in Sherman's
march to the ,'iea, and with Grant's victorious army at Appomattox and Richmond. They signaled to
Porter clearing the central Mississippi River, and aided Farragut when forcing the passage of Mobile Bay,

t w

I 1

JtYy s

^Xx^.

K M^\

-SIG\ALI\{; FROM TI!K COBB^S HILL TOWER
BY THE APPOMATTOX— 1 86i

In this second view of the Cobb's Hill .signal tower, ap])eariiig in fiili length on tlie opposite page, the signal-
man has (lipped his flag forward in front of liini — signifying "Three." Signal messages were sent by means
of Sags, torches, or lights, by combinations of three sei)aratc motions. With the flag or torch initially held
upright, "one" was indicated by wa\'ing the flag to the left and returning it to an upright position; "two"
by a similar motion to the right; and "three" by a wave or dip to the front. One or more figures con-
stituted a letter of the alphabet, and a few combinations were used for phrases. Thus 11 indicated "A,"
1«21 "B," 212 "C," and so on. 122«1 meant "Wait a moment"; 21112 "Are you ready?" And 3 meant
the end of a word, 33 the end of a sentence, and 333 the end of a message. Where a letter was composed
of several figures, the motions were made in rapid succession without any pause. Letters were separated
by a very brief pause, and words or sentences were distinguished by one or more dip motions to the front;
one, signifying the end of a word; two, the end of a sentence; and three, the end of a message. The tower
shown in this photograph, 125 feet high, was first occupied June 14, 1864. It commanded a view of Peters-
burg, sections of the Petersbui^ and Richmond Railway, and extended reaches of the James and Appomattox
Rivers. Its importance was such that the Confederiites constructed a two-guo battery within a mile of it
for its destruction, but it remained in use until the fall of Petersburg.

N\\n

^^^)^

THE SIGNAL CORPS

Majc

Bv A. W. Gbeely

r-General, United States Army

NO other arid uf the military services iKiriiig the Ci\-il War
excited a tithe of the curiosity ami interest which sur-
rounded the Signal Cnrjis. To the onlooker, the messages of
its wavmg flags, its winking lights and its rushing rockets were
always mystic in their language, while their tenor was often
fraught with thrilling import and productive of far-reaching
effects.

The signal system, an American device, was tested first
in border warfare against hostile Xavajos; afterward the
quick-witted soldiers of both the Federal and Confederate
armies de\eloped portable signaling to great advantage. The
invention of a non-combatant. Surgeon A. J. Myer, it met with
indifferent reception and evoked hostility in its early stages.
When the stern actualities of war were realized, its evolution
proceeded in the Federal army in face of corporation and de-
partmental opposition, vet despite all adverse attacks it ulti-
mately demonstrated its intrinsic merits. Denied a separate
organization until the war neared its end, the corps suffered
constantly from strife and dissension in Washington, its mis-
fortunes culminating in the arbitrary' removal of its first two
chiefs. Thus its very existence was threatened. Nevertheless,
the gallant, efficient ser\'ices of its patriotic men and officers
in the face of the foe were of such striking military value as
to gain the confidence and win the conunendation of the most
distinguished generals.

Major Jlyer l)egan work in 1861, at Georgetown. District
of Columbia, with small details from the volunteers, tliough the

CONFEDERATE SIGNALMEN IN 'fll

Tie Contederate lignal Krvke iru Gnt in the field. Bemur^ud'a report acknowledgea the aid raidered his umj' >t Bull Run by
Captain (afterwardi Genenl} E. P. Alexander, a former pupil of Major A. J. Myer. McDowell w«a tben without Mignalmen, and ao
could not oommunicate regularly with Waahington. While Major Myer ww eatahliihiug a Federal lignal training-ochool at Red Hill,
Buch towen were rising along the ^ready heleaguered Confederate roaal. Thia one at Charleston, South Carolina, ia swanning with
young Confederate volunteen gasing out to sea in anticipation of the advent at the toe. llKy had not loag to wait. During nearly
four yean the Union fleet lodud thm in tbnr harbor. For all that tima Fort Sumtar and Ita neifbban defied the Union power.

Ijr i^tpal Cnriia + * h^ ^^

corps eventually numbered about three hundred oiRcers and
twenty-five hundred men. Authorized as a separate corps by
the act of Congress, approved March 3, 1863, its organization
was not completed until August, 1864. The outcome was an
embodiment of the army aphorism that '* one campaign in
Washington is worth t«'0 in the field." >Iore than two thou-
sand signalmen sen'ed at the front, of whom only nine were
commissioned in the new corps, while seventeen were appointed
from civil life. As a result of degradation in rank, eleven de-
tailed officers declined commissions or resigned after accept-
ance. Colonel Slyer, the inventor and organizer of the sen-ice,
liad his commission vacated in July, 1864, and his successor.
Colonel Xicodemus, was summarily dismissed six months later,
the conmiand then devolving on Colonel B. F. Fisher, who
was never confirmed by the Senate. That a corps so harassed
should constantly distinguish itself in the field is one of the
many mar\'els of patriotism displayed by the American soldier.
Signal messages were sent by means of flags, torches, or
lights, by combinations of three separate motions. The flag
(or torch) was initially held upright: " one " was indicated by
waving the flag to the left and returning it from the ground to
the upright position ; " two " by a similar motion to the right,
and " three " by a wave (or dip) to the front. Where a letter
was composed of several figures, the motions were made in
rapid succession without any pause. I^etters were separated
by a verj' brief pause, and words or sentences were distin-
guished by one or more dip motions to the front.

SIGNAL

ALPHABET,

AS USED

LATE IN

THE WAR

A— 11

G— IISS

JI— SllS

S— ISl

Y— 2S2

B— 12S1

H— Sll

N— S«

T— 1

Z— 1111

C — «12

I— S

O— IS

U— SSI

(t— S222

D— 111

J— sail

P— 2121

T— sill

lion— SS21

E— SI

K— isis

y— S1S2

W— S212

ing— 1121

F— 1112

L— lis

H— 1S2

isul

X— 1211

e<l— 12S2

GENERAL MORELLS LOOKOUT TOWARD THE CONFEDERATE LINES-lSei

When GcDcml Mcf'lcllan was rapidly organizing his army from the mass of troops, distinguished only by rppmcntal numerals, into
brigatlcs, divisions, and corps, in the (all nnd winter of ISfll, Gt^nemi George W. Mureil nas plaeed in command of tbe Srst brigade
of the Army of the Potomac and atntioned at the entrpmc front of Minor's Hill, \irginia. just south of Washington. The city was
distraught with apprehension, and the lookout, or tower, in the foreground was erected especially for the purpose of observations toward
the Confederate lines, then in the direction of Manassas. At the particular moment when this picture was taken, the lookout has un-
doubtedly shouted some observation to General Morell, who stands with bis finger pointing toward the south, the Confederate position.
That the Brmy has not yet advanced is made evident by the fftct that • tady is present. dreis«i in the fashion of the day.

^^Ji Ijf Signal (finrpB

NUMERALS

1— 122«1 = Wait a moment.

2— «in2^^Areyou ready?

3—11211 = I am ready.

4 — 11121 ^ Use short polo and small flag.

5 — 11112=:: Use long pole and large flag.

6—21111 = Work faster.

7 — 22111 ^=Did you understand?

8— 22221 =- Use white flag.

9— 22122= Use black flag.

0—11111 = Use red flag.

CODE SIGNALS

3 = " End of word." 33 = " End of sentence." 833 = " End of
message." 121212 ^^ " Error." 11, 11, 11, 3 = " Message received
(or understood)." 11, 11, 11, 3=;" Cease signaling." Constant and
unbroken waving ;^:^" Attention, look for signals."

To hasten work there were many abbreviations, such as: A^
" After " ; B ^ " Before " ; C ^= " Can " ; Imy =^ " Immediately " ;
N --"Not"; Q = "Quiet"; R = "Ar«";U ^ "You "and Y =
" Why."

^Vhen using Coston signals there were more than twenty
combinations of colored lights which permitted an extended
system of prearranged signals. White rockets (or bombs) =
one; red^two, and green^three. White flags with a square
red center were most frequently employed for signaling pur-
poses, though when snow was on the ground a black flag was
used, and with varjing backgrounds the red flag with a white
center could be seen at greater distances than the white.

To secure secrecy all important messages were enciphered
by means of a cipher disk. Two concentric disks, of unequal
size and revoh-ing on a central pivot, were divided along their
outer edges into thirty equal compartments. The inner and
smaller disk contained in its compartments letters, termina-
tions, and word-pauses, while the outer, larger disk contained

AT YORKTOWN

Skillnl Iniiin algiutl parlies wcrr aviiila-
hh U>T tlio Poniiuular rnrnpaiKn of imi,
where lliey rendcnKl inviiluHblf scrvkt
to M<-Clflliin. Work «trietly for the
uriny was Hiipplonu'nti^l by pliicini; aigniil
offiiiTs Willi the navj'. anil tliiis ensuring
thut niiiiHTfttion so vibiUy i-ssential to
sueiTsis. The victory „t Franklin's n.ni-
m«n<l iit West Point, utter the eiHeuHtion
of Yorktown. wjis lur((ely iliie to the
effificney of the Signiil Coriis, \*ij;or-
ously Htliii-ke<[ by un iinknonn Furei-,
Fraixkliu onlen-d bis >iKlliil nffi<-,T to ciill
up the IUtI just it])|ienriuK rlnwn the river.
A k.rn-,if;lit.-<l slKniil i.llie.-r was iilert i.ti

tW t!i'i>l»>'>t. 'iixl i>
FrHnkbi,-s re<)uesl tli
shelUii was tlioroiipbly
photi^Taph show., the

tew

kkLs I

orehurd.'Ll Vorktuwn.aiul Die York Itivei
lies at I1.111.I, tu the rifchl of the liouse.

A 1,<H)K(UT ON IlIK H(M»1' l»K

IKUSE, V<1«KT()W.\

AliMY AND NAVY

IHI-.i, :JU-

the

Sc\

■n l)i.

s- bi.tl

<luriuf< M.'l

Irila

"sr.-!

eiit. 1

.lonel (tl

I.ieiiteni<nt

Iter

jaiiiir

F. I'"i

hi'r, of t

.■aislatiun on the famous Kerkc-
jn. The Signal Corps had pnni

:l indis-

[M'nsiible to the sucivss of M<('lrllan in
c-lianKuig his base from York ItiviT to
Jani<-s Iliv.T, \Yhen the viKonHM Cun-
fnlerate utlaek at Maivem Hill tlireat-
ennl the rout of the army. McCU'llan
was ulHiar't the gunboat (inleiia. whose
urmy signal officer informed him ot the
situatli>n thrinigh messages flagged from
the shon'. Thniugh information from
the signal officers directing the Are of the
fleet, he was aided in repelling the advances
of the Confederates. The messages run
like this: " Fire one mile to the right. Fire
tow into the woods near the shore."

SIGNAL COHPS HEADQUARTERS IN AUGUST. ISM

groups of signal numbers to be sent. Sometimes this arrange-
ment was changed and letters were on the outer disks and the
numbers on the inner. By the use of prearranged keys, and
through their frequent interchange, the secrecy of messages
thus enciphered was almost absolutely ensured.

In every important campaign and on everj' bloody ground,
the red flags of the Signal Corps flaunted defiantly at the fore-
front, speeding stirring orders of advance, conveying warnings
of impending danger, and sending sullen suggestions of de-
feat. They were seen on the advanced lines of Yorktown,
Petersburg, and Richmond, in the saps and trenches at Charles-
ton, Vieksburg, and Port Hudson, at the fierce battles of Chick-
amauga and Chancellorsville, before the fort-crowned crest of
Fredericksburg, amid the frightful eaniage of Antietam, on
Kenesaw Mountain deciding the fate of Allatoona, in Sher-
man's march to the sea, and with Grant's victorious army at
Appomattox and Richmond. They spoke silently to Du Pont
along the dunes and sounds of the Carolinas, sent word to
Porter clearing the central Mississippi River, and aided Far-
ragut when forcing the passage of Jlobile Bay.

Did a non-combatant corps ever before suffer such dispro-
portionate casualties — killed, wounded, and captured? Sense
of duty, necessity of exposure to fire, and importance of mis-
sion were conditions incompatible with personal safety — and
the Signal Corps paid the price. While many found their
fate in Confederate prisons, the extreme danger of signal work,
when conjoined with stubborn adherence to outposts of duty, is
forcefully evidenced by the fact that the killed of the Signal
Corps were one hundred and fifty per cent, of the wounded, as
against the usual ratio of twenty per cent.

The Confederates were first in the field, for Beauregard's
report acknowledges the aid rendered his army at Bull Run
by Captain E. P. Alexander, a former pupil of Myer. Mc-
Dowell was then without signalmen, and so could neither com-
municate regularly with Washington nor receive word of the

13181

OCTOBER, 1862— WHERE THE COXFEDEHATE INVASION OF MAllYLAND WAS
DISCOVERED

The signal officer is on outlook duty near the Point of Rocks station, in Maryland. ThLs station was
opened and operated hy First -Lieu tenant John H. Fraliek for purposes of observation. It completely
dominated Pleasant Valley. On the twelfth of the month Fra'ick had detected and rei)orted General J. E. B.
Stuart's raiding cavalry crossing the Potomac on their way hack from Maryland and Pennsylvania. The
Confederate cavalry leader had crossed the Potomac at Wiiliamsport on the 10th of October, ridden com-
pletely around the rear of the Army of the Potomac, antl eluded the vigorous pursuit of General Pleasonton
and his Union cavalry. Within twenty hours he had marched sixty-five miles and kept up his artillery.
Lieutenant-Colonel Edwin R. Biles, with the Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania, opfKtsed Stuart's crossing at
Monocacy Ford, but was unable to detain him. Thb was one of the combination of events which finally
cost McClellan the command of the Army of the Potomac. Lee's invasion of Maryland in 1862 would
have been a complete surprise, except for the watchfid vigilance of Lieutenant Miner of the Signal Corps,
who occupied Sugar Loaf, the highest point in Maryland. From this lofty station were visible the more
important fords of the Potomac, with their approaches on both sides of the river. Miner detected the Con-
federate advance-guard, then the wagon-train movements, and finally the objective points of their march.
Although unprotected, he held his station to the Ust and was fina^y captured by the Southern troops.

SIGNAL OFFICER PIERCE

RECEIVING A MESSAGE FROM

GENERAL McCLF.LLAX

AT TIIK ELK MOINTAIN STATION'

AITKIi TIIK HATTLK OF AXTIflTAM

Klk Mountain is in the South Mountain Ranp' "f the Itlue Itiilge: ils summit here ahown commaniled a view of nlmusl the entire
Antietam battlefiplil liuring September ITth. 1862, the bloodiest single duy til the Civil n'or. The Elk Mountain Signal Slalbn was
operate*! after the battle by Lieutenants Vktvp and Jerome, Aa the photoRraph above was taken, the former officer was re<Tiving a
dispateh from General MeClellan, prpsumably requesting further information in regard to some reported movement of General Lee.
The I'nion loss in this terrific battle was twelve thousantl five hundred, and the Confederate loss over ten thousand. The correspondent
ol a Richmond paper, describing his part as an eye-witness of Ihe engagement, wrote on the succeeding day; "Their signal stations on
the Hlue Ridge commanded a view of every movement. We could not make a maneuver in front or rear that was not in-slantly revealed
hy keen lookouts; an<l as soon as the intelligence could be eommunicated to their butteries below, shot and shell were launched against
the moving; columns. It was this information, conveyed by the little Sags upon the mountain-lop. that no <loubt enabled the enemy
to eoncentrale his lorce against our weakest points and counteract the effect of whatever similar movements may have been attelnpted
by us." C'aplain Joseph Gloskoeki, who had received commendation for bravery at Gaines' Mill, sent many important mes.sagcs to
Itumside as a result of the telescopic reconnoitering of Lieutenants N. H. Camp and C Hermg. It was the message re<t'ive<l from this
station. " Look well to your left," which enabled Bumside U> guard his left against A. P. Hill's advance from Harper's Ferry.

'^Ilfe Signal fflnrpH

vitally important despatch from Patterson at Harper's Ferrj'
telling of Johnston's departure to reenforce Beauregard at
jManassas, which should have obviated the battle. Major !Myer
was quick, however, to establish a signal training-school at Red
Hill, Georgetown, District of Columbia.

In ^-iew of modern knowledge and practice, it seems al-
most incredible to note that the Secretary of War disapproved,
in 1861. the recommendation made by Major Myer, signal
officer of the army, for an appropriation for field-telegraph
lines. While efforts to obtain, operate, and improve such lines
were measurably successful on the part of the army, they were
strenuously opposed by the civilian telegraph corporations so
potent at the ^Var Department.

Active protests proved unavailing and injurious. Colonel
Myer's circular, in 1863, describing the systematic attempts of
the civilian organization to deprive the Signal Corps of such
lines " as an interference with a part of the Signal Corps' legit-
imate duties," caused him to be placed on waiting orders, while
all field-trains were ordered to be turned over to the civilian
force. It may be added that both organizations in the field
cooperated with a degree of harmony and good-fellowship that
was often lacking in Washington.

Skilled parties were thus available for the Peninsula cam-
paign of 1862, where McClellan utilized them, strictly army
work being supplemented by placing signal officers with the
navy, and thus ensuring that cooperation vitally essential to
success. Not only was military information efficiently col-
lected and distributed, but at critical junctures SIcClellan was
able to control the fire-direction of both the field-artillery of
the army and the heavy guns of the na^-j'.

- At Yorktown, coigns of vantage were occupied in high
trees and on loftj' towers, whence messages were sent to and
fro, especially those containing information of the position
and movements of the foe, which were discerned by high-
power telescopes — an important duty not always known or

m
1$
m

<^.j^.

nD.1-.

rilH-rllU

SIGNAL coin's RK< OXNOITKRINr, AT rREDKIUCKSBLRG. VIRGIXU

soillll s«\o. „( tlio R«ppiili:iim..rk
wild till' l''niiT;il BlIiii-kinK fcirc-
]ir<>iiiiii<'nl ill Ihc renter <>( IIk' Ii
anil u'liiinilf^l niiinj'otlii.TH iiCMrliy.

■c! in iiliwrvint' hikI n^piirting Ihe oiirratiuna of Iht- CoiiIitliTjitt-s tm the
<■ fiiiK stitliiin Ht li.-i..l>iimHers kriit C.cn.Tiil Bumsldt in (imsliinl tuu.h
il lIiHikiT, tlin)ii|.'h llK-ir »itiiHlni<'ii in tli>- cinirthou.sp sU■(^^^e. 1'liis is
I lU'HT Ik fii-lil Iiii9|>itiil <-imu- uiitliT n fire lliut k'lllcil alxiut tui-nlj' nim
il iLSiisjitiiijiiiii of tlii^);inf(. tlint lilt' livrsuf tlie H'i>uiulo<l iiiight he spared.

FREDERICKSBURG^THE COURTHOUSE STEEPLE IX THE CENTER CONTAINED FEDERAL SIGNALMEN
[.-21]

Sift Signal (Harpa

appreciated. Often their work drew tlie Confederate artillery
and sharpshooters* fire, of unpleasant accuracy. The saving of
Franklin's command at West Point, after the evacuation of
Yorktofl-n, was in large part due to the efficiency of tlie Signal
Corps.

^'^aluable as was the work before Richmond, under fire, in
reconnoitering and in cooperation with the mililarj' telegraph
service, it proved to be indispensable to the success of Mc-
Clellan in changing his base from York River to James River
— its importance culminating at Malveni Hill. It will be re-
called that the Seven Days' Battles ended with the bloody
struggle on the banks of the James, where the use of the Signal
Corps enabled McClellan to transform impending defeat into
successful defense. When the vigorous Confederate attack at
Slalvern Hill threatened the flank of the army, McClellan was
aboard the United States steamship Galena, whose army sig-
nal officer informed him of the situation through messages
flagged from the army. McClellan was thus enabled not only
to give general orders to the army then in action, but also to
direct the fire of the fleet, which had moved up the James for
cooperation, most efficiently.

Lee's invasion of Maryland in 1862 would have been a
complete surprise, except for the watchfid vigilance of an
officer of the Signal Corps, Lieutenant Miner, who occupied
Sugar Loaf, the highest point in Maryland. From this lofty
.station were visible the more important fords of the Potomac,
with their approaches on both sides of the river. Miner de-
tected the Confederate advance guard, the train movements,
and noted the objective points of their march. NotifWng
Washington of the invasion, although unprotected he held his
station to the last and was finally captured by the Southern
troops. The reoccupancy of Sugar Loaf a week later enabled
McClellan to establish a network of stations, whose activities
contributed to the victory of South Mountain.

As Elk Mountain dominated the valley of the Antietam,

ISMl

After the aurrcDder of Vlduburg, Jlily 4, 1863, the Rig-
tial Corps of Grant's mray was undir the <wmniaDd of
iteoant Jotm W. Detord, a recently exchnnged
prUoner of war. Its luuttlun was on the southern con-
tinuation ot Chetry Street near the A. & V. railwn.v
From the balcony til the houss arc hangiuH two ml
fiaip with >H|uare white centers, indicating the hnul-
quartera of the Signal Corpa, Many times before the
were orders fliubcd by night by means of waving
torches to eommanda widely separated; and in the
daytime the signal-men standing drew on themselves the
attention of the Coofedemle sharpshooters. A message
begun by one signol-roan was often finished by another
who picked up the flag hu fallen companion hail
dropped. The tower at Joeksunville. Florida, over n
hundred Feet high, kept in communication with tli<'
aigoal Uiwer at Yellow Rluff, at the mouUi of the SI.
. John's River. Note the two men with the Signal Corp''
on it.H summit. Junt below them la an enelosure
to which they could retire wlien the eftortu of the
Confederate sharpshooters liecame too thrc-atcning.

SIGNAL STATIONS

FROM
THE MISSISSIPPI

V[( h>iUllG

EVIDENCE OP THE
SIGNAL-MAN'S ACTIVITY

TllRorcJiinrT

Till':

TllKATFR or WAR

LOOKOUT MOUNTALN— THE ANTICIPATED SItJN.UJj

Vftir dranl arrived and occupied Chattanooga. Bragg
retired up the Cumberland Moimlains anil tiMik up two
alrung positions— one upon the lop of Lookout Moun-
tain o\prlo«king Chattanooga from the south, and the
other on Missiooary Ridge, a somewhat lower eleva-
tion to the east. His object wiu to hold the passeit of
tlie iiLiiiintain againut any advance upon his base at
Dnltun. Georgia, at n^Iiich point supplies arrived from
VthmU Grant, akmt the middle of Noveiuber. 1863,
advanced with 80,000 men for the purpose of dislodging
the Confederates from these positions. At the very
of Lookout Mountain. "The Hawk's Nest" of
the C hen>kees. the Confederates had cstablisheil a sig-
nal station from which every movement of the Federal
\niiy was flashed to the Confederate headquarters on
Mi.ssionary Ridge, The Federals had possessei! them-
ni'lvca of this signal code, and could read all of
Bnigg'B me«sages. Hence an attempt to surprise
Hooker when be advanced, on November i*i. failed.

aift Signal Cor|ia

it was occupied only to find that the dense woods on its summit
cut off all view. However, energetic action soon cleared a
vista, known to the soldiers as " KlcClellan's Gap," through
which systematic telescopic search revealed all extended move-
ments of the foe. The busy ax furnished material for a rude
log structure, from the summit of which messages of great im-
portance, on which were based the general disposition of the
Federal troops, were sent.

At Fredericksburg flag-work and telescopic reconnoiter-
ing were supplemented by the establishment of a field-tele-
graph line connecting army headquarters with Franklin's
Grand DiWsion on the extreme left. The flag station at head-
quarters kept Burnside in constant touch with the Federal at-
tacking force on the right, under Couch and Hooker, through
their signalmen in the court-house steeple. One station near a
field-hospital was under a fire, which killed about twenty men
and wounded many others near by, until the surgeons asked
suspension of flagging to save the lives of the wounded.

A most important part of the Signal Corps' duty was the
interception and translation of messages interchanged between
the Confederate signalmen. Perhaps the most notable of such
achievements occurred in the Shenandoah valley, in 1861. On
JVIassanutten, or Three Top Mountain, was a signal station
which kept Early in touch with Lee's army to the southeast-
ward, near Richmond, and which the Federals had imder close
watch. Late in the evening of October 15th, a keen-eyed lieu-
tenant noted that " Three Top " was swinging his signal torch
with an unwonted persistency that betokened a message of
urgency. The time seemed interminable to the Union officer
until the message began, which he read with suppressed excite-
ment as follows: " To Lieutenant-General Early. Be ready
to move as soon as my forces join you, and we will crush Sheri-
dan. Longstreet, Lieutenant-General."

Sheridan was then at Front Royal, en route to Wash-
mgton. The message was handed to General Wright, in

i---?2

THE SIGN,\L CORPS

AT GLTTYSBLRG

In the bnllle of Gctlysburg
the Cnnf«]rnite« iiitabtiiibpil
their chief signiil station in
the cupola of tlie Lutheran
Seminary, which commanded
■n extendeil fieUl of opera-
tions. From here eumr much
of lev's informitlion about
the batlli' which surged anil
thundered to anil fro until
the gigantic wave of Picketl'a
charge was da!ihc<l to piecea
againxt Uie immovable rock
of MnuhS <l.'fenso on tlic
thild culminating day. The

Union Signal Corps wai
equally active in gathering
information ami tranmnitting
orders. -Altogether, for per-
haps the first Ihnc b military
liistorj', the generalii-in-chief
of two large armies were kept
in comitaDt eommumi^aliou
during lu'live n|ienil ions with
their eorpH and iliviHion ciini-
mamlcrs. It was tlii> L'nion
Signal t'orjis with its <lecep-
tive flagH that enabled Gen-

d Wht

nioholc

ethe

.strangely nc((l,-elc-.l eminence
of Little R.nmd Toj,, t!ie key
to I lie Pcdeml left, imli! troops
could be sent to uciupy it.

lIE.UJQl".\It'rKlt>:, CIINt-'KDKli.VTK SKIN.VL Coal's
AT GETrVSBLKG. I'KNNSVIA.VXIA

SIGNAL CORPS OFFICEBS, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. OCTOBER, 18«S

Standing are Lieutciuuit F, E. Bearddey, Lieutenant Neal. Ueutenant Georne J. Clarke, [unknown], and General (then Captain)

Chariei L. Davu (leaning on peacb-bre). Seated are Captain Charles J. Clarke. Ueutenant W, S. Strykcr,

•nd Lieutenant A. B. Capmn (aftenranla Member of Coogrcaa).

'^1 i|p ^tgtmi CUnrjiB + + + + +

temporan' command, at once, and was forwarded by him to
Sheridan at midnight. The importance of this information is
apparent, yet Early took the Union army completely by sur-
prise three days later, at daybreak of October 19th, although the
tide of morning defeat was turned to evening victory under the
inspiration of Sheridan's matchless personality.

In the battles at Gettysburg the Confederates established
their cliief signal station in the cupola of the Lutheran semi-
nary, which commanded an extended field of operations. The
Union Signal Corps was extremely active in gathering infor-
mation and transmitting orders, and for perhaps the first time
in militarj' historj' the conmianding general of a large army
was kept in conmiunication during active operations with his
corps and diWsion commanders.

The most important Union signal station, on the second
day of this titanic struggle, was at Little Round Top on the
Federal left flank, which commanded a view of the countrj'
occupied by the right of I^ee's army. Heavy was the price
paid for flag-work at this point, where the men were exposed to
the fierce shrapnel of artillerj' and the deadly bullet of Con-
federate sharpshooters in Devil's Den. On or beside this signal
station, on a bare rock about ten feet square, seven men were
killed or seriously wounded. With rash gallantry. Captain
James A. Hall held his ground, and on July 2d, at the most
critical phase of the struggle signaled to Meade's headquar-
ters, " A heavy column of enemy's infantr>', about ten thou-
sand, is moving from opposite our extreme left toward our
right."

General Warren had hastened by Meade's order to Little
Round Top to investigate. He says : " There were no troops
on it [Little Round Top] and it was used as a signal station.
I saw that this was the key of the whole position, and that
our troops in the woods in front of it could not see the ground
in front of them, so that the enemy could come upon them
unawares." A shot was fired into these woods by Warren's

SIGNALING ORDERS FROM GKN'KRAL MKADIC'S HEADQUAKTERS, JUST BKFOKE
THE WILDERNESS

Iti April. I8(i4, Corioriil Meade's lica(i<iiiiirl(Ts lay north of thr Rapidan. The Signiil Corps was ko|)l Imsy
traiisiiiitliiig the orders preliiiuiiiiry to the Wilderness campaign, which was to he);in May .5th. The head-
cjuarters are lielow the brow of tlie liill. A most important part of the Signal Corps' duly was tlie inter-
ception and translation of messages interchanged between the Confederate signal-men. A veteran of
Sheridan's army tells of his impressions as follow.'*: "On the evening of the 18th of October, 1864, the sol-
diers of Sheridan's army lay in their lines at Cedar Creek. Our attention was suddenly directed to the
ridge of Massanutten, or Three Top Mountain, the slope of which covered the left wing of the army — the
Eighth Corps. A lively series of signals was being flashed out from the peak, and it was evident that mes-
sages were being sent both eastward and westward of the ridge. I can recall now the feeling with which
we looked up at those flashes going over our heads, knowing that they must be Confederate messages. It
was only later that we learned that a keen-eyed Union officer had been able to read the message: 'To
Lieu tenant-General Early. Be ready to move as soon as my forces join you, and we will crush Sheridan.
Longstreet, Lieutenant-General.' The sturdiness of Sheridan's veterans and the fresh spirit put into the
hearts of the men by the return of Sheridan himself from ' Winchester, twenty miles away,' a ride rendered
immortal by Read's poem, proved too much at last for the pluck and persistency of Early's worn-out troops."

1;^ Signal (Earpu

orders. He continues: " This motion revealed to me the ene-
my's line of battle, already formed and far outflanking our
troops. . . . The discovery was intensely thrilling and almost
appalling." After narrating how he asked Meade for troops,
Warren continues, " While I was still alone with the signal
officer, the musket balls began to fly around us, and he was
about to fold up his flags and withdraw, but remained, at my
request, and kept them waving in defiance." This action saved
the day for the Federals, as Warren declares.

The system around Vicksburg was such as to keep Grant
fully informed of the efforts of the Confederates to disturb his
communications in the rear, and also ensured the fullest coop-
eration between the Mississippi flotilla and his army. Judi-
cious in praise. Grant's commendation of his signal officer
speaks best for the sen-ice. Messages were constantly ex-
changed with the fleet, the final one of the siege being flagged
as foUows on the morning of July 4th: " 4.30 a. m. 4: 1863
Admiral Porter: The enemy has accepted in the main my terms
of capitulation and will surrender the city, works and garrison
at 10 A. M. . . . U. S. Grant, Major-General, Commanding "

The fleets of Farragut and Porter, while keeping the Mis
sissippi open, carried signal officers to enable them to commu-
nicate with the army, their high masts and lofty trees enabhng
signals to be exchanged great distances. Doubtless the loftiest
perch thus used during the war was that on the United States
steamship Bichmond, one of Farragut's fleet at Port Hudson
The Richmond was completely disabled by the central Con-
federate batteries while attempting to run past Port Hudson,
her signal officer, working, meanwhile, in the maintop. As the
running of the batteries was thus found to be too dangerous,
the vessel dropped back and the signal officer suggested that he
occupy the very lip of the highest mast for his working perch,
which was fitted up, one hundred and sixty feet above the
water. From this great height it was barely possible to signal
over the highland occupied by the foe, and thus maintain

K// '^'

/I'

TIIB PEEBLES FARM SIGNAL TO^VER
NEAR PETERSBURG

THE SIGNAL TOWER
NEAR POINT OF ROCKS

^[^1 Ije Signal (HoxpB

uninterrupted communication and essential cooperation be-
tween the fleets of the central and lower Mississippi.

The most dramatic use of the Signal Corps was connected
with the successful defense of Allatoona, Sherman's resene
depot in which were stored three millions of rations, practically
undefended, as it was a distance in the rear of the army. Real-
izing the utmost importance of the railroad north of Marietta
and of the supplies to Sherman, Hood threw Stewart's corps
in the rear of the Union army, and French's division of about
sixtj'-five hundred men was detached to capture Allatoona.
With the Confederates inten-ening and telegraph lines de-
stroyed, all would have been lost but for the Signal Corps sta-
tion on Kenesaw Mountain. Corse was at Rome, thirty-six
miles beyond Allatoona. From Vining's Station, the message
was flagged over the heads of the foe to Allatoona by way of
Kenesaw, and thence telegraphed to Corse, as follows: " Gen-
eral Corse: Sherman directs that you move forward and join
Smith's dinsion with your entire conuiiand. using cars if to
be had, and bum provisions rather than lose them. General
Vandever." At the same time a message was sent to Alla-
toona : " Sherman is moving with force. Hold out." And
again: "Hold on. General Sherman says he is working hard
for you."

Sherman was at Kenesaw all day, October 5th, having
learned of the arrival of Corse that morning, and anxiously
watched the progress of the battle. That afternoon came a
despatcli from Allatoona, sent during the engagement: " We
are all right so far. General Corse is wounded." Next morn-
ing Da\'ton, Sherman's assistant adjutant-general, asked how
Corse was and he answered, " I am short a cheekbone and one
ear, but am able to whip all h — 1 yet." That the fight was des-
perate is shown by Corse's losses, seven himdred and five killed
and wounded, and two hundred captured, out of an effective
force of about fifteen hundred.

An unusual application of signal stores was made at the

COLONEL BENJAMIN F. FISHER AND HIS ASSISTANTS AT SIGNAL CORPS HEAD-
QUARTERS, WASHINGTON

Although authorized as a separate corps by the Act of Congress approved March 3, 1863, the Signal Corps
did not complete its organization until August, 1864. More than two thousand signal-men served at the
front, of whom only nine were commissioned in the new corps, while seventeen officers were appointed
from civil lite. Colonel A. J. Myer, the inventor and organizer of the service, had his commission vacated
in July, 1864, On December 26th of that year Colonel Benjamin F. Fisher was placed in command of the
Signal ("orps, but his appointment was never confirmed by the Senate. Note the curious wording of the
sign l)y tlie dintr: "Office of the Signal Officer of the Army," as if there were but one. That a corps so
harassed should constantly distinguish itself in the field is one of the many marvels of American patriotism.

SIGNALING FROM FORT Mc^VLLISTER, GEOR<:U— THE END OF THE JURCH
TO THE SEA

Gciiurul Slierniaii's flag nicssjigc with Hazen's soldierly answer upon their arrival at Savannah, December
13, 186-1. has Iwtimie historn-. Shcrnian's niessnge was an onlcr tor Hazen's Division of the Fifteenth Army
Coq)s to make an ii-i,-;aiiU iijiim the fort. Hazen's fer^e answer was: "I am rca<l.v and will assault at once."
The furl wiis carried ill lh.> fir-t ni-^h. A flafi station was immediately eshihlished on the parapet. It
wif.'ivatr^'i'd to Dahl^'n^n^ .■xpectiinl H<-et llu- news that >herinan Inid i-LiiipI.-led tlie famous march to the sea
with liis army in excellent c'ondition. Only a week later (ieueral Ilanlec evacuated Savamuih with his troops,

1334]

1 ^^Hl^\ \ \ \ 1

1 'u^-\ m\

HOW SHERMAN WAS WELCOMED UPON HIS ARRIVAL AT THE SEA

This photogra|)h shows a party of Admiral John A. Dahlgren's signal-men on board ship recoi\iii{; a message
from the Georgia shore. The two flagmen arc standing at attention, ready to send Dahlgren's answering
message, and the officer with the telescope is prepared to read the signals from the shore. Thus Sherman's
message from the parapet of Fort McAllister was read. Commander C. P. R. Rodgers and Admiral Dupont
had been prompt to recognize the value of the Army Signal Corps system and to introduce it in the navy.
This concert between the North's gigantic annies on shore and her powerful South Atlantic fleet was bound
to crush the Confederacy sooner or later. Without food tor her de<nmated armies she could not last.

Ift Signal (dortiB

^■'

siege of Knoxville, when Longstreet attacked at dawn. Send-
ing up a signal by Roman candles to indicate the point of
attack, the signal officer follo%ved it by discharging the candles
toward the advancing Confederates, which not only discon-
certed some of them, but made visible the approaching lines
and made possible more accurate fire on the part of the Union
artillery.

While at Missionarj' Ridge, the following message was
flagged at a critical point: " Sherman: Thomas has carried the
hill and lot in his immediate front. Now is your time to attack
with vigor. Do so. Grant." Other signal work of value inter-
vened between Missionarj' Ridge and AUatoona, so that the
Signal Corps was placed even more to the front in the Atlanta
campaign and during the march to the sea.

The Confederates had changed their cipher key, but Sher-
man's indefatigable officers ascertained the new key from in-
tercepted messages, thus giving the general much important
information.

Several stations for obser\'ation were established in high
trees, some more than a hundred feet from the ground, from
which were noted the movements of the A'arious commands, of
wagon trains, and railroad cars. Hood's gallant sortie from
Atlanta was detected at its very start, and despite the se\'erity
of the fight, during which one flagman was killed, messages
were sent throughout the battle — even over the heads of the
foe.

Of importance, though devoid of danger, among the final
messages on arrival at Savannah was one ordering, by flag, the
immediate assault on Fort McAllister by Hazen, mlh the sol-
dierly answer, " I am ready and will assault at once," and the
other announcing to the expectant fleet that Sherman had com-
pleted the famous march to the sea with his army in excellent
condition.

In the approaches and siege of Petersburg, the work of the
Signal Corps was almost entirely telescopic reconnoitering.
(5361

SIGNALING

THE SEA

THE WHITE FLAG

WITH
THE RED CENTER

This stulioii was established !>y Lwriitenant E. J. Keeiian on the rotjf of the luaiision of a planter at the
I extreme northern point of Ilillun Head Island, Port Royal Bay. Through this station were exchanged
i many messages between General W. T. Slierraan and Admiral S. P. Dnpont. Sherman had been forced
' by Savannah's stuhlx»rn resLstance to |>reparc for siege operations against the city, and perfect cooperation
I between the army and navy became imperative. The signal station adjoining the one portrayed above was

erected on the house formerly owiied by John C. Calhoun, lying within sight of Fort Fula-ski, at the mouth
% of the Savannah lliver. Late id December, General Hardee and his Confederate troops evacuated the
I city. Sherman was enabled to make President Lincoln a present of one of the last of the Southern strongholds.

FROM SHORE TO SHIP— HILTON HEAO SIGNAL STATION

Iff Signal (Harps

While an occasional high tree was used for a perch, yet the
country was so heavily timbered that signal towers were nec-
essary. There were nearly a dozen lines of communication
and a himdred separate stations. The most notable towers
were Cobb's Hill, one hundred and twenty -five feet; Crow's
Xest, one hundred and twenty-six feet, and Peebles Farm, one
liuiulred and forty-five feet, whicli commanded views of Peters-
burg, its approaches, railways, the camps and fortifications.
Cobb's Hill, on the Appomattox, was particularly irritating
and caused the construction of an advance Confederate earth-
work a mile distant, from which fully two hundred and fifty
shot and shell were fired against the tower in a single day —
with slight damage, however. Similar futile efforts were made
to destroy Crow's Xest.

At General !Mea<le's headquarters a signal party had a
unique experience — fortunately not fatal though thrilling in
the extreme. A signal platform was built in a tree where,
from a height of seventy-five feet the Confederate right flank
position could be seen far to the rear. AN'henever important
movements were in progress this station naturally drew a heavy
fire, to prevent signal work. As the men were charged to hold
fast at all hazards, descending only after two successive shots
at them, they became accustomed in time to sharpshooting, but
the shriek of shell was more nerve-racking. On one occasion
several shots whistled harmlessly by, and then came a vio-
lent shock which nearly dislodged platform, men, and in-
struments. A solid shot, partly spent, striking fairly, had
buried itself in the tree half-way between the platform and tlie
ground.

When Petersburg fell, field fiag-work began again, and
the first Union messages from Richmond were sent from the
roof of the Confederate Capitol. In the field the final order of
importance fiagged by the corps was as follows: " Farm^nlle,
April 7, 1865. General Meade: Order Fifth Corps to fol-
low the Twenty-fourtli at 6 a. m. up the Lynchburg road.

. «. 5ufi.

JLl.Xl.t.t.

^^V\- '#1^1

'iii'- 3

jfafr-*^.' ;'^-»-^JBH^^^^NjWI

STRIKING THE SIGNAL ( OIU-S FLAG HJR THE LAST TIME— AIGIST. 1865

THE SIGNAL CAMP OF INSTRUCTION ON RED HILL

la this camp all sigoal parties were trained before taking the field. In the center is theeignal tower, from which messages could be
■ent to all stadoiu in Virginia not more than twenty milei distant. The farthest camps were reached from the Crow'a Nesl; nearer
ones from the baae of the tower. Here General A. J. Myer, then a civilian, appeared aft«r the muster out of his old comrades to wit-
nciK the dissolution of the corps which owed its inceptioii, OTBmniaation, and effidcncy to his inventive genius and administrative ability.

ii-Hi

i^ Signal fflnrpH

=r:^ ^^

The Second and Sixth to follow the enemy north of the river.
U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-GJeneral."

It must not be inferred that all distinguished signal work
was confined to the Union army, for the Confederates were
first in the field, and ever after held their own. Captain (after-
ward General) E. P. Alexander, a former pupil in the Union
army under Wyer, was the first signal officer of an army,
that of Xorthern Virginia. He greatly distinguished himself
in the first battle of Bull Run, where he worked for several
hours under fire, communicating to his commanding general
the movements of opposing forces, for which he was highly
commended. At a critical moment he detected a hostile ad-
vance, and saved a Confederate division frojn being flanked
by a signal message, " Look out for your left. Your posi-
tion is turned."

Alexander's assignment as chief of artillerj' left the corps
under Captain (later Colonel) William Xorris. Attached to
the Adjutant-General's Department, under the act of April
19, 1862, the corps consisted of one major, ten each of cap-
tains, first and second lieutenants, and twenty sergeants, the
field-force being supplemented by details from the line of the
army. Signaling, telegraphy, and secret-sennce work were
all done by the corps, which proved to be a potent factor in
the efficient operations of the various armies.

It was at Island No. 10; it was active with Early in the
Valley; it was with Kirby Smith in the Trans-Mississippi, and
aided Sidney Johnston at Shiloh. It kept pace wnth wondrous
" Stonewall " Jackson in the Valley, withdrew defiantly with
Johnston toward Atlanta, and followed impetuous Hood in
the Nashville campaign. It sen-ed ably in the trenches of
beleaguered Vicksburg, and clung fast to the dismantled bat-
tlements of Fort Sumter. Jackson clamored for it until Lee
gave a corps to him, Jackson saying, " The enemy's signals
gi\e hmi a great advantage over me."

PART TWO
MILITARY INFORMATION

TELEGRAPHING
FOR THE ARMIES

NO OBnERS EVER HAD TO BE GIVEN TO ESTABLISB
THE TEI>EGHAPH." THUS WROTE GENERAL GRANT
IN mS MEMOIRS. "the MOMENT TROOPS WERE
IN POSITION TO GO INTO CAMP, THE MEN WOULD
PUT UP THEIR WIRES." GRANT PATS A GLOWING
TRIBUTE TO "THE ORGANIZATION AND DISCIPLINE
OF THIS BODY OF BRAVE AND INTELLIGENT MKN."

THE MILITARY-TELEGRAPH SERVICE

By a. W. Gheely

Mofor-General, United States Army

[The Editors express their grateful acknowledgment to Da%'id Homer
Bates, of the United States Military-Telegraph Corps, manager of the War
department Telegraph Office and cipher-operator, 1861-1866, and author
of "Lincoln in the Telegraph Office," etc., for valued personal assistance
in the preparation of the photc^raphic descriptions, and for many of the
incidents described in the following pages, which are recorded in fuller
detail in his book. J

THE exigencies and experiences of the Ci^il War demon-
strated, among other theorems, the vast utility and in-
dispensable importance of the electric telegraph, both as an
administrative agent and as a tactical factor in military opera-
tions. In addition to the utilization of existing commercial
systems, there were built and operated more than fifteen thou-
sand miles of lines for military purposes only.

Sen'ing under the anomalous status of quartermaster's
employees, often under conditions of personal danger, and
with no definite official standing, the operators of the militarj''-
telegraph service performed work of most intal import to the
army in particular and to the countrj' in general. They fully
merited the gratitude of the Xation for their efficiency, fidelity,
and patriotism, yet their services have never been practically
recognized by the Government or appreciated by the people.

For instance, during the war there occurred in the line of
duty more than three hundred casualties among the operators
— from disease, death in battle, wounds, or capture. Scores
of these unfortunate victims left families dependent upon char-
ity, as the United States neither extended aid to their destitute
families nor admitted needy sun^ivors to a pensionable status.

AT THE TKl.KdRAPHKRS- TKNT. V()RKTO\VN-MAY. 18«2

These o|>iTiit.irs wilJi lln-ir friends wt dinniT l<Hik c|uitp rrinlcnU-d. witli lliiir onfffc in tin ciipa. thi-ir hanf-lHrk. nnd llic bmintiful
appmrinK ki-ltli- at Ihi-ir fi-ct. Yrt Iheir Int. ii» MrCli-l Inn's »riiiy ailvnnci^ towsni Hichnmrol iind Inter, bus tn Iw f;ir fmin I'nviuble.
■'Tlie trlcfp-iiph scnui-," writ*-* Ci-noml A. W. Cin-el.v. "Iijiii npitlipr <lclinitp p<TiHinncl nor oirjis orKaniraitiuD. It wiuh aim|il.v »
civilian liuniin uttwhni In the quiirtemiasti.T'a ilcpartint-nt, in which n few of its tnviirrd members mi'lvnl cfimniissiiins. The men
who prrFtirmctl thi: <liin^Tuii3 wnrk in th'^ field were nicrv eniplii.vii-s — mostly underpaid and uftm treate<l with scant cfinsiikTation.
During llie wur I hi^rc occurred in the line of duty more thnn thrpf hundred t^Hualties among the operaton-- liy discnse. killed in battle,
wounded, or miule prisoners. Scores <if these unforluniite vietinu left tamilieii dependent on I'liarity. (or ihc- (invemment of tlie
Unilcd States neither exteniled aid to their destitute families nor ailmitteil needy »ur\'ivor8 to a pensionable slatiis."

^\ I|p ^tlttarg Sebgratiii

"-^^^^^i.

The telegraph seirice had neither definite personnel nor
corps organization. It was simply a cinhan bureau attached
to the Quartermaster's Department, in which a few of its fa-
vored members received commissions. The men who performed
the dangerous work in the field were mere employees — mostly
underpaid, and often treated with scant consideration. The
inliereiit defects of such a nondescript organization made it
impossible for it to adjust and adapt itself to the varjnng de-
mands and imperative needs of great and independent armies
such as were employed in the Civil War.

Moreover, the chief. Colonel Anson Stager, was stationed
in Cleveland, Ohio, while an active subonlinate. Major Thomas
T. Eckert, was associated with the great war seeretar\', who
held the service in his iron grasp. Not only were its commis-
sioned officers free from other authority than that of the Secre-
tary of ^Var, but operators, engaged in active campaigning
thousands of miles from AVashington, were indej)endent of the
generals under wliom they were sen'ing. As will appear later,
operators suffered from the natural impatience of military
commanders, who resented the abnormal relations which inev-
itably led to distrust and contention. While such irritations
and distrusts were rarely justified, none the less they proved
detrimental to the best interests of the United States.

On the one hand, the operators were ordered to report to,
and obey only, the cor|M)ration representatives who dominated
the War Department, while on the other their lot was cast with
military associates, who frequently regarded them with a cer-
tain contempt or hostility. Thus, the life of the field-operator
was hard, indeed, and it is to the lasting credit of the men, as
a class, that their intelligence and patriotism were equal to
the situation and won final confidence.

Emergent conditions in 1861 caused the seizure of the
commercial systems around AVashington, and Assistant Secre-
tary of War Thomas A. Scott was made general manager of
all such lines. He secured the cooperation of E. S. Sanford,

TELEGRAPHERS AFTER GETTYSBURG

The eScient-lookiDg man leaning agninat the tent-pole in the rear is A. H. <'bI(IivcII. chief cipher operator for McClellan, Burnaide^
Hooker, Meade, and Grant. To him, just at the time this photograph was made. Lincoln addressed the famous despatch srst to Simon
Cameron at Gettysburg. After being deciphered by Caldwell and delivered, the message ran: "I would give Biucb to be relieved d
the implcasion that Meade, Couch. Smith, and all, since the battle of Gettysburg, have striven only to get the enemy over the river
without another Gght. Please tell me iF you know who was the one corps oomnunder who was For fighting, in the coundl of war on
Sunday night." It was customary for cipher messages to be addressed to and signed by the cipher operators. AH of the group are
mereboys,yet they cocJly kept open theiritelegrsph lines, sending important orders, while under fire and amid the utmost confusion.

^W IRtlttai^ Srlegraplf

of the American Telegraph Company, who imposed much-
needed restrictions as to cipher messages, information, and so
forth on all operators. The scope of the work was much in-
creased by an act of Congress, in 1862, authorizing the seizure
of any or all lines, in connection with which Sanford was
appointed censor.

Through Andrew Carnegie was obtained the force which
opened the War Department Telegraph Office, which speedily
attained national importance by its remarkable work, and with
which the memorj' of Abraham Lincoln must be inseparably
associated. It was fortunate for the success of the telegraphic
policy of the Government that it was entrusted to men of such
administrative ability as Colonel Anson Stager, E. S. Sanford,
and ilajor Thomas T. Eckert. The selection of operators
for the War Office was surprisingly fortunate, including, as it
did, three cipher-operators — ^D. H. Bates, A. B. Chandler,
and C. A. Tinker — of high character, rare skill, and unusual
discretion.

The military' exigencies brought Sanford as censor and
Eckert as assistant general mahager, who otherwise performed
their difficult duties with great efficiency; it must be added that
at times they were inclined to display a striking disregard of
proprieties and most unwarrantedly to enlarge the scope of
their already extended authority. An interesting instance of
the conflict of telegraphic and military authorit>' was shown
when Sanford mutilated McClellan's passionate despatch to
Stanton, dated Savage's Station, June 29, 1862, in the midst
of the Seven Days' Battles.*

Eckert also withheld from President Lincoln the despatch
annouricing the Federal defeat at Ball's Bluff. The suppres-
sion by Eckert of Grant's order for the removal of Thomas

* By cutting out of the message the last two sentences, reading:
" If I save this army now, I tell you plainly that I owe no thanks to you
or to any other person in Washington. You have done your best to
sacrifice this army."

qUARTEItS OF TELEGRAl'HBRS AND I'lKmXiltAI'lIKUS AT AKMV C»l' TIIK I'OTOMAC lllOAUtJIARTEIiS.
KHANDY STATION. APRIL, 180+

It nils pnilMlily liiok of militiirj- status tliat .'.iiisihI these pioneer ivrps in si-U-m-i- U Inink ti)eit)iiT hrrr. Tin- pliotrmrapln-rs
were under tlie prdtectiun of the secret service, anif the teleRraplicrs pertormeil ii siniiliir fimcliiin in tlie Held of "niiliturj inf. )ri nation."

sTisy -v

THE TELEGRAPHERS BOMB-PROOF BEF-QRE SL'MTER

It is a comfort to contemplate the solidity oF the bomb-proof where dwelt this telegraph operator; he carried no insurance for hia family
such as a regular soldier can look forward to in the possibility of b pension. This photograph was taken in 1803. while General Quincy
A. Gilimore was covering the roarsheB before Charleston with breaching batleries, in the attempt to silence the Confederate forts. These
replied with vigor, however, and the telegrapher needed all the protection possible while he kept the general in touch with his forts.

Iff inUttai^ Wtk^upl^

finds support only in the splendid victory of that great soldier
at Xashville, and that only under the maxim that the end jus-
tifies the means. Kckert's narrow escape from summary dis-
missal by Stanton shows that, equally with the President and
the commanding general, tlie war secretary was sometimes
treated disrespectfully hy his own subordinates.

One phase of life in the telefjtraph-room of the War De-
partment^t is surprising that the White House had no tele-
graph office during the war — Has Lincoln's daily visit thereto,
and the long hours spent hy him in the cipher-room, whose
quiet seclusion made it a favorite retreat both for rest and also
for imjjortant work requiring undisturbed thought and undi-
vided attention.

There Lincoln turned over with methodical exactness and
anxious expectation the office-file of recent messages. There
he awaited patiently the translation of ciphers which f( rt
casted promising plans for coming campaigns, told tales of
unexpected defeat, recited the story of victorious battles, con
veyed impossible demands, or suggested inexpedient policies
^Masking anxiety by quaint phrases, impassively accepting
criticism, harmonizing conflicting conditions, he patiently pon
dered over situations — l)oth political and military — swayed in
his solutions only by considerations of public good. For in
this room were held conferences of vital national interest, with
cabinet officers, generals, congressmen, and others. But his
greatest task done here was that which retpiired many da\ s
during which was written the original draft of the memorable
proclamation of emancipation.

Especially important was the technical work of Bates
Chandler, and Tinker enciphering and deciphering important
messages to and from the great contending armies, which was
done by code. Stager devised the first cipher, which was so
improved hy the cipher-operators that it remained untrans
latahle by the Confederates to the end of the war. An example
of tlie method in general use, given by Plum in his " Historj of

□

;/ .;'/■

Kj^

■; I ^ :§ :* ? I i ^

' S - '^ "c = ■* j: S

§ 1 1 1' ^ ■; ii s

■s 5 ? i ; I ; 1 1
I- J :' s M I i I

i s 2 ; : i i 1 1

lit

I I i i £ = M i

5 I' l^-i-i^
^■^S It' -ill

ill- s

j|.s I Sjj'sl

■s I g J t " ■1
•s |"s|--^ iro

Ill ^11- 1 ^l

iil|S^|:||
lis i|-fi|.s

e s II 1 1 1 * I

Ch^iiUitan,S.b9ra,.,

□

the Military Telegraph," is Lincoln's despatch to ex-Secretary
Cameron when with Jleade south of Gettysburg. As will be
seen, messages were addressed to and signed by the cipher-oper-
ators. The message written out for sending is as follows:

«,

I5th

tor

Sigh

nun

Cammer

period

would

pve

much

to be

relieved

trflbe

!mpie»ioa

that

Meul«

comma

Couch

comma

Smith

and

comma

since

the

battle

ties

burg

comma

bare

striven

only

grt

the enemy

m-a

the river

without

another

fight

period

ple»»e

teU

yon

know

who

«B«

the

one

who

was

for

fightmg

comma

iathe

council

war

Sunday

night

signature

A. lincobi

Bins

him

In the message as sent the first %vord (blonde) indicated
the number of columns and lines in which the message was to
be arranged, and the route for reading. Arbitrary words in-
dicated names and persons, and certain blind (or useless)
words were added, which can be easily detected. The message
was sent as follows:

" Washington, D. C, July 15, 1863.
" A. H. Caldwell, Cipher-operator, GJeneral Meade's Head-
quarters:

" Blonde bless of who no optic to get an im]>ression 1
madison-square Brown cammer Toby ax the have turnip me
Harrj' bitch rustle silk adrian counsel locust you another only
of children serenade flea Knox county for wood that awl ties
get hound who was war him suicide on for was please village
large bat Bunyan give sigh incubus heavy Norris on tram-
meled cat knit striven without if Sladrid quail upright martyr
Stewart man much bear since ass skeleton tell the oppressing
Tyler monkey. „ -d „

Brilliant and conspicuous ser\-ice was rendered by the
cipher-operators of the War Department in translating Con-

IS501

ONE OF GR.\NTS FIELD-TELEGRAPH STATIONS IN 1864

This photograph, taken at Wilcox Landing, near City Point, gives an excellent idea of the difficulties under
which telegraphing was done at the front or on the march. With a tent-fly for shelter and a hard-tack box
for a table, the resourceful operator mounted his "relay," tested his wire, and brought the commanding gen-
eral into direct conmiunication with separated brigades or divisions. The U. S. Military Telegraph Corps,
through its Superintendent of Construction, Dennis Doren, kept Meade and both wings of his army in
communication from the crossing of the Rapidan in May, 1864. till the siege of Petersburg. Over this field-
line Grant received daily reports from four separate armies, numbering a quarter of a million men, and re-
plied with duly directions for their operations over an area of seven hundred and fifty thousand square
mites. Though every corps of Meade's army moved daily, Doren kept them in touch with headquarters.
The field-line was built of sev«i twisted, rubber-coated wires which were hastily strung on trees or fences.

^^lift Militaxg Wsltsrnpif

■-~^<if=^

federate cipher messages wliicli fell into Union hands. A
notable incident in the field was tlie translation of General
Joseph K. Johnston's cipher message to Penilierton, captured
by Grant before A'ickshurg and forwarded to Washington.
More important were the two cipher despatches from the
Secretary of War at Kichniond, in T)ecend»er, 1863. which led
to a cabinet meeting and cuhninated in the arrest of Confederate
conspirators in New York city, and to the capture of contra-
band shipments of arms and anmiunition. Other intercepted
and translated ciphers revealed plans of Confederate agents
for raiding Northern towns near the lx)rder. Most important
of all were the cipher messages disclosing the plot for the
wholesale incendiarism of leading hotels in New York, which
barely failed of success on Xovember 25, 18G4.

Beneficial and desirable as «"ere the civil cooperation and
management of the telegraph service in Washington, its forced
extension to armies in the field was a mistaken policy. Pat-
terson, in the Valley of Virginia, was five days without word
from the War Department, and when he sent a despatch, July
20th, that Johnston had started to reenforee Beauregard with
35,200 men, this vita] message was not sent to McDowell with
whom touch was kept hy a sen'ice half-telegraphic and half-
courier.

The necessity of efficient fieUl-telegraphs at once im-
pressed mihtary conmianders. In the West, Fremont imme-
diately acted, and in August. Ififil, ordered the formation of a
telegraph battalion of three companies along lines in accord
with modern military jjractiee. Major Jlyer had already made
similar suggestions in Washington, without success. AVhile
the conmiercial companies placed their personnel and material
freely at the Go\ernment's disposal, they viewed with marked
disfavor any militarj' organization, and their recommendations
were potent with Secretary of War Cameron. Fremont was
ordered to disband his battalion, and a purely civil bureau was
substituted, though legal authority and funds were equally lack-

□

A TELEGRAPH BATTERY-WAGON NEAR PETERSBURG. JUNE, 1854

The operator in thU photograph is receiving a telegraphic message, writing at his little table in the wagon as the machine clicks off the
dots and dashes. Each battery-wagon was equipped with such an operator's table and attached instruments. A portable battery of
one hundred cells furnished the electric current. No feature ot the Army of the Potomac contributed more to its success than the
field telegraph. Guided by its young chief. A. H. Caldwell, its lines bound the corps together like a perfect ner^'ous system, and kept
the great controlling head in touch with all its parts. Not until Grant cut loose from Washington and started from Brandy Station
for Richmond was ita full power tested. Two operators and a few orderlies accompanied each wagon, and the army crossed the
Rapidan f^'ith the telegraph line going up at the rate of two miles an hour. At no time after that did any corps lose direct communication
with the commanding general. At Spotsylvania the Second Corps, at sundown, swung round from the e^itreme right in the rear of
the main body to the left. Ewell saw the movement, and advanced toward the exposed position; but the telegraph signaled the
danger, and troops on the double-quick covered the gap before the alert Confederate general eould assault the Union lines.

-d

ing. Efforts to transfer quartermaster's funds and property
to this bureau were successfully resisted, owing to the manifest
illegality of such action.

Indirect methods were then adopted, and Stager was com-
missioned as a captain in the Quartermaster's Department, and
his operators giAen the status of employees. He was appointed
general manager of United States telegraph lines, Xovember
25, 1861, and six days later, through some unknown influence,
the Secretary of War re[M>rted (incorrectly, be it known),
" that under an appropriation for that purpose at the last
session of Congress, a telegraph bureau was established."
Stager was later made a colonel, Eckert a major, and a few
others captains, and so eligible for pensions, but the men in
lesser positions remained employees, non-pensionable and sub-
ject to draft.

Repeated efforts by petitions and recommendations for
gi\ing a military status were made by the men in the field later
in the war. The Secretary of War disapproved, saying that
such a course would place them under the orders of superior
officers, %vhich he was most anxious to avoid.

With corporation influence and corps rivalries so rampant
in Washington, there existed a spirit of patriotic solidarity in
the face of the foe in the field that ensured hearty cooperation
and efficient service. While the operators began with a sense
of individual independence that caused them often to resent
any control by commanding officers, from which they were free
under the secretary's orders, yet their common sense speedily
led them to comply with every request from commanders that
Was not absolutely incompatible with loyalty to their chief.

Especially in the public eye was the work connected with
the oj)erations in the armies which covered Washington and at-
tacked Richmond, where 5IcClellan first used the telegraph for
tactical purposes. Illustrative of the courage and resourceful-
ness of operators was the action of Jesse Bunnell, attached to
Cieneral Porter's headquarters. Finding himself on the fight-

HEADQUARTERS FIELD-TELEGRAPH PARTY AT PETERSBURG. \1RGIN1A, JUNE ift, ISM

A battery-wagon in "nelion"; the operator baa opened his office nnd is working his instrument. Important despatches were sent
in dpiter which only a chosen few operators could read. The latter were frequently under Ere but calmly sat at their instruments, with
the shells flying thick about them, and performed their duty with a faithfulness that won them an enviable reputation. At the Peters-
burg mine Rasco. in the vicinity of where this photograph was taken, an operator sat close at hand with an instrument and kept General
Meade informed of the progress of affairs. The triumph of the field telegraph exceeded the most sanguine expectations. From the
opening of Grant's campaign in the Wilderness to the close of the war. an aggregate ot over two hundred miles of wire was put up and
taken down from day to day; yet its efficiency as a constant means of communicatiou between the several commands was not inter-
fered with. The Army of the Potomac was the first great military body to demonstrate the advantages of the Geld telegraph for eon-
ducting military operations. The later campaigns of all dvilized nations benefited much by tliese experiments. The field telegraph was
in constant use during the Ruasitui-Japaiiete War. Wireleaa stations are now an integral put of the United States army organisation.
li-MI

ing line, with the Federal troops hard pressed, Bunnell, with-
out orders, cut the wire and Opened communication with Mc-
CleUan's headquarters. Superior Confederate forces were then
threatening defeat to the invaders, but this battle-office enabled
McClellan to keep hi touch with the situation and ensure Por-
ter's position by sending the commands of French, Meagher,
and Slocum to his relief. Operator Nichols opened an emer
gency office at Savage's Station on Sumner's request, mam
taining it under fire as long as it was needed.

One of the great feats of the war was the transfer, under
the supenision of Thomas A. Scott, of two Federal army
corps from Virginia to Tennessee, consequent on the Chicka
mauga disaster to the Union arms. By this phenomenal trans
fer, which would have been impossible without the military
telegraph, twenty-three thousand soldiers, with provisions and
baggage, were transported a distance of 1,233 miles in ele\en
and a half days, from Bristoe Station, Virginia, to Chat
tanooga, Tennessee. The troops had completed half their
journey before the news of the proposed movement reached
Richmond.

While most valuable elsewhere, the mihtary telegraph was
absolutely essential to successful operations in the valleys of
the Cumberland and of tlie Tennessee, where very long Imes
of communication obtained, with consequent great distances
between its separate armies. Apart from train-despatching,
which was absolutely essential to transporting army supphes
for hundreds of thousands of men over a single-track railway
of several hundred of miles in length, an enormous number of
messages for the control and cooperation of separate armies
and detached commands were sent over the wires. Skill and
patience were necessarj' for efficient telegraph work, especially
when lines were frequently destroyed by Confederate incursions
or through hostile inhabitants of the country.

Of great importance and of intense interest are many of
the cipher despatches sent over these lines. Few, however, e\

|3S6]

^5*

MEN WHO WORKKl) THK WIRES HEFOltE PETEHrilJUlKi

These photographs of August, 1864, show some of the men who were operating their telegraph instnimeiits
in the midst of the cannonading and sharpshooting before Petersburg. Nerve-racking were the sounds
and uncomfortably dangerous the situation, yet the operators held their posts. Amidst the terrible con-
fusion of the night assault, the last desjiairing attempt of the Confederates to break through the encircling
Federal forces, hurried orders and urgent appeals were sent. At dawn of March 25, 1865, General Gordon
carried Fort Stedman with desperate gallantry and cut the wire to City Point. The Federals speedily
sent the message of disaster: "The enemy has broken our right, taken Stedman, and are moving on City
Point." Assuming command. General Parke ordered a counter-attack and recaptured the fort. The
City Point wire was promptly restored and Meade, controlling the whole army by telegraph, made a com-
bined and successful attack by several corps, capturing the entrenched picket-line of the Confederates.

'^1 Iff iiililai^ Etksra^ii

ceed the ringing messages of October 19, 1863, when Grant,
from Louisville, Kentucky, bid Thomas " to hold Chatta-
nooga at all hazards," and received the laconic reply in a few
hours, " I will hold the town till we stanx." Here, as else-
where, api>eared the anomalous conditions of the sen'ice.

While telegraph duties were jierformed with efficiencj',
troubles were often precipitated by divided authority. When
Superintendent Stager ordered a civilian, who was engaged in
building lines, out of Hallcck's department, the general ordered
him back, saying, " There must be one good head of telegraph
lines in my department, not two, and that head must be
under me." Though Stager protested to Secretary of War
Stanton, the latter thought it best to yield in that case.

When General Grant found it expedient to appoint an
aide as general manager of lines in his army, tlie civilian chief,
J. C. Van Duzer, reported it to Stager, who had Grant called
to account by the War Department. Grant promptly put Van
Duzer under close confinement in the guardhouse, and later
sent him out of the department, under guard. As an outcome,
the operators plannal a strike, which Grant quelled by tele-
graphic orders to confine closely every man resigning or guilty
of contumacious conduct. Stager's efforts to dominate Grant
failed through Stanton's fear that pressure would cause Grant
to ask for relief from his command.

Stager's administration culminated in an order by his as-
sistant, dated Cleveland, Xovember 4, 1862, strictly requiring
the operators to retain " the original copy of ever>' telegram
sent by any military or other (iovernment officer . . . and
mailed to the War Department." Grant answered, " Colonel
Stager has no authority to demand the original of military
despatches, and cannot have them." The order was never en-
forced, at least with Grant.

If similar experiences did not change the policy in Wash-
ington, it prodnc*ed better conditions in the field an<l ensured
liarmonious coo|)eration. Of A'an Dnzer, it is to be said that

[3581

FRIENDS OF LINCOLN IN HIS LAST DAYS— MILITARY TELEGRAPH OPERATORS AT
CITY POINT, 1864

When Lincoln went to City Point at the request of General Grant, March 23, 1865, Grant directed his cipher
operator to report to the President and keep him in touch by telegraph with the army in its advance on
Richmond and with the War Department at Washington. For the last two or three weeks of his life Lin-
coln virtually lived in the telegraph office in company with the men in this photograph. He and Samuel
H. Be<rkwith, Grant's cipher operator, were almost inseparable and the wires were kept busy with despatches
to and from the President. Beckwith's tent adjoined the larger tent of Colonel Bowers, which Lincoln
made bb headquarters, and where he received the translations of his numerous cipher despatches.

^ht iitlttarH SrUgrapl!

he later returned to tlie anny and performed conspicuous serv-
ice. At the battle of t'liattanooga. he installed and operated
lines on or near the firing-line during the two fateful days,
November 24-25, 1863, often under hea^y fire. Always sharing
the dangers of liis men. Van Duzer, through his coolness and
activity under tire, has been mentioned as the only fighting of-
ficer of the Federal telegraph service.

Other than telegraphic espionage, the most dangerous
ser^'ice was the repair of lines, which often was done under fire
and more frequently in a guerilla-infested country. Many
men were captin'ed or shot from ambush ^\hile thus engaged.
Two of dowry's men in Arkansas were not only murdered,
but were frightfully mutilated. In Tennessee, conditions were
sometimes so bad that no lineman would venture out save
under heavy escort. Three repair men were killed on the Fort
Donelson line alone. W. R. Plimi. in his " Military Tele-
graph," says that " about one in twelve of tiie o]ierators en-
gaged in the service were killed, wounded, captured, or died
in the service from exposure."

Telegraphic duties at militan,- headquarters yielded little
in brilliancy and interest compared to those of desjierate daring
associated with tapping tlie opponent's wires. At times, offices
were seized so quickly as to prevent telegraphic warnings.
General Slitchel captured two large Confederate railway
trains by sending false messages from the HuntsviUe, Ala-
bama, office, and General SejTiiour similarly seized a train
near Jacksonville, Florida.

While scouting, Oi)erator William Forster obtained valu-
able despatches by tapping the line along the Charleston-Sa-
vannah railway for two days. Discovered, he was pursued by
bloodhounds into a swamp, where he was captured up to his
armpits in mire. Later, the telegrapher died in prison.

In 1863. General Rosecrans deemed it most important to
learn whether Bragg was detaching troops to reenforce the
garrison at Vicksburg or for other purposes. The only cer-

if^

MILITARY TELEGRAPH OPERATORS AT CITY POINT. AUGUST. 1864
The men in this photograph, from left to riftht. are Dennis Durpn. Siiperinlendent of CoDstnioIion: A. H. Caldwell, nlio vna for four
yeara cipher clerk at the headquarters of the Army of the Putonuic; Jamea A. Murray, who us nire-tapper of Confederate telegraph
lines accompanied Kilpatrick in his raid toward Riehmond and down the Peninsula in February, 1864. when the I'nion eavalrj' leader
made his desperate attempt to liberate the Union prisoners in Libby prison. The fourth is J. H. Emerick, who was complimented for
distinguished services in reporting Pleasonton's cavalry operations in 186.S. and became cipher operator in Richmond in 186fi. Through
Emerick's foresight and activity the Union telegraph lines were carried into Richmond the night after its capture. Samuel H. Beckwith
was the faithful cipher operator who accompanied Lincoln from City Point on his vi«t to Richmond April 4. 1865. In his account of
this visit, published in "Lincoln in the Telegraph Office," by David Homer Bales, he tells how the President immediately repaired to
his accustomed desk !□ Colonel Bowers' tent, next to the telegraph office, upon his return to City Point. Beckwilli found a number
of cipher messages for the President awaiting translation, doubtless in regard to Grant's closing in about the exhausted forces ol Lee.

'^1 l|r ililttarg ®flr5rapl}

tain method seemed to be by tapping the wires along the Chat-
tanooga railroad, near Knoxville, Tennessee. For this most
dangerous duty, two daring members of the telegraph service
volunteered — F. S. \'an Valkenbergh and Patrick Slullarkey.
The latter afterward was captured by Morgan, in Ohio. With
four Tennesseeans, they entered the hostile country and, select-
ing a wooded eminence, tapped the line fifteen miles from
Knoxville, and for a week listened to all passing despatches.
Twice escaping detection, they heard a message going over tlie
wire which ordered the scouring of the district to capture
Union spies. They at once decamped, barely in time to escape
the patrol. Hunted by cavalry, attacked by guerillas, ap-
proached by Confederate spies, they found aid from Union
mountaineers, to whom they owed their safety. Struggling on,
with capture and death in daily prospect, they finally fell in
with Union pickets — being then half slan-ed, clothed in rags,
and with naked, bleeding feet. They had been thirty-three
days within the Confederate lines, and their stirring adven-
tures make a storj' rarely equaled in thrilling interest.

Confederate wires were often tapped during Sherman's
march to the sea, a warning of General Wheeler's coming raid
being thus obtained. Operator Lonergan copied important des-
patches from Hardee, in Savannah, giving Bragg's movements
in the rear of Sherman, with reports on cavalrj' and rations.

Wiretapping was also practised by the Confederates,
who usually worked in a sj-mpathetic community. Despite
their daring skill the net results were often small, owing to the
Union system of enciphering all important messages. Their
most audacious and persistent telegraphic scout was Ells-
worth, Morgan's operator, whose skill, courage, and resource-
fulness contributed largely to the success of his daring com-
mander. Ellsworth was an expert in obtaining despatches,
and es|>ecially in disseminating misleading information by
bogus messages.

In the East, an interloper from I-.ee 's army tapped the

WAR SEllVICE OVER-MILITARV TELEGRAPH OPERATORS IX RICHMOND. JUXE, 18G5

"The cipher operators with the various armies were men of rare skill, unswerving integrity, and unfailing
loyalty," General Greeley pronounces from personal knowledge. Caldwell, as chief operator, accom-
panied the Army of the Potomac on every march and in every siege, contributing also to the efficiency of
the field telegraphers, Beckwith remained Grant's cipher operator to the end of the war. He it was who
tapped a wire and reported the hiding-place of Wilkes Booth. The youngest boy operator, O'Brien, began
by refusing a princely bribe to forge a telegraphic reprieve, and later won distinction with Butler on the
James and with Schofield in North Carolina. W, R. Plum, who wrote a "History of the Military Tele-
graph in the Civil War," also rendered efficient service as chief operator to Thomas, and at Atlanta. The
members of the group are, from left to right: 1, Dennis Doren, Superintendent of Construction; 2, L, D.
McCandless; 3, Charles Bart; 4, Thoma.s Morrison; 5, James B. Norris; 6, James Caldwell; 7, A. Harper
Caldwell, chief cipher operator, and in charge; 8, Maynard A. Huyck; 9, Dermis Palmer; 10, J. H.
Emerick; 11, James H, Nichols, Those surviving in June, 1911, were Morrison, Norris, and Nichols.

^li); jiilttarH Weksxavli

wire between the War Department and Bumside's headquar-
ters at Aquia Creek, and remained undetected for probably
several days. With fraternal frankness, the Union operators
advised him to leave.

The most prolonged and successful wiretapping was that
by C. A. Gaston, Lee's confidential oiierator. Gaston entered
the Union lines near City Point, while Richmond and Peters-
burg were besieged, with several men to keep watch for him,
and for six weeks he remained undisturbed in the woods, read-
ing all messages which passed over Grant's wire. Though
unable to read the ciphers, he gained much from the despatches
in plain text. One message reported that 2,586 beeves were to
be landed at Coggins' Point on a certain day. This informa-
tion enabled Wade Hampton to make a timely raid and cap-
ture the entire herd.

It seems astounding that Grant, Sherman, Thomas, and
Meade, commanding armies of hundreds of thousands and
working out the destiny of the Republic, should have been de-
barred from the control of their own ciphers and the keys
thereto. Yet, in 1864, the Secretary of War issued an
order forbidding commanding generals to interfere with even
their own cipher-operators and absolutely restricting the use
of cipher-books to civilian '* telegraph experts, approved and
appointed by the Secretary of War." One mortifying experi-
ence with a despatch untranslatable for lack of facilities con-
strained Grant to order his cipher-operator, Beckwith, to reveal
the key to Colonel Comstock, his aide, which was done under
protest. Stager at once dismissed Beckwith, but on Grant's
request and insistence of his own responsibility, Beckwith was
restored.

The cipher-operators with the various armies were men of
rare skill, unswerving integrity, and unfailing loyalty. Cald-
well, as chief operator, accompanied the Army of the Potomac
on every march and in every siege, contributing also to the
efficiency of the field-telegraphs. Beckwith was Grant's cipher-

(8641

'A/

K 'J

5€?

A TELE(iK.\PH UFUCE IN THE TRENCHES

In this pliotu^aph art- more of the " minute mpn " who hrlprd the Northern leaders to
draw the eoila closer about Petersburg with their wonderful Bj-stem of instantaoeoua
intercommunication. They brought the commuaciing gpnorals actuallj' within aeconda
of each other, though miles of fortifications might intervene. There has eiidently
been a lull in affaira, and they have been dining at their ease. Two of them in the
background ak toasting each other, it may be for the last time. The mortality
Among those men who risked their lives, with no hope or possibility of such distinction
and recognition as come to the soldier who wins promotion, was exceedingly high.

'^lifi iitlttai^ tltksxafif

operator to the end of the war, and was the man who tapped
a wire and rei>orte<l the hiding-place of Wilkes Booth. An-
other operator, Richard O'Brien, in 1863 refused a princely
hribe to forge a telegraphic reprieve, and later won distinction
with Butler on the James and with Schofield in North Caro-
lina. W. R. Phim, who wrote " Histon,- of the Militarj' Tele-
grajih in the Civil War," also rendered efficient ser\'ice as chief
operator to Thomas, and at Atlanta. It is regrettable that
such men were <Ienied the gl<»ry and benefits of a military
service, which they actually, though not officially, gave.

The bitter contest, which lasted several years, oA'er field-
telegraphs ended in March, 1864, when the Signal Corps trans-
ferred its field-trains to the civilian bureau. In Sherman's
advance on Atlanta, Van Duzer distinguished himself by
bringing up the field-line from the rear nearly even.' night.
At Big Shanty, Georgia, the whole battle-front was covered
by working field-lines which enabled Sherman to communicate
at all times with his fighting and reserve commands. Hamley
considers the constant use of field-telegraphs in the flanking
operations by Sherman in Georgia as showing the overwhelm-
ing value of the senice. This duty was often done under fire
and other dangerous conditions.

In Virginia, in 186-t-65, Major Eckert made great and
successful efforts to provide Meade's army with ample facili-
ties. A well-equipped train of thirty or more batterj'-wagons,
wire-reels, and construction carts were brought together under
Doren, a skilled builder and energetic man. While offices were
occasionally located in battery-wagons, they were usually un-
der tent-flies next to the headquarters of Meade or Grant.
Through the efforts of Doren and Caldwell, all important com-
mands were kept within control of either Meade or Grant —
even during engagements. Operators were often under fire,
and at Spotsylvania Court House telegraphers, telegraph-
cable, and battery-wagons were temporarily within the Con-
federate lines. From these trains was sent the ringing des-

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I|r MMwc^ 3I*k9ra|ii| + + * 4- +

patch from the Wilderness, by which Grant inspired the North,
" I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer."

During siege operations at Petersburg, a system of hues
connected the various headquarters, depots, entrenchments,
and even some picket lines. Cannonading and sharpshootiiig
were so insistent that operators were often driven to bomb-
proof offices — especially during artilleri' duels and impending
assaults. Nerve-racking were the sounds and uncomfortably
dangerous the situations, yet the operators held their posts.
Under the terrible conditions of a night assault, the last des-
pairing attempt to break through the encircling Federal forces
at Petersburg, hurried orders and urgent appeals were sent.
At dawn of March 25, 1865, General Gordon carried Fort
Stedman with desperate gallantry, and cut the wire to City
Point. The Federals speedily sent the message of disaster,
'* The enemy has broken our right, taken Stedman, and are
moving on City Point." Assuming command, General Parke
ordered a counter-attack and recaptured the fort. Promptly
the City Point wire was restored, and Sleade, controlling the
whole army by telegraph, made a combined attack by several
corps, capturing the entrenched picket line of the Confederates.

First of all of the great commanders. Grant used the mili-
tary telegraph both for grand tactics and for strategj' in its
broadest sense. From his headquarters with ^Meade's army in
Virginia, Way, 1864, he daily gave orders and received reports
regarding the operations of Meade in Virginia, Sherman in
Georgia, Sigel in West Virginia, and Butler on the James
River. Later be kept under direct control military forces ex-
ceeding half a million of soldiers, operating over a territory of
eight himdred thousand square miles in area. Through con-
certed action and timely movements. Grant prevented the re-
enforcement of Lee's army and so shortened the war. Sher-
man said, " The value of the telegraph cannot be exaggerated,
as illustrated by the perfect accord of action of the armies of
Virginia and (Jeorgia."

1^^

THE BALLOONS WITH THE ARMY
OF THE POTOMAC

By T. S. C. Lowe

A personal reminiscence bv Pi-ofessfir T. S. C. Lowe, who introduced
and made balloon obsenations on the Peninsula for the I'nion army

IT was through the midnight obsen-ations with one of my
war-balloons that I was enabled to discover that the fortifi-
cations at Yorktown were being evacuated, and at my request
General Heintzelnian made a trip with me that he might con-
firm the truth of my discovery. The entire great fortress was
ablaze with bonfires, and the greatest activity prevailed, which
was not visible except from the balloon. At first the general
was puzzled on seeing more wagons entering the forts than were
going out, but when I called his attention to the fact that the
ingoing wagons were light and moved rapidly (the wheels be-
ing visible as they passed each camp-fire), while the outgoing
wagons were heai-ily loaded and moved slowly, there was no
longer any doubt as to the object of the Confederates. Gen-
eral Heintzelman then accompanied me to General McClel-
lan's headquarters for a consultation, while I, with orderlies,
aroused other quietly sleeping corps commanders in time to put
our whole army in motion in the very early hours of the morn-
ing, so that we were enabled to overtake the Confederate army
at Williamsburg, an easy day's march beyond Yorktown on the
road to Richmond.

Firing the day before had started early in the morning
and continued until dark, even,' gun in the fortification being
turned on the balloon, and then the next morning they were still
pointing upward in the hope of preventing us in some way
from further annoying the Confederates by watching their

CONFEDKRATE ItATTERY AT YORKTOWN WHICH FIRKI) UPON THE FEDEllAL I(AI,IXX)N"IST AND UTON

WHICH -BALLOON BRYAN ' LOOKED DOWN
Cnptain John Randolph Bryan, nide-de-camp to Grncral J. B. Magruder, thrn commanding the Amiy of the Penlnaula near York-
town. Virginin. made three balloon trips in all above the wonderful panorama of the Chesapeake Bay. the York and the Jamc.i Rivers.
Old Point <^'oin/ort and Hampton, the lloeta lying in both the York and the James, and the two opposing armies fa<'i]ig each other
acrw^ the Peninsula. General Johnston complimented him upon the detailed information which he secitful in this faahiou, braving
the shells and shrapnel of the Union batteries, and his fellow-soldiers nicknamed the young aeronaut "Balloon Brj'an." On his final
trip, made just before Williamsburg, May 5, 1662, the rope which held him to the earth entangled a soldier. It was cut. The balloon
bounded two miles into the air. Krst it drifted out over the Union lines, then was blown back toward the Confederate lines near
Y'orktown, The Confttleratca. seeing it coming from that direction, promptly opened fire. Ii^nally it skimmed the surface of the
York River, its guide-rope splashing in the water, and landed in an orchard. On this trip the balloon made a halt-moon circuit of
about fifteen miles, about four miles of which was over the Yorii River. The information which Captain Bryan was able to give
GenenI Johnston as to the roads upon which the Federals were moving enabled him to prepare for an attack the following morning.
[1-24]

alktottfi tmtif tift Armg

movements. The last shot, fired after dark, came into General
Heintzelman's camp and completely destroyed his telegraph
tent and instruments, the operator having just gone out to
deliver a despatch. The general and I were sitting together,
discussing the probable reasons for the unusual effort to de-
stroy the balloon, when we were both covered with what ap-
peared to be tons of earth, which a great 12-inch shell had
thrown up. Fortunately, it did not explode. I suggested that
the next morning we should move the balloon so as to draw
the foe's fire in another direction, but the general said that
he could stand it if I could. Besides, he would like to have
me near by, as he enjoyed going up occasionally himself.
He told me that, while I saw a grand spectacle by watching
the discharge of all those great guns that were paj'ing their
entire compliments to a single man, it was nothing as compared
with the sight I would look down upon the next day when our
great mortar batteries would open their siege-guns on the for-
tifications, which General McClellan expected to do,

I could see readily that I could be of no ser\'ice
at WilUamsburg, both armies being hidden in a great forest.
Therefore, General McClellan at the close of the battle sent
orders to me to proceed with my outfit, including all the bal-
loons, gas-generators, the balloon-infiating boat, gunboat, and
tug up the Pamunkey River, imtil I reached AVhite House and
the bridge crossing the historic river, and join the army which
would be there as soon as myself.

This I did, starting early the next morning, passing by
the great cotton-bale fortifications on tlie York River, and soon
into the little winding but easily navigated stream of the Pa-
munkey. Everj' now and then I would let the balloon go up to
view the surrounding country, and over the bridge beyond the
Pamunkey River valley, I saw the rear of the retreating Con-
federates, which showed me that our army had not gotten along
as fast as it was expected, and I could occasionaUy see a few
scouts on horseback on the hills beyond. I saw my helpless

■///

///

Professor T. S. C. Lowe appeals
here standing by his father in
camp beforr the battle of Pair
Oaka, explaining by means of an
engineers* map the service he pro-
posed to render the Union snny.
Below is the balloon from which
General George Stoneman, Mc-
Clellan's cavalry leader on the
Peninsula, and Professor Lowe
t; able to look into the windows
of Richmond. In this balloon also
Professor Lowe was telegraphing,
reporting, and sketching during the
battle of Maj- 3I-Junc UU and it
was fnim his niglit ol>s<'n'ations at
lis lime tlult rame knuwlcdge on
hicb McClelliin nctnl in .saving
is army. On arriving in sight of
Rlchmund. Lowe took observations
til ajjcertain the best location for
crossing the ( 'hickahiiniiny River
an<l sketelml the place where the

"Grapevine" or Rumner Bridge
was afterward built across that '
stream. His main station and per-
sonal camp lay on Gaines" Hill,
four miles from Mechanics ville,
overlooking the bridge where the
army was to cross. Ues|*crate
efforts were made by the Confeder-
ates at Mcchanicsvilje to destroy
the observation balloon in order to
conceal their movements. At one
point they masked twelve of their
best rifled cannon; while Professor
Lowe was taking an early morning
observation, tlic whole twelve guns
vi-n simultaneously discharged ul
short range, some of the sheila
pa.s.sing through the rigging of Uic
linlliion and nearly all bursting ni
more than two hundred feet iH'yond
il. Professor Lowe imnie<l lately
changed his base of operutio
and eseap<-d the imminent <hinger.

PROFESSOR LOWE AND HIS FATHER

.;i>.^

""W"^'^---^

AT "BALLOON CAMP." GAINES' HILU WHILE THE TWO ARMIES WAITED

laUmmB tnttlf % Anttg

condition without my gunboat, the Cieur dc lAon, which had
served me for tlie past year so well on the Potomac, Chesa-
peake, and York, and which 1 had sent to Commodore Wilkes
to aid him in the honibardment of Fort Darling, on the
James River, tliinking 1 would have no further use for it.
Therefore, all I had was the balloon-l>oat and the steam-tug
and one hundred and fifty men with muskets, a large number
of wagons and gas-generators for tliree independent balloon
outfits. My balloon-boat was almost a facsimile of our first
little Monitor and about its size, and with the flag which I kept
at the stern it had the appearance of an armed craft, which I
think is all that saved me and my conmiand, for the Monitor
was what the Confederates dreaded at that time more than
anj-thing else.

After General Stoneman had left me at White House,
I soon had a gas-generating apparatus beside a little pool of
water, and from it extracted hydrogen enough in an hour to
take both the general and myself to an altitude that enabled
us to look into the windows of the city of Richmond and view
its surroundings, and we saw what Avas left of the troops that
had left Yorktown encamped about the city.

While my illness at Malvern Hili prevented me from re-
porting to headquarters until the army reached Antietam,
those in charge of transportation in Washington took all my
wagons and horses and left my conmiand without transporta-
tion. Consequently I could render no service there, but the
moment General McClellan sa«' me he expressed his regret
that I had been so ill, and that he did not have the benefit of
my ser\ices; for if he had he could have gotten the proper in-
formation, he could have prevental a great amount of stores
and artillery from recrossing the Potomac and thus depleted the
Confederate army that nmch more. I explained to him why he
had been deprived of my serA'ices, which did not surprise him,
because he stated that everything had been done to annoy
him, but that he must still perform his duty regardless of

SAVING "A MILLION DOLL.\BS A MINUTE" IN 1862

Thb is a photograph ot a feat that would be noteworthy in the twentieth century, and in 1868 waa revolutionary — actually being
performed on the 6eld of battle. At Fair Oaks. May 31, 1B68. the lifting force of the balloon Corutiluiion proved too weak to cany
up the telegraph appaiatus. its wires, and cables to a height suffident to overlook the forests and hiiU. " I was at my wit's end,"
writes Professor Lowe, "as to how I could beat save an hour's time — the most precious and important hour of all my experience in
the army. Aa I saw the two armies coming nearer and newer togetlieT, there was no time to be lost. It flashed through my mind
that if 1 could only get the gas which was in the smaller balloon ContHlulum into the balloon Intrepid, which was then half filled, I
would save an hour's time, and to us that hour's time would be worth a million dollars a minute." By the ingenious use of a 10-inch
camp kettle with the bottom cut out. a CMuection wa» made and the gat in the Comtitvtion was tnnsfeired to the Inlrrpii.

I allnotiB mitl; % Armg

annoyances. When I asked him if I should accompany him
across the river in pursuit of Lee, he replied that he would see
that I had my supply trains immediately, hut that the troops
after so long a march were nearly aU barefoot, and in no condi-
tion to proceed until they had been properly shod and clothed.

Without the time and knowledge gained by the midnight
observations referred to at the beginning of this chapter, there
would have been no battle of Wilhamsburg, and McClellan
would have lost tlie opportunity of gaining a victory, the im-
portance of which has never been properly appreciated. The
Confederates would have gotten away with all their stores and
ammimition without injurj'. It was also my night observations
that gave the primarj' knowledge which saved the Federal army
at the battle of Fair Oaks.

On arriving in sight of Richmond, I took obser\'ations to
ascertain the best location for crossing the Chickahominy River.
The one selected was where the Grapevine, or Sumner, Bridge
was afterward built across that stream. MechanicsWlle was
the point nearest to Richmond, being only about four miles
from the capital, but there we would have had to face the gath-
ering army of the Confederacy, at the only point properly pro-
vided with trenches and earthworks. Here I established one of
my aeronautic stations, where I could better estimate the in-
crease of the Confederate army and obser\'e their various move-
ments. My main station and personal camp was on Gaines'
Hill, overlooking the bridge where our army was to cross.

When this bridge was completed, about half of our army
crossed over on the Richmond side of the river, the remainder
delaying for a while to protect our transportation supplies and
railway facilities. In the mean time, the Confederate camp in
and about Richmond grew larger ever}' day.

My night-and-day obser\'ations convinced me that with
the great army then assembled in and about Richmond we were
too late to gain a victory, which a short time before was within
our grasp. In the mean lime, desperate efforts were made by

[S76)

PROFESSOR LOWE IN HIS BALUKJN AT A CKITICAL MOMENT

Aa soon as Professor Lowe's balloon soars above the lop of the trees the Coofederate batteries will open upon him, and for the next
few momenta ahella and bullets from tbe shrapnels will be bursting and whistling about his ears. Then he will pass out of the danger-
zone to an altitude beyond the reach of the Confederate aKitlery. After the evacuation of Yorktown. May 4. 1802. Professor Lowe,
who had been making daily observations from his balloon, followed McClellan's divisions, which was to meet Longstrrel next day at
Williamsburg. On reaching the fortifications of the abandoned city, Lowe directed the men who were towing the still inflated baUoon
in which he was riding to scale the corner of tlie fort nesreat to his old camp, where the last gun had been fired tbe night before. This
fort had devoted a great deal of effort to attempting to damage the too inquisitive balloon, and a short time previously one of the best
Confederate guns had burst, owing to over-charging and too great an elevation to reach the high altitude. The balloonist had witnessed
the explosion and a number of gunners had been killed and wounded within his sight. His present visit was in order to touch and
examine the pieces and bid farewell to what be thok looked upon sa a deputed friend. This is indicated as the same gun on page 371.

alloonB imti; tl|e Amtg

the Confederates to destroy my balloon at RlechanicsvUle, in
order to prevent my observing their movements.

At one point they masked twelve of their best rifle-can-
non, and while taking an early morning obsen-ation, all the
twelve guns were simultaneously discharged at short range,
some of the shells passing through the rigging of the balloon
and nearly all bursting not more than two hundred feet beyond
me, showing that through spies they had gotten my base of
operations and range perfectly. I changed my base, and they
never came so near destroying the balloon or capturing me
after that.

I felt that it was important to take thorough observations
tliat very night at that point, which I did. The great camps
about Richmond were ablaze with fires. I had then experience
enough to know wliat this meant, that they were cooking ra-
tions preparatorj' to moving. I knew that this movement must
be against that portion of the army then across the river. At
daylight the next morning, May 81st, I took another observa-
tion, continuing the same until the sun hghted up the roads.
The atmosphere was perfectly clear. I knew exactly where to
look for their line of march, and soon discovered one, then two,
and then three columns of troops with artillery and ammuni-
tion wagons moving toward the position occupied by General
Heintzelman's command.

AH this information was conveyed to the commanding
general, who, on hearing my report that the force at both ends
of the bridge was too slim to finish it that morning, immediately
sent more men to work on it.

I used the balloon Washington at Jlechanicsville for
obser\'ations, until the Confederate army was within four or
five miles of our lines. I then telegraphed my assistants to
inflate the large balloon, Intrepid, in ease anything should hap-
pen to either of the otlier two. This order was quickly carried
out, and I then took a six-mile ride on horseback to my camp
on Gaines' Hill, and made anotlier observation from the balloon

r~^

THE PHOTOGRAPH THE BALLOONIST RECOGNIZED FORTY-EIGHT YEARS AFfEH

"When I saw the photograph showing my inflation of the balloon Intrepid to reconnoiter the liattle of
Fair Oaks," wrote Professor T. S. C. Lowe in the American Review of Reviews for Februarj', 1911, "it sur-
prised nie ver>' much indeed. Any one examining the picture will see ray hand at the extreme right, resting
on the network, where I was measuring the amount of gas already in the balloon, preparatory to completing
the inflation from gas in the smaller balloon in order that I might ascent to a greater height. This I did
within a space of five minutes, saving a whole hour at the most vital point of the battle." -V close examina-
tion of this photograph will reveal Professor Lowe's hand resting on the network of the balloon, although his
body is not in the photograph. It truly is remarkable that Professor Lowe should have seen and recognized,
nearly half a century afterward, thia photograph taken at one of the moat critical moments of his life.

albmtH imtif tt|r Armg

Constitution. I found it necessarj' to double the altitude usu-
ally sufficient for observations in order to overlook forests and
hills, and thus better to obsen'e the movements of both our
army and that of the Confederates.

To carrj- my telegraph apparatus, wires, and cables to this
higlier elevation, the lifting force of the Constitution proved
to be too weak. It was then that I was put to my wits' end
as to how I could best save an hour's time, which was the most
important and precious hour of all my experience in the army.
As I saw the two armies coming nearer and nearer together,
there was no time to be lost. It flashed through my mind that
if I could only get the gas that was in the smaller balloon.
Constitution, into the Intrepid, which was then half filled, I
would save an hour's time, and to us that hour's time would
be worth a million dollars a minute. But how was I to rig
up the proper connection between the balloons? To do this
within the space of time necessary puzzled me until I glanced
down and saw a 10-inch camp-kettle, which instantly gave me
the key to the situation. I ordered the bottom cut out of the
kettle, the Intrepid disconnected with the gas-generating ap-
paratus, and the Constitution brought down the hill. In the
course of five or six minutes connection was made between both
balloons and the gas in the Constitution was transferred into
the Intrepid.

I immediately took a high-altitude obser\'ation as rapidly
as possible, wrote my most important despatch to the command-
ing general on my way tlown, and I dictated it to my expert
telegraph operator. Then with the telegraph cable and instru-
ments, I ascended to the height desired and remained there
almost constantly during the battle, keeping the wires hot with
information.

The Confederate skirmish line soon came in contact with
our outposts, and I saw their whole well-laid plan. They had
massed the bulk of their artillery and troops, not only with
the intention of cutting off our ammunition supplies, but of

"Ji/fM, '

, .'VS.- .'

*"^^r / ^^^^ iDHkAii ^^^^

IHi

|ip'iHHPi|^

"'■ip-|-" ' 1

COMPLETING A DESI'ATCII AT FAIR OAKS BKFOIUC THE ASCEMSIO\

UURIXt; THE lUTTLK OF FAIR OAKS

MAY 31, ISG-i

It was during the American Civil War that war information was first telegraphed from the sky. This
photograph shows Professor Lowe during the battle of Fair Oaks, completing a despatch just before ascending
with telegrai>h apparatus and wire. "It was one of the greatest strains upon my nerves that I have ever
experienced," he writes in regard to this a.scension, "to observe for many hours an almost drawn battle,
while the Union forces were waiting to complete the bridge to connect their separated array. This fortu-
nately was accomplished, and our first troops under Sumner's command were able to cross at four o'clock in
the afternoon, followed by wagons of ammunition for those who needed it. Earlier in the day many brigades
and regiments had entirely exhausted their ammunition. Brave Heintzelman rode along the line giving
orders for the men to shout in order to deceive the Confederates as to their real situation. When Sumner's
troops swung into line, I could bear a real shout, which sounded entirely different from the former response."

preventing the main portion of tlie army from crossing the
bridge to join Heintzelman.

As I reported the movements and maneuvers of the Con-
federates, I could see, in a verj- few moments, that our army
was maneuvering to offset their plans.

At about twelve o'clock, the whole hnes of both armies
were in deadly conflict. Ours not only held its line firmly, but
repulsed the foe at all his weaker points.

It was one of the greatest strains upon my nerves that I
ever have experienced, to obsen'e for many hours a fierce battle,
while waiting for the bridge connecting the two armies to be
completed. This fortunately was accomplished and our first
reenforcements, under Sunnier, were able to cross at four
o'clock in the afternoon, followed by ammunition wagons

It was at that time tliat the first and only Confederate bal
loon was used during the war. This balloon, which I afterward
captured, was described by General Longstreet as follows *

It may be of interest at the outset to relate an incident nliich illus
trates the pinched condition of the Confederacy even as earlv as 186^

The Federals had been using balloons in examining our positions,
and we watched with envious eyes their l>eautiful observations as they
floated high up in the air, well out of range of our guns. While we
were longing for the balloons that poverty denied u*;, a genius arose
for the occasion and suggested that we send out and gather silk dresses
in the Confederacy and make a balloon. It was done, and ne soon had
a great patchwork ship of many varied hues which was ready for use
in the Seven Days' campaign.

We had no gas except in Richmond, and it was the custom to
inflate the balloon there, tie it securely to an engine, and run it down
the York River Railroad to any point at which we desired to send it
up. One day it was on a steamer down on the James River, when the
tide went out and left the vessel and balloon high and dr^ on a bar
The Federals gathered it in, and with it the last silk dress in the Con
federacj'. This capture was the meanest trick of the war and one that
I have never yet forgiven.

•Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. (Xew York )

ONE OF TIIK WIV SI ILUI KH^i

CHARLES P. M08BV, A CONFKDEKATE DUUMMER-BOV
WHO ENUSTEn AT THE AGE OF THIRTEEN AND SERVED
FROM "Ql TO 03 THROIGHOUT THE WAR, FIRST WITH
THE "ELLIOTT UKAYS" OF THE SIXTH '
THV AND l^TER WITH HENDERSON's

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Full text of "The photographic history of the civil war in ten volumes"

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