From Bull Run to Appomattox Part 2

The fall and winter months following the battle of Bull Run were spent for the most part by both sides in recruiting their armies and getting ready for a desperate struggle, which would inevitably come when spring arrived the following year.

There were occasional raids and skirmishes, but no decisive battles were fought until the following spring, except the battle of Ball's Bluff, near Leesburg, in which battle the Eighth Virginia played a conspicuous part. One of my brothers was in this battle, and several of my schoolmates were killed and wounded.

Johnston's army a few days after the battle had increased to 40,000. He moved forward and occupied a position near Centerville, and there he wintered. Jackson, however, was detached and sent back to Winchester to guard the valley, and became commander-in-chief of that section. The forces that came down from Leesburg returned to their old position.

During the winter the soldiers were granted frequent furloughs, the militia was disbanded, and I went back home.

But when the birds began heralding the coming of spring there was a call from the Confederate Government not only for the return of all enlisted men to their commands, but for every able-bodied white male citizen between the ages of eighteen and forty-five to enlist.

I started out from Middleburg with Edwin Bailey and several Marylanders, the latter having crossed the Potomac for the purpose of joining the Confederate army. Bailey was already a member of the Eighth Virginia Infantry, and was at home on furlough.

My destination was the Sixth Virginia Cavalry, which was then with Stonewall Jackson in the valley of Virginia. This regiment was in Robinson's brigade, Fitzhugh Lee's division, the whole cavalry force of the army of Northern Virginia being commanded by Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. I was on horseback; the others on foot.

It reminded me of the resurrection morn, except the trooping thousands were coming from the top of the ground and not from under it. From hamlet and villa, from the lordly mansion and mountain shack, from across the Potomac, the boys and young men of the South were coming in answer to the call. The Government at Washington had called for half a million; the Government at Richmond had called for every able-bodied son from eighteen to forty-five, and they were coming.

The nearest point at which I could reach the Confederate line was Harrisonburg, Va. All the district between my home and Harrisonburg, and on the line stretching from there south to the James river, and north into West Virginia, had been abandoned to the enemy. Hence, it was necessary for us to move with great caution, to avoid being intercepted by the bluecoats. The little caravan moved up the pike that runs from Alexandria across the Blue Ridge into the valley by the way of Upperville and Paris. When we reached the mountain at Paris we moved along its foot, traveling mostly by night and resting by day, hiding ourselves in the heavy timber that stretched along the slopes of the mountain. We had no trouble procuring food from the little farm houses that we pa.s.sed. Occasionally we employed a guide, whom we paid. These guides took great pains to magnify the danger that surrounded us, and told us of the narrow escapes of other caravans that had preceded us.

This was done in order to draw as large a fee from us as possible. The distance to Harrisonburg was about 100 miles. We finally reached our destination.

During the winter and early spring the North had raised a very large army, splendidly equipped, and placed under the command of Gen. George B. McClellan. This army was taken mostly by boat to a point on the James river, from which point it took up a line of march toward Richmond.

McClellan's army was the largest and best equipped that had ever trod American soil.

McClellan was the idol of the North, and there was very little doubt in the minds of the Northern people that when he met the Confederate forces defending Richmond the Capital of the Confederacy would be captured, and the army defending it destroyed or captured.

The Confederate forces gradually fell back before McClellan's army as it advanced along the James river, until the invaders could see the spires of the Confederate Capitol.

Of course, this move of McClellan's having made Johnston's position at Centerville untenable, he withdrew his army and marched to Richmond, so as to confront McClellan on his arrival.

The day finally arrived when McClellan was to make the attack that was to result in the overthrow of the Confederacy.

While this was going on, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston (who commanded the Confederate forces) was busy strengthening his position and preparing his army for the coming struggle.

Jackson had in the meantime distinguished himself in the valley by routing three armies, each larger than his own, that had been sent out to capture him. Having defeated these armies, he fell back beyond Harrisonburg, and then quietly slipped out of the valley, crossed the Blue Ridge mountains, and made a rapid march toward Richmond.

Instead of uniting his forces with those of Johnston, he moved his army to a point toward McClellan's rear, and at once began an attack which, combined with Johnston's attack in the front, resulted in a disastrous retreat of the Northern army.

Johnston was severely wounded during the first days of the battle, which lasted seven days, and Gen. Robert E. Lee a.s.sumed command of the army now known as the army of Northern Virginia, and held the position to the end of the war. Lee also became commander-in-chief of all the Confederate armies.

When McClellan fully realized that it was Jackson's army from the valley that "was goring his side like the horns of an angry bull," it is said that the scene at his headquarters was intensely dramatic. From information received from Washington, McClellan had every reason to believe that Jackson and his entire army were either prisoners or cooped up somewhere in the valley north of Harrisonburg, but as the sound of Jackson's guns grew louder and nearer, and couriers with panting steeds came dashing in confirming the truth, he was forced to believe that the noise was Jackson's "cannon's opening roar." "Then there was hurrying to and fro and mounting in hot haste." Never did human brain work quicker than did McClellan's when he realized his position. Who but a Napoleon could provide so quickly for such an emergency? The masterly manner in which McClellan changed his base and saved his army, with three such strategists as Jackson, Lee and Johnston to reckon with, showed military skill of the highest order.

Someone in conversation with Gen. Lee after the war asked who was the greatest soldier on the side of the North. Lee replied, "McClellan, by all odds." The fact is, the Government at Washington never gave McClellan a fair chance. Gen. Lee came to Richmond from West Virginia, where his campaign had been a failure, and was elevated at once to the most important post in the Confederate army, while McClellan was humiliated by being relieved of his command just at a time when he was prepared by experience to put into use his great talent. History is bound to record him a place among the famous generals.

The battle lasted seven full days. The Confederate victory was complete.

Millions of dollars' worth of supplies were captured or destroyed, and McClellan was compelled to beat a hasty retreat to Washington to defend the city.

The spoils of this battle that fell into the hands of the Confederates were 10,000 prisoners, 35,000 rifles, 55 cannon, ammunition, provision stores of every kind, almost beyond computation. The losses of the two armies in killed and wounded were nearly equal--about 10,000 each.

Some idea can be formed of the captured stores when it is remembered that to provide for an army such as McClellan's, 600 tons of ammunition, food, forage and medical supplies had to be forwarded from Washington every day. If he kept a thirty days' supply on hand, we have the enormous sum of 18,000 tons that either fell into the hands of the Confederates or was destroyed.

When I reached Harrisonburg I found the Sixth Virginia Cavalry had left the valley with Jackson's army. I followed as rapidly as possible, and met the regiment at Gordonsville, with Jackson's army, coming back from the battle and hurrying on toward Mana.s.sas to attack Pope, who had gathered an army there to protect Washington while McClellan was besieging Richmond. I joined Company A of the Sixth Virginia Cavalry and felt that I was a full-fledged cavalryman and was ready to take part in anything that the regiment was called upon to do.

CHAPTER IV.

_From Seven Pines to Antietam._

"On that pleasant morn of early fall, When Lee marched over the mountain wall."

"Over the mountains, winding down, Horse and foot into Frederick town."

A part of Pope's army, under Banks, had been pushed forward as far as Cedar Run, about half way between Mana.s.sas and Gordonsville. Jackson met this force and scattered it like chaff, and then moved rapidly toward Mana.s.sas. He did not move in a straight line, but made a detour to the left, and by rapid marches placed his army in the rear of Pope at Mana.s.sas.

One day the army covered forty miles. Riding along the dusty highway, Jackson noticed a sore-foot, barefoot infantryman, limping along, trying to keep up with his command. Coming up to him, he dismounted and told the soldier to mount his horse, while he trudged along by his side. The next day the same soldier was found among the dead, with his face turned up to the sun, having given his life for the man who gave him a lift.

It was this lift that had cost him his life; but for it, he would have been among the stragglers, too late for the battle.

My command, during the march, got in frequent touch with the enemy, and at one point, namely, Catletts Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, came very near capturing Gen. Pope himself. We got into his camp at night and into his tent, and took his boots and spurs, and papers that gave Jackson some valuable information.

As soon as Gen. Lee was satisfied that McClellan was well on his way toward Washington, he put his whole army in motion and moved rapidly to join Jackson, who would sorely need him in his attack upon Pope at Mana.s.sas; in fact, Jackson had halted after the battle of Cedar Run for a day or two to allow Gen. Lee to come up.

An event occurred during this battle around Richmond that brought sorrow to my home. My brother Howard was slightly wounded in the arm, taken to the hospital at Richmond, and died in a few days of a malignant fever, and was buried somewhere among the unknown dead around Richmond. The family made several attempts to locate his grave, but were unsuccessful.

"On fame's eternal camping ground, His silent tent is spread; While glory guards with solemn round The bivouac of the dead."

His picture on the opposite page is from an old daguerreotype, taken just before entering the Confederate service.

This move of Jackson's to the rear of Pope at Mana.s.sas enabled him to capture many carloads of supplies and munitions of war, greatly a.s.sisting the armies of Lee and Jackson in their undertaking. A goodly portion of McClellan's army had embarked at Occoquan and marched across to the a.s.sistance of Pope. Notwithstanding this fact, the combined armies of Lee and Jackson were more than a match for Pope, and he was defeated and his army routed, leaving over 9000 of his dead and wounded on the field. His entire loss, as given by the "New Standard Encyclopedia," which included prisoners, was 20,000, while the Confederates', by the same authority, is placed at 12,000.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ROBERT HOWARD HOPKINS.]

There fell into the hands of the Confederates 7000 prisoners, 30 cannon, 20,000 rifles. The captured stores, including two miles of loaded cars on the track, was enormous, much of which the Confederates had to burn.

This is called the Second Battle of Mana.s.sas to distinguish it from the first battle fought on the same ground, and called by the North the Battle of Bull Run, but by the South as the First Battle of Mana.s.sas.

Pope lost no time in getting behind his intrenchments at Washington. My command took part in the battle, and made a charge just as the sun was dropping behind the horizon. Lee did not follow Pope toward Washington, but moved in a straight line toward the Upper Potomac, leaving Washington to his right.

At this time my company was detached from the Sixth Regiment and made a bodyguard to Gen. Lee. We kept close to his person both night and day.

Part of the time Gen. Lee rode in an ambulance with both hands bandaged, his horse, "Traveler," having fallen over a log and crippled Lee's hands. This gave me a good opportunity of seeing the great soldier at close range.

I remember one afternoon, when toward sunset the army having gone into camp for the night, Gen. Lee's headquarters being established in a little farmhouse near Chantilla, I think in Loudoun county, the General went out with one of his staff officers for a walk into an apple orchard. They were gone perhaps an hour. While they were gone a guard had been set around the cottage with instructions to let none pa.s.s without an order from Gen. Lee.

When Gen. Lee returned with his aid by his side, he was halted by Frank Peak (a member of my company, now living in Alexandria, Va.). They both halted, and Peak said to them, "My instructions are to let none pa.s.s without an order from Gen. Lee." Gen. Lee turned to his aid and said, "Stop, the sentinel has halted us." The officer (I think it was Col.

Marshall, who afterward lived in Baltimore, and died there not long ago) stepped forward and said, "This is Gen. Lee himself, who gives all orders." Peak saluted them, and they pa.s.sed on.

Before day the next morning the army was in motion toward Maryland, Gen.

Lee still riding in the ambulance, very much, no doubt, to the chagrin of "Traveler," who was led by a soldier, just behind the ambulance.