Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, June 08, 1887, Image 1
lewis m. gritist, proprietor, j % |nbfpfnkri Jfamilj ftibspsptr: Jor % |lrontofioit of f|t political, Social, ^pkulfural anb Coitmurtja! Ittfmsfs of f^f Sontjr. ] TERMS--I2.50 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE.
VOLT 33. YOEKYILLE, S. O.. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1887. NO. 23.
Jt ferial
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD,
( AUTHOR OF "KING SOLOMON'S MINKS,"
"SHK," ETC., ETC.
CHAPTER XV.
A ROUGH JOCRNET.
The four grays wore fresh horses, iu good
condition and with a light load behind them,
o, notwithstanding the bad condition of the
tracks which they call roads in South Africa,
John made good progress.
By 11 o'clock that day he had reached
Standerton, a little town upon the Vaal, not
far from which he was destined, bad he but
known it, to meet with n sufficiently striking
ovW.ra.1 Horn ho ohtainod confirmation
of the Bronker's Bpruit disaster, and listened
with set face and blazing eyes to the tale of
treachery and wholesale massacre which was,
as be said, without a parallel in the annals of
civilized war.
town about sixty miles from Pretoria, where
the Triumvirate, Kroger, Pretorius and
Joubert, bad proclaimed the republic. But
he answered as before, that he must go on
till he was stopped, and, ins panning bis
horses, set forward again, a little comforted
by the news that the bishop of Pretoria, who
was hurrying up to rejoin his family, had
passed through a few hours before, also intent
upon running the blockade, and that if
he drove fast he might overtake him.
On be went, hour after hour, over the great
deserted plain, but he did not succeed in
catching up to the bishop. About forty milA
from Standerton be saw a wagon standing
by the roadside, and halted to see if he could
} get any information from its driver. But on
investigation it became clear that the wagon
had been looted of the provisions and goods
with which it was loaded and the oxen driven
off. Nor was this the only evidence of violence.
Across the disselboom of the wagon,
the bands still clasping a long bamboo whip,
as though he bad been trying to defend himself
with it, lay the dead body of the native
driver. His face, John noticed, was so composed
and peaceful that, had it not been for
the attitude and a neat little blue hole in the
forehead, you might have thought he was
asleep and not dead.
At sunset John outspanned his now flagging
horses by lln roadside, and gave them
each a couple of bundles of forage from the
store that he bod brought with him. While
they were eating it, leaving Mouti to keep
an eye to them, he went some way off and
sat down on a big ant heap to think. It was
a wild and melancholy scene that stretched
away before and behind him. Miles upon
miles of plain, rolling east and west and north
and south, like the billows of a frozen sea,
only broken, far along the Heidelberg road,
by some hills, known as Rooi Koppies.
Nor was this all. Overhead was blazing
and burning one of those remarkable
snnsets which one sometimes sees in
summer in Africa. The sky was full of lower*
ing clouds, and the sullen orb of the setting
sun had stained them perfectly blood red.
Blood red they floated through the ominous
Ay, and blood red their shadows lay upon the
grdss. Even the air seemed red. It looked
as though earth and heaven had been steeped
in blood: and fresh as John was from the
sight of the dead driver, his ears yet tingling
with the tale of Bronker's Spruit, it is not to
be wonderefl at that the suggestive sight oppressed
him seated in that lonely waste, with
no company except that melancholy "kakarakakara"
of an old black koran hidden away
somewhere in the grass. He was not mnch
given to that sort of thing, but he did begin
to wonder whether this was the last journey
of all the many he had made during the past
twenty years, and if a Boer bullet was about
to solve the mystery of life and death for
him.
By the time that the horses had done their
forage and Moutihad forced the bits into
their reluctant mouths, the angry splendor of
the sunset had faded, and the quiet night was
falling over the glowing veldt like a pall 011
one scarce dead.. There was, fortunately for
the travelers, a bright half moon, and by its
light John managed to direct the cart over
many a weary mile. On he went for hour
after hour, keeping his tired horses to the collar
as best he could, t^l at last, about 11
o'clock, he saw the ligAs of Heidelberg before
him, and knew that the question of
whether or not his journey was at on end
would speedily be decided for him. However,
there was nothing for it but to goon and take
his chance of slipping through. Presently he
crossed a little stream, and made out the
shape of a cart just ahead, around which men
and a couple of lanterns wire moving. No
doubt, he thought to himself, it was the
bishop, who had been stopped by the Boers.
He was quite close to the cart when it moved
on, and in another second he was greeted by
the rough challenge of a sentry, and caught
sight of the cold gleam of a rifle barrel.
"Wie da?" (Who's there?)
"Friend 1" he answered, cheerfully, though
feeling far from cheerful.
There was a pause, during which the sentry
called to another man, who came up yawning,
and saying something in Dutch. Straining
his ears he caught the words, "Bishop's
man." and this gave him an idea.
"Who are you, Englishman?" asked the
second man, gruffly, holding up a lantern to
look at John, and speaking in English.
"I am the bishop's chaplain, sir," he answered,
mildly, trying desperately to look
like an unoffending clergyman, "and 1 want
to get on to Pretoria with him."
The man with the lantern inspected him
closely. Fortunately he had on a dark coat
and a clerical looking black felt bat; the same
that "Frank Muller bad put a bullet through.
"He is a preacher fastencwigb," said the one
man to the other. "Look, he is dressed like
an old crow! What did 'Om' Kruger's pass
say, Jan? Was it two carts or one that we
were to let through? I think that it was
one."
The other man scratched his head.
"I think it was two," he said. He did not
like to confess to his comrade that he could
not read. "No, I am sure that it was two."
"Perhaps we had better send up to Om
Kruger and ask?" suggested the first man.
"Om Kruger will be in bed, and he puts up
his quills like a porcupine if one wakes him,"
was the answer.
"Then let us keep the d?d preaching Englishman
till to-morrow."
"Pray let me go on, gentlemen," said John,
ttill in his mildest voice. "I am wanted to
preach the word at Pretoria, and to watch
by the wounded and dying."
"I AM WANTED TO PREACH THE WORD."
"Yes, yes," said the first man, "there will
soon be plenty of wounded and dying there.
They will all be like the rooibaajes at
Bonker's Spruit Lord, what a sight that
was! But they will get the bishop, so they
won't want you. You can stop and look
after our wounded, if the roobaatjes manage
to hit any of us." And he beckoned to him
to come out of the cart."
"Hullo!" said the other man, "here is a bag
of mealies. We will commandeer that anyhow."
And he took his knife and cut the
lino with which the sack was fastened to the
back of the cart, so that it fell to the ground.
"That will feed our horses for a week," he
said, with a chuckle, in which the other man
joined. It was pleasant to become so easily
possessed of an unearned increment in the
shape of a bag of mealies.
"Well, are we to let the old crow go?" said
the first man.
"If we don't let him go we shall have to
take him up to headquarters, and I want to
go to sleep." And he yawned.
"Well, let him go," answered the other. "I
think you are right The pass said two carta
Be off, you d?d preaching Englishman!"
John did not wait for any more, but laid
the whip across the horses' backs with a will.
On the following morning, when Commandant
Frank Muller?having heard that
this enemy, John Niel, was on his way up
with the Cape cart and four gray horses?ascertained
that a vehicle answering to that
description had been allowed to pass through
Heidelberg in the dead of night, his state of
mind may better be imagined than described.
As for the two sentries, he had them tried
by court martial and set them to make fortications
for the rest of the rebellion. Tbey
can neither of them now hear the name of a
clergyman mentioned without breaking out.
into a perfect flood of blasphemy.
Luckily for John, although he had been
delayed for live minutes or more, ne managed
to overtake the cart in which he presumed
the bishop was esconced. His lordship
had been providentially delayed by the breaking
of a trace; otherwise, it is clear that his
self nominated chaplain would never have
got through the steep streets of Heidelberg
Boers. Over one batch of wagons and tents
John made out the Transvaal flag fluttering
in the night breeze, and emblazoned with the
appropriate emblem of an ox wagon and an
armed Boer, marking, no doubt, the headquarters
of the triumvirate. Once the cart
ahead of him was stopped by a sentry and
some conversation ensued. Then it went on
again; and so did John, unmolested. It was
weary work, that journey through Heidelberg,
and full of terrors for John, who every
moment expected to be stopped and dragged
off ignominiously to jail The horses, too,
were dead beat, and made frantic attempts
to turn and stop at every house. But, somehow,
they got through the little place and
then were stopped once more. Again the
first cart got on ahead, but this time John
was not so lucky.
"The pass said one cart," said a voice.
"Yah, yah, one cart," answered another.
John again put ou his clerical air ind told
his artless tale; but neither of the men could
understand English, so they went to a wagon
that was standing about fifty yards away to
fetch somebody who could.
"Now, inkoos," whispered the Zulu Mouti,
"drive on! drive on!"
John took the hint and lashed the horses
with his long whip; while Mouti, bending
forward over the splashboard, thrashed the
wheelers with a sjambock. Off went the
team in a spasmodic gallop and had covered
a hundred yards of ground before the two
sentries hod realized what had happened.
Then they began to run after the cart shouting,
but were soon lost in the darkness.
John and Mouti did not spare the whip,
but pressed on up the stony hills on the Pretoria
side of Heidelberg without a halt
By -11 o'clock they reached a hotel, or wayside
house, known us Ferguson's, and situated
oKrmf fwonfv miloc ftvim Prot/inV If*. WAS
empty, except for a couple of cats and a stray
dog. The inhabitants had evidently fled
from the Boers. Here John stabled and fed
his horses, giving them all that remained of
the forage; and then, once more, started on
for the last stage. The road was dreadful;
and he knew that the country must be full of
hostile Boers, but fortunately he met none.
It took him four hours to get over the twenty
miles of ground: but it was not until he got
to the "Poort," or neck running down into
Pretoria, that he saw a vestige of a Boer.
Then he made out two mounted men riding
along the top of a precipitous stone strewn
ridge, some 600 yards or so from him. At
first he thought that they were going to descend
it, but presently they changed their
minds and got off their horses.
While he was still wondering what this
might portend, he saw a puff of white smoke
float up from where the men were, and then
another. Then came the sharp, unmistakable
"ping" of a bullet passing, as far as he could
judge, witnin three feet of his head, followed
by a second "ping," and a cloud of dust beneath
the belly of the first horse. The two
Boers were firing at him.
He did not wait for any more target practice,
but, thrashing the horses to a canter,
got the cart round a projecting bank before
they could load and firfe' again. After that
he saw no more of them.
At last he readied the mouth of the Poort
and saw the prettiest of the South African
towns, with its red and white houses, its tall
dumps of trees and pink lines of blooming
rose hedges lying on the plain before him, all
set in the green veldt, and made beautiful by
the golden light of the afternoon, and he
thanked God for the sight. He knew that he
was safe now, and let his tired horses walk
Blowly down the hillside and across the bit of
plain beyond. To his left were the jail and
barrack sheds, and gathered about them were
hundreds of wagons and tents, toward which
he drove. Evidently the town was deserted
and its inhabitants in danger. When he got
within half a mile or so a picket of mounted
men came riding toward him, followed by a
miscellaneous crowd on horseback and on
foot.
"Who goes there!" shouted a voice in honest
English.
"A friend who is uncommonly glad to see
you," lieanswered, with that feeble jocosity
we are all apt to indulge in when a great
weight is at length lifted from our nerves.
CHAPTER XVI.
PRETORIA.
Jess did not have a very happy time of it
at Pretoria previous to the outbreak of hostilities.
Most people who have made a great
moral effort, and after a severe mental struggle
entered on the drear path of self sacrifice,
havo experienced the reaction that will follow
as certainly as the night follows the day.
It is one thing to renounce the light, to stand
in the full glow of the setting beams of our
imperial joy and chant out our farewell, and
quite another to live alone in the darkness.
For a little while memory may support us,
but memory grows faint On every side is
the thick, cheerless pall and the stillness
through which no sound comes. We are
alone, quite alone, cut off from the fellowship
of the day. unseeing and unseen. Moi-e
especially Is this so w hen our dungeon is of
our own making, and we ourselves havo shot
its bolts. There is a natural night that comes
to all, and in its unwavering coui-se swallows
every hope and fear, forever and forever. To
this we can more easily resign ourselves, for
we recognize the universal lot and bow ourselves
beneath the all effacing band. The
earth does not pine when the daylight passes
from its peaks; it only sleeps.
But Jess had buried herself, and she knew
it There wus 110 absolute need for her to
have resigned her affection to her sister; she
had done so of her own will, anu at times she
naturally enough regretted it. Self denial is
a stern faced angel. If only we hold him fast
and wrestle with him long enough he will
snenlr liKRnft words of linntw Ennnrl. inst as.
if we wuit long enough in the darkness of the
night, stars will come to share our loneliness.
Still this is one of those things that time hides
from us and only reveals at his own pleasure;
and so far as Jess was concerned, his pleasure
was not yet. Outwardly, however, she
showed no sign of her distress and of the passion
which was eating at her heart. She was
pale and si'ent, it is true, but then she had always
beei. remarkable for her pallor and
silence. Only she gave up her singing.
And so the weeks went on, drearily enough
for the poor girl, who was doing what other
people did?eating and drinking, riding and
going to parties like the rest of the Pretoria
world, till at last slio began to think that she
had better be going home again, lest she
should wear out her welcome. And yet she
dreaded to do so, mindful of her daily prayer
to be delivered from temptation. As to what
was going on at Moonontein she was in almost
complete ignorance. Bessie wrote to
her, of course, and so did her uncle once or
twice, but they did not tell her much of what
she wanted to know. Bessie's letters were, it
is true, full of allusions of what Capt. Niel
was doing, but she did not go beyond that.
Her reticence, however, told her observant
sister more than her words. "Why was she so
reticent! No doubt because things still hung
in the balance. And then she would think of
what it all meant for her, and now anl again
give way to an outburst of passionate jealousy,
which would have been painful enough
to witness if anybody could have been there
to see it.
And so the time went on toward Christmas,
for Jess, having been warmly pressed to do
so, had settled to stay over Christmas and return
to the farm with the new year. There
had been a great deal of talk in the town
about ttao Boers, but she was too niucb preoccupied
with her own affairs to pay much attention
to it. Nor, indeed, was the public
mind greatly moved; they were so much accustomed
to Boer scares at Pretoria, and hitherto
they hod invariably euded in smoke. And
then all of a sudden, on the morning of the
18th of December, came the news of the proclamation
of the republic, and the town was
thrown into a ferment, and there was a talk
of going into laager, and, anxious as she was
to get away, Jess could see no hope of returning
to the farm till the excitement was over.
Then a day or two later Conductor Egerton
came limping into Pretoria from the scene of
the disaster at Br on leer's Spruit, with the colors
of the Ninety-fourth regiment tied round
his middle, and such a talc to tell that the
blood went to her heart and seemed to stagnate
there as she listened to it.
And after that there was confusion worse
confounded. Martial law was proclaimed,
and the town, which was large, straggling
and incapable of defense, was abandoned, the
inhabitants being ordered into laager on the
high ground overlooking the city. There
they were, young and old, sick and well, delicate
women and little children, all crowded
together in the open under the cover of the
with tirtf.Wruy Ktif. PAPVftg ^nts. TVAITOnH
and sheds to shelter them from the Serge sumwagon
with her friend nnd her friend's sister
and mother, and found it rather a tight fit
even to lie down. Sleep, with all the noises
of the camp going on round her, was a practical
impossibility.
It was about 3 o'clock oh the day following
that first miserable night in the laager when,
by the last mail that passed into Pretoria, she
got Bessie's letter announcing her engagement
to John. She took her letter and went
some way from the camp to the side of Signal
Hill, whero she was not likely to be disturbed,
and, finding a nook shaded in by mimosa
trees, sat down and broke the envelope. Before
she had got to the foot of the first page sho
saw what was coming and set her teeth. Then
she read the long letter through from beginning
to end without flinching, though the
words of affection seemed to burn her. So it
had come at last. Well, she expected it. and
had plotted to bring it about, so really thero
was no reason in the world why she should
feel disappointed. On the contrary, she
ought to rejoice, and for a little while she
really did rejoice in her sister's happiness. It
made her happy to think that Bessie, whom
she dearly loved, was happy.
And yet she felt angry with John with that
sort of anger which we feel against those who
have blindly injured us. Why should he
have it in his power to hurt her so? Still she
hoped that he would be happy with Bessie,
and then she hoped that these wretched
Boers would take Pretoria, and that she
would be shot or put out of the way somehow.
She had no heart for life; all the color
had faded from her sky. What was she to
do with herself? She would not stop on the
farm after John and Bessie were married;
she was quite clear as to that; nor, if she
could avoid it, would she return there before
they were married. She would see him no
more, no more! Alas, that she had ever seen
him.
Feeling somewhat happier, or at any rate
calmer, in this determination, she rose to return
to the noisy camp, extending her walk,
however, by making a detour toward the
Heidelberg road, for sho was anxious to be as
long alone as she could. She had been walking
some ten minutes when she caught sight
of a cart that seemed familiar to her, with
three horses harnessed in front of it and one
tied on behind, which were also familiar.
There were a lot of men walking alongside of
the cart, all talking eagerly. She halted to
let the little procession go by, when suddenly
she perceived John Niel among the men and
recognized the Zulu Mouti on the box. There
was the man whom she had just vowed never
to see again, and the sight of him seemed to
take all her strength out of her. so that she
felt inclined to sink involuntarily upon the
veldt." His sudden appearance was almost
uncanny in the sharpness of its illustration of
her impotence in the hands of fate.. She felt
it then; all in an instant it seemed to be borne
in upon her mind that she could not help her- j
self, but was only the instrument in the I
hands of a superior power whoso will she was
fuliilling through the workings of her passion
and to whom her individual fate was a matter
of little moment. It was inconclusive reasoning
and perilous doctrine, but it must lie
allowed that the circumstances gave it the
color of truth. And, after all, the border
line between fatalism and free will has never
been quite authoritatively settled, even by
St. Paul, so perhaps she was right. Mankind
does not like to admit it, but it is, at tho least,
a question whether we can oppose our little
wills against tho forces of the universal law
or derange the details of tho unvarying plan
to suit the petty wants and hopes of individual
mortality. Jess was a clever woman, but
it would take a wiser heal than hers to know
where or when to draw that red line across
the writings of our life.
[to he continued.]
Getting the Worth of the Ego.?
Blake Milwee, a nativeof Anderson, says j
that in one of the many little villages in |
which he has at some time or other lived, I
the following came under his observation:
An old fellow living in the neighborhood,
who was noted for his stinginess,
came into the little village for the purEose
of buying a darning needle, and
rought a large egg along to barter for
the needle. The the merchant consented
to exchange, and after the old fellow had
pocketed his darning needle and deposited
the egg on the counter he innocently
inquired of the merchant if it was not
customary to treat his customers. The
merchant was not proof against the appeal
for a treat, and with much reluctance
reached under the counter and brought
out a bottle of choice old corn. The egg
barterer poured out a tempting glass,
and after eyeing it for some time in seeming
meditation he looked up into the
merchant's face, and with an air of complacent
innocence said : "An egg would
go mighty well in that, stranger." To
see how far the old fellow's presumption
would let him go, the merchant donated
the bartered egg also. Imagine the surprise
of the merchant when, on breaking
the egg and it having two yolks, the old
rascal claimed another darning needle.
How Hk Got Rich.?Somepody conies
to me mit>a long lace und asks vhas I
Carl Dunder, dot Dutehmans who make
so mooch money? Mr. Dunder, you
vbassoocha lucky dog! You vhas shust
coining money. 'You peginssopooryou
doan' ownyourown poots, und now you
ride in your carriage! Ah! Fortune
vhas an eccentric jade! She smiles on
some und frowns on others. I like you
to tell me how you manage it. Und I
says to him:
"My friendt, Luck vhas der oldt man
in der poorliouse. If you wait for Luck
to come along und help you oudt you
wait for de county to bury you. I work
liardt; I spend leedle; I plan carefully; I
keeps ouut of bolitics, pay my debts,
shtands to my word and preaks no laws.
What you slimoke und drink pays my
taxes.' What time you lose builds my
fences und shingles my houses. Gif Perseverance
a dollar und he makes it two;
gif Half-Heart a dollar und he lets half
of it shlip while he is waiting."
Child training begins, and child
character is formed, much earlier than
most persons suppose. A child whose
training is not fairly started before he is
six weeks old, is likely to be a loser for
life because of this neglect. And the permanent
trend of a child's character is
likely to be given by the time he is seven
vears old. Many a'ehild is not counted
by his parents old enough to be fairly
under training, until his habits and his
character are practically already influenced
for all time.
Thk Rktokt Couhtkous.?Bishop
whiio of Pennsylvania, was sitting one
day at dinner with that bold financier of
the revolutionary times, Robert Morris,
when the latter said: "Bishop, I have
made niv will and have devised to you
all my impudence." "In that case," replied
the Bishop, "you have certainly
left me the greater part of your estate."
"Yes, Bishop," interposed Mrs. White,
"and it is plain that you have entered immediately
upon your inheritance."?Buffalo
Commercial'.
K.nkw What Hk was Aftkr.?"There
is something in this liitle fellow I like,"
said an appreciative visitor of a young
hopeful he was trotting on his knee.
"Say, now," said the boy, "how did you
know I had swallowed a nickel."
THE PENINSULA. ?
"?
Ti
From Fortress Monroe to Fair Oaks ^
Battleground.
GEN. GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN ^
The People Hailed Him as the "Young &
Napoleon." ^
an
A State of Chronic Nervousness About ^
the Safety of Washington Prevent
ed MeClella.ii lYom Being Supporteu an
as he Wished?The Second Siege of "W
Yorktown?Working Slowly and bl<
Painfully Up the Peninsula Toward ^
Richmond?In the Swamps?The ^
Chieahominy.
During the winter of 1862 London Punch re- Gk
marked that tho American civil war was the to
civilcst it ever heard of. Li
In tho .summer of 1801 the north had been on
crying for a leader. Popular demand was wi
satisfied by tho appointment of MaJ. Gen. Mi
Georgo Brinton McClellan to bo commander at
Tho first promotion came July 27, the second
Nov. l, 18C1.
It was not till the next spring, 1862, however,
that any fighting was done by the array ^
of the Potomac. The quarter centennial tlmo y
of that lighting has come. It finds most of t
the leaders on both sides gone from tho scene i
of all earthly strifo. jf
McClellan was not only a West Pointer, but 3
thad seen actual ser- Js
vice in the Mexican #
war. Ho was born
1826. Ho was gradPoint
before he was v
20 years old. The y
most promising ^
graduates of West
Point are immedithe
engineer corps. /
corps of the regu- "
lar army. Young
m'clellan. McClellan was at
once attached to this body with the rank of second
lioutenant He was really one of the most L.
brilliant officers of tho government. Whenever
quick, accurate observation and scien- | <
tiflc information were demanded, ho was put do
forward. At one time he was a government pQ
exploring engineer in Washington and Oregon thi
territories. Again, he was one of three United y0
Btates officers sent to the Crimea In '55 to f0]
study and report on the art of war in Europe.
At this time he was Capt. McClellan and ono on
of the youngest men who ever attained that f0
rank in the country.
In 1S57 he resigned from the army and went tin
into railroad building and engineering. When m,
the war broko out in 1861 ho was president of rj,
the eastern di vision of the Ohio and Mississippi
railroad, and lived in Cincinnati. Knowing tfa
him skilled in military matters, the ta!
Ohio people had him immediately placed to
at tho head of the volunteer service of that en
state. May 14, 1861, ho was made a major ja
general in tho United States army, and ci
assigned to command the department of the w]
Ohio. in;
Shortly afterward took place his campaign wl
in West Virginia. He did brilliant service ^
there, service which resulted in keeping West m,
Virginia to the Union. th
Thcu it was that ho was called to Washing- Ki;
ton, and placed over the army of tho Potomac. p <
Tho G. A. R. "boys" of to-day will shake s v
their gray heads and smile sadly as they cr
recall that time when McClellan went to as
Washington. According to our American
fashion, newspapers and people went wild ch
with enthusiasm over him. He was only 84 lot
years old, handsome and dashing. He looked &
tho perfect soldier. People called him tho 1
"Young Napoleon," and hailed him as tho flb
country's deliverer. All through McClellan's ta
lcttei-s to his wife aro mentioned the ovations ttu
he received as he passed through to Wash- pi(
iugton, and oven before that. After his po
success in West Virginia he writes to Mrs. ci
McClellan: gr
"Well, it Ls a proud and glorious thing to \V
gee a wholo people here, simple and unsophis- Et
ticated, looking up to me as their deliverer an
from tyranny." all
Again:
"I had a very complimentary dispatch M
from Gen. Scott last nigh:. He said he was to
'charmed with my energy, movements and vii
luccess.' Pretty well for the old man." M
an
AT WASHINGTON. cn
lu
Placed in command of the army of the ha
Potomac headquarters at Washington, Mc- wi
Clellan immediately proceeded to restore the su
troops to prime fighting condition after the th
disaster c? Bull Run. Any of the peoples of m<
Europe could not have believed that we were Mi
as ignorant of all pertaining to war as we fa
were when McClellan took command at re;
Washington. Gen. Barnard, his chief of en- na
gineers, tells how their corps had to con- Pc
tend with the want-of a special engineer as
service. Thero was no properly organized
train for conveying suppers' and miners' im- ag
plemcnts, intrenching tools and bridge building
appurtenances, etc. Axes were given to co
the soldiers to carry for use in chopping down co
trees, building roads, etc. The soldier carried mi
it till lie got tired end then threw it away, ce:
Next camp bo got a now one, and so oil.
The transportation of even the pontoon equi- en
page fell on the already overburdened quar- th
termastcr's department during the heavy TL
campaigning of the Peninsula. co
McClellan set immediately abbut building so
an army from tbo stragglers of Bull Run and
from tin; recruits that poured in at the second G
call. The result of his labors was in time the
splendid anuy of the Potomuc. In the judgment
of various good authorities McClellan
was the best organizer and cquipper of an army
cither side had during the war. In his
memoirs McClellan writes of this time of
preparation:
"I passed long days in the saddle and my
nights in the office?a very fatiguing life, but
one which mude my power felt everywhere <
and by every one."
lie felt elated, too, by his call to Washing- 3
ton. He writes ut thut time: "President, ^
cabinet and Gen. Scott ail deferring to me. ^
By some strange operation of magic I seem ?
to have become the power of the land."
McClellan paid particular attention to the
defenses of Washington, and in course of n(
time made it a well fortified city. After the G
battle of Bull Run the Confederates were ad- oj
vanced dangerously near to Washington.
Centroville, u little town in Virginia only d<
twenty miles southwest of Washington, was w
regarded as the key to the capital. After Bull at
Run even that was abandoned, and all the tb
Union urmy went trooping pellmell into R
Washington. The Confederate forces under tv
Beauregard immediately occupied it. In- lii
deed, turn. Joseph E. Johnston afterward ad- dc
vunced the Confederate lines even to Munson's
Hill, in an air lino only six miles from th
Washington. For weeks the Confederate dc
flag floated on Munson's Hill in plain sight of tithe
marble dome of the Capitol. fr
Ceutreville and Manassas, both far too close A
to Washington, were the points at which the fe
Confederate army ai
concentratocl after uj
Jt YjKk Bull Run. Beau- ta
regard commanded in
UP t0 e,1C^ CI
^J|7y Then ho was sent df
m Johnston became
\~\HT general in chief of
the 0 o 11 f ederate
army of tho east, cc
McClellan called tli
^/j$ y V i?r more and more w
'F / recruits for his ai
a r m v. President tb
GEN. JOE JOHNSTON. Linco]n and the ri
-liin.it .11.1 Hint.. Knot- Ui?
V uuuu t moil \aj ouLiaijr uiin. *->J ""W |/v
lust of October McClellan had a well equipped er
army ot 184.285 men, hia effective force, uj
ready for lighting. There was an aggregate or
of 1(18,818. The people expected the Young cc
Napoleon to light. Ho talked about striking
an effective blow and making a "short, ni
sharp, decisive" campaign, which should finish fe
the war. Opposed to him at Centreville and 15
Manassas was a Confederate force of 50,000 m
offectivo men. pi
President Lincoln was exceedingly anxious th
that the favorite general should strike the tii
grand blow he had promised. "If something CJ
is not done soon," said Lincoln, "the bottom st
will fall out of everything."
McClellan announced that the "crushing yt
feat or the rebel army at Manassas1' was |
t object, and that an advance against it ]
hould not bo postponed beyond Nov. 25." !
lat date came and went, the year 1861 faded ;
t and 1862 was ushered in, and still no !
eat blow was struck. In February, in a
tor to President Lincoln, the general says: :
"I have over regarded our true policy as
ing that of fully preparing ourselves."
February passed and still no "blow," expt
of the kind which one meets upon paper.
By March 1 the people of the United States
xl run up a debt of $600,000,000 in equipping
id preparing armies, chiefly that of the Pomac.
In the months of inaction, too, with the vast
d constantly increasing army lying idle at
asbington. the Confederates had actually
scked the Potomac by planting batteries on
e Virginia side of the Potomac some twentyre
miles below Wasbington. Press and people
:ro howling for something to be done, and
esideut Lincoln was well nigh distracted.
Jn. McClollan for some time refused even
communicate his plan of campaign to Mr.
ncoln. Once the anxious president called
the general, who sent back word that he
is ill and could not see him. But next day
sClellon was dressed and out riding. To all
tempts to urge him forward he replied that
ready._
THE PENINSULA.
< _______
TBB WAR IN VIRGINIA.
rurn now to your map, run your finger
wn tho Chesapeako bay, and stop at that
rtion of Virginia between the James and
a York rivers, Run your eyo up that, and
u will see that it is a long tongue of laud
rmed by those two rivers, and lying north>st
and southeast That is "tho Peninsula,"
d there is where McClellan's battles were
light. Well up toward tho upper end lies
'chmond, tho objectivo point of the army of
o Potomac. Slightly to the north of RichDr.d
you will notice a long, crooked little
i'cr, which flows
tho south and
lpties into tho Wm
mes. That is the 3k <f\ frl
hicahominy, m.-'
lere much fight?ro
men than all
7amps lio the gen. magruder.
umblhig bones of thousands of as bravo men
ever shouldered a musket.
A private letter written at the time deires
that Casey's (Federal) division alone
it 3,900 men from sickness during April and
?yThere
was serious difference of opinion
out tho lino of march which should be
kon. There was a sort of triangle of
thorities to be consulted in forming tho
in of campaign. One was President Linln
and his cabinet, another was Gen. Median,
a third was the committee of coness
on tho conduct of the war, Senator Ben
ode, of Ohio, chairman. In January, 18(12,
lwin M. Stanton became secretary of war,
d thereafter was a most active element in
1 military affairs.
President Lincoln had one plan of attack,
cClellan another. The president's plan was
move on the Confederates direct at Centrelie
and attack them in their stronghold.
cClellau's was to go down the Chesapeake
d then work up to Richmond, Va., and
pture tho capital of the Confederacy before
e army at Ceutreville could prevent it. It
s not been deciaed to this day which plan
is the best. Either one might have been
ccessful if carried out quickly. As it was,
ere were delay and hanging back and urgu?nt,
while weeks and months were lost.
cClellan's plan was finally adopted. But the
ct remains that from that day on McClellan
garded tho authorities at Washington as his
tural enemies. In his letters duriug the
ininsula campaign occur such expressions
these:
"Those hounds at Washington are after me
aiu."
In these words he refers to President Linln
and his cabinet and tho congressional
mmittee, including in the lump certain
ilitary commanders. Especially he conived
a deadly enmity to Secretary Stanton.
March 8, 1802, the president issued his genal
war order No. 8, directing the army of
e Potomac to move down the Chesapeake,
le permission was given with the express
ndition that Washington should never be
stripped of troops as to be endangered.
March U th? Confederate army evacuated
sntrerille. It had lain, with 50,000 men,
SSfrjL twenty miles from
dffij ed to an army three
March 5 Gen.
, Joseph E. Johnston
the Rappahannock,
geit. iikixtzklman. ftuci Qfter that there
sver was any more chance to get behind the
onfederate army and take Richmond. Tho
jportunity was lost.
There was nothing for it now but to move
>wu the Chesapeuko and then work up toard
Richmond in the face of tho Confeder<e
army. Two routes wero proposed, but
lat adopted was McClellan's own, going to
ichmond by a march up the Peninsula, boreen
the York and tho James rivers. The
le of march is shown on our map by a
)tted line.
March 17 the army of the Potomac began
leir move to Fortress Monroe. They went
>wu the Potomac and Chesapeake bay in
ansports. Twenty thousand men, largely
esh recruits, had been left at "Washington.
11 the subsequent differences and unpleasant
eling between Gen. McClellan and the
ithorities at Washington may bo summed
?in a verv few words: The president, secre
ry of war and congress were unwilling to
crease Gen. McCiellnn's army by the reiforeemont-s
he constantly demanded Iksiuse
they feared it would leave Washington
mgerously exposed.
ON TO RICHMOND.
Gen. McClellan had expected the constant
i-ojx'ration of the navy in tho campaign of
ic Peninsula. Gunboats and transports
ere to move up the rivers, conveying troops
id supplies, mid hovering as a protection to
io force that moved by land between tho
vers. The James river was at that time in
isscssion of the Confederates, but the genal
hojied, " by rapid movements," to open
i the James river and capture Johnston's
my nrul Richmond Iwfore re-euforcements
>uld arrive from the west and south.
For some timo previous the United States
ivy had been engaged in watching tho Conderate
ram Merrinuic at Fortress Monroe,
ut the duel between the Monitor and Merriac,
off Hampton Roads, March 9, and tho
esence of tho Monitor at tho . fortress left
lat point a comparatively safe base of opcra011s.
Sound military critics agree that Mclellan
should have taken Norfolk before
arting up tho Peninsula,
But ho did not. He left it, with the navy
ud in full operation and the Merrimac
steaming and screaming defiance about tbe
bay. At the same time he expected and insisted
on the co-operation of the Federal
combined land and
naval attack upon
paigii," puts that ' "
down as JlcCIel- GE!f- K' D- KEYES'
lan's first disappointment. He began the
march up tho Peninsula April 4,1862. His
army was divided into two columns, right
and left Tho right marched up along York
n\e~ to war a lorKtown, unaer uen. neintzclman.
The left, commanded by Gen. Kcyes,
followed tbe James river up toward Williamsburg.
By following tho lino of march upon
the map, tbe courso of tbo two columns will
bo clear. Keyea was to proceed as rapidly as
might bo on the west and occupy Halfway
House, a point on the"hairrow dividing ridge
which formed the watershed between tbo
York and James rivers. Ho was to halt hero
and by all means prevent either the escape of
the Confederate garrison at Yorktown or the
throwing in of re-enforcements to them.
Keycs was expected to reach Halfway
House April 5. But he did not. Tho two
months' rain of tho spring of 180:2 began as
tho Federal army began to move. Tho roads
l)ecamo at somo points impassable for artillery.
Another thing: In all tho years that tho
United States had been a country there never
had been nu accurate map made of this part
of Virginia. Of the region immediately in
front of Ileintzelman's column there was no
better map than the ono mado when tho Brit
ish besieged Yorktown i,i 1781. A government
survey of tlio Peninsula had been
made in 181-8, but later than that there was
nothing to go by.
The land before McClelland army was an
unknown region of swamp, with rain pouring
night ami day, and lines of heavy Confederate
fortifications between it and Richmond.
Of all this the two advancing columns
know nothing,, except just that it
rained. That was plain enough.
April 5 Keyes marched five miles out, encountered
the Confederate fortifications at
Lee's Mills and stopped. Seven miles below
Yorktown there was a line of fortifications
quite across the solid ground of the Peninsula,
which, between the head of Warwick river
and York river, narrowed to three miles
Besides that the Confederates had dammed
the deep creeks flowing into the James and
Warwick rivers, which had backed the water
into impenetrable bogs.
The Confederate army of the Peninsula was
under tho immediate command of Glen. J.
Bankhead Magruder. He had prepared or
begun three lines of fortification across tho
Peninsula. The first one was seven miles
below Yorktown. While McClellan had
been equipping his army and getting a "good
ready," at Washington, the Confederates had
been fortifying between him and Richmond.
It was the Warwick river and tho fortifications
along its course which stopped McClellan's
army, both Ileintzelman on the right
and Keyes on the left. This river on tho
maps McClellan had access to flowed parallel
with those rivers, nearly southeast In
reality it flowed across the Peninsula between
the rivers.
It made a formidable barrier, fortified as it
was. Keyes' column stopped at Lee's Mills,
on the Warwick, and encamped there.
Heintzelman's column approached nearer
Yorktown, where it was also stopped by the
Warwick. This was ilngruder's second and
most important lino of fortifications. The
fircf-. hnd hoon abandoned March 1. The old
| line of fortifications thrown up by the British
| in 1781 had been revived by Magruder. Along
i the line of the Warwick, stretched across the
j Peninsula, were 11,000 Confederates, and this
! was the force opposed to McClellan with his
I army of 85,000 men.
President Lincoln kept dispatching to him
to "strike a blow." Magruder expected an
I attack. His troops lay upon their arms in
: tho trenches several days awaiting the attack.
I Opposite where McClellan's army lay, near
, Yorktown, there were only 5,000 southern
j troops. There was sonio skirmishing, nothing
I more. If McClellan had immediately attacked
j Magruder he could have forced his lino and
taken Yorktown without doubt.
For six days tho 5,000 Confederates held
Yorktown against McClellan's 85,000. Then
it began to be plain what he was about. He
was digging in the ground around Yorktown,
throwing up earthworks, preparing to place
heavy siege guns and go into a regular invest*
j ment. He cut l oads and built bridges. And
still it rained, and McClellan's soldiers sickj
ened and died in the swamps of tho Wari
wick.
One of the Confederate fortifications on tho
! Federal right was known as Dam No. 1.
April 10 a reconnaissance of tho Confederate
position was made here by souio of Gen.
William F. Smith's men, under orders from
! the general in chief. Tho Warwick was
waist deep, but some Vermonters hei
roically waded across and gainod the
Confederate rifle pits, which they held
for half an hour. They were forced to
withdraw, tho Confederr. es being quickly ro|
enforced. Once more some other Vermont
| troops wero ordered across, under protection
S of twenty guns, tho division battery. But
j they were met by a heavy fire and wero ordered
back. Gen. Smith was exceedingly
anxious to mass the division and make a bold
? break, but his chief
forbado it. Smith
felt sure tho attempt
would have
been successful, for
bis men were in
fighting inood. He
declared tho few
Vermont boys performed
more indi
GEN. SUMNKR. tinuul bickering
between the general and Washington. McClellan
demanded always more troops, and
the president and his cabinet refused to let
Washington be denuded. McDowell's corps,
which hod remained at Washington, was to
follow and join the army of the Potomac.
But the president did not consider that Gen.
McClellan had kept ln's agreement to leave
Washington sufficiently protected, and refused
to allow McDowell to move. This
added to McClellan's irritation and inaction.
For quite six days McClellan had lain on
tho Warwick with a force several times
larger-than his enemy. After that it was too
late to force the Confederate lino. April 10
Gen. D. H. Hill arrived with re-enforcements
to the Confederates, and April 1-1 Gen. Joseph
E. Johnston himself came and took command
in place of Magnider.
April 10 McClellan writes that if Franklin's
and McCall's divisions of McDowell's corps
could bo sent bim that ho would at once attack
Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown,
tako it and storm Yorktown from tho rear
and in front by land. Franklin's division
was sent tardily and did not arrive at Yorktown
until April 20. ''A few days" after that
McClellan mado a reconnaissance of Gloucester
Point.
Plenty of time was taken for preparation.
It was going to lie a siege on a inagnillccnt
plan. Scaling ladders were made, and by
the 3d of May everything was "nearly"
ready.
May 4 came, and lo! tho Confederates
had evacuated Yorktown. The scientific
siogo of Yorktown had come to naught. The
Confederates had delayed the Federal army a
month in the swamp trenches along tho Wurluinl/
linrt Tlu'c truva fho Onn^flSoi'ntjw timn
to recruit, organize and drill re-enforcements,
till x formidable army was got together.
"" " * '^FAII'. OAKS STATION."*
The Confederate army retreated to Williamsburg,
eleven miles further up the Peninsula.
Here the third line of the Confederate fortifications
crossed the Peninsula. Johnston's retreat
was accomplished the night of May 8.
It was before Yorktown that captive war balloons
began to be used.
AROUND WILLIAMSBURG. (
McClellar. occupied Yorktown and established
his headquarters near there. He sent
his cavalry, with artillery, under Stoneman,
May 4, to pursue Johnston. Stoneman
caught up with Stuart's cavalry near the j
Halfway house. Here was a lino of Confederate
works waiting for him. In front of
him was a large redoubt of earthworks called
Fort Magruder. There was some skirmish
i?g, uiuu ouoneinon retreawxi w wtuu vue arrival
oi' infantry to co-operate with him. As
he did so he left his own cannon behind him, '
ingloriously stuck in the mud.
May 4 Hooker had marched with the infantry
by a shorter road on the right to join
Stonemau. Gen. W. P. Smith followed by
the Lee's Mill road on tho left. After him
moved Couch's and Casey's divisions. Kearney's
followed Hooker on the right Sumner's
corps followed next day. Franklin's
and Fits John Porter's divisions were to be
Bent u^ ^the York river fronx Yorktown by
water. Gen. McClellau stayed till the last at
Yorktown.
The Federal troops engaged in the fight at
Williamsburg were Hookor's and Smith's divisions
and Kearney's divisions, besides part
of Couch's. On the Confederate side Longstreet
commanded.
Hooker fulfilled his ordei's to the letter. At
daybreak, May 5, he came in sight of Williamsburg.
Knowing that plenty of reenforcements
were behind him, he attacked |
at once with his 9,000 men. All the while the
plan of the Confederates was to retreat
slowly toward Richmond, keeping a strong ,
rear guard back of them till they could place i
the Chickahominy between themselves and t
the enemy. It was a masterly movement. i
It was this strong rear guard which began i
tho battle of Williamsburg, though re-enforcements
from the front speedily were sent t
back. i
Hooker, fighting hotly at the front, sent re- t
peatedly to the commanding officer fbr help. ,
But the simplo fact is there was no com- i
mondiner officer. A conflict of authoritv
arose between Sumner and Heintzolman, who
disliked each other. So nothing was done to
relieve Hooker.
Not paying any attention to Hooker, who
was fighting on the Federal left, Sumner decided
to make a movoment on the right. A
Confederate redoubt on Cub Dam creek, east
of Fort Magruder, was reported empty.
Suinner ordered Gen. Winfleld Scott Hancock
to go and take possession of it. He did
so, and likewise took possession of another
earthwork in advance of it He wished to
take a third one, still nearer Fort Magruder,
and repeatedly sent for re-en forcements to
enable him to do so. Sumner twice ordered
them to go to his aid and twice countermanded
the order. Hancock sent again urgently,
and that timo Sumner ordered him to
fall back. Thus Hancock got no more support
than Hooker did. It seemed, somehow,
to be a battle without a head.
Hancock was extremely loath to obey such
an order, knowing the advantage that might J
bo gained. Ho determined to obey as slowly
as possible. Meantime the enemy poured in
upon him. lie began retreating slowly before '
them. Suddenly he turned on them and opened
a terrific musket fire. As the smoke from
that cleared away somewhat ho shouted to
his men: "Now, gentlemen, the bayonet."
His soldiers made a tremendous biyouet (
charge. That decided the day. The Confed- (
erates broke and fled. They lost on that part ]
of the battlefield alone 500. "Hancock was (
superb," Gen. McClellan telegraphed next <
day. 1
So Hooker and Kearney on the left and
Hancock on the right saved the day at W il- j
liamsburg May 5, .1862. (
But the Confederates got off and continued ,
their retreat toward Richmond, just as they 1
bad intended. Next day the pursuing army
captured a few of their guns, which had
mired in the mud and been abandoned.
That, with some stray prisoners, was the sum ,
total of tbo Federal sjwils of war after this
battle. The Union forces lost 2,228 in killed
and wounded, the Confederates 1,5(10. 't
Gen. McClellan was not on the Held till near ,
5 o'clock in the afternoon. He was at York- (
town superintending the removal of the (
forces that were to go up the York by water.
Word was sent to him at 1 o'clock that the |
battle was on, and hotly, and urging him to
go to the front. He answered simply, "I ]
think they can take care of that little matter."
In his book?McClellan's own hook?lie says:
"Could I have arrived at 1 o'clock, it is very
certain that Smith, supported by Couch and
afterward by Casey, would at once have debouched
from Hancock's ground and have cut j
off the retreat of the greater part of the
troops engaged against Hooker."
4
DAN WEBSTEU.
Gen. McClellan rode from Yorktown to
Williamsburg, fourteen miles, upon bis favorite
war horse, Dan Webster. The general's
aides called him "Devil- Dan," and lie could
trot a steady gait all day. McClellan never
parted with the faithful beast, but kept him .
till Dan diet!, in 187*J.
TO THE CHICKAHOMINY.
After Williamsburg, McClellan's army fol- <
lowed on toward Richmond. There were j
always delays, though, sometimes from one ,
cause, again from another. Part of the troops
were sent back to Yorktown, where they wero .
embarked on transports and sent up the York j
to Eltham's landing, above West Point, j
Franklin's division, which had been on land .
only one day since they left Washington, ueur ,
the middle of April, was the advance at j
Eltham's latlding. Franklin's men had an .
indecisive little encounter with the retreating j
Confederates.
It took a good two weeks for the Federal *
army to move from Williamsburg to White ]
House, where the next headquarters were. .
The distance traveled was forty miles, and a ,
part of the army was now within seven miles
of Richmond. Certainly Gen. McClellan got
steadily nearer Richmond.
The Federal forces were concentrated between
the Pamunkey ami the Chickaliominy. (
The Pamunkey was the south branch of the c
York. The Chickuhominy lay between the ?
Federal army and Richmond, just as Gen. ^
Johnston meant it should. In a war map of j.
the situation before Richmond, published at
. that time day after day in one or tae leaning E
newspapers of the United States, the Chickahominy
river does not appear at all. The
newspaper correspondents with McClellan's ^
army evidently did not know there was such ^
a sti-eani. They found it out before the sum- ?
mer was over.
After "Williamsburg McClellan reported
that ho had only 80,000 men. In response to ^
his urgent demand for more troops, Mc- j.
Dowell's corps of 41,000 men was ordered to ^
go to him by way of Fredericksburg. 5y ^
following these points constantly on the map
the reader will get a distinct idea of the j.
Peninsula campaign. McDowell was not ^
under MdClellau's command, but led an "in- g
dependent co-operating army." Gen. Shields' ^
division was drawn from Banks' force in the
Shenandoah valley, and added to McDowell's
corps. ^
McDowell was ordered to leave F,redericks- q
burg and join McClellan the middle of May,
which was the time McClellan fixed his head- ^
quarters at W hite House, on the Pamunkey. j
White House was the property of Mary ^
Custis Lee, a great-granddaughter of Martha ^
Washington, married to a son of Gen. Robert
E. Lee. On the site of this building had
stood one in which Washington courted and
married tho widow Custis.
McDowell did not get ready to march for j
ten days, May 26. Then came the Stonewall j
Jackson scare in the Shenandoah valley, and
once more it was all up with the plan for
joining McDowell to the army of the Potomac.
DcDowell was ordered back in
haste and commanded to send 20,000 men at 11
once to the Shenandoah. k
" SEVK5 PINES.
McClellan had been clearing the way for
JcDowell to join him.
HANOVER COURT HOUSE.
Between McDowell's front at Fredericks^
)urg and McClellan's right before Richmond
here was a force of 12,000 Confederates,
["hey were Anderson's and Branch's brigades
ind a part of Stuart's cavalry. Branch's
jrigade was at Hanover Court House, foureen
miles north of Richmond. To clear
hese 12,UW away, to destroy tne onages over
lie South Anna and the Pamunkey, which
vould keep the Confederates from gelling in
he roar of the Union army from the right,
ind to cut the railroad from Richmond to
Northern Virginia, Fits John Porter was sent
ivith 12,000 men. May 27, in a heavy rain,
he battlo of Hanover Court House was
fought, and Porter routed the Confedirates.
Bridges were destroyed according to
he plan, which was in other respects carried
out, except that the railroad from Richmond
? Fredericksburg was not cut. "Lacking
hat," wrote Lincoln to McClellan, "the scrap
>f the Virgiuia Central from Richmond to
Hanover Junction is simply nothing."
N CAMP ON THE CHICKAHOMINY
/
The historic Chickahomiuy is a fork of the
fames, which rises to the northwest of Richnond,
flows southeasterly, nnd empties Into
he river about half way between Richmond
ind its mouth. North of Richmond it flows
learly east and west.
Meantime, early in May, Norfolk had lieon
ibandoned by the Confederates. Gen. Huger,
vho held it with 15,000 men, was ordered to
he defense of Richmond. That left the
fames open to Federal gunboats well up toward
Richmond.
McClellan'8 army advanced through the
nud and rain to tho bank of the Chick
mummy, xvt;yt? auu ucmi^ciuiaua wt
:rossed it with ono brigade. Kearney was
jn the west, at Savage station. Hooker's
iivision-of Heintzelman's corps was stationed
jo the southward to guard White Oak Swamp
bridge. Sumner's, Franklin's and Fitz John
Porter's corps remained on the left or north>rn
bank of the Chickahominy, with McClelan's
headquarters at Gaines' MilL Keyed'
:orps was only five miles from Richmond, and
X>ok position at Seven Piues. In Richmond
;here was consternation. A niece of Mr.
Davis wrote to her mother:
"Uncle Jeff thinks we hod better go to a
safer place than Richmond. He is miserable.
[ fear ho cannot live long if he does not get
>ome rest and quiet"
In this state of mind, Mr. Davis joined
Church. His niece writes: "Uncle Jeff was
confirmed last Tuesday in St. Paul's church.
Ho was baptized in the morning before
shurch."
It was expected that McClellan would take
Richmond speedily, and the Confederate
government made preparations to leave it
BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS.
May 31 McClellan had, on both sides of the
Chickahominy, an army of 126,000. Johnston,
who was well informed of the Union
movements, resolved to attack the two Federal
corps south of the Chickahominy, at Fair
Oaks station. Couch's division was the extreme
right of the Federal forces, and occupied
Fair Oaks, a little railway station.
Casey's division was grouped a little southeast
of Couch's, around tho Seven Pines '
tavern, so called l>ecause there are seven pine
trees there. Between these two points tho
bloodiest fighting was, and it is therefore cor
rect to mention the battle by either name.
Johnston commanded the Confederates.
Hie position of tho two armies will be seen
from the map. The Confederate^ advanced *
in three columns to the right, left and front
of the Federals. Longstreet and D. H. Hill
attacked in the front, Huger on the left and
Gustavus W. Smith on the right at Fair
Oaks.
Owing to the wretched roads it wns noon
before thef attack was made. Gen. Naglee's
Federal brigade was in advance 011 the front,
and caught the first heavy4 fire. He ordered
a bayonet charge to save his artillery. It
was given with a will, and then Nagle's
and Casey's divisions fell back to Couch's
second lino. Casey lost some of his cannon.
A hot enfilading fire hod cut down many of
i- Pa. A,,?O
liis men. jlu luu i cui ui wuuu a iuiu a
divisions were the corps commanders, Keyes
snd Ileintzelnian, with, as they faced the
south, Keyes on tho right and Heintzelmau on
the left.
FAIH OAKS BATTLE GROUND.
Casey was pressed backward to Fair Oaks _
itation with re-enforcements that had been *
sent him by Keyes. There was deadly fightng
around Fair Oaks. At the same time
;here was a desperate contest about Seven
Pines, ami Peck's brigade of Federal troops
was forced back. Confederates swarmed in
n on the Union right, left and center,
touch's left was turned, and his division cut
n two, and Kearney, who had endeavored to
inve tho left, was driven back.
Gen. Sumner alone saved the part of the
irmy south of the Chickahominy from annililation.
He had ordered a bridge built on
lis front across the Chickahominy several
lays before. This was the famous Grapevine
bridge. There were only two bridges
resides this by which the Federal troops
night cross the Chickahominy. These were
Bottom's bridge and the railway bridge.
At 2:30 o'clock McClellan ordered Sumner
a cross the river to the aid of Keyes and
leintzelman. The fact that the Grapevine
iridge was already
luilt saved the day,
what there was left
>f it. Sumner GgL IB
:rossed in haste
?fore. Confederate
Jen. Johnston was gen. g. w. smith.
eriously wounded, and the command
;evolved on Gustavus W. Smith. He
Iso was wounded, but even that did not stop
he fight. About dark, Sumner ordered a
ayonet charge of five regiments, which broke
he Confederate line, and the fight was ended
or May 31.
Richardson's brigade and the artillery had
ieen mired in tho mud, but they come up
.uring the night. Next morning, Juno 1, at
o'clock, the Confederates made another atack.
Richardson commanded on the Fedral
side, and was on the lookout There
ras an indecisivo fight of several hours. Gen.
). O. Howard lost his arm here, and Gen.
'homa3 F. Meagher, the patriot, fought
aliantly with his Irish brigade. On the
kinfederaU side Gens. Roger A. Pryor and
lahone, afterward United States senator
rom Virginia, commanded the Confederates.
Jen. Leo and President Jefferson Davis rode
ut in a carriage to see the fight from Richaond
of May 31. i
June 1 the Confederate army, with its J
hnrra anil n jnninnifmn urna 1-nmAw/vl frt fl
?" ?HOH4UU?UUiVHIU) TWfUO UCillg ICUlUtCU w
licbniond all day. Toward evening the Con- fl
ederates under Pryor went there too. That
vas the lust of the Fair Oaks lighting. Each
ide lost some 7,000. It was ajbloody fight. BH
In the morning of June 2, Hooker
nade a reconnoisance toward Richmond,
iut the attempt was abandoned.
- M