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had also destroyed two gunboats, and with all, had obtained the strong position of Plymouth, which protected the whole Roanoke valley.

The Yankees now held but two places on the North Carolina coast, Washington, at the mouth of Tar river, and Newbern, at the mouth of the Neuse. The latter was strongly garrisoned, but the larger part of the forces at Washington had been moved up to Plymouth. It was supposed that General Hoke would prosecute his campaign against Newbern; but his forces were suddenly to be recalled to more imposing scenes, and to a participation in the great crisis of 1864 in Virginia.

CHAPTER XII.

Close of the Third Year of the War.-Sketch of the Subsequent Operations in Virginia and Georgia.-GRANT'S "ON-TO-RICHMOND."-The Combination Against the Confederate Capital.-THE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS.-A Thrilling Crisis.-Grant on the Verge of Rout.-His First Design Baffled.-THE BATTLES OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE.-Death of General Sedgwick.-THE CARNAGE OF MAY THE 12TH.-Five Battles in Six Days.-Grant's Obstinacy." The Butcher."--Sheridan's Expedition. -Death of General "Jeb" Stuart.-Butler's Operations on the South Side of the James." The Beast" at the Back-Door of Richmond.-He is Driven to Bermuda Hundred by Beauregard.-Defeat of Sigel in the Valley.-Grant's Movement Down the Valley of the Rappahannock.-His Passage of the Pamunkey.-Re-organization of General Lee's Lines.-Grant's Favorite Tactics.-Yankee Exultation at his Approach to Richmond--Caricatures of the Confederacy.-A Hasty Apotheosis.-A True Theory of Grant's "Flank Movements."-His Occupation of McClellan's Old Lines. -THE BATTLE OF THE CHICKAHOMINY OR COLD HARBOR.-A Confederate Victory in Ten Minutes.-What Had Become of Yankee Exultation.-Review of the Rival Routes to Richmond.-Grant Crosses the James River.-His Second Grand Combination Against Richmond.-Hunter's Capture of Staunton.-THE BATTLES OF PETERSRURG.-General Wise's Heroic Address.-Engagement of 16th June.-Grand Assault of 18th June.-on "the Cockade City."-A Decisive defeat of the Yankees.-Engagement at Port Walthal Junction-Sheridan's Defeat Near Gordonsville. - Hunter's Repulse at Lynchburg.-Two Affairs on the Weldon Railroad.-Grant's Second Combination a Complete Failure.-Discouragement of the North.-The Gold Barometer.-Secretary Chase's Declaration.-SHERMAN'S "ON-TO-ATLANTA."-His Flanking Movement.-Engagement in Resaca Valley.-Johnston's Retreat -Engagement at New Hope.-Johnston's Telegram to Richmond.--Defeat of Sturgis's Expedition in Mississippi.-BATTLE OF KENESAW MOUNTAIN.-Sherman's Successful Strategy.-The Confederates Fall Back to Atlanta.-THE BATTLES OF ATLANTA.-Hood's Gallant Defence... The Military Situation in July, 1864.-Grant's Failure.-His Consumption of Troops. -Review of Yankee Atrocities in the Summer Campaign of 1864.-Sherman's Character. His Letter on "Wild Beasts."-His War on Factory Girls.-Sufferings of Confederate Women and Children.-Ravages in Georgia.-Hunter's Vandalism in Virginia. "The Avengers of Fort Pillow."-Sturgis and his Demons.-The Spirit of the Confederates.- . Some Words on "Peace Negotiations."-A Piratical Proposition and an Infamous Bribe.-The Heroic Choice of the Confederates.

umes.

....

THE third year of the war closes properly at the month of May, according to our arrangement of dates in preceding volBut on account of the magnitude of what is closely subsequent, it is thought advisable to give a summary and very general SKETCH of the material events of the enemy's two grand campaigns of the summer of 1864-the parallel operations of Grant and Sherman in Virginia and in Georgia;—at least, so

far as to bring the reader to a stand-point of intelligent observation, with reference to questions of peace and negotiation. which were agitating the public mind at the time these pages were committed to the press. We shall follow their campaigns. only to what appear to be their decisive stages in June and July. The period we shall thus rapidly traverse we hope to go over in another volume with a more perspicuous narrative, and certainly with much more abundant detail.

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General Ulysses S. Grant was now to answer the eager expectation of the public by a campaign of unrivalled importance in Virginia. He had hitherto been known in the North as the great General of the West, and the Yankee newspapers had entitled him the hero of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, and Vicksburg. His elevation had been rapid. Four years ago the man who commanded all the armies of the North had been a tanner, and at the beginning of the war had been accidentally selected to lead a regiment of raw recruits.

From the moment of receiving his commission as LieutenantGeneral, Grant had transferred his personal presence to the Army of the Potomac, leaving Sherman as his vicegerent to carry out the Western campaign. Warren, Sedgwick, and Hancock, were made the corps commanders of this army, and Burnside was given a separate army corps. Butler at Fortress Monroe was reinforced by the Tenth corps from Charleston under Gilmore, and the Eighteenth from the West, under "Baldy" Smith. To the infamous hero of New Orleans was allotted the task of cutting off the city of Richmond from its southern lines of communication; while Sigel operating in the Shenandoah Valley was to cut the railroad which by way or Gordonsville connected Lee's army with his principal base of supplies at Lynchburg.

Thus were the preparations completed for the most momentous campaign in American history. On Wednesday, May 4, just eight weeks from the day Grant received his commission, his two grand columns were ready to move-the one

well in hand on the north bank of the Rapidan, seventy miles north of Richmond, and the other at Fortress Monroe, one day's sail from Richmond on the James.

THE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS.

At dawn on the 5th of May, the Army of the Potomac, closely succeeded by that of Burnside, had crossed the Rapidan river; the Second corps at Ely's, the Fifth and Sixth corps at Germania ford. Having crossed the river, the first demonstration of the enemy was an attempt to turn the right flank of Lee's army, between the Orange Court-house pike and the river. The assault was sustained by Heth and Wilcox's divisions of the Confederate Army, during the entire day; and that it was successfully sustained even the Northern accounts do not hesitate to admit. "No cheer of victory," says a Northern correspondent," swelled through the Wilderness that night."

During the day Hancock, Second corps, had come up, and the Federal forces were concentrated. On the morning of the 6th their lines were consolidated and freshly posted; the three corps sustaining their respective positions-Warren in the centre, Sedgwick on the right, and Hancock on the left.

The attack was made by the Confederates; Hill and Longstreet's corps attacking both of Hancock's flanks with such fury, that the whole line of command thus assaulted is broken in several places. The effort, however, of the Confederates to pierce the enemy's centre is stayed, the Yankees having secured their line of battle behind their entrenchments.

But with the expiration of the day was to occur a thrilling and critical conjuncture. Just at dusk (the Confederates' favorite hour of battle) a column of Lee's army attacked the enemy's left, captured Seymour and a large portion of his brigade, and excited a panic which put Grant's whole army on the verge of irretrievable rout. Unfortunately, the Confederates had no idea of the extent of their success, and could not imagine how fraught with vital issue were those few moments of encounter. The Yankee supply trains were thought to be immediately threatened, and artillery was posted to bear upon

the Confederate advance in that direction. But the Confederates did not press their advantage. As it was, Generals Shaler and Seymour, with the greater part of their commands, were taken prisoners.

Such had been the two days' battle of the Wilderness: a marked success for the Confederates, disputed by the Northern newspapers, of course, but manifest in the face of the facts. The enemy confessed to a loss of twelve thousand. The immediate consequence of these engagements was, that Grant being clearly outgeneralled in his first design of reaching Lee's rear and compelling him to fight a battle with his communications cut off, which would be decisive of the campaign, was forced to change his plans, and with it his position; falling back to his entrenched line, between the Wilderness and Trigg's Mill, nearly coincident with the Brock road, leading from the Wilderness to Spottsylvania Court-house.

On the 7th, with some desultory fighting, Grant continued his movement towards Fredericksburg, with the evident view of attempting the Fredericksburg road to Richmond. It was in consequence of this change of front that General Lee took up a new line on the Po. It will amuse the candid reader to find how this movement was interpreted by the mendacious press of the North; for, in the newspapers of New York and Boston it was entitled, in flaming capitals, "A Waterloo Defeat of the Confederates," "The Retreat of Lee to Richmond," &c. For a few days the North was vocal with exultation, and for the hundredth time it had the Rebellion "in a corner," to be conveniently strangled. But this imagination of easy conquest was to be dissipated as the many that had preceded it.

THE BATTLES OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE.

On the 8th of May two engagements were fought at Spottsylvania Court-house, between Longstreet's corps, under Anderson (General Longstreet having been wounded in the battle of the 6th) and the Fifth corps, under Warren, supported by cavalry. The enemy was repulsed, with heavy loss, in both instances.

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