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The losses on both sides were very severe; the entire Union loss was 2,834 killed, 13,790 wounded and 6,643 missing. Total 23,267. The slaveholder's army lost much more heavily. 4,500 dead, were buried by the Union troops, 26,500 of their wounded troops were taken, besides 13,621 prisoners. Total 44,621.

The three day's fighting at Gettysburg had nearly exhausted the ammunition of Lee. His troops began to withdraw on Saturday, July 4th, and at dark Saturday night, the remains of his army were nearly all in motion, retiring by South Mountain and Waterloo Gap. He reached Hagerstown on Monday. On Tuesday his advance had gone six miles south of that place. General Meade lost by inactivity a grand opportunity of annihilating the army of Lee. He did not start himself in pursuit of Lee until after the sixth ; and, as he says, on the 12th of July, he was again in front of the enemy, but no immediate attack was made. General Halleck justly says: "Instead of attacking Lee in this position, with the swollen waters of the Potomac in his rear, without any means of crossing his artillery, and when a defeat must have caused the surrender of his entire army, he was allowed to construct a pontoon bridge, with lumber collected from canal boats and the ruins of wooden houses." "The 13th," says Meade, "was occupied in reconnoisance of the enemy's position and preparations for an attack; but on advancing on the morning of the 14th, it was ascertained that he had retired the night previous by Falling Waters, and the ford at Williamsport." Some prisoners were taken, but the pursuit was not vigorous enough to be at all decisive. July 14th, General Meade telegraphed to General Halleck that "the enemy are all across the Potomac."

When this dispatch was read to the President, he could not entirely restrain his impatience. He said: "It seems as though General Meade, like others, was satisfied in driving the rebel army across the Potomac. Is not the south side as much our country as the other?" But then he immediately added in substance, "Meade has fought a great battle and won

* See Halleck's Report, 1862.

a great victory for the country, and perhaps there are reasons for his delays unknown to us.'

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Lee retired to the Rapidan, and the Union army took position on the line of the Rappahannock.

The two decisive events of 1863, the fall of Vicksburg and the victory of Gettysburg, have been more fully described than is consistent with the general plan of this work in regard to military operations, because those events marked the triumphs of the Union cause in the East, and in the West.

Let us now return to that mountainous middle country, where love of the Union and the old flag was tested by suffering and persecution never surpassed in any land-Middle Tennessee.

General Rosecrans, after the battle of Stone River near Murfeesboro', encamped near the latter place. On the 3d of February, the rebels under Wheeler, Forrest and Wharton, invested Fort Donelson, held by Colonel Harding of Illinois, and demanded its surrender. Although having only a single regiment, he had not the least idea of surrender, but gallantly defended the post against repeated assaults of greatly superior numbers, and finally beat off the assailants with a loss to them, equal to his whole command. General Rosecrans did not commence a forward movement, until the 25th of June. His long delay, his failure to attack Bragg while it was supposed he had weakened his army to aid Vicksburg had not been satisfactory, either to Halleck or the Secretary of War. By a series of skilful movements, he then compelled the rebel commander Bragg, to retreat across the Cumberland mountains upon Chattanooga, which was strongly fortified. On the 16th of August, he was again in motion, and advanced across the Cumberland mountains, Chattanooga being the objective point. The army successfully crossed the Tennessee in the face of the enemy. By skilful maneuvering and marches, and occupying the gaps of the mountains, he compelled the evacuation of Chattanooga. Meanwhile, General Burnside, who had been sent to the West, had occupied without any serious resistance, East Tennessee.

On the 23d of September, the 11th and 12th army corps

under General Hooker, were detached from the army of the Potomac, and sent to Tennessee, Longstreet's corps having been sent to Bragg previous to this time. It was discovered that Bragg's army had been increased also, by the prisoners taken and paroled by Grant at Vicksburg, thus shamefully violating their faith on the part of the chiefs of the slaveholders rebellion.

On the 19th of September was commenced the battle of Chickamauga. The right of the Union army under Mc Cook, the centre under Crittenden, and the left under that most admirable soldier, faithful patriot and true gentleman, General George H. Thomas. The rebels first attacked the left, and were repulsed. Then the centre, which after yielding for a short time was reënforced, and maintained its ground. The battle ceased at night, and both armies slept upon their arms. The morning dawned to see the battle furiously renewed upon the Union left and centre. Owing to a misapprehension of orders, a gap was left in the Union lines through which the rebels poured. Piercing the line, the Union right, and right centre were cut off and driven back, and the indomitable Thomas was left to breast the tide of battle against the whole rebel army. The right and centre were broken, and fled in confusion to Chattanooga, carrying along Generals McCook, Crittenden and Rosecrans himself. His Chief of Staff, General Garfield joined Thomas, who still held his position immovable against the assaults made upon him. Gradually his lines assumed a crescent form; placing his back against the mountains, and with his flanks protected by the spurs of the rocky hills, like a lion at bay, he withstood the terrible onsets of the enemy. Finally in the afternoon, a gap was found by which the foe could reach his rear, and Longstreet's legious began to pour through.

Fortunately, at this critical moment, General Gordon Granger who had marched to the sound of the cannon, came upon the field, and on Thomas pointing out the gap to him, he rapidly threw upon the columns of Longstreet, Steedman's brigade of cavalry. Swift was the charge, and terrible was the conflict, but the enemy was broken and the gap seized.

Two of Longstreet's divisions still confronted the gap, determined to carry the pass. A Union battery of six guns played into the gorge, up which they marched, carrying death into their ranks; still they charged nearly up to the mouth of the cannon; but grape, canister and musketry swept them away. At sunset, they made their last charge. The Union. soldiers had exhausted their ammunition; but with cold. steel they charged Longstreet's veterans, scattered them, and the conflict was over, the victory won. At night, the enemy fell back, leaving Thomas victorious, with all the honors of this hard fought field. The enemy did not renew the attack, and he joined the right and centre at Chattanooga. The loss of the enemy, as stated in the rebel papers, was 18,000. The Union loss was about 16,351.

On the 19th of October General Grant arrived at Louisville and assumed command of the Departments of Tennessee, the Cumberland and Ohio; thus securing co-operation, the want of which was obvious; General Sherman assumed command of the Department of the Cumberland, and Thomas that of the Tennessee.

When Thomas followed Rosecrans to Chattanooga after the desperate fight at Chickamauga, the rebels advanced and occupied the passes and heights of Lookout mountain, and Missionary Ridge, and substantially invested Chattanooga.

Longstreet was sent to drive Burnside out of East Tennessee. Supplies for the Union army were now obtained with the greatest difficulty. The troops were on half rations, and ten thousand animals were lost for want of forage. Rosecrans had been relieved, and fears were entertained that Thomas might feel compelled to fall back from the most important position of Chattanooga; but Grant on the 18th of October, telegraphed to him to hold the place at all hazards, and that he would be there as soon as possible. The brave and loyal Virginian replied: "I will hold the town until we starve." Grant arrived on the 22d and losing no time, the next morning with Thomas made a reconnoisance of the situation, with a view of driving the enemy out of the overlooking mountains, and regaining the use of the river as a means of supply. He had around him his tried and faithful lieuten

ants, those with whom he had been accustomed to march to victory. Sherman was there, sagacious, energetic, rapid, persistent. Thomas, of the army of the Cumberland, a dignified soldier, worthy of Virginia in her earlier, prouder days, before her honor had been tarnished with slave breeding. Sheridan, the most impetuous, indefatigable, unconquerable soldier of the war; as a cavalry officer equal to Murat, and not inferior to Marshall McDonald upon a charge; and there was Hooker, as a fighting division or corps commander, without a superior East or West; and there too were Howard and Blair, and many others. With these, and their gallant subordinates, Grant determined to obtain possession of the river, and to storm and carry the rocky hights of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.

On the morning of the 24th of November, 8,000 men were placed on the south side of the Tennessee river, fortified in rifle trenches. By 12 M. the whole of Sherman's forces crossed; and by 3 o'clock P. M. the northern extremity of Missionary Ridge was in possession of the soldiers. Hooker scaled the western slope of Lookout Mountain, drove the enemy from his rifle pits, capturing many prisoners, following the enemy, when he and his troops emerged in sight on the Northern extremity of Lookout Mountain. Carlin was ordered to form a junction with him. On the morning of the 25th, Hooker took possession of the Mountain top and then swept across the Chattanooga valley in pursuit of the enemy. Sherman's and Thomas' soldiers fought with the greatest steadiness, charging up the mountains overcoming all resistance, and by 12 at night Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga Valley and Missionary Ridge were in possession of the Union army, and the divisions of Bragg were in full retreat. A large number of guns, small arms, and many prisoners were captured. Thomas pursued the enemy, fought him again at Ringgold, beat him, and drove him to Tunnel Hill, twenty miles from Chattanooga. Meanwhile Burnside was at Knoxville, besieged by Longstreet; and Sherman with his worn and weary soldiers were dispatched by forced marches to his relief. His approach on the 3d of December, sent Longstreet retreating towards Virginia, and thus closed, gloriously, tri

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