CHAPTER VIIL LEE'S INVASION.-ANTIETAM. "At home he conquered oft, but when He brought his legions to the soil Where Slavery could not live,-'twas then The Northmen forced him to recoil, His banners trailing in the dust!" ANON. ""Twas then that Athens the foundations laid PINDAR. STORY passed current in the Army of the Potomac, that a Union soldier who had been wounded at Gainsville was lying at one of the general hospitals, Washington, in a weak, exhausted state, when an army chaplain approached his bedside, and, by consent, read a chapter from the Bible: he selected the First of Jonah, which speaks of the prophet and the whale. The wounded man listened attentively while the divine read the Scriptures, and then, with a feeble voice, said: "Just see if 'John Pope' is not at the bottom of that." Poor fellow, he was probably delirious. Major-General Pope assumed command of the Army of Virginia with a grand flourish. On the 14th of July he issued a general order at once offensive and absurd. "I have come to you from the West," said he, "where we have always seen the backs of our enemies—from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary, and to beat him when found— whose policy has been attack, and not defence. . . . I desire you to dismiss from your minds certain phrases which I am sorry to find in vogue amongst you. I hear constantly of taking strong positions and holding them-of lines of retreat and of bases of supplies. Let us discard such ideas. Let us study the probable lines of retreat of our opponents, and leave our own to take care of themselves. Let us look before, and not behind. Success and glory are in the advance. Disaster and shame lurk in the rear." General Pope issued orders "from the saddle," and demonstrated by his gushing effusions that he did not comprehend the magnitude and difficulty of the task he had been called upon to perform. He was beyond his depth; but he did his best when the terrible ordeal Let us now glance at another picture. came. About the middle of August we evacuated our strongly-entrenched position at Harrison's Bar, and embarked for Northern Virginia, to reinforce General Pope, who, in turn, was receiving the attention of Lee and Jackson. Soon after the march was commenced, Dr. Castleman, the surgeon of our regiment, rode up, beckoned me to him, and asked : "Where are we going, Jones?" "To help Pope," was my reply. "He will not be permitted to win a victory!" said the Doctor. I knew that the half-way house patriotism of some of our generals had contributed towards the defeat of our arms during the early days of the rebellion; that rivalry and jealousy existed between officers high in command; and that General Pope had rendered himself personally unpopular with both the officers and men of the Army of the Potomac by issuing the manifestoes already referred to; but I was not prepared to credit our surgeon's prediction. The safety of our national capital, if not the life of the nation itself, was imperilled, and I expected nothing less than united effort-a full measure of devotion-from every general who fought under the Union flag. I was mistaken. Some of our commanders withheld from General Pope the support within their power to accord him; and he was defeated. Despatch after despatch reached McClellan, at Alexandria, urging him to push Franklin's Corps forward in time for effective service in the campaign. All manner of real or imaginary reasons were given for delay: the prompt and vigorous action required by the emergency was withheld. And on the fatal 30th of August, after our (Franklin's) corps finally started for the front, we were marched into a field, early in the afternoon, and indulged with a two hours' rest, within hearing of the guns at Gainsville. We knew that Fairchild and the "Iron Brigade," of our own State, were in the smoke and din of the conflict, and we should have liked an opportunity to give them a helping hand: but no. When at dusk we were marching into position at Centreville-and the day was already lost-a courier met us: he was agitated, and kept exclaiming as he rode by: "Too late, boys! too late!" And in spite of "the articles of war," some of our men replied " It's not our fault!" Far away to our right front we could see clouds of dust ascending from Lee's victorious marching columns, headed for the North: an invasion of the loyal States was inaugurated. Soon after we reached Centreville, the one-armed General, Phil. Kearney, at the head of his division, rode past us towards our right rear. We cheered him-he was the pet of the army-and he took the bridle-rein in his teeth and lifted his cap. Gallant Kearney! Proud, unyielding spirit. "Forward!" ever on his lip, and triumph in his eye. We never saw him more. He was shot through the heart that night while leading a charge which drove "Stonewall" Jackson from our flank and rear. A braver soldier never fell. General Pope was defeated, and the chief command of the forces around Washington again devolved upon McClellan, who, at all events, was an abler officer than Pope. Lee's army of invasion advanced rapidly into Maryland and Pennsylvania. The destruction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the work assigned to "Stonewall" Jackson. McLaws was ordered to move upon and capture Harper's Ferry. Both tasks were accomplished. The Army of the Potomac, by rapid marches, came upon the enemy's columns in possession of the passes through South Mountain. They were strong defensive positions; but our men charged right up the mountain and forced a passage. Our division fought at Crampton's Gap, against Howell Cobb's command. I was surprised to find so many dead and wounded Confederates on the field, for our loss was not heavy. From their high elevation the enemy must have shot over the heads of our men, who were advancing from the valley, and more liable. to fire too low-a mistake seldom committed in battle. Further north, at Turner's Gap, our men won the day against the forces of Longstreet and Hill: here Reno fell. Next day we descended into the beautiful Pleasant Valley. Harper's Ferry was lost: but the sun was shining. While passing through a village in the valley a little child in its mother's arms sprang towards me, out of its mother's control, and into my embrace. All the money in my possession consisted of that pretty, tiny coin, a one dollar gold piece; I gave it to the child. The heart throbs, and the mind runs to money! |