OCTOBER CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA. vancing and presently retreating rebels. 291 General Lee, in his official report of this October campaign, reported the capture of 2,436 prisoners, including 41 commissioned officers. General Halleck reports the Union After twenty minutes' fight, the enemy loss at Bristoe Station 51 killed and was glad to make off, leaving 1,000 329 wounded. "We captured," says dead and wounded and 500 prisoners he, "5 cannon, 2 colors and 450 prisin our hands! It was well that night oners in the several skirmishes became on as it did, for just as the sun tween the 9th and 23d of October, the set, Ewell, who had been following casualties in our cavalry corps were in Warren's rear, came up, but had 74, and 885 missing. The enemy's only time to form line of battle when loss is not known, but must have the darkness interrupted further oper- been heavy, as we captured many prisations, and the rear guard was able to oners. Troops sent out from Harpass on and join the main body of the per's Ferry forced him to immediately army. The repulse at Bristoe com- retreat. On the 7th of November, Genpletely disconcerted Lee's plans, so far erals Sedgwick and French attacked the as they embraced the view of getting on enemy at Rappahannock Station and the communications of General Meade Kelly's Ford, capturing several reor reaching Centreville before him. Lee doubts, 4 guns, 8 battle-flags, and about had no longer with him that unmatched 2,000 prisoners. Our loss in killed and executive officer, Stonewall Jackson, un- wounded was 370. The enemy now reequaled at a rapid march. Hill proved treated to his old position on the Rapislow and feeble, and instead of striking dan.' the head of the Union column he struck its rear, and got badly handled in consequence. From this moment, Lee abandoned all purpose of giving battle, and never advanced the main body of his army much beyond Bristoe. Detachments were, however, sent to follow up the Union force and make demonstrations. On Friday at 11 o'clock A. M., the enemy appeared in front of Blackburn's and Mitchell's Fords, and made a vicious attack on our skirmishers, but were promptly driven back. Stuart's cavalry, meanwhile, was sent by a detour round northward and westward; but being checked and repulsed in all their efforts, they gave up the attempt. The rebel army was now set to work to destroy the railroad. Thursday, Friday and Saturday seem to have been employed in this manner, and then Lee began this retrograde movement-the rebel army passing through Greenwich on Sunday, and Warrenton on Monday, and thence down across the Rappahannock, their rear covered by the cavalry."* * W. Swinton, Army Correspondence New York Times, Warrenton, Va., October 22d, 1863. On the 26th, General Meade advanced his army across the Rapidan, with the design of effecting, by a rapid movement, a division of the forces of the enemy; but owing to a defect in his combinations the opportunity was lost of engaging them to advantage, and the army was brought back in safety to its former position. There was some heavy skirmishing in the advance, and a number of prisoners were taken from the enemy. The Union losses in this fruitless campaign were stated at 60 killed and 540 wounded and missing.* During the period of these campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, the forces in Western Virginia had been generally employed on the defensive with occasional encounters with the enemy, which are thus enumerated by General Halleck: "When Lee's army retreated across the Potomac in July last, Brigadier-General Kelly concentrated all his available force on the enemy's flank, * Army and Navy Journal, December 5th, 1863. near Clear Springs, ready to co-operate rels of meat, several cords of leather, in the proposed attack by General 1,000 sacks of salt, 31 boxes clothing, Meade. They also rendered valuable 20 bales of cotton, a large amount of services in the pursuit after Lee had harness, shoes and saddles, equipments, effected his passage of the river. On tools, oil, tar, and various other stores, the 24th of July, Colonel Toland at- and 100 wagons. The telegraph wire tacked the enemy at Wytheville, on the was cut, coiled and burned for half a East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, mile. The water-station, turn-table and capturing 2 pieces of artillery, 700 three cars were burned, and the track muskets and 125 prisoners. Our loss torn up and rails heated and destroyed was 17 killed and 61 wounded. The as much as possible in six hours. Five enemy's killed and wounded were re- bridges and several culverts were deported to be 75. In August, General stroyed, over an extent of fifteen miles. Averill attacked a rebel force under A large quantity of bridge timber and General Sam. Jones at Rocky Gap, in repairing materials were also destroyed. Greenbrier County, capturing 1 gun, My march was retarded occasionally by 150 prisoners and killing and wounding the tempest in the mountains and the some 200. Our loss in killed, wounded icy roads. I was obliged to swim my and missing was 130. On the 11th of On the 11th of command, and drag my artillery with September, Imboden attacked a small ropes across Crog's Creek seven times force of our troops at Moorfield, wound- in twenty-four hours. On my return, I ing 15 and capturing about 150. On found six separate commands under the 5th of November General Averill Generals Early, Jones, Fitz Lee, Imboattacked and defeated the enemy near den, Jackson, Echols and McCoustin. Lewisburg, capturing 3 pieces of artil- arranged in a line extending from lery, 100 prisoners and a large number Staunton to Newport, upon all the availof small arms, wagons and camp equip- able roads, to prevent my return. I age. The enemy's loss in killed and captured a dispatch from General Jones wounded is estimated at 300.” to General Early, giving me the position, and that of Jackson at Clifton Forge, and Cornington was selected to carry. I marched from the front of Jones to that of Jackson at night. His outposts were pressed in at a gallop by the Eighth Virginia Mounted Infantry, and the two bridges across Jackson's River was saved, although faggots had been piled ready to ignite. My column, about four miles long, hastened across, regardless of the enemy, until all but my ambulances, a few wagons and one regiment had passed, when a strong ef fort was made to retake the first bridge, in which they did not succeed. The ambulance and some sick men were lost, and by the darkness and difficulties, the last regiment was detained upon the opposite side until morning, when it was ascertained that the enemy seemed determined to maintain his position up the An adventurous raid in December, by General Averill, on the communications of Longstreet, on the Tennessee Railroad, is among the most brilliant episodes of the war. Its incidents are thus briefly narrated by its leader in a report to General Halleck, dated from the camp in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, December 21st: "I have the honor to report that I cut the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad at Salem on the 16th inst., and have arrived safely at this point with my command, consisting of the Second, Third and Eighth Virginia Mounted Infantry, Fourteenth Pennsylvania, Dodson's battalion of Cavalry, and Ewing's Battery at Salem. Three depots were destroyed, containing 2,000 barrels of flour, 10,000 bushels of wheat, 100,000 bushels of shelled corn, 50,000 bushels of oats, 2,000 bar DEATH OF GENERAL BUFORD. 293 cliffs which overlooked the bridges. I brilliant incidents of the war. For the caused the bridges, which were long eminent service rendered by him and and high, to be destroyed, and the en- his noble division in front of Gettysburg emy immediately changed his position on the 1st of July, by holding the rebel to the flank and rear of the detach- army in check until the First and ment which was cut off. I sent orders Eleventh Corps could arrive into posito the remnants to destroy our wagons, tion, he was promoted by the President and come to me across the river, or over to the rank of Major-General. He rethe mountains. They swam the river ceived the commission on his death-bed with the loss of only four men, who were shortly before he expired. "Spared drowned, and joined me. In the mean- through the perils of a hundred comtime forces of the enemy were concen- bats," wrote Major-General Pleasanton, trating upon me at Collaghan's over in a general order, announcing his every available road but one, which was death, "a distinguished commander has deemed impracticable, but by which I thus suddenly fallen by the insidious crossed over the top of the Alleghanies hand of disease while in the prime of with my command, with the exception life, and with a glorious future before of four caissons, which were destroyed him. His memory remains to be cherin order to increase the teams of the ished by his comrades-in-arms with pieces. My loss is 6 men drowned all that is honorable, patriotic, de1 officer and 4 men wounded, and voted." 4 officers and 10 men missing. We A few days later, the papers ancaptured about 200 prisoners, but have retained but 40 officers and 80 men, on account of their inability to walk. We took also about 150 horses. My horses have subsisted entirely upon a very poor country, and the officers and men have suffered cold, hunger and fatigue with remarkable fortitude. My command has marched, climbed, slid and swam 350 miles since the 8th inst." The Army of the Potomac, in December, lost one of its most efficient officers in the death of General John Buford, commander of the First Cavalry Division. He died at Washington on the 16th of a lingering illness, contracted in the field from exposure and hard service. A native of Kentucky, and graduate of West Point of 1848, he had from that period served with distinction in the regular army. His command of the cavalry in Virginia, under Generals Banks, Pope and McClellan, his services on the Rappahannock, where he was wounded, his gallant conduct in the expeditions of Stoneman and Pleasanton, will be remembered among the most nounced the death of General Michael Corcoran, by injuries received by a fall from his horse while in command of his brigade at Fairfax Court House. After his appointment as Brigadier-General, on his release from his Southern imprisonment, he had organized the brigade known as the Irish Legion. "Ordered to the Department of Virginia, he served with credit in the operations on the Blackwater and Peninsula under MajorGeneral Dix. Transferred to Twenty-second Corps, in June, 1863, he had, since that date, commanded consecutively a brigade and division occupying Fairfax Court House and surrounding country."* the General Banks having been reinforced from General Grant's army, on the termination of the Mississippi campaign and the reduction of Port Hudson, organized an expedition, at the beginning of September, for the occupation of Sabine City, located at the mouth of the river of that name, on the dividing line between Texas and Louisiana. The * Order issued by Major-General Augur, commanding Department of Virginia, defences of the place were supposed to consist of two 32-pounders, en barbette, and a battery of field-pieces and two bay-boats converted into rams.* Four thousand men, under command of Major-General Franklin, constituted the military force, which left New Orleans in transports on the 4th, accompanied by a squadron of four gunboats-the steamers Clifton, Sachem, Arizona and Granite City-commanded by acting Volunteer Lieutenant Frederick Crocker. The expedition reached the entrance to the harbor on the 7th. A reconnoissance of the fort was made the next morning by Generals Franklin and Weitzel and Lieutenant-Commanding Crocker. The events of the day are thus narrated in the report of Acting-Commander H. Tibbets, of the Arizona, to Commodore Bell, in command of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron: "At 6 A. M. the Clifton stood in the bay, and opened fire on the fort, to which no reply was made. At 9 A. M. the Sachem, Arizona and Granite City, followed by the transports, stood over the bar, and with much difficulty, owing to the shallowness of the water, reached anchorage, two miles from the fort, at 11 A. M., the gunboats covering the transports. At 3 P. M. the Sachem, followed by the Arizona, advanced up the eastern channel to draw the fire of the forts, while the Clifton advanced up the western channel, followed by the Granite City, to cover the landing of a division of troops under General Weitzel. No reply to the fire of the gunboats was made until we were abreast of the forts, when they opened with eight guns, three of which were rifled, almost at the same moment. The Clifton and Sachem were struck in their boilers, enveloping the vessels in steam. There not being room to pass the Sachem, this vessel was backed down the channel and a boat was sent to the Sachem which returned with * H. H, Bell, commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron, pro tem, to the Hon. Gideon Welles, September 4th, 1863. Engineer Munroe and Fireman. Linn, badly scalded (since dead). The Arizona had now grounded by the storm; the ebb tide caught her bows and swung her across the channel, and she was with much difficulty extricated from this position, owing to the engine becoming heated by the collection of mud in the boilers. The flags of the Clifton and Sachem were run down and white flags were flying at the fore. As all the transports were now moving out of the bay, this vessel remained, covering their movements until she grounded. She remained until midnight, when she was kedged off, as no assistance could be had from any of the tugs of the expedition." The officers and crews of the gunboats, and about ninety sharpshooters, who were on board, were captured. The Union loss, in killed and wounded, was about thirty. The whole expedition now returned to Brashear City, whence, after a long delay, the army moved forward by Franklin and Vermillionville and occupied Opelousas.* At the beginning of November, General Banks conducted an expedition to the Rio Grande, and took possession of Brownsville, which had become an important depôt of rebel trade in connection with Matamoras. A daring act of piracy was perpetrated at the beginning of December by a party of rebel desperadoes, who had made their way for the purpose to New York from St. Johns, N. B. The scheme had been set on foot by confederate agents. The plan was to enter as passengers and take possession of the steamer Chesapeake while on her way as one of the regular line from New York to Portland, Me. The Chesapeake sailed from New York on the afternoon of Saturday, December 6th, with twentyfour passengers. Eight of the latter, being part of the rebel adventurers, purchased their tickets in the morning, and came on board with the rest with * Report of General Halleck, December, 1863. |