protected. Stretching immediately in the rear and on the flanks of this position was a dense forest of heavy timber, while some twelve hundred yards in front was Mine Runa stream of no great width, but difficult for infantry to cross from the marshy ground and dense undergrowth of stunted timber with which it was frequently flanked on either side, as well as from the abrupt nature of its banks. In addition to these natural defences, the enemy quickly felled in front of a large extent of his position a thick growth of pine as an abatis, and hastily constructed trenches and breastworks for infantry. The position was, in fact, exceedingly formidable.

This is what the army presently found out, when, being at length concentrated, it pushed forward on the following morning, the 28th-the enemy having during the night abandoned his advanced position-and after a short march of two or three miles found itself brought up against the line of Mine Run. Upon reaching this point the troops were immediately put into position, and reconnoissances were made with the view of ascertaining a point of attack.* At the same time that these reconnoissances were made, General Warren, with the Second Corps, strengthened by a division of the Sixth Corps, was sent to move upon the enemy's right; find out how far south his line extended, and, if possible, outflank and turn him. In these tentative efforts passed the 28th of November.

Next day, Warren, having moved southward to the Catharpin Road, completed his observation of the Confederate right, and announced the conditions as favorable for an attack from that point. At the same time, Sedgwick, having carefully examined the Confederate left, reported that there was a point there which he thought weak and assailable. General

* "In order to secure an efficient and active reconnoissance, orders were given to every corps-commander to prepare himself to attack the enemy in his immediate front, and to examine critically, and to ascertain, as early as he possibly could, where would be the best place to attack the enemy."-Meade's evidence: Report on the Conduct of the War, p. 345.

Meade accordingly resolved to make attack on both wings, and for the purpose of strengthening the force with which Warren was to operate on the left, he detached from the corps of French two divisions which were sent to the former, which made Warren's force some twenty-six thousand men. Sedgwick, with his Sixth Corps, supported by the Fifth, would operate on the right. French, with the remaining division of his command and two divisions of the First Corps, under Newton, would hold an interval of four miles between the right and left; and as this centre would be weak, it was assigned a rôle of simple observation. Dispositions in accordance with this plan were not completed until late on Sunday, the 29th; so it was resolved to make the attack next morning, and it was appointed that after a heavy artillery fire, Warren, on the left, should open the attack at eight o'clock, and that an hour after he was engaged, Sedgwick should assault on the right.*.

Early on Monday morning the army was under arms, impatiently awaiting the signal-gun. At last, the sound of Sedgwick's cannon came rolling along the line, when the entire artillery of the right and centre opened upon the works of the enemy. But not an echo from Warren on the left! The explanation of this silence soon came in intelligence brought by an aid-de-camp. A close observation of the enemy's position by dawn revealed a very different state of facts than was presented the previous evening. The presence of Warren's troops had attracted Lee's attention to his right, and during the night he had powerfully strengthened that flank by artillery in position and by infantry behind breastworks and abatis. Looking at the position with the critical eye of an engineer, but not without those lofty inspirations of cour

* This disposition was based on the hope that as Warren's attack was to be the main one, his opening first would cause the Confederates to weaken their left, opposed to Sedgwick, and thus afford him a favorable opportunity.

It happened frequently during the war that dispositions were made during the day for attack the following morning. Attacks thus planned in ad vance generally failed, as might be expected.

age that o'erleap the cold dictates of mathematical calculation, Warren saw that the task was hopeless; and so seeing, he resolved to sacrifice himself rather than his command. He assumed the responsibility of suspending the attack.

His verdict was that of his soldiers-a verdict pronounced not in spoken words, but in a circumstance more potent than words, and full of a touching pathos.

The time has not been seen when the Army of the Potomac shrank from any call of duty; but an unparalleled experience in war, joined to a great intelligence in the rank and file, had taught these men what, by heroic courage, might be done, and what was beyond the bounds of human possibility. Recognizing that the task now before them was of the character of a forlorn hope, knowing well that no man could here count on escaping death, the soldiers, without sign of shrinking from the sacrifice, were seen quietly pinning on the breast of their blouses of blue, slips of paper on which each had written his name!

That this judgment of General Warren and of his troops was correct, General Meade became himself convinced on riding over to the left and viewing the position. It was, in fact, even more formidable than the line of the Rapidan, which it had been considered impracticable to assail by a front attack. The only possible opportunity of now continuing the enterprise was by moving still further to the left, and by manœuvring on Lee's right, endeavor to force him out of his intrenched line. But, under the circumstances, with the uncertainties of a Virginia December, this was hardly to be seriously considered. The entire plan had been conditioned on a quick operation that would uncover direct communications with the Rapidan. The trains, therefore, had been left on the north. bank, and the troops furnished with a limited number of rations, now nearly exhausted. In this state of facts, grievous and galling though it was to permit the campaign to come to such abortive issue, General Meade felt there was no alternative. He, therefore, during the following night,

withdrew the army across the Rapidan, and it resumed its old camps.* Lee did not follow up in the least.

IV.

THE ARMY IN WINTER QUARTERS.

The movement on Mine Run terminated for the season grand military operations in Virginia, and the army established itself in winter cantonments for the next three months. During this period the dignity of dulness was disturbed only by one or two cavalry expeditions, planned with the ambitious aim of capturing Richmond by a sudden dash. The first of these schemes, which had the merit of boldness in conception if not in execution, was devised by General Butler, then commanding the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. Believing that Richmond had been stripped of its garrison for the purpose of strengthening the Confederate force operating in North Carolina under General Pickett, General Butler formed the design of swooping down on the Confederate capital with a cavalry raid by way of New Kent Courthouse on the Peninsula. As a "diversion" in favor of this enterprise, the Army of the Potomac was to make a demonstration across the Rapidan. The raiding column, under command of Brigadier-General Wistar, left New Kent Courthouse on the 5th of February, and reached the Chickahominy at Bottom's Bridge

* It would have been a move well adapted to the circumstances had General Meade, on seeing his plan of operations frustrated, advanced on Fredericksburg instead of falling back to his old line across the Rapidan. This would have had the character of an offensive movement, and would have saved the morale of the army and the confidence of the country, both of which were rudely shaken by these frequent fruitless operations. But here General Meade was met by previous prescriptions from General Halleck, not to make any change of base. This absurd piece of pedantry prevented what would have been an excellent From General Meade I learn that he would assuredly have made this move, had he been free to do so.

measure.

on the following day. The 7th, in obedience to orders from Washington, General Sedgwick, temporarily commanding the Army of the Potomac in the absence of General Meade, threw Kilpatrick's cavalry division across the Rapidan at Ely's Ford, and Merritt's division at Barnett's Ford, while, at a point between, two divisions of the Second Corps made the passage at Germanna Ford by wading. The Confederates held their positions, and considerable skirmishing took place during the day. The troops remained on the south bank until the time fixed for the termination of General Butler's movement, when they were withdrawn. The raiding scheme resulted in nothing. General Wistar found Bottom's Bridge blockaded, and after reconnoitring the position, he returned. He does not appear to have lost any thing; but the troops of the Army of the Potomac, that had the luck to be engaged in the "diversion," suffered a sacrifice of two hundred and fifty

men.

A few weeks later a bold expedition was fitted out with the view of releasing the large body of Union prisoners held at Richmond, the accounts of whose ill-treatment had excited profound sympathy throughout the North. This enterprise was under command of General Kilpatrick, with some three or four thousand cavalry, seconded by Colonel Dahlgren, a young officer of extraordinary dash and daring. It set out on the 28th of February, after Sedgwick's corps and Custer's cavalry had made a demonstration on Lee's left. Crossing the Rapidan at Ely's Ford, beyond the Confederate right flank, the force marched thence to Spottsylvania Courthouse. Here Colonel Dahlgren, with five hundred picked men, assuming the most daring part of the expedition, diverged from the main body and pushed forward by way of Frederickshall towards the James River. The column under General Kilpatrick at the same time moved rapidly southward, and on the following night, the 29th, struck the Virginia Central Railroad at Beaver Dam Station, whence parties were sent out to damage the road. While engaged in this work, a train of troops arrived from the direction of Richmond; but