The press. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1857-1880, December 14, 1863, Image 4

®!l* IP r je ss*
MONDA.Y, DECEMBER 14, 1863.
Crime in I.omlon.
The stories of Fagan, the Jew, who kid
napped little children, and taught them, the
noble arts of theft; of the “ Artful Dodger"
whose greatest ambition was to defy the
judge who sentenced him ; of Bill Svkbs,
■the brutal woman-beater; of poor heathen
LjOE, continually “moving on” till at last
Ihe moved out of the world, and, found rest
Bn his grave ; of Magwitcu, and the skele
ton woman who sang the 11 Song of the
Shirt," of Count Fosco, and of hundreds
of other wretches or villains, are not
imaginations of the great English novelists,
but realities of London life. Strange as
many of these stories seem, they are not
stranger than the truth. The glimpses we
[have of the dark alleys of St. Giles, and of
[the deeds done in ruinous Tom-all-Alones,
reveal a pandemonium of degradation and
prime at which fiction only hints, which no
men is bold enough to faithfully describe.
[London, the metropolis of the world, the
[centre of its glory and civilization, i 9 also
|he metropolis of vice and misery. All the
wickedness-of which human nature is capa
ble, all the suffering it can endure, burrows
Bad crawls in the black shadow of the mo-
Em Babylon. No Ameiiudn city, not even
Bfew Vork, furnishes a parallel to the low
He in London.
B The police reports of the London Times
ftc singularly interesting to those' who
Hould study in the daily record of crime the
Bbaiacter of a large and increasing class.
Brominence is wisely-given to this -depart-.
Bient of news, for in plain, homely facts it
Hveals that which-society would foolishly
Brive to conceal—the cancerous evil which
nsons the whole body. It is only by know-
Hig the extent of an evil that it can be intel-
Bgontly lessened. Reading the political edi-
Horials and essays of a great newspaper, we
Hpiow what the people of a city belieye; the
Raw reports, the police reports, inform us
Pwhat they do.
f, It is not that this well-filled department
of the Times recently cod twined any startling
case. of atrocious and unusual wickedness
that we have given it our attention. On the
contrary, it is the common-place, every-day
character- of the crimes tried before the ps
lice magistrates of London that interests us
chiefly. The purest and happiest village of
Pennsylvania may be suddenly shocked by
some monstrous revelation of wickedness;
but from that we cannot in fer the character
of 'its inhabitants. Bur, when the daily
police report of a city contains, as a matter
of course, accounts of assaults on women,
on little children, of rapes, attempts at as,
sassinatiou, thefts innumerable, and mise
ries. immeasurable, then it possesses a pro
found interest, for then we have a right to
measure by the story or n tUv bswvt of
’ the life of a city.
i' Street robberies by women seem very
l common in London. Two or three women
! of the town, about dusk, sometimes in broad
f day, approach a gentleman—one throws her
arms around his neck, the others snatch his
watch. Scarcely a day passes without a
5 case of this kind. We find a boy of four
teen arrested for entering a church, robbing
and destroying property, and writing blas
phemous words in the Bible. Many cases'
are reported of men who knock down wo
men in the street and rob them of their
clothes. The crimes common in all great
cities—larceny, assault, robbery—are multi-
tudinous in London, and impossible to
chronicle. But one of the most singular
illustrations of the degradation of the lower
classes is the ease of a woman who hept a
sweetmeat shop, wherein little children
gambled for sugar-plums. In the Times of
November 17 we find the following testi
mony of a police constable:
“He saw 44 children, between the ages of 5 &n<l
12 years, enter the prisoner l * shop in the course of
two hours on Sunday evening to play a game with
‘ thA dotif? «ii the , priaoner’e counter. He then
lookeuibrough the window and saw children gam
bling, and the prisoner dealing out nuts aad sweet
meats, Ke went in. and seized toe gambling imple
ments. The witness then produced what is popu
larly known as ‘a dolly.’ It consisted of a block
of wood, the interior of which was cut out in the
form of a spiral staircase, sod a board on which
about 40 numbers were painted. A marble being
dropped in the inside of the ‘dolly’rolled down to
the board. The player was entitled to as many
nuts, drepa, or sugar plums as were represented by
the number on which it fen. The value of these
never exceeded a half penny, although sometimes
there were six players at a halfpenny each. Another
instrument was like a roulette board on a small
scale, a pea being substituted for a ball. The circle
was divided into red and bUok ep toes, with num
bers on each, excepting two blauks. If the pea
alighted on a blank the player was declared entitled
to nothfng. " . '
««Mr* Woolrych observed there were 16 numbers
Against two blanks. The odds were not in favor of
the proprietor of the board. -
“ Smith explained that the prisoner could call out
a blank or any number she liked, for the board was
above the children’s heads. Sometimes six children
would stake a halfpenny each, and the one whose
pea fell on the highest number would be declared the
winner of threepenny worth of sweetmeats, but not
more than one pennyworth was given. The same,
thing happened when the marble rolled down‘the
dolly. 1 Heßawa great many children coma out of
the prisoner’s shop crying because they had lost
their halfpence and pence. 1 ’
It may-be remembered that Buck lotteries
•were actually openly conducted in the
streets of New York, recentlyand became
sucli a nuisance thaf they were suppressed
by the police. We should lilse to know if
any similar swindle is practised in the can
dy-shops of Philadelphia.
Many-of the crimes of London—perhaps
most of them—are caused by poverty. With
many of these miserable outcasts it is beg,
steal, or starve. Two dissipated women
were lately brought before a magistrate
charged with having broken a plate glass
window with a piece of granite. The pro
prietor of the store testified that they then
came voluntarily forward and told him they
had broken the window “ because they were
starving and had no home:"; The magis
trate reproved them severely, Baying it was
outrageous for them to deliberately subject
a respectable ©itizen to serious loss simply
because they wanted to get into the work
house. A few days before, other young
women wilfully broke a street-lamp; to the
magistrate one of them said she was “in the
greatest distress; tad been all day without
food; had no home, and had-been refused ad
mission to the workhouse. She was deter
mined to do something to get a night’s lodg
ing; it was a frosty night, and she was cold
and miserable.” The other prisoner had
been turned out of her father’s house for
’living with girls of loose character, and,
having no home, and being anxious to re
form, broke the window to get into prison.
It is singular that starvation should have
a tendency to raise the price of glass, and,
doubtless, when, the smashing of windows
becomes a general .thing, active measures
will be taken to improve the workhouse
system. The limn editorially describes a
scene at the doors of a workhouse—accom
modations for .five or six vagrants, and fifty
or sixty applications. Forty-five starving,
houseless men and women are turned out to
Wander in the streets all night. “Such a
scene,” th£ Times well says,
11 Ought to be impossible In this rich and luxu
rious city- however rough, food, however
coarse, is tlfcsiatural right of the destitute; and on
these mlaerahle November nights there should not
be human beihgs wlthin a stone’s throw of Soring
gardens and Whitehall unable to find even the bare
shelter of a ioof.”
It is not'strange to find misery at the hot-
tom of. all this ■wickedness. The women
Who broko the street-lamp, in our opinion,,
did a very sensible thing, and deserve sym
pathy, not censure. So long as there is a
large class continually on the verge of star
vation, society must sutler, and the crimes
of London will continue to increase until
the folly of London is diminished, The
more we reflect upon the matter the more
are we convinced that the problem “how
shall we keep tlie lower classes from crime.?’ ’
is almost identical with that “ how shall we
save them from starvation ?” '
—Ol the Hon* Lucien Andergon, lately. captured
t>y guerilla, In Went Kentucky, a ootemporary saya;
"We are highly gratified to state that Hr. Lin
coln’s Administration will have no warmer support
er, in all of itt measures for the suppression of the
rebellion, than Hr. Anderson. He Informed us that
if he lives to get to Washington, ho will cast’ hts
vote for the Hon. Sohuyler Colfax for Speaker of the
House of Representatives. Those ot our conserva
tive friends who made suohaluss about the Hon.
Sam. Casey misrepresenting that Congressional dis
trict last year, may put this in their pipe, and
annolre it.” ,
The statement telegraphed simultaneously from
Cincinnati and Washington, to the effect that Major
General Thomas, the commander of the Army of the
Cumberland, had telegraphed the President that in
- his late operations he acted in accordance with the
' mans matured by General Ro3ocrans before his re.-
>oyai, is authoritatively pronounced to be. Utterly
REPORT OF THE GKIfSMLKkCHIKF,
The Military History of the Past Year.
.WASHncdTON, Dec. 10.
Headquarters of the Aeut,
Washington, D. C., Nov. 15,1863.
Sin: In compliance with your orders, I submit
the following summary of military operation! since
my last annual report:
Department of West Virginia and Arm)'
of the Potomac,
When General Burnside relieved General Mc-
Clellan from his command, on the 7th'of November
of last year, the Army of the Potomac was on the
south aide of the Potomao, under instructions to
pursue Lee by a flank march on the interior line to
Richmoud, hugging closely.to the Blue Eidge, bo as
to observe it a passes and to give battle to the enemy
whenever an opportunity occurred.
On reaching Warrenton, however* General Burn
aide .proposed to give up this pursuit of Lee’s
army toward Richmond, and to move down
the north sido of the Rappahannock to Fal
mouth and establish a new base of supplies at
Acquia Creek or Belle Plain, This proposed
change of base was not approved by me, and
in a personal interview at Warrenton I strongly
urged him to retain his present base, and to con
tinue his march toward Richmond in a manner
pointed out in the President’s Tetter of Ojtober 13 th,
1862, to Gen. MoUlellin.
General Burside did not fully concur m the Presi
dent’s view, but finally consented to modify his
plan as to cross his army by the fords of the upper
Rappahannock, and then move down and seize the
heights south of Fredericksburg, while asmall force
was to be sent north of the river to enable Genera]
Haupt to reopen the railroad and to rebuild the
bridges, the materials for which were nearly ready
in Alexandria. I, however, refused to give any
official approval of this deviation from the Presi
dent’s instruotions until his assent was obtained.
On my return to Washington, on the 13th, I sub
mitted to him this proposed change in the plan of
campaign, and, on its receiving his assent rather
than approval, I telegraphed, on the Uth, authority
to General Burnßide to adopt it. I here refer not to
General Burnside’s written plan to go to Falmouth,
but to that of crossing the Rappahannock above its
junction with the Rapidan. .'.•••
Ifc hiifi bean inferred, from the tfiatlttlOliy Of CrGIL
Bufcsidfi before mo OODgreiiionai oommitteo oii
the Conduct of the War; that hit plan <?r marching
his whole army on the north of the Rappahannock
from Warrenton to Falmouth, had ibeen approved
by the authorities in Washington, and that he ex
pected, on his arrival there, to find supplies and
pontoons, with gunboats to cover his crossing.' In
the first place, that plan was never approved, nor
was he ever authorized to adopt it. In the Becond
place, he could not possibiy-have expected supplies
and pontoons to be landed at points then occupied
in force by the enemy.-Again, he was repeatedly
informed that gunboats could not at that time
ascend the Rappahannock to Fredericksburg.
Gen. Burnside did hot commence his movement
from Warrenton till the loth, and then, instead of
crossing the Rappahannock by the fords, as he .was
expected to do, he marched his whole army down on
the north bank of the river, his advance reaching
Falmouth on the 20th. Lee’s army, ia the mean
time, moved down the south side oi the river, but
bad-not occupied Fredericksburg on the 2iat.. The
river was at this time fordable a few miies above
the town, and General Sumner, asked permission
to cross and occupy the heights, bat it was refused,
and no attempt was made to effect the passage till
the ltth of December, by which time Lee’s army
had been concentrated and strongly entrenched.
This passage, however, was effected without se
rious opposition, with the right wing and centre,
under Sumner and Hooker, at Fredericksburg, and
the left wing, under Franklin, on the bridges esta
blished some miles below. It was intended that
Franklin’s grand division, consisting of the corps
of Reynolds and Smitb, should attack the enemy’s
right, and turn his position on the heights in the
rear of Fredericksburg, while Sumner and Hooker
attacked him in front. But by some alleged misun
derstanding of orders, Franklin’s operations were
limited to a mere reconnoisasDce, and the direct at
tacks of Sumner and Hooker were unsupported.
The'Tontest on the right wing, during the 13th, was
continued till half past 5 P. LI., when our men were
forced to fall baok, after suffering terrible losses.
Both armies remained in position till the night of
16th October, when Gen. Burnside withdrew his
force& to the north side of the Rappahannock, Gen.
Burnside has been frequently requested to make an
offioi&l report of these operations, but has furnished
no information beyond that contained in hie brief
telegrams, sent from the battle-field, in one of whioh
he uses the following language: “The fact that I
decided to move from Warrenton to this line, rather
against the opinion of the President, the Secretary
of War, and yourself, and that you have left the
wbole movement iu my iisaSsi siries
oracrsi ihbhm my mt mm rwpww*" .. -
The loes of the rebels in. this battle is not known.
As they were sheltered by their fortifications, ifc.WAB
probably leas than curs, which, as officially reported,
was i,I3S killed, 915 wounded, and 2,t>78 mißsing.
Most' of the missing and many of the slightly
wounded soon rejoined the regiments and reported
for duty.
It was alleged at the time that the loaa of this bat
tle resulted from the neglect to. order .forward the
pontoon train from Washington, This order was
transmitted from Warrenton to Brigadier General
Woodbury, then in Washington, onthe 12th of No
vember. and was promptly acted on by him. Gen.
Burnside had supposed that the pontoon train was
then in Washington .or Alexandria, while it was
still on the Potomac, at Berlin and Harper’s Ferry,
Gep. Burnside’s order to send it to Washington not
having been received by. the officer left in oharge
there. Gen. Burnside had only allowed time for
transporting pontoons from Alexandria, when they
had to be first transported to thatplacefrom Bar .in.
Belay was therefore entirely, unavoidable, and, on
investigation of the matter by Gen. Burnside,, Gen.
Woodbury was exonerated from all blame. ‘
General Hooker relieved General Burnside from
his command on the 25th of January, but no ad
vance movement was attempted till near the end of
.April, when a. large cavaliy force, under General
Stonemac, was sent across the upper Rappahan
nock, towards Richmond, to destroy the enemy’s
communications, while General Hooker, with his
main army, crossed the Rappahannock and the
Rapidan above their junction, and took position at
Cbancellorville, at the same time General Sedgwick
crossed nqar Fredericksburg, and stormed and car
ried the heights.
A severe battle took place on the 2d and 3d of May,
and on the 6th our army was again withdrawn to
the north side of the river. For want of official
data, I am unable to give any detailed accounts of
these operations or of our losses. ’ r
. It is also proper to remarkjin this place,.that from
the time he wsa placed in the command of the Army
of the Potomac till he reached Fairfax Station, on
the 16th of June, a few days before he was relieved
from the command, General Hooker reported direct
ly to the President, and received instructions direct-
iy from him.
I received no official information of his plans or of
their execution.
In the early part of June Lee’s army moved up
the south bank of the Rappahannock, occupied the
gaps of the Blue Ridge, and threatened the valley of
the Shenandoah. General Hooker followed on at
interior lines, by Warrenton Junction, Thorough
fare Gap, and Leeßburg. Butthe operations of both
armießwere so masked by the intervening moun
tains that neither could obtain positive information
of the force and movement 3 of the qther. Winches
ter and Martinsburg were at this time occupied by
us simply as outposts. Neither place was suscepti
ble of a . good defence. Directions were therefore
given, on the 11th June, to withdraw their g&rrisonß
to Harper’s Ferry, but these orders were not obeyed,
and on the 13th Winchester was attacked, and its
armament and a part of the garrison captured. Lee
now crossed the Potomac near Williamsport, and
directed his march upon Harrisburg. Gen. Hooker
followed on hia right flank, covering Washington
and Baltimore. On reaching Frederick, Md., on the
28th June, he was, at his own request, relieved from
the command, and Major General Meade appointed
in his place. During these movementaoavalry,skir
mishes took place at Beverly Ford, Brandy Station,
Berryville, and Aldie, some of which were quite se
vere, but, in the absence of detailed reports, I am
unable to give the losses on either side.
When General Meade, under orders of the Presi
dent, took command of the Army of the Potomac,
on the 28th of June, it was mainly concentrated at
Frederick, Maryland. Lee’s army was supposed to
be advancing against Harrisburg, which was garri
soned by raw militia, upon which little or no re
liance could be placed. Ewell’s corps ; was on the
west side of the Susquehanna, between that place
and Columbia. Longstreet’s corps was near Cham
bersburg, and Hill’s corps between that place and
Cashtown.
Stuart’s cavalry was making a raid between
Washington and Frederick,cutting Meade’s line of
supplies, and captaring his trains.
Our force at Harper’s Ferry at this time was sup
posed to be about 11,000. It was incorrectly repre
sented to General Meade to be destitute of provi
sions, and that he must immediately supply it, or
order the abandonment of the place. Accordingly, a
few hours afterlie assumed the command, he assent
ed to an order, drawn up by. an officer of General
Hooker’s staff’, directing General French to send se
ven thousand men of the garrison to Frederick, and
with the remainder (estimated at four thousand) to
remove and escort the public property to Washing
ton. This order, based on erroneous representations,
was not known in Washington till too late to be
countermanded, It, however, was
executed when General Meade very judiciously di
rected the reoccupation of'that important point.
On the 29th, General Meade’s army was put in
motion, and at night was in position, its left at Em
mettsburg, and right at New Windsor.'The advance
of Buford’s cavalry was at Gettysburg, and Kilpat
rick’s division at Hanover, where it encountered
Stuart’s cavalry, which had passed around the rear
and right of our army without meeting Any serious
opposition.
On the SOlh, the Ist. 3a and 11th Corm were concen
trated at Fmmetsburg, under General Reynolds, while
the right wing moved up to Manchesier- Buford re
ported the enemy In force on the Cashtown road n6ar
Gettysburg, and Reynolds moved up to that place on.the
let of July. He found our cavalry warmly engaged with,
the enemy, and holding them in check on the Cashtow a
road. Reynolds immediately deployed the advanced di
vision of the Ist Corps, and ordered the 11th Corps to ad
vance promptly to its support. Wadsworth’s division
had driven back the enemy some distance, and captured
a large number of prisoners, when General. Reynolds
fell mortallr wounded. The arrival of Ewell’s corps
about this time, by the York and Harrisburg roads, com
pelled General Howard/upon .whom the command de
volved, to withdraw his force, the Ist and lith Corps, to
the Cemetery ridge, on the south; side of Gettysburg.
About seven-P. M., Generale-Slckles and Slocum arrived
on the held with the 3d and 12th Corps, which took po
sition, one on the left land the other on the right of the
newline. The battle for the day, however, was over.
General Meade arrived on the field during the night
With the reserves, and posted his trooDS in line of battle,
' the Ist Corps on the right, the lUh Corps next, then the
’l2th Corps, which crossed the Baltimore pike; the 2d
• and 3d Corps on the Cemetery ridge. On the left of the
11th Corps the sth Corps, pending the arrival of the 6th,
formad-tlie reserve. On the arrival of the latter, about
two o’clock'P, M., it took the place of the sth, which
wasordered to take position'on the extreme left. The
enemy massed his troops on an. exterior ridge, about.a
imile and a half in front of that occupied by us. General
Sickles, misinterpreting his orders, instead of’placing
the 3d Corps on the prolongation of the 2d r had moved it
nearly three-fourths of & mile In advance, an error
. which nearly nroved fatal in the battle. The onemy at
tacked this corps on the 2d with great fury, and it was
likely to be utterly annihilated, when the sth Corps
moved up''on the left and enabled it to reform behind
the line it was originally ordered to hold. The 6th Corps,
and part of the Ist, were also opportunely thrown into
this gap, and succeeded in checking the enemy’s ad
vance about sunset. The rebels retired in confusion and
disorder.
About 3 P. M. an assault was made from the left of the
town, which was gallhntly repelled by the let, 2d and
11th Corps. On the rooming of the 3d, we regained, af* *
ter a spirited contest, apart of our line on the right,
which had been yielded to sustain other points. On the
2d, about IP; M., the enemy opened an artillery lire of ;
126 guns on our centre and ltfc. This was followed br
an assault of a heavy infantry column on our' left and
leftjeentre. This was successfully repulsed with terrible
loss to the enemy. This terminated the battle, aud the
rebels retired defeated from the field. The opposing
forces ia this sanguinary contest were - nearly equal in
numbers, and both fought with the most desperate cou
rage The commanders were also brave, skilfnl.and
experienced, and both handled their troops on the field
wiih distinguished ability; but to-Gen. Meade belongs
the honor of a well-earned victory, m one of the great
est and best-fought battles of the war. M
On the morningof the dth»the.enemy apparently occu
pied a newline in front of our left, but in reality his
army had commenced to retreat, carrying off a part or
his wounded. His lines, however, were not entirely
evacuated till the morning of the 6th, when the cavalry
and oth Corps were sent In pursuit/ The days of th#sth.
and Gib were employed by General Moade m succoring
the wounded aud burying the dead left on tnc battle
field. He then started in pursuit of Lee by-a dank move
ment upon Middletown; • •
In the meantime Gen. French had reoccupioo Harper s.
Perry, destroyed the enemy’s pontoon train at Williams
port and Falling Waters, and captured its guards. Halt
ing a day at Middletown, General Meade crossed the-
South Mountain, and on the 12th found the enemy occu
pying a strong position on the heights of Marsh Eon, in,
front of Williamsport. Instead of attacking Lee in this
position, with the swollen waters oi the Potomac in. his
rear, without any means of crossing his artillery, and
where a defeat must have caused the surrender of hts,
entfregarray, ?he was allowed to construct a-pontoon'
bridge with lumber collected from canal boats and the
ruins of wooden houses, and on the morning of the 14th.
his army had crossed to the south slae of the river. His
rearguard, however, was attacked by our cavalry aud
suffered considerable loss. Thus ended the rebel cam
paign north of the Potomac, from whlchimportant politi
cal and military results bad been expected. Our own
loss In this short campaign had been very severe, viz.;
2,831 killed, 13.702 wonnded, and 6,043 mlssing—ln all,-
23156 We captured 3 guns. 41 standards, 13,621 pri
soners, 26,179 small arms, The entire loss of the enemy
is not known, but judging from the numbers of his dead
and wounded left on the field, it mußt have been much
greater than ours. a .
After crossing the Potomac, Lee continued his retreat
up the valley of the 6henandoah, and' through the ga?3
ortho Blue Bidge, till he reached the south bank of the
Bapidan, near Hrange Court House,/where he took. up. a
defensive position- to dispute theuroaa'.ng of-the river.,
IGeneral Meade continued hts flank pursuit by Harper's'
Forry/ Berlin, and Warrenton. till he reached. Culpeper
swi.AswaU* U
THE PEESS -PBaE*l>ll^Wafi
prudent to Cress the river and attack the enemy, who
, waenow eatrenehed on the eoctfh hank* which com
pletely commanded the approaches on the north side.
Daring this advance, several cavalry skirmishes took
place, bat without serious loss on either side.
. A considerable part of bee’s army was now withdrawn
to reinforce Bragg in the West; but with his diminished
numbers he assumed a threateuihgattltude agAlnst Gsa.
.Meade, manoeuvred to turn his dank, and forcad him to
fall baok to the line of Bull Ban Having destroyed the
Change and Alexandria Railroad from the Rapidan to
Manassas, the rebels again fell baok to their former po
sition near Orange Court House. Daring these opera
tions there were several severe engagements between
detached forces—but no general battle—October 10:h and
UthatßobertaoVa River, 12th at Brandy Station. Uth
at Bristoe Station. 19th at Buckland Mills, 24th at Baal
ten and tho Rappahannock Bridge, and, on the 7th of
November on the south bauk of that river. Our loss at
Bristoe Station was 51 kllltd aud 329 wounded. We oap
tuied 6 cannon, 2 colors, and 450 prisoners. Ia the
several skirmishes belweeu the !)fch and 23d of October
the casualties in our cavalry, corps were 74 killed-, 316
wounded, and 885 missing. Tim enemy's loss is not
known, but must have beep heavy, as ,we captured
many prisoners. Troops sent out from. Harper'i Ferry
fenced him to immediately retreat. •
On the 7sh' of'November, Generals Sedgwick and
French attacked the enemy at Rappahannock Station
and Kelly’s Ford, capturing several redoubts, four guhs,
and eight battle flagß, and about 2,OiX) prisoners. Our
loss in killed and wounded was 370. Tne enemy now
retreated to his old position, toutii of th* Rapidan.
The operations of our troops in West Virginia are re
ferred to here as being intimately counectcd with those
of the Army of the Potomac ; the force being too small
to attempt any important campaign by itself has acted
mostly upon-the. defensive,'in repelling'raids and'in
breaking cp guerilla bands. When Lee’s army retreat
ed across the Potomac, in July last, Brigadier General
Kelly concentrated all his available force on the ene
my’s flank. uearClear Springs, ready to co-operate tu
the proposed attack by General Meade ;they also ran
deied valuable services in the pursuit after Lee had ef
fected hie passage of tho river. On ths 24th of July.
•Colonel Toland attacked the enemy at Wytheviile, on
th e Xa stern and Virginia Railroad, capturing two pieces
of artillery. 7CO muskets, and 125 prisoners. Oar loss
was leventeen killed and sixty.one wounded ; the ene
my ’e killed and reported to be seventy-ilvd.
In august Gnceral AveiLli attaefeed a rebel force under
Get eial Sam. Jones, at Rocky Gap, in Greenbrier coun
ty. captuHng 1 gun, 150 prisoners, acd killing and
woundingsome 200. Oar loss In killed, wounded, and
missing was 130. On the 11th of September Imhoden at
tacked a small fjrce of our troop* at Moreileld. wound
ing 15 and captaring about 160. Oa the 6th of November
General Aveiill attacked and defeated the enemy near
Lewisburg, capturing 3 pieces, over 103 prisoners, and a
larte number of email arms, wagons, and camp equip
age. The enemy’s loss in killed and wounaed esti
mated atSOO.
Eepjrtmfnt of Virginia and North Ca
rolina, , ' ■ ■ ■
A-w Are® U. ike past yAAir. La*
Uifi li<S einill tii iti- liilgSSiiM SSiHiIMS S»,US!> Ilia
enemy, and, consenueniLy, ins acted mostly oa site io
feiuive, holding the important positions previously cap
tured from the rebels. Nevertheless, Geneial Foster
has given much annoyance to tho enemy, and taken
every favoj able opportunity to threaten and cut Ms
lines kt December last he marched against Kinston,
and on the 14ih defeated the enemy and captured tbe
place Be then moved up tbe south side of theNeuse
liver to Goldsboro’, burned the'raHroad bridge at that
place, and tore up much of the railroad between the
river and Mount Olive. ■
He captured 496 prisoners and 9 pieces of artillery.- Elis
lots was 90 killed, 478 wounded, <and £ missing, in
Maich the rebel Gen. Pettigrew, with a large force of in
fantry and art’fliery, made a demonstration on Newborn.,
bat was foretd to abandon the attempt upon that place.
General Foster’s loss was only 2 killed and 4 wounded.
In Apiii General Hill laid siege to Washington, on Tar
river. The place had only a small,,garrison, and was
but slightly fortified. General Foster,- however, imme
diately directed all hi* energies to strangthen the works
so as to resist any assault till reinforcements arrived
from Newborn, co raise the siege there. No report of the
looses on either sice
An expedition sent against a rebel camp at Gam Swamp,
in Kay. -which captured 165 prisonersand military stores,
and another, in July, against Rocky Mount, on Tar
river, which destroyed ine bridge at that place and a
large amount of rebel property, terminate the military
operations in that State to the prepent lime
On betugcomptlled to abandon his attempt upon Wash
ington. the rebel General Hiil.marci.ed towa dsNanse
moad to reinfoice Longst.-eet, wno was investing Suffolk.
Failing in Ms direct assaults upon this place, the enemy
proceeded to establish batteries for its reduction. Gene
ral Peck made'every preparation.for dofence of-whloh the
place was cap&bie/and started’the construction of his
works, till finally the attempt was abandoned. Our loss
in these-ooeratioss was 44 k lied, 202 wounded, and 14
missing Wq captured 400 prisoners and'five guns during
the siege. -
As Suffolk possessed no advantages as a military post,
and was not kusceptible of a good defence, the garrison
was afterwards withdrawn within the new lines con
structed around Norfolk. When the rebel army was
moving North, upon Maryland and Pe'iiUbylvania, G<?n.
Dix sent all of his available force from Norfolk and
Fortress Monroe up the York river, for the purpose of
cutting off Lee’s communications with Richmond, and
-of attacking that place, which was then defended by
only a handfull of militia. The expedition, however,
tailed to accomplish a single object for which it had been
fitted out. . ‘
'the failure resulting, as was alleged, from the in
efficiency of one of ihe generals commanding. General
Dix. therefore, ordered its return, and sene the troops
of which it was composed to reinforce Stbe army.of--.Geu.
Mease, north of the Potomac. On the sth-oT October,
Brigadier General Wistar was sent with a small forcSl
aided by gunboats, to Mathew county, Virginia, to b'realf
up a rebel party known as the Confederate Voltuiteeri
Coat? 6uSrd. vio vere engaged in smuggling goods'
across the Chesapeake from Maryland and the Eastern
flore.- Most of Aet £&££<].£ WJ.ro £.UISSi JLt IkS
finie. lint tls esMoillon resulted in capturing: 100 boats
and schooner?! and fio head ofbeef cattle,
. The navy has given efficient aid in all the operations
in this Department.
, Department of tlie South,
• She withdrawal, last year, of most of our troops in
South Carolina, to reinforce G eneral McClellan on the
Peninsula, compelled the commanding general of that
Department to .confine himself mainly to the defence of
the points which he then occupied. An attack upon.'
Fort Sumpter and Charleston had long been in contem
plation by the flaw Department, and in March last it
was represented that the operations of the iron-clads and.
monitors would be greatly facilitated by a land force
prepared to assist the attack, and to. occupy any work
reduced by the Navy. Accordingly GeheralFoster.with
a considerable force and a large siege equipage, which
had been prepared for another purpose, was seat to as
sist in this naval attack.
' It was thought that his taients and experience as an
engiseer officer, and his personal knowledge of the loca
lities and .defensive .works of Charleston harbor, ren
dered him peculiarly suited for this duty, but not prov
ing acceptable to the commanding general of the De
partment. he was permitted to return to his command in
the his troops and siege preparations
in the Department of the South. The naval attack on
Fort Sumpter took place on the 7th of -Aprik but being
unsuccessful* nothing apparently lemained, to ba dose
by the land forces. A siege of Charleston and its defences
-by lard had never been attempted, and therefore was no
part of the plan.
It was now represented by the Navy Department that
a second attack upon Fort Sumpter and Charleston was
preparing, and tuat its success required the military oc
cupation of Morris Island, and the establishment of land
batteries on that island to assist in the reduction of Fort
bumpier.
.The establishment of. these batteriesand the reduction
oftbe enemy's works, Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg,
being a matter of engineering, skill. Brigadier General
(now Major General) Q. A.vGiimore was selected to com
mand the land forces engaged in these operations. In
addition to beingnn educated and skilful military engi
neer, he had considerable experience in' the special
duties required in these operations.. General Gilmore,
despite the enemy’s detensive works, lauded his force
on Morris; Inland on the 10th of July, and immediately
commenced the alow and difficult operations of conduct
ihgthe siege of -Foil Wagner, and establishing batteries
against Fort Sumpter.
without, however, waiting for the reduction of the
former, he opened, on the l?th of August, hia fire on the
latter, and, on the 23a, after seven days’ bombardment,
Fort Sumpter was reported a shapeless and harmless
mass of ruins. Being under the fire of other forts of the
enemv, and inaccetsible by land, our troops could not
occupy it, and a few guns have since been temporarily
remounted, but they have been as often silenced.. Gen.
Gilmore now vigorously pushed forward hia sappers
against Fort Wagner, and, on the morning of the 7th. of
September,,took possession of that place, and also-,of Bifc
teiy Gregg most of the garrison having made their es
cape in boats during the night «\ •
He captured in all thirty-six pieces of artillery aha a
large amount of ammunition-. General Gilmore’s opera
tions have been characterized by great professional skill
and boldness, , He has overcome difficulties almost un
known in modern sieges. Indeed, his operations on
Morris Island constitute almost a new era in the science
of engineering and gunnery. Since the capture of-Forts
Wagner and Gregg, he has enlarged the works, and es
tablished powerful batteries, which effectually com
mand Fort Bnmpter. and can render efficient aid to any
navel attack upon Charleston. They also control thb en
trance to the harbor.
Department of tlic Gulf.
Major General Banks took command of thsDepartmsnt
of the Gulf on the 17th of December. Almost imme
diately on assuming command he ordered a detachment
of troops to Galveston, Texas, to ocsupv.that place un
der ihe protection of our gunboats. Colohel Bnrrill,
with three companies of the 4*2d Massachusetts - Volun
teers, the. advancc of the expedition, arrived at-that,
place on the evening of. the 24th December. On con
sultation with the commander of the blockading force
he landed hie men upon the wharf and took possession
of the city on the Ist January.
Before the arrival of the remainder of our forces the
rebels made an attack by land with artillery and in
fantry, and by water! with three powerful rams. Col.
Burriii’s command of 260 men were nearly all i ilied and
taken prisoners. . The Harriet Lane was captured, aad
the flagship Westfield was blown up by her commander
to prevent ner falling into the hands or the enemy- ‘ The
retels also captured the coal transports and a schooner.
The comma: ders of the Harriet Lane and Westfield, and
a number of other naval officers and men, were killed.
The remainder of the expedition did not leave New
Orleans till December 31st, and arrived off Galveston
on the 2d ol January, the day after our forces theremad
been captured or destroyed by the enemy. Fortunately
they did not attempt to -land,.and returned to New Or
leans in safety. It is proper to remark that this expedi
tion was not contemplated or provided for in General
Banks’ instructions.
On the 11th of January .-General Weitzel, with aforce
of infantry and artillery, aidedruy the gunboats under
Lieutenant Commanding -Buchanan, crossed Berwick
Bay and attacked thArebsl gunboat Cotton, in the Bayou
Teche. This by the fire of our
naval and land forces. Wyrpurned by the rebels.
' The loes of General Weitzel’s command in this expe
dition was six killed and twenty-seven wounded. A
number were killed and wounded on our gunboats, and
among the foimeT, Lieutenant Commanding Buchanan.
- On learning of the capiure of the Queen of the West by
the rebels, above Port Hudton, and their movements in
Red river and the Teche, Admiral Farragut determined
to run past the enemy’s batteries, while the land forces
at Bate n Rouge made a demonstration on the land side
of Port Hudson. The demonstration was made, and, on
March 14th, Admiral Farragut succeeded in passing the '
batteries with the Hartford and Albatross. The Monon
gahela and Richmond fell back, and the. Mississippi
grounded, and was blown up by her commander.
Had cur land forces invested Port Hudson at this time
it could have been easily reduced,-for its garrison was
weak. This w ould have opened communication, by the
Mississippi river, with General Grant at Vickeborg. But.
the strength of the place was not then known, and Gen.
Banks resumed his operations by the Teche and Atcha
falay a. In the latter part of March Colonel Clarke was
sent with a small force up the Pontchatoula, and de
stroyed the railroad bridge at that place. He captured a
rebel officer and. four privates, and three schooners
loaded with cotton. His loss was six wounded.
At the same time General Dickerson was seat to the
Amite river to destroy the Jackson Railroad. He pro
ceeded as far as Cauip Moore, captured forty- three pri
soners,' a considerable amount of cotton, and destroyed
valuable rebel manufactories.-In his operations up the,
Teche and Atchafalaya General ‘Banks eamountersdttiie* .
enemy, lunder and MoutOn, atguy&f&fe
points, and defeated them in
La Rose was captured, with a garrison and tws|jpE*w;
guns. By the gunboats,' ntfderLieutenant
T. Cooke,-of the navy,Banks reached'
on the Bth of May,, the enemy-retreating towards Shreve
port and into Texas. •
. Iti this expedition General Banks reports the capture
of two thonsand prisoners, twenty.two pieces of artil
lery, two transports, and.a large amount of public pro
perty. We destroyed three gunboats, and eight trans
ports. Our own loss in the different engagements with
the enemy was very alight? numbers not given.
General Banks now returned to the Mississippi river,
and crossed his army to Bayou Sara, where he formed a
junction, on the 23d of May* with General Augur’s forces
from Baton Rouge. The latter had an engagement with'
the enemy at Fort Hudson-Plains on the 23d, in which,
helowtnineteen killed, and eighty wounded;
Port Hudson was.iiqpiediately inverted. While await
ing the slow operationkof a siege, General Banks; made
two nnsuccessfnl.assanlts upon the place; finally, on the
Sth of July the place ut> condition ally surrendered. We‘
captured six thousand two hundred and thirty* three pri
soners, fifty-one pieces of artillery, two steamers, four
thousand four hundredlpounds of cannon powder, fiye
thousand small arms, one hundred and fifty thousand
ronndß of;ammunition, Ac.
In order to facilitate General Grant’s operations, by ]
destroying the enemy’s line of communication, and to I
prevent the early concentration of any reinforcements, !
’-Colonel, l v liow Brigadier General, Grierson, was
sent with a cavalry force from Lagrange, on the 17th of 1
April, to traverse the iaterior of the State of.&tUsissippi.
This expedition was;isost successfully conducted. It
destroyed many of the enemy’s railroad bridges/depots,
and‘much of the roiling stock, and reached Baton
llo.uge, La., in. safety, on the 2d of May.
' .On returning to Vicksburg, Gen. Grant found hie.
forces insufficient to entirely invest the enemy’s works:
therefore, danger that the two bodies of the
enemy, under the command of Gens. Pemberton and.
Johnston, might yet effect a junction, as it was known
tbat the latter was being largely reinforced from Bragg’s ,
army ii Middle and'East Tennessee Under these cir
cumstances Gen. Grant determined to attempt to carry'
the place by assault. Two unsuccessful attacks were’
made on the 19th and 22d of Mav. but as reinforiements
reached him a few days after sufficiently large to enable
him to completely invest the rebel defences, he resorted,
to the slower but more effective way of a regulav siege.
By the 3d of July his sappers were no far advanced as to.
render lis success certain, and on that day Gen. Pem
berton propoied an armUtice and capitulation,. wjiich
were finally accepted, and Vicksburg surrendered on
the 4th of July. '
In the language of General Grant’s official report, the
results of this short campaign weie: The defeat of the
enemy In five battles outside of Vicksburg; the occtfpr
tion of Jackson, the capital of the State of Mississippi,
and the capture of Vicksburg and its garrison, and mu
niiionsof war; a loss' to the enamv of: 37,000 prisonors,
among whom were fifteen general officers, at IO,COO
killed and wounded, and among the killed Generals
Tracy, Tilghman, land Green, and hundreds, perhaps
thousands, or stragglers, who can neyer be collected and.
organized; arms and munitions of war for 1 an’armyof
60,1C0 men have fallen .into our hands, besides a large,
amount of other public property, consisting of railroads,
locomotives, cars, steamboats, cotton, &c., and much
was destroyed, to prevent our capturing it.
t. Our losses in the aeries of battles may be summed up.
as follows;'..--, ’ .
Killed. Wounded. Missing.
130 718. 5
Port Gibson.
Fourteen-mile creek skit
nlampion'sHiil"’.'.'.'.':42s I,Ba m'
B!gßlackß. B. Bridge... SB 2
E 45; 3»SBS . 303
Of the wounded many were but slightly wounded
and continued on duty ; many more required .but afar?
day a or weeks for their recovery, and not more than Qua*
half of the wounded were penaaaontly disabled. '
When we' consider the- character, or the country in
which this army operated, the formidable ohstacleß to
be overcome, the~namberof fche eneiny’fl force, and the
etreußth of his worka, wo cannot but admire the cou
rage and endurance of tha troops,: and. the akill and
daring of the commander.. No more' brilliant exploit:
can be found in military 'llistory. U has been, al leg&d,
;aa<* tlwi 9,a«*»ti<?a:hWi fcm ■'fflisJs stajaiaMiyi? (lia
prees, that Gen. Grant, in ilie conduct uf Ms cautpal^Ot
positively disobeyed tlift Instructions of. Mi eiiDeriGTi
It le hardly necessary to ram are that Gsn. Grant new
disobeyed an order or instruction, bat always carried
out, to the best of his 'ability, every wish or sruggestion
made to him by the Government.
Moreover, ho has never complained that the Govern
ment did not furnish Mm ail the means and assistance
in its power, to facilitate the execution of any plan
which he saw fit to adopt. Wmle-the main army of
Tennessee was operating against Vicksburg the enemy's
forces on the westsideof the river made successful at
tacks on Millikon’a Bend and Bake Providence, on the
6th and 10th of Jane. Oar lobb iiv the former was 101
killed, 255 wounded, and 2G5 ciinsing'. Bose in the latter
not reported, it is represented that the colored troop lin
these engagements fought with great bravery, and that
the lebt is treated this olass of prisoneis-of-war as well
as their officers with great barbarity.
It has Dot been possible, however, to ascertain she cor
recUeis of the representations in regard'to the treatment
of these prisoners After the cnptureof Vicksburg, Gen.
Grant reported that his troops were so much fatigued
and worn-out, with forced marches and the labors of
the siege, as absolutely to require several weeks of re
, pceebefoTe undertaking auother camuaigh Kevertne'-
Itas. as the exigencies of the service seemed to require
'it. he sent out those who were least latigaed ou several
important expeditions,- while the others remained at
Vicksburg, to put that place in a better defensible con
dition for a small garrison;
As soon as Vicksburg was captured. General Sherman
wa3 Bmt in pursuit of Johnston’s forces. The latter.re :
treated.to Jackson, Mississippi, which place was taken
by ns on the 16th of July. Our loas was about one
thousand in killed, wounded, and missing. General
Sherman captured seven hundred and sixty-four prison
ers, two rirtad guns, a large'amount of ammuuUion, aud
destroyed the railroad, roiling' stock, &o. The euemy
retreated towards the Alabama line, andGentralSher
man re urned to Vickiburg to recuperate his forces.
: *Our lots from the 23d to the 3uth of May, including the
' assault of the 27th, as reported; was about one thousand.
Beingreinforced from General Grant's army on the ter
mination of the Mississippi campaign; .General Banks
tent an expedition, under General Franklin, to occupy
; the month of the Sabine river in Texas, ;It reached the
entrance.to the harbor on the Bth of September, and the
gunboatßengaged the enemy’s batteries,buttwooftbcm,
the Clifton ana Sachem, being disabled,' were forced, to
; surrender, the others retreated, and the whole expedi
tion returned to Brasher City.
The officers and crew of the gunboats, and about nine
ty f-harpriiootere,: who were on board, were captured, •
aid our loss in killed and wounded- was about thirty.
After a long delay'at Brashear Olty, the army moved
; forward bit Franklin and VormilliohvUle, and at last
: accounts occupied Opelousas. : .
Department of the Tennesßee.
At the date of my last annual-report Gen. Grant occu
pied West Tennessee and the northern boundary of. Mis
sissippi. The objector the campaign of this army was
theopenixg f the Mississippi river; in conjunction with
the army ofo ea. Banks. ’
. General Grant w&h iuftnictod to drive the enemy 1*
.Ha- £±3 SAttUi a*. p&flfiiMe. nad dAftlrov thnu?
Ffliiroitd men fftHDAG* to mompTLisr ana
1 tnbtUfc hie hYBiidbi? forces on travej’orfs, and. with the
an«Mance of the fleet ©f Admiral l’orter, reduce Vicks
burg. The firs'pwt of this plan was moat successfully
executed; bur the right wing of the army, sent against
Vicksburg under General .Shariaan, found that place
much stronger tbanwas expected. Twowttackswere
made ou the 2Sth and 29th of December. .but fairing in
thflr ' object, our-troops were'withdrawn, add, while
\waiting reinforcements from General Grant, m'oved up
the Arkansas River to Arkansas l’oet, which place was,
with the assistance of the gunboats, captured oh the tltb
of January.
Our loss at Vicksburg was-191'killed, 932 wounded;
. and 756 missing; at Arkansas Post, 129 killed, b3l
wounded and 17 missing. YVe captured at the latter
place 5,rCO prisoners, 17 pieces of cannon, 3.020 small
arms, 46. CCO rounds of ammunition, and '<s3 animals. -
Gen. Grant now assumed the immediate command'of
the army on the Mississippi, which.-was largely.?rein- v
forced. *Bsing satisfied by the result of Gen‘. ; Sheriaau’s
operations that the north- line of works was too strong
to be carried without heavy-loss,’ he directed his attend
tion to opening the' canal, which had - been commenced
the year before by Gen. William?, across the peninsula,
on the west bank of the river.
This canal had been improperly located, its upper ter
minus being in an eddy, and the lower terminus being
exposed to the enemy ’s, guns... Nevertheless,' it was
thought that it could, be completed sooner than a new
one could be constructed. While working parties under
Captain Prime, Chief Engineer of that army; were' dili
gently employed on this canal, Gen. Grant'directed his
attention to several other projects for turning the ene
my s position.
These are fully described In his official report. The
canal proving impracticable, his other plans being’
untuccessfal, he determined- to move this army by
land down the west bank, soma seventy miles,' whPe
.transports for crossing should run past the enemy's
batteries at Vicksburg, the danger of running fhe bat
teries being very great and the road's on the west side
in horrible condition. This was a difficult and hazardous
expedient, but it seemed to be the onlj possible solution
of the problem.
The execution of tie plan, however, was greatly faci?
liiated by Admiral Farragut. who had run two of his
veFsels past the enemy’s batteries at Port Hudson and
Grand Gulf- and cleared the river of the enemy’s boats
below Vicksburg; and, finally,through the indomitable
energy of the cc-mmancing general, and the admirable
dispositions of Admiral Porter for running the enemy’s
batteries, the operations were completely successful.
The army crossed the river at Bruinsbnrg, April fo;h,
turned Grand Gulf, and engaged the enemy near Port
Gibson on the first, and at Fourteen Mile creek,'on the
third of May. The enemy was defeated in both, engage
ments, with heavy loss.
General Grant now moved his forces, byrapid marches,
to the north, in order to separate the garrison of Vicks
burgfrom the covering arm of Johnston. This move
ment was followed by the battles of Raymond. May 12;h,
of Jackson, May 34th. of Champion. Hills. May3.6sb, au*i
Big Black River Bridge, May 27tb, in all of which our
t.tuMMTOSTO yjototiona. flonaral Giant now nKmaoaai
[0 iDTBSn JPKSBWi
A military and naval fore© was seat to Yazoo City on
. the 13th. It took cOO prisoners, captured one steamer.
burned five, took six caDnoh x 2SD small arms, and SCO
horses ahdinules No loss on our side reported, small
expeditions were also sent against
Grenada, and Natchez, Mississippi. At Grenadaalarge
amount'of rolling stock was destroyed. Near Natchez
General Bansom captured 6, COD head of Texas cattle, a
number of prisoners and teams, and a. large amount of
ammunition. 1 The other expeditions wore also success-,
ful, meeting with very little opposition. A© soon as his
aimy was supplied and rested. General Grant sent a
. force under General Sieele to Helena tcwco-operatewhh
General Schofield’s troops against Little Book, and
another under Generals Ord and Herron to New Orleans,
to. reinforce General Banks for such ulterior operations
&b he might deem proper to undertake. Somo expedi
tions were also sent to ihe Red river, and to'Harrhon
burg and Monroe, on the Washita, to break up and.' de
stroy guerilla bands. -After General Grant left-Vicks-’
- burg to assume the general command east of the Missis
sippi, General McPherson moved with -a pare,'pf bis
, force to Canton, Miss., scattering the'enemy's cavalry,
and destroying his materials and roads in the centre of
. that State; ‘ -
Department of tlie Missouri* ~
The ■withdrawal to Missouri of a large part of our
forces In Arkansas, as was stated in hit. last annnual re
port, left the frontier of the former exposed to raids, of
which, the rebels were prompt to take advantago. r jtf&r
m&duke, with the advance of Hindman's rebel army,'
moved forward with the purpose of entering the south
westof Missouri. Before the enemy could concentrate
forces for battle, Brigadier General 'Blunt,'by forced'
marches* encountered him at Gave Hill. :
In the Boston mountsinsa running .fighttookplaoe on
the 18th of November, 1862, in which the enemy wsesvde
feated with a heavy loss. Onr loss was 4 hilled, and.
36 wounded Four days after the combat of Cave Hill,
from, reliable information it was ascertained that
Hindman’s 1 -army had crossed the Arkansas river, and
formed a junction with Harmaduke- at Lee’s creek, lu
miles north of .Van Buren, to which point the latter had
retreated aftertheuctionofthe 28tdof NovtpnbeS -Ke
united rebel force wag believed to be very muck-greater
•than onr own, 2 divisions of which, were more.than.
100 mileB in ike rear. Immediately upon learning
General Blunt’s danger from an overwhelming attack;,
of the enemy, General Herron, by forced marches of lid
miles in 3 days, arrived at Fayetteville, Arkansas, early
on the morning ol the 7tn December, and soon after en
countered the enemy in force at Prairie Grove, while at
tempting a flank movement to get between Blunt and the
apprcacbing succor, to ,crush them both in succession.
This skilfully-devised project was fortunately frustrated
by the valor and endurance of Herron!s division, which 1
stoutly held their groundtillabout2o’cloekia the after
noon. . - •
- ’When Blunt’s forces arrived upon the field,, the en
gagement became general along the entire line, and con
tinued to be fiercely contested until dark. ? During, the
night the enemy retreated across the Boston Mountains.
Although the enemy suffered much more < severely than
ourselves, we purchased victory with the loss of 167
killed, 733 wounded, and 183 missing, making a total
ioTsfZf lW' of 1 ™ hick “fls ‘of di v? =O,« ' aeai-SS®p«, guaidedby 40 men. Tie card were de-
Earir inj 1563, a ?sM fo?ce, esttmatod at from ffi oy ltlg?^ftaa'vi?Do™ wn^ I fiA^unteS
MiUs t< ttßd o profeeled I bTtraT k of ’ollti ?o'the'atTact o£ foiceVatlacisd .Pranklla, bat was'repulsed by JUior
Sorlneaeld ?aiSnri aSci£r.nr iSIiVSm : teneral GrabgOT.intli a loss of 19 kllUd, 35 wounded
comdstlatt cbledy of militir coavalesceS aad ottiiaae’ left oa the Held, .and 48 prisoners. .Mijor General Jotepb
wasfomMlffd to foilwitThi, J - Reynolds made a raid upon the Manchester and Mc-
only abmit a i S; mn^?M 11 oSi • MiunviUe Railroad, destroying depots, rollins-stock,
nately defeod l fd : m*t of the dly °o“the-sSi of ™^& o ’S&lStS'lhtwHl!: Inclltoi
iStSTSSS "fe&te pS.“* $&
InotffsMimish •*£"/* Wh6a MarJts d * h “* tel ' te »»•
captured^prisonOTs 3 TheiSaion was now D so\r S? Op the^Jdof May Major General Sfcanleymade a raid
%&dfSSS£h KKrillT^i p t f Mr '' 300 lloraes ' 6oo
MtHfJnl? o Maio Ca GenVal j£ £S*'ihe'lflh 1 ftSedtriune
Cooper, which he completely routed, -the enemy leaving e A OT6r 1-iwWJUie ouis was only 17 killed ana
their killed and wounded on tire field e A>ur lo 3« was 17 'wvttirten fl«rh wb« AMinHnff Wam T^v«w.r
dred wouStd, and 77prisonersuL£ bS,Sm oS! rebel correepondonoe, that large detachments
scended Arkansas -river, and on the Ist September oc- wa* lefcSrtact Tn ordbnhat h^mtjrht
eupied Fort Smith, Arkansas. Tlie main body of our * s tt i°v §- hatkQHtlg^nt
troops in the Department of the* Missouri had, in the *??•
early part of the season, been sent to reinforce General Sli»i h J2b5 e,>C 4? e «2^ a i
Grant before Vicksburg. haM rg-e n*nds of the rebels, an, object
. Taking advantage of this reduction of force, the enemy *r o™2i
moved againet-Helena and-attackedtnat place on the
4th of July. After a severe engagement he was defeated S?*
by Major General Prentiss, with a heavy loss in killed ?w bu Sfora'
and wounded, and I,ICO prisoners. Our loss, iukillod, --v
wounded, and missing, was only abont 250. As soon as
Vicksburg had Capitulated, Major General S:eele was poe2°vt,Sil l^ ve^f ll i,! /^ lt ii
sent with a force to Helena, with instructions to form a
junction with Brigadier General Davison, who was %..V l S«S£?&.£VBfi.iP
moving south from Missouri, by Crowley’s Ridge, and £ fe , n wtfr.s dn £hhM*V££ •'.*?* * submit the fo.loiv
drive the enemy south of Arkansas river. This junc- u Vr£^r~CW'lc'*;.f'-••'A&Vt
tion being effected, General Steele established Ms depot .f 1 ; nne
and hospitals at Duvall’s -Bluff, and on the let of :Au- ? f arffnliaS?*? 8
gust advanced against the enemy, who fallback toward vy^y’4 Vti -§'^kj^ o!l . s . jcce ss, un adfiouate ca-
Little Rock... Alter several successful .skirmishes, he lA'4?! 1 n that Jt
reached Arkansas river, and threw part of his force f? t •i^'J«SrY? tllls ? v olLr
upon the south*.side to threaten the enemy’s communl- Jr« ld # Ret horMs^Aot. mor« %a ton*
cation with Arkadelphia ana take his'defences in re- S?,vt^vSF am r'4 0 '♦???* S »»
verse. The enemy, on seeing this movement, destroyed w^ f ’
what property they could, and, after, a slight resist- -v,
ance, tied in disorder, pursued by our cavalry, and on
tbe 10th September onr troops took possession, of the JfjAlr 4 t re^W y -^ that will tell . BuV
capital of Arkansas * /<•, ,• to things are viewed here, -I •
. uur loss In killed!' wounded, and missing did not ex- '
ceedlCO. We captured 1.000 prisoners, and such public •
property as the rebels had not time After r*. Z?* •
the capture of Little Rock, and while our cavalry were '?■£?}« J*2 c 2sth ;
driving the main'force -of rebels South; the. enemy fit ?%A9Lt
tempted the recapture of Pine Bluff, but was
'•SMfTrteA tl £e !^r o ttSWi.
Sf™? -. A A “ P ’ ®“ e “T re »« SUB S W ea yeti VB thousand,:.To the second, four
A large part of tbe military force In tbe Department ef £??• 80 -’, To ***• third, not one
«r V Ki i 4' tbinbB-:an advance adyisable until Vicks
robbers and murderers ourUues huig’s/ate is ; dfitemmed. A\.dmitftng these officers to
or been organized in the country. Most of these : bands £ iI SS? tier| C aii °ctSv??
disloyalty, and sometimes from fear, afford thorn a r6a to. the best
subsistence and concealment They usually hide thejpi- JbVe/ve Sf°r •
r selves in the woods; and being-well mounted, move 2vl|f\t tssfi*ij° mHLiJhf
.>*rapidly from one point to another, supplying themselves . J a _. canaltn^fAnkftri^oftt ;Sa
with provisions and They rob. that Scfi 4 ®h
they go. raid of one mv vrS?d w?n ?jßnfro
ofetbey could, wUb5^ _ - b“b SowwiSSG” ,
sex, committing atrocities more inhuman. 1 ehottld like Co bear M . General'
tbeu those of Indian tavagee. These ar-a tbe terrible re- To Ma , orGl wAm«7fg.lc°St
suite of a border contest, incited St' first for.pollttcal pm- 10 -' l^or ItALLECn, Goneral-m- bntef.
poses,, and since increasing in animosity by.the cl yil war. xy--.wr.rrol- Tune 15 ■ Tour ialomnt of
in which we areengaged, till all-sense of humanity aeetns r „ nnffitand yon?au
to have been lost mine desire to avenge with blood real D “nn?tn l fiebtltwo l !?^reet
smL'o «rted^‘lt h»s tt bem P psS- army, but noiWbrp'Aimlea acting mdependantly of
posed to depopulate : the frontier counties of. Missonrt, fer'fimfrintorest 1
vmt UafnmtabfTi?auv U 5tBUor n nr a cuhsf^totic« a tn t 'tfnsi> i UOteurS,.th«feslflHfitould fight at.dtffefent.times SO as
' uSSa«or^nldl. t 5,?a lmy slleUer 01 . subsisteace to these- to USBt them.; Itisfor.our .
Suchmeaeuies are wKhin the recognbed laws'of war;' ?f?hfi
forpe able to fight him aftevthe.
1 should bs“d”“d only Zvfrrunning-^esity 7 affair at and his troops return -to ,our
The execution of Gen. Schofield’s order on thUeubjecfc* ? r 25. 1 * -• «_ m»im Hint «fmn«sn« W
n^sL e ?y“i;Sro^o?eUw a it ored that U T IU not
- necessary nereatterto renew.n. .. . •- to fight
1 Department of tlic Northwest. reEponsihility.iof Cfoftng or refnaiug to fight at k par*
As soon as the season was sufficiently advanced for a tioolar ’upon the jcewral in
campaign against the Indiare, Gen. Pope sent a column, immediate -J*L %a.B rf
under Brist* Gen Siblsv uti tli6 ftDEßisB!tfDiriv(ir to üßir ell oi war, noi- VfldJ-tjhe authoiities.herejnake yon fight
our northern boundary,’and thence across the country agßlnfityoiir mll;\y S ° o tw
to the Missouri, snd anotherof cavalry, liuder Brig. Gen. ll£ a wiUTwy^woß^i
Bully, from Sioux City, up the litter river, to-cut off the after. lf£sl fi 1
retreat oflhe.hostile Indians whom Geu, Sibley might • the time dimmiKhindand noh<m.ofiaay Imme&ata ln>.
drive before him from Minnesota and Eastern Dacotah. create, yon mu|tkneV|>e surprised that their patience .e
Unfortunately, these movements were not well timed,
and no junction was effected. A"pf»rtloaof-the savages X} a genera baUid Wnbsßragg. Why cau iOU not
.driven north took lefuge within Britinh territory, where harass him, oirt-Jj&e
our troops were not permitted to follow them; Some' rrevent sendmg tij Johiiston
, lied westward, and were overtaken by General Sibley * 5O
near Missouri Coteau, where he encountered a force of asßure >JSJSvi»^iff 0
ImnSUbo^ 4 Dac ? wa?rlors » “ttmua at from- th^hmt
’in the engagemente which followed at Eig Mound and »«country. Vew^fcaolfully,, voni-bhedient servant.
Maior ■Gen. et
?i n tiKa«. i :d i rw:st
savaßea who escaped crossed to the west side of the Mis- ?v l S3 I OR x’ v»
sisßippi, and General Sibley reached that river, about; w & A /i*fiafc A tb^R^ortime ainfi!S to ’
ni ‘on the qd and Practically, we andhur opposing forces are bo widely
defeated, at Whitestonellall, about 139 miles above the separated, that for aid
TiHiaOi.-ratinn bbodvof Indians a ufirt'o? which had 1 louet abandon our front>.batautially, aud theu-wO-can
Sevfouiiv fJSSvi.'Sradaraislt : The- move to our ultimate-** with more rapidity and leca
were def?atta heavy I<m in kUled and watt B of material on najW Grant is de
wounfedTSSlira% oSflbL was M kUlod SSS ftated both forces will sfc ho™, And then wrought to
c 8 wounded. With these operations tho present Indian he near our,base. The Miae maxim
campaign was terminated. Recent hostilities in Idaho 1 takeit, a single army Aghilng two great battles at- the.
,- • m n‘iT ronr)ow if fipr>Aß«ftw tfi sptid sl iihliitftrv BsCDsditiQn seme time - -by the vzy.S; very awkwftiA thing to do
? & would forbid this all its forces,in the.,
into that ierruoxy.eauy in tne spnng. u t Weat at lllG *«o as to leave it without
Department of. tlac Pacific* a eingle reserve ta oi possible disaster,.,
This depaHinent has been moat' signally exempt from. This is, I think, sustain Why ;htgk military and poiitl-,
the evils of civil war, and consequently has enjoyed un l cal considerations. Wajemgat-to ilgnt-here ifwe iiave
exampled prosperity. Somo thefts and robberies haying a stronger prospect of wisnint a decisive battle over the
been committed by roving bands of Indians on the over- opposing force, and ground I shall act. I
land fctage route, in January last. General Connor shall he carerul not to risk !our last reserve Without
marchedwith a smallfom tcfßear.river, Idaho, where, strong ground to expect nw#jl . •-- .
on the 26th, he overtook .and completely defeated tnem " _ '?-• , _w. S, Major General,
in a severe battle, in whic.h he killed 2W of the 300, and Major General H. General-in-Chief.
• captured 176 of their horses. His own loss in killed and . ~ When Gen. Rosecrans finWli determined to advance,
wounded was 63 out of 500. Many of his men were so- ' he was -permitted to select,].without restriction, his.
vei ely injured, by the frost. Since this severe punish- own line of operations by whfch to reach Chattanooga,
mentf the Indians in that quarter have oeased to commit only hslng directed to connecthij left, so far as nractica-
S>urßdat‘ons on the whites. ' ble, w£h the army of General Burnside, and to report
aeprea daily by telegraph hie movements till he crossedithe.
Departmeut of t.lio Ojuo. . Tennessee river. Genoril Bpmelde was also ordered to
In December lari Brig. Gen. 8. I\ Carter made a connect his right as souili possible--with Gov
cavalry raid into Eastern Tennessee and destroyed the’? craas’ left,- so that if the enemi’ should concentrate
Union and Waknga Railroad bridges, a considerable upon either army, the>hthfr could move to. its. assist
amount of arms. rolling stock, &o. He returned, to ken-, ance. Gen. Rosecyana, ou the 25th of June, commenced
tiipVv wifi* tho loan of onlv tBn men ' -■ a forward'movement upcp ; the enemy, well entrenched
U Onthe SOth of March Brig. Gen. Gilmore engaged and •at TuUahomat fronts the defiles of Dack
defeated a large rebel force under Gen. Pegram. near nver? a
SooeiEet, Kentucky. O.ar loss in kiUed, wounded, and. and a; rough, -roeky. large, of whioh.divides the,
missing was only 30; that of the enemy is'estimated at “barrens level of Middle-Tennessee. ,
fij'Ar * " ’ Bragg’* main foroeocoupied a strong position north of
in Jqm the rebels attempted 4 raid into. Harmon, Duck riVer, frojp Shelbivllle, which, was fortined| tq,
county, Indiana, bufwere driven back with- the loss . Wartraea, allthegaps onlhe roads leading thereto
of 63 urisonors. • held.in fyiee,. Geu Rosecians determined to render
. About the same time, ColonelSandeia, with twopiecek . leas thMT turning on their right and
of'artUlery. toe lat Tennessee Cavalry.'aud some do- moving on .their commtufloations at the railroad bridge
■tfl9>»lßWU C»Tt«C’d ’ Oft.-fi^^Y9X^lU^:iidrai^UßB- , 4' teWU W
MWvfiAYT eiCEMBEi 186 ft:
[IU muimSOi# Miliaait liitt
i cieefei Strawberry Flamn, ana Massr emit., captured 10
1 pieces of artillery. 1,000 etsntf of arms,-and WO prison
ers. Our Ices waejl killed and 2 wounded, and a few
stragglers. ,
About the time of Lee'ft Invasion of Pennsylvania, the
rebel General John 11. Morgan, with a large gnerilla
band, attempted a raid into Indiana and Ohio, intend
ing probably tfo recross the Ohio into West Virginia or
Pennsylvania, and join Lee r B army. Efia force consisted
of 6 piecoß ofartillery and some 3,000 cavalry. This band
of robbers and murders destroyed much pc4>l ic property,
and killed a number of the inhabitants of the country
through ■which tney passed, hot were flualiy'completyiy
• deetroyed, nearly every man being killed ortakea pti'
eoner.
. The’detachment of the 9th Army Corps, to reinforce
General .Grant
General Burnside s preparations lor an active campaign'
in East Tennessee. The necessity, however, of co-ope
rating with the movemenUot General EosecranscOin-'
Polled him to take the field without awaiting the return
of this covps. His main column moved- on three roads,
making IviaK&ton his objective point, which pUce was
reached on the Ist cf September, Knoxville was also oc
cupied on the Ist by Colonel Foster, and General Shackel
ford moTed forward toLocuioii bridge, which was buiued
by the retreating enoroy. Another small colainn. hid
maiched from Kentucky directly on Cumberland Gap.
By a rapid flask inarch from Knoxville upon that place
Genem) Burnsldo cut off the retreat of the garrison, and
forced it to. surrender September inh Ho captured U
Pltcesof aitillorj'and2,o.oprisoners. His infantry made
this orced march of sixty miles in fi'ty-iwo hours. A
column of cavalry at the same time ascended the valley
to Bristol," drivingtho enemy across the Yiigluia line
and destroying the railroad bridgos over the Ilolstim
aid vvatftnga river*,so as to prevent the enemy's retreat
Into TenneBfe9 The main body of General Burnside's
army was now ordered to concentrate on the Tennessee
riv6r from Loudon, west, so as to connect with General
. Rosecrons’ array,which reached Gkattauooaaon i-hcOth.
Point Rock Pass into North Carolina was also occupied
by a small force. The restoration of hast Tennessee to
the Union wjlb thus effected by skilfuL combinations,
with scarcely any loss on our side. It was nowlidped
tl at there would be no further dtlay iu effecting a junc
tion between the two armies of Burnside and Rosecraus,
ns hadbeeu previously ordered. As the country between
Dalton and the-. Little Tennessee was "still open to the
enemy. General Burnside was cautioned to move down
-by the north bank of.the liver, so as to secure its fords
aud cover his own and Generalßosecrans’ communica
tions from re cel raids. With ourforcbs concentrated
near Ch&ttanocga, the enemy would be compelled, to
> either attack us in position Or td retreat further South.
; into Georgia- If he should attempt a.flank movement
on Cleveland, his own communications would beSmt off, 1
ard his own army destroyed. Bat. although repeatedly
urged toeffect this junction with the Army of ton Cum
berland, General Burnside retained mos: of liis com
mand in the UpperValiey, which was still threatened,
~near the Virginia line, by a. small force under Sain
Jones. On -he 21st September,' Colonel Foster had a
skirmish, with the enemy near Bristol, on tlie Virginia
linf» and on the 23ih and 11th of October, another sharp
tAdk blbsa at Blha finrißirs.
(I'hesiiefflp wfls defeated with heavy ion in tinea &aa
WrUßdfdi ftnd J 59 prisoners, Our lof*s was ab9iitloo.
AftertbebatlleofChickamaußa,whan General Eosecraua
had ffcllen back to Chattanooga, the enemy pushed for
■ward a colnmn into East Tennessee, to threaten Burn
sidcVs position al Loudon, and to covera cavalry raid
openKosecraus? communications. Unfortunately. Gan
• Burnside had occupied Philadelphia and other points on
the south -side erf the river with small garrisons. The
enemy surprised some of these forces, and captured’ 6'
guns, 60 wagens, and some 6.0 or 700 prisoners. The re
mainder retreated to Loadon, and succeeded in holding
the.crossing of-the river. In the meantime Jones hau
moved down on the north side of the Holston river, to
Ro£ereviUe,with some 3,600 cavalry, and surprised our
garrison at that place, capturing 4 pieces of'artillery, 35
wagons, and 660 men /
The Department of tlie €iimherlaivd.
When Gen. Eosecrans took command of the army in
Eentnckj»it was massed at Bowling Groan and Glas
gow. .
The base of supplies was then at Louisville. A few
: .days-later it was advanced to Nashville, which was
made a secondary base.
After the battie of Terry vilJe, ard our pursuit to Mt.
. Vernon, as stated In my last report, the reb'al array re
treated across the Cumberland Mountains, leaving a
force in Cumberland Gap; then moved down the Tennes
seee'valley to. Chattanooga, and thence by Steveueon
and Tullahoma to Murfreesboro, a distance of 400 miles,
while our army had marched to Nashville, a distance of
only a little over 200 miles.
On the SOth.oi December, General Eosecrans advanced
against Bragg, whose forces were at that time somewhat
dispersed along the road. On the 30th, onr army, after
htavy skirmishing en route, reached the vicinity of
Mut freeaboro, and took up a line of battle. The left, un
der Crittenden,; crossed next day to the oast-side, of
Stone river, while the centre, commanded by Thomas,
and the right by McCook, were posted on the west bank
of the river. By the plan of the battle agreed upon,
McCook was to hold the enemy in check on the right, at
least for three hours', until Crittenden crossed Stone
riYBr, crushing the enemy’s right to the east of the
si ream, and, forced his way into Murfreesboro, taking
the enemy in the flank and reverse, the onsupoorted
rebel centre - being exposed at the same time to the
vigorous blows of Thomas.
This well-conceived programme, unfortunately, wa3
unsuccessful, from the failure of McCook to maintain
his right,brigadeafterbrigade being
forced back by tee enemy’s heavy columns, with regi
mental front. This retrograde movement of the riant
caused.Critteuden to suspend his march and support our
forces on the west'bankoi the river, the battle on our
pari changing from the ofllsnsive to the defensive
. The day closed with our right and right centre about at
right angles to the first line of battle, but leaving,us mas
ters of the original ground on our left, and our new
line advantageously posted, with open ground in front
swept at all points by onr artillery.
Though in this day’s engagement the enemy had been
roughly handled, our loss lu men and artillery had
lieen liean, 0a Hie Sißt ot January we rontea m msi
f|y£, tfcy s D-az the aaj- vioeea bo of
fensive operations except two demonstrations prodacing
ho.r&mM
Oufr/e morning of the 2d the enemy opened four heavy
batteries on our centre, and made a strong demonstration
of-attack a little farther to the right, bnt a well-directed
artillery fire toon silenced his batteries and put an end to
his efforts there.
In the afternoon a vigorous attack was made on our
left by heavy columns, battalion front, forcing us. after
severe fighting, to cross to the west side of the liver,
from which side a well directed artillery fire, well sup
ported by infantry, was opened with Iterrilic havoc on
the enemy’s masses, inflictina aloss upon him’in forty
minutes of 2,CCO killed and wounded.
lie defeated and flying enemy were pursued by five
brigades; until after dark.We captured four pieces of
artillery andastand of colors. As a heavy rain on the
morning ol the 3d rendered the roads Impassable to ar
tillery, no pursuit was ordered, and the day terminated
without farther hostilities than brushing from our front
the enemy’s numerous sharpshooters, which, much an
noyed ub from the wood and »helr rifle pits.
• Onthest<h we occupied Murfreesboro, and pursued the
enemy six or seven miles toward Manchester, bnt the
difficulty of bringing up supplies, and the great loss of
artillery horses, was thought to render farther pursuit
.ihdspedieht. . Our. loss in this battle was 1,633 killed,
, 7,236'“wounded, and 2,800 missing, and‘twenty-eight’
! ' pieces of artillery and a large number of wagons cap-,.
■ lured by the ex eroy. Reported rebel loss in killed and
; wounded was 14,660. <*We captured six pieces of their
artillery. After the battle of Murfreesboro, or Stone •
, river, the enemy took position at ShelbyviUe and Tulla
homa, and the winter and spring weie passed in. raids
and unimportant skirmishes.
On the 3d of February ■ Generals Wheelor, Forrest, and
Wharton invested-Fort Donelson and demanded its ca
vpifulation. This was promptly refused by its com
mander, Col. Harding After an obstinate attack, which
lasted all day, the rebels retired, with an estimated loss of
900. Our loss in the fort was 13 killed and 61 woauded.
On the 4th of March Col. Cuburn. with 1,545 men, at
tempted a.reconnoi&s&nc&froxn Franklin towards Sprinir
encountOrlng-:'oh i 'hiis way Tan Dorn’s rebel
column, estimated at -7, COO. • v
4heeneniy repeated, drawing Colonel Coburn into a
gorge, where he waß,.surrounded, and nearly all hia
i force captured- Our loss, was 1,406. That of the enemy
, 160 killed slnd 4£o wounded.:\
On the 20th of March Colonel Hall, while on a recon
noitsance, and defeated the rebel General
Morgan, with a force of three or four thousand. Our
loss was 65,-' The enemy left 63 on the field, but carried
Off his wounded, estimated at SCO.
* On-the 25th Match the rebel General Forrest made a
fes-yalrymidon the Nashville and Columbia Kailroad,
bUTnaigJhe bridge and capturing Colonel Bloodgood’s
commitil, at Brentwood., General Green Clay &initb,
airiying opportunely-with about 600 cavalry, attacked
th’e enemy in the rear, and recovered a large portion of
the nfopeity captured at Brentwood, pursuing the rebels
to the little Harpsth, where they were reinforced. Hts
loss .in was 4 killed, 19 wounded, and 40
m ba^^^^^&iprila i ßuerUla force_attacked a train
punnl or annul ttßm on# aiiiwnwiMtwi hbt vr
retreat, Br combined ja 9 7t,meat» be ileceiTod
the enemy br a threatened advance id forte oh tnaif iftlt
at Shelby ville, white the inaea of hta army ia reality
seized Hoover’s, liberty, end the other jcaps, by hand
fighting, and movfd on Manchester, thu.? tnrain* the
right of the enemy's defences of Duck river, 3hd directly
threatening Brag, Who was compelled to LVllback to
Tullahoma, hotly pursued by Granger, who odd bril
liantly carried ShelbyvtHe. Dispositions were’ imme
diately made to turn Tullahoma and fall udou the eae
my’e rear, but Bragg abandoned to us his entren'Chea
camp and rapidly fell bach towards Bridgeport. AJ&-
bama. pnrAqgd as far &b practicable by our forces l
In the words of General Kotecran-s’official report.*
"Thus ended a nine days’campaign, which drove the
enemy from two fortified positions: and gave ua posses
sion of Middle Tennessee. Conducted is one of the most
extraordinary rains aver known' in? Tennessee at that
period of the year, over a soil that became almost a
quicksand, our operations were retarded thirty-sfai hours*
at Hoover’s Gap. and sixty hours at and in front of Win
ehebtsr, which alone prevented us from'getting'posses
sion. of his communications, and forcing theerieray to a
very ditaslrous battle. These results were far more suc
cessful lhan Was anticipated, and cow if only have been
obtained by a surprise as to . the direction- and force of
our movements. ~
Our lo*soB in these operations were 05 LdUed, 4*r2
wounded, and 10 missing, making in all CEO.
The killed and wounded of the enemy Is unknown*but
ws took !,G?4 prisoners, of which 69 were comrnjssteiiud
officers. We captured besides 0 pieces of artillery;'many
email a ieqs, considerable camp equipage, and iarnequau
tities of commissiry and quartermasters’ stores. After
the expulsion of his rebel army from Middle Tennessee:
Bragg retreated across the Cumberland Mountains a.ud
Tenneste© River upon Chattanooga, which he fortified,
and threw up defenhiyo works at the crossings of the ri;
ver as far up as Blythe’s Ferry. Having pat the railroad
to Stevenson in condition to forward supplies, Roaecrans
on the 16th of August commenced his advance across the
Cumberland Mountains,'Chattanooga and fits covering
ridges on the southeast being his objective poiut.- To
command and avail himself of the raoßt important
E asses,' the front of hia movement exlended from the
ead of Sequatchie valley; in Eaßt Tennessee, to Athene.
Alabama, thus throateatugthe line of the Tennessee Ri
ver from Whitesburg to Blythe’s Ferry, a distance of
ICO miles.
The Tennessee river was reached on the 20th of August,
end Chattanooga shelled fromthe north hank on the 21st.
Pontoon boat, raft, and trestle bridges were rapidly
prepared ut Caperton's Ferry. Bridgeport, mouth of Bat
tle creek and Shellmount. and the army,except cavalry,
safely crossed the Tennessee In face of the enemy. By
the Bth of September Thomas had moved on Trenton,
seising Frick’s and Stevens’ gaps on the Lookout Moun-'
tain. McCook had advanced to Valley Bead. and taken
Winston’s Gap, while Crittenden had crossed to-Wau
batchie. communicating on the rltht with Thomas, and
threatened Chattanooga by ths piss over the point o!
Lookout Mountain. The first mountain barrier sooth of
the Tennessee being successfully passed, General Rose-;
cr&ns decided to thrtatea the enemy’s c-ommunication
with, his right, while his centre and left aeinid the gaps
and commaiidinK points of tho moantalna in front, G&no?
.m \/nnrsawo nvi/niyirimite same flrrmpe*
the feet that the enoxny had evacuated Chattanooga
on the day and night previous.- While* General Critten
den's corps took peaceable .possession of Chattanooga,
the objective point of the campaign. General Bosecrain,
wilh the remainder of his army, pressed forward through
the difficult passes of the Lookout and Missionary Moun
tains. &t patently directing Ms march upon Lafayette
UDd Borne. 1
On ascertaining these facts, and that General Barnside
was in possession of all East Tennessee abote Chatta
nooga. and hearing that Lee was being rapidly rein
forced on the Rapcidan. it seemed probable thatjthe enemy
had determined to concentrate his forces for the defence
of Richmond or a new invasion of the Worth. Tho
slight resutance made by him in East Tennessee, and bis
abandonment without defence of so important a position
as Chattanooga, gave plausibility to the reports of spies
aisd deserters from Lee’s army of reinforcemears ar
riving there from Bragg
Fearing that Gan. JSosecrans’army might be drawn too
far into the mountains of Georgia, where it coul i not be
supplied, and'might be attacked before reinforcements
could reach it from Burnside, I sent him on the 11th the
following telegram: : *
Headquarters of ths Army.
■Washikoton, D. C., September 11, -
Gen. Burnside telegraphs from Cumberland Gap that
he holds all East .Tennessee above London, at d also the
gaps of the North Carolina mountains. A cavalry force
is moving towards Athens to connect with von. After
bolding the mountain passes to the west of-Dalton, or
some other point on the rail road, to prevent the return of
Bragg’® army, it will be decided whether your army
shall move further south into Georgia and Alabama.
It is reported hereby deserters that a part of Bragg’s
army is reinforcing Lee. It is important that the truth
of this should be ascertain'd as early as possible.
11. W. lIALLECK. General-in-Chief.
To Major General Rosecrans, Chattanooga.
: On the same day the following teleiram was sent to
General Burnside: . . .
Headquarters of the Army, WAsniNOToif. D. C.
Sept. 11,1860. —I congratulate you en your success. Hold
the gap of the North Carolina mountains, the line of the
Holston river, or some point, if there be one, to prevent
access from Virginia, and connect with Gen. Rosecrans,
at least with your cavalry.
General Rosecrans will occupy Dalton, or some point
on the railroad, to close air access from Atlanta, and
also the mountain passes on the west. -This beingdone.
it will he determined whether the movable forces shall
advance into Georgia and Alabama, or into the valley of
Virginia and north Carolina :
H. W. BALLECK, General-in-Chief.
Major General Burfside, Cumberland Cap.
On the 12th General Rosecrans telegraphed that, al
though he was sufficiently strong for the enemy then in
his front, there were indications that the'rebeis intend
ed to turn Mb fianhs and cat Ms communications. He,
therefore, desired that Burnside should move down his
infantry toward Ghattanooga, on his left, and that Grant
BllQUld s9yerih§ Tenn§sge§ river towards Whitesburg,
to pMTmi *ay raid i-rkclKiili,. ' £« 'of
that no troops had keen sent easr Prom-BraggU
that Braun was being: ifittforced hy Lormg, from Missis •
Bippi.
. On the night of the 18th General Poster telegraphed
from Fort Monroe that “ trains of cars had been heard
lnnniDg all the time, day and night, for the last thirty
six hours, on the Petersburgland Richmond road,” evi
dently.indicaticg a.movement of troops Jii soma direc
tion ; and on the morning of the 14ib, that Longstreet’s
corps v»as reported to be going south through'North
Carolina-. Get eral Meade had been directed to ascer
tain, by giving battle if necessary whether any of Lee’s
troops had left. It was not till the 14th he could give me
any information on this point, and then he telegraphed:
My judgment, formed of the variety of meagre and con
dieting testimony, is that Lee’s army has been reduced
•by Longstreet’s corp», and, perhaps, by some regiments
fi;om Ewell’s and Hill’s. ' }
- > As soon as X received General Rosecrans* and General
;FoBUr’s telegrams, of‘ the 12th and 13th, I Bent the fol
lowing telegrams to'Generals Burnside, Kesecrans, Ilarl
but, Giant, and Sherman:
Headquarters of tub Army,
"Washington - ,!). C.vSept. 13,1363.
■lt is important that all the available forces or your
command be puihed forward into-East Tennessee; all
yonr scattered forces shonld-be concentrated there. Bo
long as we hold Tennessee; Kentucky, is perfectly safe.
Move down your infantry as rapidly as possible towards
Chattanooga, to connect with-Rosecrans, Bragg may
merely hold the passes'ofjhe mountains to cover Atlanta,
and move bis main army through Northern. Alabama to
i each tbe Tennessee rivt r and turn Rosecrans 1 right, and
cut off his supplies.- In this case he-will tarn'Chatfcsnoo
ga over to you, and move to interrupt Bragg, ■>--
- ,_H W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief.
Major General Burnside, Knoxville, -
Headquarters of the Army,
Washington, D C., Sept. 13, 1863.
There Is no intention of sending Gen Burnside into
North Carolina. He has orders to move down and con
nect with you. Should tbe enemy.attempt to turn your
right flank through Alabama, Chattanooga should be
turned over to Burnside. and your army, or such part’
of it as may not b 9 required there, should move to pre
vent BraggfTom re-entering Middle Tennessee. General
Hurlbut will aid you but most of Grant’s
available force is west of the Mississippi.
; H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief.
Major General Rosecrans, Chattanooga."
Headquarters of the Aiuriv Washington, D. C.,
Sept. 13,1863. —I think, from all accounts, that Steele is
sufficiently strong. All vour available forces should be
sent to Tuscnmbia to operate against
Bragg should he attempt to turn Rosecrans’ right and
rtcross the river into Tennessee. Send to General Sher
man at Vicksburg for reinforcements for this purpose.
General Grant, it is understood, is sick in New Orleans.
H. W. HaLLECK, General-in-Chief.
General Hurlditt, Memphis.
-Headquarters of the army, Washington, D. C.,
StpEflS, 1563.—1 t is possible that Bragg and Johnston
will move through northern Alabama to the Tennessee
river, to turn Gan. Rosecrans’ right, and cut off his com
munication with Gen. Grant. Available forces should
be sent to Memphis, thence to Corintn and Tuscnmbia,
to co-operate with Gen. Rosecrans. should the rebels at
tempt that movement. IX. W. HALLECK,
General-in-CMef.
Maj. Gen. Grant, or Maj. Gen, Sherman, Vicksburg.
On the 14th, the following telegrama were sent to Ge
nerals Foster, Burnside, and Hurlbut:
Headquarters of the Armt, Washington, D. C.,
Sept. 14- 1863.—Information received hare indicates that
part of Lee’s forces have gone to Petersburg. There are
various suppositions for this,. Some think it is intended
to put down Union feeling in North Carolina ; others to
make an attempt io capture Norfolk ; others again to
threaten Norfolk, so as to compel us to send reinforce
ments thero from the Army of the Potomac, and then to
move rapidly against Meade. Such was the plan last
spring, when Longsfcreet invested Suffolk. It will be
well to strengthen Norfolk as much as possible, and
closely watch the enemy’s movements. 1 think he will
soon strike a blow somewhere.
H. W. HALLECK,"
General-in-Chief.
Major General Foster, Fort Monroe.
, ‘ Headquarters of the Armt,
'Washington, D, C., September.l4, 1863,
SThere are good reasons why troops should be' sent to
assist General Rosecrans’ right with all possible des
patch Communicate with Sherman to assist you,'
and hurry forward reinforcements as previously direct
ed. H. W. HALLECK,
T, ’ Genaral-in-oMeL
Major General HußLßcr, Memphis.
Headquarters op the Abju, Washington, ®. C.—
Sept. 14, 1863.—There are reasons why you should rein
force Gen: Rosecrans with all‘possible despatch. It is
believed that the enemy will concentrate to" give him
battle, and you must be there to help him.
H. W. HALLEC-Kj General-in-Chief. "
Major Gen, Burnside. Knoxville:
In addition to General Burnside’s general instructions,
a number of despatches of the same purport as the above
were sent to nim.
Generals Schofield and Pope were.directed to send for
ward to the Tennessee line every available man in their
departments, and the commanding officers in Indiana,
Ohio, and Kentucky, were ordered to make every .pos
sible exertion to secure General Rosecrans’ line of com*
-mdnication. General Meade was urged -to attack Gene
ral Lee’s army while in its present reduced condition,
- or.At least prevent him from sending off. any more de
tachments It seemed useless to send any more troops
- into'East Tennessee and Georgia* on account of the im
possibility of supplying-them in a. country which-the
*enemy had nearly exhausted.’ * „ -. u v
•;< General Burnside’s army short and
that of the Cumbertand inadeQht^ely.’supplied. 1
. General Rosecrans h&d inadequate
I cavalry force; but his stables ■ -with
1 animals, and the horses tof his qktalry?; and
trains were dying in number’s fadvfenVof forage.. Li
I As three separate armies were«shw! to operate in the
same field itseemed neeessarF^fd^have-a single com
mander in order to secare" perfect eo-operation
than had been obtained withtbeseparate commands of
Bur»side.and Rosecrans.- >'-• - - -
Geneial Grant, byhie'disiingUlShsdservices and his
superior rank to all the* other 'in the -Weet,
seemed entitled to thisgoneraiDQmmand. Butunfortu-
I n&tely hewas at thie'ttmh inN&w". Orleans, andvtuiable
1 to take ike field. - Mareover.-'there-waAno telegriphlc
I communication wlthhWiajid vh®' despatches of thelßtb,
j directed to him and -Geneinl - 'Shennan,.did no& reach
I them until some daysafter their dates, thus delayihgthe
I movements of GeneraLGrant’s forces from Vicksburg. -
j 'General Hurlbut, however, had‘moved the troops of
I - hi*.own corps. • then in East Tennessee, with commenda
ble promptness. ‘ •
j These were to be replaced by reinforcements from
| Steele’s corps, in Arkansas, which also formed a part of
] Grant’s aimv.
Hearing nothing from General Grant, or from General
Sherman’s corps, at Vicksburg, it was determined, on
the 23d. to detach the 11th and 12th Corps from the Array
of the Potomac, and send them by rail, under the com
mand of General Hooker, to protect General Rosecrans’
line of communication from Bridgeport to Nashville. It
wasinowntbat these troops cooldnot go immediately
tothefront. ...
To send more men to Chattanooga, when those already
there eouldnot be folly supplied, would only- increase
the embarrassment, and probably cause the evacuation
.ofthatplaee, • ~
In other words, Hooker* command was to temporarily
perform the duties previously: as aigaea'.u>-.the reinforce
ments ordered from Grant's army. -
We will now return to- s Gea, .RosGcrans’ army, the .
ma-nbodyof whichweleftohtheMnrin'the passes of r
Pigeon Mountain, with .the'renemy-concentrating his ’
'orcee near Lafayette to v dispute his farther advance.
Braga-a threatened movements to the right and left were *
merely cavalry r’aidß to oft-Rosecranß line of s-ap-i
pließ, and.threaten his'communications'with Burnside.
His main army was probably only awaiting the arrival
of Longatreet’s corps to give battle in the mountaias of
Georgia.
- Of 1 the movements of this corps, so well known ; to the
enemy, we could get no reliable information. All -we
hnsw-poßitively was that one of Longstreet’s divisions
hid arrived in Charleston to reinforce that place. It was
sold that other divisions had gone to Mobile, tc.protect
it from ah attack by Banks' army,, but as there was no
real .danger..' oft.-euch. an attack at that moment, it
was more probably on its., way to reinforce-Bragg’s
army. But the ’time of its arrival was uacer
tain, had no reliable information oS its de
parture from Richmond. 'Wh.knew Bragg had been
reinforced, by-troops sent by Johnston from-. Mississippi, *
- and it was afterwards ascertained that the rebel authori
ties had falsely declared as-exchanged* and released
from parole, the prisoners of war captured.by Grant and ••
Bankr, at 'Vicksburg and .Port Hudson. This shame
less violation of the cartel and oi, the. well-established
usages of civilized warfare, was resorted to by the
‘ enemy in order to swell the numbers.of Bragg’s army
in the approaching conflict;'
Gen. Rosaarans’-troops were at this time scattered*
• along in an extended line from Gordon’s-mUls to Alpine,
a* distance* of some 40. miles. Ry tho> 17th they were,
brought more within supporting, distance, and- on tixo.
morning of the 18tha'-concentration was begun towards.
Crawfish Spring..but slowly 'executed.
The battle of Chickamauga,Gommenced oh the morning
of the 19th, McCook’s cotp A forming on the right of,-our
line of battle, and Critteniin’s the centre, and Thomas
the left. The enemy first attacie&our left, with* heavy
mat SBB, endeavoring to'tnr.Q it, so as to occupy Urn road to
Chattanooga. But all.their.effoitoproved abostiys. The
centre was next asealled, end temporarily driven back,
—fcnkbeibg- promptly roirifpr.cedv maintained its.ground.
_ A* r night approached, the.battle ceased, and;
r'Sants rented on their armi- The attack wa3 furiously ro
new'edon the morulng.of th&aOth, against; our left and
-.centre. Division after,division was pashad, forward to
• resist the attacking masses of the enemy K when,- accord
!- ing to Gen. Bosesrans’ report, Gen. wood, overlooking
the direction V‘■to close upon ” supposed he
was to support him, by withdrawing, froai the line, and
passing in tk&rcar of Gen. Brannon. ,
By tniß unfortunate mistake, a gap .was opened in the
line of batile, Qf which the enex&y took instant advap»*
- tage, and striking Davis in-the flianli and rear, threw his
Whole division into confusion. V
Gen. Wood claims that the orders ho received wore of
such a character as to leave him no option but to. obey
them In the manner he did. ~ ~
Pooling in through this in,our line,ffco,enemy
, cut our right and right centre, ruid attacked, bherl
dan’s Division, which was advancing to the. support of
our left. After a gallant but fruitless effort against this
• rebel torrent, he was compelled to give vsay, but after
wards rallied a considerable portion of ids rorce, and by
. a circuitous route brined General ThotoAs, who now had
' to breast the tide of battle against whole rebel army.
Oar right asd part of the centre bad bean completely
broken, and tied in confusion frean the field. carrying
’ ¥ith. to Ciijtt&wQua tu*i£ Qtmwl*
SfsSTO’u flfl« (irliivsaou i #mi 9rpi 'a<>i im ™
on that part or the lino; His chief of staff. Gan. Oar
field, however, made his way to the left &hd joined Gen.
Thomas, who still remained immovable in hts position.
His line had assumed a crescent form, with, its Hanks
supported by the lower spars ,of . the mountain, and
here, like a lion at bay, ho repulsed the terrible onsets
of toe enemy. About half past three P. M. the enemy
discovered a pap in the hills, in the rear of his light
flank, and Longst/cet commenced pouring hia massive
column through the opening. At this critical moment,
Major General Gordon Granger, who had been posted
With bis reserves to cover our left and rear, arrived from
the field. He knew nothing of the condition of the bat
tle, bnt with- the tnm instincts of a soldier, he had
marched to the tound of the cannon. General Thomas
merely pointed out to him the gap through which the
,enemy was .debouching when quick aa thought, he
threw upon it Steadman's brigade of cavalry.
In the words of Gen. Roeecrans’ official report, “Swift
the charge and terrible the conflict, but the enemy
‘wasl&roken A thousand of our brave men, killed and
wot’zsded. paid for its possession, bnt we held the gap.
Two of Longalreet's corps confronted the position; de
termiixad to take It. they successively came to the as
sault. 'a batterr of six guns, which played Into the
g*Tge, i>Pdred death and slaughter into them Thoy
charged Co within a few yard's 0/ the piecss, but our
grape and ranbter, and the leaden hail of musketry,
delivered tempering but terrible volleys, from the car
tridges takeD, in many instances,-from th#boxes of tkejr
fallen companions; was too 1 roorh- «ive z for Longsireet’s
-men. About o*Jnset they made their last charge, when
our men. being out of ammunition rushed on them with
the bayonet, anefthey gave way to return no more.”.
In ihe meantimythe enemy made repeated attempts to
:carry Gen. "i hcmot)’ position on tbe loft and front, but
were as often drivca back with less. At night/ail tha
enemy fell back beyond the range of 00? artillery, leav
ing Thomas victoriens on his hard-fought field.
As most of the cor pc of McCook' and britten*} eh were
tow in Cbattenooga, it was deemed advisable alao to
Withdraw the left wing to that place. Thomas conse
quently fell back durirg the niglri to Roseville-, leaving
the dead and moat of th'e wounded ia the h2nds of the,
■enemy. Reherereceived’a supply of ammunition, and
during til the 21st offered battle to the enemy, but the
attack was not seriously renewed.
On the night of the 21st he withdrew tbe remainder of
the army within the defences of Chattanooga.
The enemy suffered severely in thefe battle?, and on
the Dighc of the 20lh was virtually, defeated, but being
permitted tp gather the trophies off the field on tbe 2igt,
he is entitled io cl aim a victory, however barren in its
repnlts.
His loss in killed, wounded, and mianng,' a 3 re-
Eorted in the rebel papers was 19,000. Our loss in the*e
attlea wasT.S-iJ killed, 9,202 wounded, and 4.945 miss
ing. If we add the los* ot the cavalry, in its several onr
garments, about SCO, we have a total of 16,351 .We
lost in material 36 guns, 20 caissons, 8.450 sm&l arms,
0,634 ii fantry accoutrements.
We captured’2,oo3 prisoners. After General Bosecrans
retreated to Chattanooga, be withdrew his forces
from {.the passes of Lookout Mountain, which cover
ed bia line of supplies from Bridgeport These were
aljovo -which destroyed a. iar>Je
wagon train in the SeonatcMa Valloy.caimiißd McKiax ■
vibe and other points on the railroad; thu* almost com- ,
pletely cutting off tbe supplies of General’Rosecraas’
aimy. Fortunately forua the line 0/ the railroad was
well defended, and the enemy's cavalry being success
fully attacked by Colonel McCook, at Anderson’s Cross
Roads, on the 2d October, by General ifitchel, atShfclby
ville, on the 6th. and by General Crook, at Farmington,
on tbe 6th, were mostJj* eaptnred or destroyed.
Mfijor General Grant arrived at Louisville, and on the
19tb, in Accordance with, the orders of the President,
assumed general command of the Departments of the
Tennessee, Cumberland, and Ohio. In accordance with
hie recommendation. Major General G W. Thomas was
placed in the immedip-te command of the Department of
tbe Cumbf rland, and Major General Sherman of that of
tbe Tennessee.
As tbe supply of tbe army at Chattanooga demanded
prompt attention, be immediately repaired to that place.
By bi inging-up from Bridgeport the Ilth and 12th Uorp3, -
under Booker; and throwing a ;orce from Chattanooga,
under Gen; W. F. bmith, on the south side of the river, at
Burns’Ferry,tbe pointß of Lookout Mountain command
ing tbe river were recaptured on the27tb,2Btb,and 2&ch of
October. This tmportant success restored hi* communi
cations with his depots of supplies. It is not iny pro
vince, even if I had the means of doing so. to speak of
the brilliant exploits of our navy in the Western wafers.
It may be proper, however, to. remark, that General
Grant and* his department commanders report that Adini
rale Fariagnt, Porter, and -chair officers, have rendered
mo6t,valuable / assistance in all their operations.
General Rcmatks and Recommendations'
It has not been possible, in the foregoing summary, to
refer to ali the engagements which our troops have had
with tbe enemy during the past year, as no official ac
counts or reports of some of them could be fouud, and
the details given have been compiled from telegrams,
despatches, and leports scattered through the various
bureaus of the War Department. I respectfully recom
meed that all these official documents and reports, re
ceived since the beginning of the war, be collected ana
published in chronological order under the direction of
the Adjutant General’s Department. Some have already
been published by Congress, but they.are so incorrectly
printed and badly arranged as to be almost useless as
historical documents.
rebel emits Jive mainly upon the country through,
./which, ttey pass.takiug food and forage alikefrom friend
and foe This enable* them to move with ease and great
rapidity. Our commanders operating in the rebel States
generally find no supplies, and in the border States it is
difficult to distinguish between real friends and enemies.'
To live upon the coantry passed over often produces great
distress among tlie inbabi ants, bui it is one of the una
voidable results of war, and is justified by the usages of
civilized nations "Some of our commanders have availed
themselves of this right of military appropriation, while
others have required too large supuly trains, and have
not depended, as they m’ght have done, upon the re
sources of the country in •which they operated. General
Grant taye in Ms official report:
11 In the miuch from BmiiKilknr to Yiakibniit oovar.
ug &sanoa or tram, days before Buppiimi wusin, «»-
tamed from the Government stores, ortly li’s-e days’ ra
tions were issued, and three of these Wer4eaftUd. in the
haversacks at the si art, and were soon exhausted, All'
other subsistence was obtained from the country through
which we passed. The march was commenced without
wagons, except such as could ne picked up through the
country.”
Instructions have been given to the generals operating
in hostile territory to subsist their armies, so far as pos
sible, upon the country, receipting acd accounting for
everything taken, so that all persons of proved loyalty
may hereafter be remunerated for their losses. By this
means our troops can move more rapidly and easily,
and the enemy is deprived of supplies if he should reoc
cupy the country passed over by us. Some of our officers
hesitate to fully carry' out thosemeasures, from praisewor
thy but mistaken notions of humanity, for what is spired
by us is almost invariably taken by rebel* forces, who
manifest very little regard for the suffering of their own
people. In numerous cases women and children have
been fed by us to save them from actual starvation, while
fathers, hut-bands, and brothers are fighting in the ranks
of the rebel armies, or robbing and murdering in ranks
of guerilla bands. • ~ .
Having once adopted a system of carrying nearly all
our supplies with the army in the Held, a system salted
to countries where the mass of the population take no
active part in the war, it is found very difficult to effect
radical changes - . Nevertheless, our trains liaye been
very considerably reduced within the past year. A still
greater reduction, however, will be required to enable
our troops to move as lightly and as rapidly as those of
the enemy. In this connection, I would respectfully
call attention to the present system of army sutlers.
There is no article legitimately supplied py sutlers to
officers and soldiers which could not be furnished at
much less price by Quartermaster and Commissary Da
partments. '
Sutlers and their employees are now only partially
subject to military authority and discipline, and it is not
difficult for those who are so disposed to act the part of
spies, informers, smugglers, andr contraband traders;
The entire abolition of the system would rid the array of
the incumbrance of sutler wagons on the march, and
the nuisance of sutler stalls and booths in camp. It
would relieve officers and soldiers of much of their pre
sent expenses, and would improve the ditcipline and
efficiency of the troops in many ways, and particularly
by removing from the camps the prolific evil of drunken
ness. : .
I referred in my last report to the large number of
officers find soldiers absent from their commands It
was estimated, from official returns in January last, that
there were then absent from doty eight thousand nine
hundred and sixty-seven officers, and two hundred and
eighty.two thousand and seventy-three non-commis
sioned officers-and privates. Only a part of thtsa were
really disabled or sick. The remainder were mostly
deserters, stragglers, maligners and shirks, or men who
absented themselves in order to avoid duty. Mach of
this.evil has been abated ; very few furloughs are now
given, and officers absent from duty not only lose their
pay,- but are subject to summary dismissal. Straggling
and desertion have, also, greatly diminished, and might
be almost entirely prevented if the punishment could be
prompt and certain.
In this respect our military penal code requires
revision. The machinery of court-martial ia too cum
brous for trial of military offences in time of actual war.
To organize such courts it is often necessary to detach a
large number of officers from active duty in the field, and
then a single cate sometimes occupies a court for many
months. To enforce discipline in the field, it is neces
sary that trial and punishment should promptly follow
the offence.
In legard to our military organization, I respectfully
recommend an increase of the Inspector General’s de
partment, and that it be merged in the Adjutant Gene
ral’s department.
The grades of commander of armies and of army corps
should be made to corrospond with their actual com
mands The creation of such grades need not cause any
additional expense to the Government, as the pay and
emoluments of general and lieutenant general could be
made the same as now allowed to major generals com
manding divisions.
1 also respectiniiy call attention to our artillery or
ganization. In the sth Regiment of United States Artil
lery each battery is allowed one captain and four lieu
tenants, eight sergeants and twelve corporals, and all of
these together, with tho privates, receive cavalry pay
and allowance. In the Ist, 2d, 3d, and 4th Regiments of
the United States Artillery a battery is allowed, one
captain, three lieutenants, four sergeants, and four cor
porals, and, with the exception of two batteries to each
reiiment, for which special allowance was made by
laws created March 2, IS2I, and March 3, IS4I, all of
these receive the pay and allowances of infantry, yet
they are all, with the exception of four or five com
panies. performing precisely similar duties.
A field battery of six gun 6 absolutely requires all the
officers and non-commissioned officers allowed in thesth
Artillery, and the additional responsibility or the officers,
and the labor of both officers and enlisted men, render
necessary the additional pay and allowances accorded
by law to those grades In that regiment, A simple .re
medy for these evils is the enactment of a law giving to
the Ist, 2d 3d, and 4th Regiments of U. S. Artillery xhe
same organization and the same rates of pay as theSth
regiment, which, it maybe added, is also the same as
tnat already given to all the volunteer'field batteries
■ now in the United States service. A similar discrepancy
existed .in. tbe cavalry regiments till an act, pissed by
the last Congrens, placed them all upon the same basis
of'Org&nizationandpay.:'-
' The act authorizing the President to catl out additional
volunteers, or the drafted militia, limits the call to the
cavalry, artillery, and -infantry arms, and makes pro
vision for organizing volunteer engineer regiments.' This
was unquestionably a mere verbal.lomission.: in the
law, acd should be supplied, as It creates embarrassments .
in the organization of armies in the field., The generals
commanding these'armies complain in strong terms of the
’ deficiency- of engineer : troops for the repairinguf said
construction of pontoon bridges, ana carry-'
ing on., the operations.of a siege, and urge that the evil
be promptly xemedied. ..
The waste and destruction of cavalry horses in our
service -has .pro'Ved’an. evil of such magnUude as to re
quire'some ? iinmediftte and efficient remedy. In'the
Army of the Potomac there are 35 regiments of cavalry,
averaging fdr-Jhe laßt six months from lt>,-000 to ll 000
men present for duty. ; The issues of cavalry horses to
this anny for the same period have beea.asfollows:
In. Stay, 6,073; June, 6,3*27; July, 4,716; August, 5,499;
September, .s,S27;.October, 7,036—t0ta1, 35,078\-
To this number should be added the horses captured
from the enemy and takeii from citizens,' making alto
. gether an avexaie remount every two months. "We have
now in our service some 223 regiments of cavalry, which
will require, /at the same rate as the Army of* the Po
tomac, the issue, within the coming year, of 435,000
horses.' Thd'urganizatlon of a cavalry bureau in the
War- Department; with a frequent and thorough in
spection, it was hoped, would, in some degree, remedy
these evils. To reach, the source, however, farther
legislation may benecessary. ~ . ‘
Probably the principal fault is m the twatment of these
horsee by the cavalry soldiers. Authority should there
fore be given to dismount, and transfer to the Infantry
service every (man ■whose horse is. through his own fault
or neglect, rendered unfit for service. The same rale
might be applied to cavalry officers who foil to maintain
the efficiency of their regiments and companies. The
vacancies thus created could be filled by corresponding
transfers from the regulars and volunteer Infantry.'
By the existing law the Chief Adjutant General,
Inspector -General, Quarter Master, and Commissary
of any corps are allowed additional rank and pay, while
nosnch allowance is made to the Chief Engineers, Artil
lery, and Ordnance in.the eamecorps. -.These latter offi
cers hold the raroe relative positions, and perform du
ties at least as important and arduous as the others, and
the existing distinction'is deemed unjust to them. -
Prisonersof War.
. On the 22d of My.--1882. Mfijor General Dis and Major
General-Hill entered into a'oartelfor the exchaogeof
prlf oners daring the existing-war, specially stipulating
when and 'where exchanges should he made aud how de
clared. defining the meaoing of a parole andTbe rights
and obligatioasof prisoners under parole, and when and
how they wore to be released from their obligations.
. Special agreements of this kind modifying and explain
ing the general laws of war, furnish the rules of con
duct for the contracting parties-in all cases for. which
they provide or to which they are applicable. Finding
ibat the rebel authorities were feeding prioners contrary
to these stipulations, they were notified on the 22d of May
last that au paroles not given in the manner prescnbad
by the cartel would be regarded as null and void. Ne
vertheless they continued to extort by threats and ill
treatment from our men paroles unauthorized by the car
tel, and also refused to deliver our officers and men tor
exchange in the manbera.greed.upon,but retained all the
colorai prisoners and their officers. It is stated that they
sold the former into slavery, and sentenced the latter to
imprisonment an d death for alleged violation of the local
Slate laws. This compelled a resort to retaliatory mea
sures and &n equaj number of their .prisoners in our
hands were selected as hostages for the surrender of those
I'fltainecTby them. All exchange under the cartel therefore
caasßd. In violatjeh oX general good of en
casements solemnly entered into, the rebel uornmis
i sioner then proceeded to dedlare exchanged all his own
paroled prisoners, and ordered their return to the Tanks
of their regiments then in the field, and we are now
asked to confirm these acts by opening new accounts,
and making for exchange, and they seek to en
force these dicnands by the most barbarous treatment cS
' our officers madmen now in theix* hands. - ,
The retail prisoners beta by the United States bars
been imtarmly .treated with consideration and kind
ness They have been furnished with all • necessary
cloth in si and supplied with the same quality and amount
of food IS our own soldiers; while onr soldiers, who, by
the casualties of war, have been capttsred by them, ha-ve
been shipped of their blankets, clothing, and shoes,
even la the winter seasons, and. then confined in damp;
and loathsome prisons, and only half fed on damaged'
provisions, or actifally starved to death, whlle huudreds
fiavo terminated their existence loaded with irons,'in
fiU'AT prisons. Not a few, aftaa a semblance of trial by
sosae military tribunal, have been actually murdered by
their inhuman keepers.
In fine, the treatment of our prisoners of war bythe
rebel authorities has been even more barbarous thau
that which Ghristian captives formerly suffered' from
the pirates of. Tripoli, Tunis, snd Algiers, aud the lior-'
rors of Belle Isle aud Libby Prison exceed even, those
of British hulks, or the black hole of Calcutta j and'tfiis
atrocious conduct Is applauded by the people and com
mended by tbe public press of Richmond, as a means of
reducing the Yankee ranks. lihas been proposed, ta,re
taliate upon iho enemy by treating hisprisoners pre
cisely as lie trtats ours.
Such is fuily justified «>y _tiie uw* *?4
usages of rcar, and tbe present' case seems to call for the
exercise of this extreme right. Kavertueiess “is re
volting io om- sense of -humanity to be forced to, ao crueL
an alternative. It !i hopedself-mterest. if not £
justice, may induce the rebels to abandon a couree of
oondncfwV.oli must forever remain a bur-iaa ui/fgrace
tVttieia ftnd their cause. , * • e
Conclusion*
tt wwn'ftffa ttw o&mm ■
dtw is? past ytar.Uiaijws l&v, —.-.tiri.i ___ .
cl ihe enemy lo lnvadiih.4 1&¥&1
from Mb domination Kentucky and Tanneasee^/™ 4
tiooß of Alabama and Mississippi* and tha greeltarnar t nf
Arkansas and Louisiana, and restore! the fra* na»*£»
tlon of the Mississippi river. ***."
Heretofore the enemy has enjoyed great advkutagei
over us in the character of his’theatre 01 war. He has
operated on short and safe interior.lines, while circum
stances have compelled ub to occupy the circumference of
aciicle; but the problem is now changed by the re
opening of the Mississippi river, The rebel territory
has been actually cut in twain, and 1 we can’ strike, tlje
isolated fragments by operatingon safer and more advan
tageous lines. ,
Although our victories since the beginning of the war
may not have equalled the expectations of-tha more san
guine, we have every reason to be grateful to Divine
Providence for the steady progress, .of our army, In'a
little more than two years w* have recaptured nearly
every important point held by the rebels on the sea coaae,
and we hav* reconquered,and now hold military pos?oe-*
eion of mo/8 than two hundred and fi/tF thousand squara
miles of territory held at one time .by tha rebel.armies,
and claimed by them as a constituent pare of their Cm
federacs’.
The extent- of couniry. thus recaptured and occu
pied by oar armies is as large as France, or Austria,
cr ihe entire peninsula, of Spain and Portug-.1. and
twice as large as Great Britain, or Proesia, or Italy.
Considering what we nave already accomplished, the
present condition or the enemy, and .he immense and
still unimpaired military resources oi tha loyal skates,
we may reasonabir hope,'with the same meti.sare'qf
success as heretofore, to bring this rebellion t-j aspaely
and fital termination.
• Ail of which is respectfully submitted. .
H. W. HALLKCK, Ceneral-in-CUUfL '
Hon. R M. Stanton, Secretary of War. ■-
HEADQUARTERS OF TITS ARMY, WASHINGTON, Dec. 6,
1863.—Sir: In compliance with your instructions f sub
mit the following summary of the operations of General
Grant's army since my report o/ the 15th ultimo. It ap
pears from, the official reports which have been received,
here, that our lots in the operations of the' 27th. Sdtft,
and i9th of October, in reopening communications on.tha
eooth side of the Tennessee river, from Chattanooga to
Brldsepert, was 76 killed, 839 wounded, and 22 missing.
Total., 437 T , r
- The estimated loss of the enemy was over One thott
fißnd five hundred. - As soon as General Grant could get
up biejsuppiiss, he prepared to advance, upon the enfr>
my, who'had become weakened by the detachment of
General Lon gstreet’s command against Knoxville. Ge
neral Sherman's army arrived upon the north side of
P T aeBPe 9 river, and during the night of the 23d and 24tb
Oi Piovemoerestablished pontoon bridges and crossed to
tbe south 6ide, between Citto creek and the CMcka*
mauga.
On the afternoon of the 23d General Thomas' forces at
tacked the enemy’s rifle-pits, between Chattanooga and.
Citto crfek. 2he battle was renewed on tbe 24th along
the whole line. Sherman carried the eastern eml of Mia-
Eionaiy* Ridge up to tbe tunnel, and Thomas repelled
every..attempt of the enemy to regain the position whlc’i
ke M lost at the centre, TPlule Heeker T fr foi ce \n Lookt
c-xi-c v ais«y eroftd*-. 1 jcocarain and drore ZZn?
from its northern si one. On the 25tk tke whole orKU,-
uonary hifiae, from lloesville to tho OMckamatura. wm
after a desperate ttrugg e, most gallantly carried by our
troops, and tbe enemy co npletely routed.
Considering the strength of the rebel position- and tha
aifliCnity of storming his entrenchments, the battie of
Chattanooga must be regarded as one of the most re
markable in history- . Not only did the officers and neaa
exhibit great skill and daring in their operations on the
field, but the highest praise is also due the Cearciindiag
General for bis admirable dispositions for dislodging fch<r
enemy from a position apparently impregnable. More
over, by turning his right flank, and throwing him back
upon Ringgold and Dalton, Sherman's forces were in
tetposed between Bragg and Longstreet, so as to prevent
ajiy' possibiiity cf their forming a junction.
Our loss in hilled, wounded, and missing, is reported,
at abcut 4.000. We captured about 6,000 prisoners, be
sides tbe wounded left in our hands, 42 pieces of artil
lery, 6,COQ or 6,000 small arms, and a large train. The*
enemy's loss in killed and wounded is not - known.
"While Generals Thomas and Hooker pushed Bragg’s
army Into Georgia, General Sherman, with his-own and
Geaeial Granger’s forces, was sent into East Tennessee
to prevent to© return of Longstrect, and to relievo
General Burnside, who was than besieged in ETccxvilla:
We have reliable information that General Sherman haz
successfully accomplished his object, and that Lo&g
etreet is in full retreat .towards Virginia, but no details
have been received in regard to Sherman’s operations
since he crossed the Hiawassee river. Of Burnside's
defence of Knoxville it is only known that every attack
of t>e.enemy on that place was successfully cepoised.
Very respectfolly, your obedient servant, '■
H W. HALLECS, General-ia-ChieC.
Hon- E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War,
The Mystic*
BY TEMSTSON
Kev. 81, D. Conway writes to the Comnumi&a/th-*
MI have lately been reading with pleasure soma
poems of Tennyson's, which are not, I believe*
found in either the English or American editions of
his poems. I copy for you one which, was printed
whilst he was a student at Cambridge, but haf-been
left out of hiß volumes; why, I know not."
'Angels have talked with him, and showed- hh*'
thrones:
Ye knew him not: he was not one of ye,
Ye scorned him with an undisceraing scorn;
Ye could not read the marvel in.hia eye,
The still, serene abstraction: he hath felt
The vanities of after and before;
Albeit his spirit and his secret heart.
The stern experiences of converse lives,
The linked woes of many a fiery change
Had purifiedi and chastened, and made free,
tiiere stool L«lo» Llm. Js.7,
Of way ward, varicolored circumstance 1
The imperishable presence* serene,
Colossal, without form, or sense, or sound,
Dim shadows but unwaning presences,
Four-faced to four corners of the sky;
And, yet again, three shadows, fronting one,
One forward, one respectant, three but one;
And yet again, again and evermore,
For the two first were not, but only seemed.
One shadow in the midst of a great light,
One reflex from eternity on time,
Qnemighty countenance of perfect calm,.
Awful with moat invariable eyes.
For him the silent congregated hours.
Daughters of Time, divinely tall, beneath
Severe and youthful brows, with shining eyes
Smiling a godlike Bmile (the innocent light
Oi earliest youth pierced through and through with*
all* *
Keen knowledges of low embowed eld)
Upheld, and ever hold aloft the cloud
"W hich droops low-hung on either gate of life,
Both birth and death:: he in the centre fix’d,.
Saw, far on each side, through the grated gates,
Most-pale and clean and lovely distances.
He,’often lying brd&d'awake, and yet;
R< maining from the-body, and apart;
In intellect and power and will, both-heard
Time-flowing in the middle of the night, '
And all things creeping to a day of doom.
How could’ye know-him! Ye were y®t within
The narrower circle; he had well nigh reach’d
The laßt, which, with a region of white flame,
Pure without heat, into a larger air
Upbuming, and an ether of black blue,
Investeth and engirds all other lives.
The O’Donogliue on the American Waiv
The last number of the Dublin Nation contains s
reply to Smith O’Brien from The O’Donoghue, who
seems to .be anxious that the American people may
not look upon the sentiments of Smith O’Brien as
the sentiments of the Irish people. He says, ia
the course of a long letter ;
Our population is already fearfully, alarmingly
reduced—every.man. who leaves iB a national loss.
I feel this, and accordingly my advice to my conn
tiymen has invariably been—atop at home, put your
tiust in Qod, and await with patience the inevita*
ble hour. But if there are among us, as there are.
many young and enthusiastic men, who repine ana
sicken amid the decay and misery of our oppressed
land, and who have resolved to go to America,
while bidding them farewell with unfeigned Borrow,
to them I say, with a fearless disregard for the in
sinuations of cant—when you become American
citizens you will not cease to be Irishmen, you will
not forget the poor old land, who, with all her
shame upon her, iB still your mother, remember;
and these are my last wordß—if you would accel
erate the hour of ,her redemption, take your stand
in the ranks of the defenders of the Union , and help
to restore unify, prosperity) and greatness to America,
From the time the first shot was fired at Fort
Sumpter till the present, President Lincoln and his
Cabinet have had to choose between peace, bringing
with it the dismemberment of the Republic, and s
vigorous prosecution of the war, with every pros
pect of ultimately beating down the demon of. Secession,
In following up this latter policy they have beea
well sustained, and are still well sustained, as the
late elections prove, by the great majority of the
American people. '
But we are told that if, in 1861, the Irish popula
tion of the States had thrown their influence into
the scale of peace—that is, had refused to fight—the
miseries of war would have been averted.
Does any one mean to assert that, by the refusal
of the Irißh population to fight,’’the North would,
have been reconciled to Secession, or the South
been induced to come back into the Union 1
This is too ridiculous. I conceive that the Irish
population of the States, from long residence, from
natural sympathy, from reciprocity of interest, hat
become so thoroughly American, so completely iden
tified with the mass of those among whom its lot
has been cast, as to be literally unable to isolate it
self or take action separate from the rest of the com
munity on any question affecting the honor of safety
of America. And I cannot imagine that the Irish
population has as yet become so potent an element
of transatlantic society as to be, in fact, the arbitra
tor of the destiny of an ,immense continent. Con
sidering all the circumstanoes of their position, and
all they owe to America, -it.woqld have been impos
sible for theTriah to have/"stood aloof without dis-
gracing themselves and their .country .to : the end of
time. Nothing could'jusrify ooaduct the result of
which would have been so disastrous to their bene
factors.
Escape of Morgan—What He is to do.—The
Louisville (Kentucky) Democrat , of Friday, noticing,
the jarreat of two of John Morgan’* officers, near
that city, adds: J
“ The prisoners state that Morgan, with" six cap
tains, escaped from the prison, and that Morgan*
with the other officers, got upon the train at Oolum
buß .within fifteen minutes after, he made higvescape,
and came this way.. They were detained, and Slept
.in anoldfilied,until the followingjaight, when they
started. They **y that Hiorjjaa ahci the other
cers weieahead of theta, and that it was-theintea«
tion of Morgan to croeslthe Cumberland rivef on.
"Wednesday night. , . -
It i. rumored that -Morgan .1, to have command
of the diflferent bands of guerillas In this State, all
of whom will be concentrated bn the south bank, of
the Cumberland river, andthat as soon as they can;
be got together he will make a raidthrough the
State, and probably strike the Louisville and Nash
ville Railroad.” v . -
Extinction or Slavery in Missouri.—A. St.
Louis letter to the New York Commercial says tie
order to recruit blacks in Missouri was .a staggering;
blow to the'reumants Qf.the pe'cnllar institution, ia.
Missouri. The practical working of the order is as
follows: A recruiting Officer goes into a district awl
recruits filly or a hundred negroes—the masters re
ceiving receipts by which, on proof of loyalty, they
will be entitled to compensation. The negroes come
to St, Louis, and, on an examination by a surgeon,
three-fourths of the recruit! are declared physically:
unfit lor. service. -They are injected, and of coarse
their masters’ receipts are null and void. They are
held for a few days, and, in default of their mastere
appearance, discharged. Not one in five of the re*
jeoted recruits ever return to slavery. This has been,
the operation of the negro recruiting- system,thus far,
and the exodus of the negroes. from the oountry is
more rapid than ever. Slavesdlip. themselves into
Dairies of recruits, arrive m, St. Louis, swear they
hail from Arkansas or Mississippi, receive free pa*
pers, go into free States, and thus are lost toths
South forever. .
Election efLoisisiana.— It now appears that
an election for State officers and members of Con
gress was held in Louisiana on the 2d of November,
and three of the members—A, E; Field, from the
First district S. T. Oottman, from the Second, and
Joshua Baker,*at large—are now in Washington
with their credentials, and will claim their BBate.
The candidates in the Third and Fourth districts, up
river, on the Arkansas river, were Messrs: Mon
tague and Lafayette Caldwell. There areno returns
from them. * _
Tai:L- 4 -T3ST Hoop- Skirt.—Boston pipers re
late that the mate of a vessel lying at a Boston
wharf visited, an institution on North street one
night last week. When he awoke in the morning,
his roomlmate ha<\ gone and taken all his elothßs,
and he could get no one in the place to help , him
to any others. He was very anxious to return to
his vessel, but hiß under garment wa3 the only one
left, and that was not of sufficient dimensions to
answer all the requirements of the ore-is ion. mb
. finallyprocured the loan of a headless flour barret
and got Into it t holding the barrel at a sufficient
height to comply with the demands of decency, he
marched down the wharf, and arrived at Ms vessel
before Bhe sailed. His appearance on the street
created quite a sensation. * .
/-«atko t io archbishop Of Tuam, Ireland,
writing to the Chancellor of the English Exchequer,
on the subject of the Irish exodus to America, says:
“ Tt-ts In vain, then, that landlords, now changing
their tone, beseech their tenantry to stay: It ia in
viiin that the obsequious scribes of a Government
which so long treated them with cruelly implore
them not to go. Their resolve appears-determines
as 'one SB their just claims are so mercilessly un
heeded. And hence the cool and stern indifference
with which they leave a land that has lost for them
the endearing character of a parent, and with it all
the taored attractions and security of home.
—A writer in the Baltimore American statestnat tha-
Bepresentative from Alexandria, a.. Mr. Kitchen,
cannot he considered “ doubtful. The men who
elected Mr. Kitchen are of undoubted and unconffi
tional loyalty: have suffered everything at tha.
hands of the Secessionists, and are unflinching pup
poittra of tbs present Administration.
-Ex-Governor Mattoson, of Illinois, whoywaa
ago convicted of permitting fraudulent
Is'ue'sw canal scrip, &0., and held to the State for
paid in full the balance due by
a tianafer of 4,226 acres of land owned by hinii tha
gtatS twaßg th« »t sl*m;mw.