Battles of the Civil War

THE BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND MISSIONARY RIDGE

After the battle of Chickamauga, Rosecrans' army was cooped up in Chattanooga, and his sources of supplies were entirely cut off by Bragg, except from the north of Chattanooga, by which he received his supplies over mountainous wagon roads, and, on account of heavy rains which fell during October, the roads became almost impassable. These trains were attacked by Confederate cavalry under General Forest, and in one day 300 wagons were destroyed and about 1,800 mules were either killed or captured. One soldier said "the mud was so deep that we could not travel by the road, but we got along pretty well by stepping from mule to mule as they lay dead by the way." Starvation threatened the camp, and the army must be relieved.

Vigorous measures were now taken. General Grant was now made commander of the western armies. He had about 80,000 men in addition to Burnside's force at Knoxville. The Confederates had about 60,000. General Sherman was directed to reënforce Grant at Chattanooga from Vicksburg and transported his forces by boat to Memphis, and from there marched overland.

The authorities at Washington also determined to reënforce Rosecrans from the Army of the Potomac, and 23,000 men, under General Hooker, were transported by rail to Chattanooga. This brought the Army of the Cumberland to numbers far exceeding those of the Confederates. The immediate command of all the Federal forces was given to General Thomas until such time as General Grant should arrive. Grant telegraphed to Thomas to hold Chattanooga at all hazards. Thomas replied, "I will do so till we starve."

The first and great question of the Federals was to relieve their line of supplies. General Hooker was sent with a portion of his troops against a strong position taken by some Confederates in Lookout Valley, and, after a short but decisive battle succeeded in driving the Confederates back, which left him in possession of the immediate country, and thus opened up a route to Brown's Ferry, over which a route for abundant supplies was at once available. This relieved the Army of the Cumberland of its perilous position.

Thomas was being reënforced from all sides; Hooker was already on the ground; Sherman was advancing rapidly from Memphis, while Burnside's forces at Knoxville offered protection for the left flank of the Federal army.

General Bragg had his forces in a line extending a distance of twelve miles across to Missionary Ridge, and was strengthened by entrenchments throughout the lowlands. He determined to attack Burnside at Knoxville, and dispatched Longstreet over his protest with 20,000 men to do this, thus weakening his extended lines. This has been considered a very great mistake of Bragg, as his total force was much less than had opposed Rosecrans at Chickamauga. Grant had now arrived and had assumed command of the entire Federal forces, and had planned to attack Bragg on November 24th, but on receiving information, which proved to be unreliable, that Bragg was preparing to retreat, he decided to make the attack on the 23d, and ordered Thomas to advance upon Bragg's center. This attack took the Confederates by surprise. After some severe fighting, they fell back more than a mile and left the Federals in command of some advantageous positions, thus ending the first day's battle.

Preparations were made during the night for a general engagement the next day.

Sherman was in command of the left wing, while Thomas held the center, and Hooker the right, and they had planned to sever communications between Bragg and Longstreet, and thus keep the Confederate army divided.

Early on the 24th Sherman moved against the Confederate right, and with little opposition occupied the northern end of Missionary Ridge. The Confederates, after discovering this advantageous position taken by Sherman, fought desperately in the afternoon to regain it, but were finally repulsed.

While this was going on, General Hooker, with a division of Sherman's army, was making a desperate struggle for the capture of Lookout Mountain, whose rugged crests towered above the clouds. This mountain was ably defended by the Confederates, but they were finally pushed back by overwhelming numbers and made their final stand within the breastworks about the Craven house, but were finally dislodged from this place and retired within their entrenchments in the valley.

This has been termed "The Battle in the Clouds."

On the morning of the 25th preparations were made for the final battle on Missionary Ridge. The attack was made by General Sherman, and it seemed that the Confederates must recede from the terrific onslaught, but they succeeded, after a stubborn struggle, in repulsing the Federals at this particular time, and they were pushed back by General Hardy, who captured several hundred prisoners. The Federals, quickly re-forming their lines, renewed the assault and, after waiting for Hooker to bring up his division, Grant ordered a general advance, and the battle was now on in earnest. Bragg opened on them from the crest of Missionary Ridge with fifty pieces of artillery and a line of musketry. Even this did not stop the impetuous charge. The first line of entrenchments of the Confederates was carried with little opposition, and, as the Confederates retired through other brigades, the confusion was great, and the retreat became almost a rout.

Had it not been for a division of North Carolinan soldiers under Major Weaver, who succeeded in rallying his troops, and was successful in holding the Federals in check, the retreat would have become a rout of the entire Confederate army.

This gave the Confederates a little time to rally their lines, and they were able to retire from the field in good order.

The battle was now over, and the field was left in possession of the Federals, Bragg retiring with his army into Georgia.

BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS

This was one of the great battles of modern times, being second only to Gettysburg in our Civil war. Napoleon never fought a battle on the Continent of Europe that was equal to the Wilderness. It was three times bloodier than Austerlitz, after which battle it is said Napoleon's triumphant march from Freize to Paris was more grand than Queen Elizabeth's tour of England after the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

The Battle of the Wilderness, together with Spottsylvania, is thought to be more destructive to the Federal forces than both Antietam and Gettysburg combined.

On Lee's sudden departure from Gettysburg there were many stragglers left behind, who were taken prisoners by the Federals. Some of them were not aware that the army had gone; others, on account of slight wounds and sickness, were not able to keep up with the army.

Lee succeeded in crossing the Potomac above Harper's Ferry about the middle of July with but little opposition from the Federals, and led his army across the Rapidan, and there entrenched himself to dispute the Federals under General Meade, who had by this time succeeded in crossing the Potomac and was moving upon Culpeper Court House, at which place he concentrated his forces. There was but little fighting done during the remainder of the year, except an unsuccessful cavalry expedition under Kilpatrick, who sought to take Richmond by surprise.

During the early months of 1864 the authorities at Washington became discouraged with General Meade's management of the Army of the Potomac. They thought that he should have destroyed Lee's army on its retreat from Gettysburg; while it is now conceded that Meade's management was good, and that he did all that any general could have done under the circumstances. General Grant had come into great favor in the North on account of his successive victories in the West, and it was decided to give Grant command of all the Federal forces, with the rank of lieutenant-general. This high grade in command had been held only by Generals Washington and Scott, thus bringing together two great generals. One the idol of the North: the other of the South. Cæsar said he would rather be first man in a village in Gaul than second in Rome.

Grant found under his command in the Army of the Potomac 140,000 men.

Lee found under his command scarcely 60,000 men, but that spirit burned in the breast of his soldiers notwithstanding their defeat at Gettysburg and their loss of Vicksburg, that many hard battles would be fought before the heel of the invader should tread upon the streets of their cherished capital, Richmond.

Grant determined to move upon Richmond and by doing so began with the Wilderness a series of battles which are unequaled in history.

Grant's army was divided into three corps, commanded by Hancock, Warren and Sedgwick. Sheridan was in command of the cavalry. Burnside was in command of another division of the army, protecting the Orange and Alexandria railroad.

Lee's army consisted of three corps of infantry, commanded by Longstreet, Ewell and A. P. Hill, and the cavalry by Stuart. A notable fact in the organization of the Confederate army was the few changes made in commanders.

Early on the morning of May 4th Grant's army began crossing the Rapidan below Lee's entrenchments. This being anticipated by Lee, he at once prepared to set his own army in motion and throw himself across the path of his foe. Both armies were now near Chancellorsville, in a wilderness country, where a great battle had been fought the year before. This country was covered by underbrush and ragged foliage, with scrub pine, and dotted here and there with small clearings. This wilderness country was pierced by a few roads leading from the fords of the river. The Federals had advanced up these roads as far as the Wilderness Tavern, in which General Grant established his headquarters.

This wilderness country was entered by two roads from the southwest known as the "Old Orange Turnpike" and the "Orange Plank Road." Along these two roads the Confederates moved their army to meet the advancing hosts of the Federals, General Ewell leading his corps along the turnpike and A. P. Hill along the plank road. General Longstreet was hastening up from Gordonsville, and it was very evident that a great battle was near at hand.

On the morning of May 5th Ewell came in contact with Warren's corps at a cross-road near Parker's store, and this meeting precipitated the beginning of the great battle.

About this time it became known to General Grant that A. P. Hill was advancing by the plank road, and he ordered Sedgwick to entrench and prepare to receive the attack from A. P. Hill. Hill came up very soon, and the battle began in earnest. The musketry fire was continued with great severity until late in the evening without a decided advantage to either side. The loss was great and the Federals had suffered the loss of General Hays, who had been shot through the head. The Confederates had suffered the loss of General John M. Jones.

This ended the first day's struggle, and during the night both armies entrenched themselves directly in each other's front.

Early on the morning of May 6th the Federals were reënforced by Burnside's corps, and A. P. Hill by that of Longstreet.

General Grant issued orders for a general attack all along the line, and soon the battle was raging along the five-mile front, which became a hand-to-hand contest. Artillery played but little force in this battle, on account of the dense growth of timber and underbrush, and it was chiefly a battle of musketry.

The branches were cut from the trees by the leaden missiles, and saplings were mowed down as grass by a scythe.

The Confederates were finally driven back and seemed on the verge of a panic. At this moment General Lee rode through the lines to the front and called on his soldiers to follow him. This instantly gave courage to his army, which rallied and began to push the Federals back. General Lee was called back by his own men: "General Lee to the rear! General Lee to the rear!" This brave act on the part of General Lee, and the arrival of Longstreet, restored order and courage in the ranks, and they soon regained their lost position.

General Longstreet, while riding with Generals Kershaw and Jenkins, at the head of Jenkins' brigade, were mistaken for the enemy by their own men and fired on, and when the smoke lifted Longstreet and Jenkins were down—Longstreet seriously wounded, and Jenkins killed outright. This was a serious loss to the Confederacy, as they had suffered the loss of one general and had incapacitated another from service. A similar thing had occurred a year before at Chancellorsville when General Jackson was mortally wounded.

The fighting continued the rest of the day, the advantage being first with one side and then the other.

Darkness ended the two days' undecisive Battle of the Wilderness, one of the greatest struggles in history.

It was Grant's first measure of arms with General Lee. While Grant had been defeated in his plan to pass around Lee to Richmond, yet he had made a new record for the Army of the Potomac.

The loss of the Federals in killed and wounded was about 17,000, while that of the Confederates was about 12,000.

THE BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE

General John B. Gordon said that Spottsylvania furnished the longest roll of incessant musketry; the most splendid exhibition of heroism and personal daring by large numbers who, standing in the freshly spilled blood of their comrades, faced for so long a period and at so short a range the flaming rifles as they heralded the decrees of death during the entire war. Such examples of heroism, shown by both armies in that hand-to-hand struggle at Spottsylvania Court House, will not be lost to the Republic.

After the undecisive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant again tried to get his army between that of Lee and Richmond, and on the afternoon of May 7th began to move his army in the direction of Spottsylvania Court House. Lee had anticipated this movement on the part of Grant, and began at once to devise plans to throw his army across the path of his adversary. He therefore ordered General Anderson, who was now in command of Longstreet's corps, Longstreet having been wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness, to march by a shorter route to Spottsylvania Court House, hoping to reach the same before it was occupied by the troops of Grant. This movement was begun by Anderson on the night of May 7th. General Ewell was ordered to follow up Anderson's corps. This he did by taking a longer and more indirect route. When the Federals, under Warren, reached Todd's Tavern they found their cavalry in terrible conflict with Fitzhugh Lee's division of the Confederate cavalry. Fitzhugh Lee was reënforced by the advance division of Anderson's corps, which by this time had come up. General Warren was finally repulsed and fell back, thus giving the Confederates possession of Spottsylvania Court House which was gained only by the timely arrival of Anderson's corps.

The Federals tried again and again throughout the day to break the Confederate lines, but were repulsed in every attack. Thus Lee had again blocked the path of Grant.

Both armies began to entrench themselves, as it was very evident that a great battle was near at hand. The Confederates formed their entrenchments in the shape of a huge V, forming a salient angle against the center of the Federal line. This particular place has since been known as the "Bloody Angle." The Confederate left was commanded by Anderson, the center by Ewell, the right by Early, who was temporarily in command of A. P. Hill's corps, on account of Hill's sickness. The Federal left was commanded by Burnside, the center by Sedgwick and Warren, and the right by Hancock.

May 9th was spent by both armies in getting position and by some fighting between the outlying divisions of the armies. In one of these skirmishes General Sedgwick was killed by a sharpshooter's ball. He was succeeded in command by H. G. Wright. His death was a great loss to the Federal forces.

On the next day General Grant ordered a general attack on the Confederate line. This attack was led by General Warren, whose progress was very slow owing to the dense thickets of low cedar and the walls of abatis, which were thrown in their way by the Confederates. This advance of General Warren was met by a heavy artillery and musket fire from Longstreet's corps, under command of Anderson. Warren's troops came on notwithstanding the heavy fire from all sides. Some of his soldiers even crossed over the breastworks and were either killed or taken prisoners by the Confederates. The Federals finally retreated with heavy loss.

Grant now thought it best to attack the Confederate lines in front of Wright's corps. This was done late in the evening by several divisions under Upton. He advanced quickly through a terrible fire and gained the entrenchments, where they had a terrible hand-to-hand conflict with bayonets fixed. The Confederates were overpowered by numbers and gave way and fell back to their second line of entrenchments. For this brave act, Upton was made a brigadier-general. The Confederates, however, were reënforced, and Upton retired from the position which he had gained.

The battle was yet indecisive and both armies had suffered great loss. Owing to the heavy rains, the armies lay inactive on the 11th. It was during this battle that Grant sent a message to Washington saying that he would fight it out on this line if it took all summer.

Grant, in the meantime, had sent General Sheridan with his cavalry to threaten Richmond.

He was closely followed by General Stuart, and on May 11th they fought a hard battle at Yellow Tavern, in which General Stuart was killed. His death was a severe loss to the Confederacy. His experience as a cavalry leader, obtained on many battlefields, was such that his place could not be filled. A large statue has been erected to his memory in the Hollywood cemetery at Richmond, on which is recorded his feats of valor on many fields.

Grant decided on another attack on the Confederate lines at Spottsylvania on May 12th, the objective point being the sharp angle in Lee's entrenchments. This had been anticipated by General Lee, and he had been making ready. This attack was made at daybreak by General Hancock's corps. It was the most severe and the most bloody hand-to-hand conflict of the entire battle. The attack was received by General Johnston's brigade of Ewell's corps, which was finally overpowered and captured. This was the "Old Stonewall Brigade." This was a serious loss to Lee's army.

The Federals pushed on to the Confederates' second entrenchments, but were here repulsed by fresh troops under General Gordon. General Lee himself rode up with Gordon, but was forced back again by the cry of his own men: "General Lee to the rear!"

The fighting was kept up all day along the line. The trenches had to be cleared frequently of the dead to give room for the living. The slaughter continued until late in the night and was undecisive. The Confederates finally fell back within their entrenchments.

General Grant was deeply moved by the terrible loss of life at the "Bloody Angle."

The total loss to the Federals exceeded 18,000; the Confederates, about 9,000. Grant found that no ordinary methods of war would overcome the Army of Northern Virginia, and that his only hope was in the long drawn-out campaign with larger numbers. For the next five days short battles were fought at intervals between the outlying divisions of the armies.

Grant's army still moved to the southeast, with Lee following close along in their front, always ready to dispute any move that the Army of the Potomac should make toward Richmond.

THE BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR

With this battle terminated the Wilderness campaign, and was one over which Grant expressed regret, and said that Cold Harbor was the only battle that he ever fought that he would not fight over again, and he always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was made.