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Owen Wister, Ulysses S. Grant, VI. (search)
ave sat more worthily in the White House. It was foretold — silently. Sherman, his dear friend, was set against it, and would not say a word for it. Did he not know the world's great soldiers, and what babies they became as statesmen,--Wellington latest of all? More still, he knew his friend. But we Americans, the most consistently inconsistent people on earth, have passed a century in abusing our army, and in electing every military hero we could get for president: Washington, Jackson, Harrison, Taylor, Grant. When Lincoln was taken from us, no man was so loved as Grant; and, therefore, without asking or caring to know how he could have learned statesmanship, in our gratitude we twice gave him the greatest gift we have. Before this happened, his straightforward goodness and the power that he had did much to heal the scars of war. Andrew Johnson wanted Lee tried for treason, and Grant stopped it by threatening to resign his commission. In those days the Southern General Taylor
G. S. Hillard, Life and Campaigns of George B. McClellan, Major-General , U. S. Army, Chapter 11: (search)
the Secretary of War would have insisted upon the army's advancing without shoes, clothing, and horses; but it was charged, or at least intimated, that the army, in point of fact, was sufficiently supplied with them all, and that the alleged want of them was a mere pretext put forward by the general in command to excuse his slowness, indolence, or lack of zeal in the cause. Upon this issue we may repeat, what was said before as to the charge of needless delay in forwarding the troops from Harrison's Bar, that General McClellan stands upon the ground of knowledge and the Administration upon the ground of inference. The testimony of one credible witness swearing affirmatively to what he knows outweighs that of twenty who can only contradict him by a process of deductive reasoning. The ease cannot be put more simply or more forcibly than has been done by General McClellan himself in his Report:-- The general-in-chief, in a letter to the Secretary of War on the 28th of October, say
William Tecumseh Sherman, Memoirs of General William T. Sherman ., volume 1, Chapter 8: from the battle of Bull Run to Paducah--Kentucky and Missouri. 1861-1862. (search)
mmanding. Brigadier-General McCook's camp, at Nolin, fifty-two miles from Louisville, Kentucky, November 4, 1861. First Brigade (General Rousseau).--Third Kentucky, Colonel Bulkley; Fourth Kentucky, Colonel Whittaker; First Cavalry, Colonel Board; Stone's battery; two companies Nineteenth United States Infantry, and two companies Fifteenth United States Infantry, Captain Gilman. Second Brigade (General T. J. Wood).--Thirty-eighth Indiana, Colonel Scribner; Thirty-ninth Indiana, Colonel Harrison; Thirtieth Indiana, Colonel Bass; Twenty-ninth Indiana, Colonel Miller. Third Brigade (General Johnson).--Forty-ninth Ohio, Colonel Gibson; Fifteenth Ohio, Colonel Dickey; Thirty-fourth Illinois, Colonel King; Thirty-second Indiana, Colonel Willach. Fourth Brigade (General Negley).--Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania, Colonel Hambright; Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania, Colonel Sinnell; Seventy-ninth Pennsylvania, Colonel Stambaugh; Battery----, Captain Mueller. Camp Dick Robinson (General
William Tecumseh Sherman, Memoirs of General William T. Sherman ., volume 2, chapter 19 (search)
h the rebel intrenchments of Atlanta, was General Thomas's Army of the Cumberland, in the order of — the Fourth Corps (Stanley's), the Twentieth Corps (Williams's), and the Fourteenth Corps (Palmer's). Palmer's right division (Jefferson C. Davis's) was strongly refused along Proctor's Creek. This line was about five miles long, and was intrenched as against a sally about as strong as was our enemy. The cavalry was assembled in two strong divisions; that of McCook (including the brigade of Harrison which had been brought in from Opelika by General Rousseau) numbered about thirty-five hundred effective cavalry, and was posted to our right rear, at Turner's Ferry, where we had a good pontoon-bridge; and to our left rear, at and about Decatur, were the two cavalry divisions of Stoneman, twenty-five hundred, and Garrard, four thousand, united for the time and occasion under the command of Major-General George Stoneman, a cavalry-officer of high repute. My plan of action was to move the A
Elias Nason, McClellan's Own Story: the war for the union, the soldiers who fought it, the civilians who directed it, and his relations to them., Chapter XI (search)
e enemy had strengthened their force opposite Harrison's island by one or two regiments from below, rly attempt by the enemy to secure Mason's or Harrison's island, perhaps both, but probably the lattd a reconnoitring party towards Leesburg from Harrison's island. The enemy's pickets retired to entA. M. The enemy have been engaged opposite Harrison's island: our men are behaving admirably. C. one canal-boat, capacity two hundred men; at Harrison's island in four flat-boats and four row-boat. Banks will support you, with one brigade at Harrison's island and the other two at Seneca. Landerk it necessary, so as to send two brigades to Harrison's island instead of one. About the same time nd am disposing others to help the defence of Harrison's, I think the men will fight well. Entrenchred a camp of the enemy about one mile beyond Harrison's island in the direction of Leesburg. HavinMass., was directed to replace Col. Devens in Harrison's island with four companies of his own regim[2 more...]
Elias Nason, McClellan's Own Story: the war for the union, the soldiers who fought it, the civilians who directed it, and his relations to them., Chapter 19: (search)
very rapid gait which kept all other horses at a gallop. I think it was on this ride that he earned from the aides the title of that Devil Dan --a name which he justified on many another long and desperate ride before I gave up the command of the Army of the Potomac. Dan was the best horse I ever had; he never was ill for an hour, never fatigued, never disturbed under fire, and never lost his equanimity or his dignity, except on one occasion. That was when we abandoned the position at Harrison's Bar under the orders to return to Washington. From a very natural feeling I remained there until all the trains and troops had left, and, sending forward all the escort and staff, remained alone in the works for a little time, my mind full of the fatal consequences of the order I was forced to carry into execution. At length I mounted and rode out to join the escort; as I passed through the abandoned works Dan, for the first time in his life, gave vent to his feelings by a series of mos
Elias Nason, McClellan's Own Story: the war for the union, the soldiers who fought it, the civilians who directed it, and his relations to them., Chapter 22: (search)
rect to Martindale's assistance, pushed the 9th Mass. and 62d Penn., of McQuade's brigade, through the woods on the right (our original left), and attacked the flank of the enemy, while Butterfield, with the 83d Penn. and 16th Mich., hastened towards the scene of action by the railroad and through the woods, further to the right, and completed the rout of the enemy. During the remainder of this and the following day our cavalry was active in the pursuit, taking a number of prisoners. Capt. Harrison, of the 5th U. S. Cavalry, with a single company, brought in as prisoners two entire companies of infantry with their arms and ammunition. A part of Rush's lancers also captured an entire company with their arms. The immediate results of these affairs were some 200 of the enemy's dead buried by our troops, 730 prisoners sent to the rear, one 12-pound howitzer, one caisson, a large number of small arms, and 2 railroad trains captured. Our loss amounted to 53 killed, 344 wounded and
Elias Nason, McClellan's Own Story: the war for the union, the soldiers who fought it, the civilians who directed it, and his relations to them., Chapter 25: (search)
ide of the Chickahominy. It is impossible to tell where reinforcements ought to go, as I am yet unable to predict result of approaching battle. It will probably be better that they should go to Fort Monroe, and thence according to state of affairs when they arrive. It is not probable that I can maintain telegraphic communication more than an hour or two longer. But 5,000 of the reinforcements spoken of in these communications came to the Army of the Potomac, and these reached us at Harrison's Bar after the Seven Days. In anticipation of a speedy advance on Richmond, to provide for the contingency of our communications with the depot at the White House being severed by the enemy, and at the same time to be prepared for a change of the base of our operations to James river, if circumstances should render it advisable, I had made arrangements more than a week previous (on the 18th) to have transports with supplies of provisions and forage, under a convoy of gunboats, sent up J
Elias Nason, McClellan's Own Story: the war for the union, the soldiers who fought it, the civilians who directed it, and his relations to them., Chapter 26: (search)
order to reach a point where our supplies could be brought to us with certainty. As before stated, in the opinion of Com. Rodgers, commanding the gunboat flotilla, this could only be done below City Point; concurring in his opinion, I selected Harrison's Bar as the new position of the army. The exhaustion of our supplies of food, forage, and ammunition made it imperative to reach the transports immediately. The greater portion of the transportation of the army having been started for Harri one line, would extend not far from forty miles, the energy and caution necessary for their safe withdrawal from the presence of an enemy vastly superior in numbers will be appreciated. The last of the wagons did not reach the site selected at Harrison's Bar until after dark on the 3d of July, and the rear-guard did not move into their camp until everything was secure. The enemy followed up with a small force, and on the 3d threw a few shells at the rear-guard, but were quickly dispersed by o
Elias Nason, McClellan's Own Story: the war for the union, the soldiers who fought it, the civilians who directed it, and his relations to them., Chapter 29: (search)
Chapter 29: The Army at Harrison's Bar Indecision at Washington the Harrison's Bar letter Army ordered home Protests of McClellan on the bank of the James river the fate of the Union should be decided transportation not provided withdrawal of the Army transfer to front of Washington. When the troops reachedr supper, and upon my assuring them that they should have it they would give their usual cheers and be perfectly content. For two or three days after we reached Harrison's Bar the banks of the river were crowded all day long with the men bathing. It should be understood that in time of action every army reduces itself into two commander-in-chief, whom the Constitution places at the head of the armies and navies, as well as of the government, of the nation. Mr. Lincoln visited me at Harrison's Bar. I handed him myself, on board of the steamer in which he came, the letter of July 7, 1862. He read it in my presence, but made no comments upon it, merel
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