The President had decided at that time to put off all promotions until after the assembling of Congress. It followed that my order of muster out as colonel preceded by several weeks my nomination as brigadiergeneral. This interval, lengthened by the habitual delays of confirmation by the Senate, gave me the privilege of passing in New York and Washington a winter much more agreeable than it would have been under a tent.

I will add here that, a few days after my departure, the army crossed the Rapidan, in accordance with a well conceived plan of General Meade, to envelop Ewell's corps, separately encamped, several miles away from Hill's. The undertaking was resultless, on account of several mishaps, notably the mistakes of General French, who, on the first day, delayed the march of the army considerably by his slowness in reaching the point assigned to him, and, on the second day, wandered so far from the road that he brought up against the enemy's line, instead of making connection with the Second Corps, as he had been ordered to do. This untoward event cost us seven hundred men in the Third Corps, amongst whom was Colonel Tripp, of the sharpshooters, who was killed in the engagement. The two corps of the enemy, whom we should have surprised, and fought separately, united immediately, and fortified so strongly and so thoroughly that on the third day the attack was recognized as too hazardous to be attempted.

An instance of moving significance took place there. On the morning of the 20th, Warren was to attack the rebel right with the Second Corps, reënforced by two divisions of the Third. When, at daylight, the men, formed in line of battle, saw in front of them the marshy borders of Mine Run, the tangled abatis of

fallen trees, and the intrenchments, in front of which the enemy's artillery crossed its fire, knowing that the impossible was asked from them, they thought of Fredericksburg, and, without excitement or murmurs, each one wrote his name, his age, and his place of birth on a little square of paper, which he pinned on his breast.

There is nothing more affecting in its heroic simplicity than this silent and resigned protest of soldiers ordered to death uselessly, who know it, and who yet, ready to immolate themselves to duty, confine their protest to pencilling beforehand their modest epitaphs.

Happily, General Warren did not allow the sacrifice to be made. Despising the disparaging criticisms to which he was exposing himself, he took it upon himself to suspend the assault, and sent one of his aids to explain the reasons to the general commanding. The latter immediately countermanded the orders under which Sedgwick was to attack the left and Birney the centre of the enemy's positions. The opportunity was lost; the advanced season did not allow the undertaking of any more new operations. The army recrossed the Rapidan, to take up again, and this time permanently, its Culpeper winter quarters.

This period of inaction was only broken by several cavalry movements, the most important of which, towards the end of February, was an attempt to deliver those of our prisoners whom the barbarism of the rebel government had abandoned to all the tortures of cold and hunger, on an island in the James, in front of Richmond. General Kilpatrick, who commanded the expedition, penetrated to the second line of the defences of the rebel capital, but could go no further. A part of the force, led by Colonel Dahlgren, had been led astray far from its road by the treason of a guide, and be

trayed into an ambuscade, where a large number were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. The guide was hanged to tree, with stout rope; but the death of that wretch did not restore to life the young colonel, whose body lay among the dead. As to the prisoners, they were sent far distant to the south, where they were to perish by thousands, victims to unheard-of barbarities, of which I will give an account elsewhere.

CHAPTER XXVI.

ULYSSES S. GRANT, LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.

Condition of the rebellion at the beginning of 1864-General Grant in the West - The capture of Vicksburg · Capitulation of Port Hud

son

Victory of Missionary Ridge - Grant appointed lieutenantgeneral His portrait - His stay at Washington - Reorganization of the Army of the Potomac - Official statement of the land forces of the United States - How I came to be appointed to the com

mand of the garrison and defences of New York.

THE year 1864 was recognized everywhere as the one which must decide the result of the war. In the North, as in the South, all agreed on this point.

During three years the rebellion had not ceased to gradually fall back further and further from the accomplishment of its designs. In the West it had been driven out of the central States, and, in consequence of defeat after defeat, having lost the line of the Mississippi, it had been cut in two so completely that for the use of the government at Richmond the States and Territories beyond the river were afterward as though they did not exist. In the East, where it had concentrated its best forces, and where its best generals had not found their equals in ability amongst their opponents, even its successes had been but negative, more onerous on them than our reverses had been on us. In fact, the Army of the Potomac had been for the Confederates the stone of Sisyphus. Twice had they rolled it back, once from the borders of the James to those of the Antietam, and again from the banks of the Rappahannock to the heights of Gettysburg, only

to be twice overwhelmed. The third time their force had failed them half-way, near Centreville; and now they were worn out with holding their enemy on the Rapidan, whence he was always threatening to spring upon their capital.

How long could their resistance endure? A year at the most. For these reasons:

The South was at the end of its resources, and it was not in the power of a few speculators interested in English blockade-runners to renew them. Supported by her negroes, she had made war, and could yet do so, without money or credit; but not without armies. She had still two armies remaining, who were all that the levy en masse could furnish. Behind them there was no more population to recruit from or renew them. Already, to fill up its ranks, the revolutionary government of Richmond had, according to the strong expression of Grant, "robbed the cradle and the grave." It had forced into the ranks even old men and children. This might suffice for still another campaign; but afterwards? These gone, and men are quickly used up, -all that was possible was done. The rebellion, then, had only a last hand to play.

In order that they might try one more chance, they must maintain the war until after the presidential election, which took place in November; for the mili tary campaign of the rebels in arms in the South had to correspond with the electoral campaign of their Northern allies. There was entire coöperation, united action, between the two wings. So that, if the first gained any advantage in the field, the second would magnify the account, using every means to that effect, which the usual agitation customary in times of general election would enable them to do to advantage. By uniting certain selfish interests, and rallying those whose ambi