Beverly Ford, Brandy Station, Berryville, and Aldie, some of which were quite severe, but, in the absence of detailed reports, I am unable to give the losses on either side.

arrived on the field with the Third and Twelfth corps, which took position, one on the left and the other on the right of the new line. The battle for the day, however, was over.

When General Meade, under orders of the General Meade arrived on the field during the President, took command of the army of the night with the reserves, and posted his troops in Potomac, on the twenty-eighth of June, it was line of battle, the First corps on the right, the mainly concentrated at Frederick, Maryland. Eleventh corps next, then the Twelfth corps, Lee's army was supposed to be advancing against which crossed the Baltimore pike; the Second Harrisburgh, which was garrisoned by raw and Third corps on the Cemetery ridge. On the militia, upon which little or no reliance could be left of the Eleventh corps the Fifth corps, pendplaced. Ewell's corps was on the west side of ing the arrival of the Sixth, formed the reserve. the Susquehanna, between that place and Colum- On the arrival of the latter, about two o'clock P.M., bia. Longstreet's corps was near Chambers-it took the place of the Fifth, which was ordered burgh, 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 capturing his trains.

to take position on the extreme left. The enemy massed his troops on an exterior ridge, about a mile and a half in front of that occupied by us. General Sickles, misinterpreting his orders, instead of placing the Third corps on the prolongation of the Second, had moved it nearly three fourths of a mile in advance, an error which nearly proved fatal in the battle. The enemy attack

it was likely to be utterly annihilated, when the Fifth corps moved up on the left, and enabled it to re-form behind the line it was originally ordered to hold. The Sixth corps, and part of the First, were also opportunely thrown into this gap, and succeeded in checking the enemy's advance about sunset. The rebels retired in confusion and disorder.

Our force at Harper's Ferry at this time was supposed to be about eleven thousand. It was incorrectly represented to General Meade to be destitute of provisions, and that he must imme-ed this corps on the second with great fury, and diately supply it, or order the abandonment of the place. Accordingly, a few hours after he assumed the command, he assented to an order drawn up by an officer of General Hooker's staff, directing General French to send seven thousand men of the garrison to Frederick, and with the remainder (estimated at four thousand) to remove and escort the public property to Washington. This order, based on erroneous representations, was not known in Washington till too late to be countermanded. It, however, was not entirely executed when General Meade very judiciously directed the reöccupation of that important point.

sor.

On the twenty-ninth, General Meade's army was put in motion, and at night was in position, its left at Emmittsburgh, and right at New-WindThe advance of Buford's cavalry was at Gettysburgh, and Kilpatrick'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 thirtieth, the First, Third, and Eleventh corps were concentrated at Emmittsburgh, under General Reynolds, while the right wing moved up to Manchester. Buford reported the enemy in force on the Cashtown road near Gettysburgh, and Reynolds moved up to that place on the first of July. He found our cavalry warmly engaged with the enemy, and holding them in check on the Cashtown road. Reynolds immediately deployed the advance division of the First corps, and ordered the Eleventh corps to advance 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 mortally wounded. The arrival of Ewell's corps, about this time, by the York and Harrisburgh roads, compelled General Howard, upon whom the command devolved, to withdraw his force, the First and Eleventh corps, to the Cemetery ridge, on the south side of Gettysburgh. About seven P.M., Generals Sickles and Slocum

About eight P.M., an assault was made from the left of the town, which was gallantly repelled by the First, Second, and Eleventh corps. On the morning of the first, we regained, after a spirited contest, a part of our line on the right, which had been yielded to sustain other points. On the second, about one P.M., the enemy opened an artillery fire of one hundred and twenty-five guns on our centre and left. This was followed by an assault of a heavy infantry column on our left and left centre. This was successfully repulsed with terrible loss to the enemy. This terminated the battle, and the rebels retired defeated from the field. The opposing forces in this sanguinary contest were nearly equal in numbers, and both fought with the most desperate courage. The commanders were also brave, skilful, and experienced, and both handled their troops on the field with distinguished ability; but to General Meade belongs the honor of a well-earned victory, in one of the greatest and best-fought battles of the war.

On the morning of the fourth, the enemy apparently occupied a new line in front of our left, but in reality, his army had commenced to retreat, carrying off a part of his wounded. His lines, however, were not entirely evacuated till the morning of the fifth, when the cavalry and Sixth corps were sent in pursuit. The days of the fifth and sixth were employed by General Meade in succoring the wounded and burying the dead left on the battle-field. He then started in pursuit of Lee by a flank movement upon Middletown.

In the mean time General French had reōccu

loss at Bristoe Station was fifty-one killed and three hundred and twenty-nine wounded. We captured five cannon, two colors, and four hundred and fifty prisoners. In the several skirmishes between the ninth and twenty-third of October, the casualties in our cavalry corps were seventyfour killed, three hundred and sixteen wounded, and eight hundred and eighty-five missing. The enemy's loss is not known, but must have been heavy, as we captured many prisoners. Troops sent out from Harper's Ferry, forced him to immediately retreat.

On the seventh of November, Generals Sedgwick and French attacked the enemy at Rappahannock Station and Kelly's Ford, capturing several redoubts, four guns, and eight battle-flags, and about two thousand prisoners. Our loss in killed and wounded was three hundred and seventy. The enemy now retreated to his old position, south of the Rapidan.

pied Harper's Ferry, destroyed the enemy's pontoon train at Williamsport and Falling Waters, and captured its guards. Halting a day at Middletown, General Meade crossed the South-Mountain, and on the twelfth found the enemy occupying a strong position on the heights of Marsh Run, in front of Williamsport. Instead of attacking Lee in this position, with the swollen waters of the Potomac in his rear, without any means of crossing his artillery, and where a defeat must have caused the surrender of his entire army, 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 fourteenth his army had crossed to the south side of the river. His rear-guard, however, was attacked by our cavalry and suffered considerable loss. Thus ended the rebel campaign north of the Potomac, from which importal political and military results had been expected. Our own loss in this short campaign had been very severe, namely, two thousand eight hundred and thirty-four killed, thirteen thousand seven hundred and two wounded, and six thousand six hundred and forty-three missing-in all, twenty-three thousand one hundred and eightysix. We captured three guns, forty-one stand-guerrilla bands. When Lee's army retreated ards, thirteen thousand six hundred and twenty-one prisoners, and twenty-eight thousand one hundred and seventy-nine 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 must have been much greater than

ours.

After crossing the Potomac, Lee continued his retreat up the valley of the Shenandoah, and through the gaps of the Blue Ridge, till he reached the south bank of the Rapidan, near Orange Court-House, where he took up a defensive position to dispute the crossing of the river. General Meade continued his flank pursuit by Harper's Ferry, Berlin, and Warrenton, till he reached Culpeper Court-House, where he halted his army, not deeming it prudent to cross the river and attack the enemy, who was now intrenched on the south bank, which completely commanded the approaches on the north side. During this advance, several cavalry skirmishes took place, but without serious loss on either side.

The operations of our troops in West-Virginia are referred to here as being intimately connected 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 up

across the Potomac, in July last, Brigadier-General Kelly concentrated all his available force on the enemy's flank, near Clear Springs, ready to cooperate in the proposed attack by General Meade; they also rendered valuable services in the pursuit after Lee had effected his passage of the river. On the twenty-fourth of July, Colonel Toland attacked the enemy at Wytheville, on the Eastern and Virginia Railroad, capturing two pieces of artillery, seven hundred muskets, and one hundred and twenty-five prisoners. Our loss was seventeen killed and sixty-one wounded; the enemy's killed and wounded reported to be seventy-five.

In August, General Averill attacked a rebel force under General Sam Jones, at Rocky Gap, in Green Brier County, capturing one gun, one hundred and fifty prisoners, and killing and wounding some two hundred. Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing, was one hundred and thirty. On the eleventh of September, Imboden attacked a small force of our troops at Morefield, wounding fifteen and capturing about one hundred and fifty. On the fifth of November, General Averill attacked and defeated the enemy near Lewisburgh, capturing three pieces, over one hundred prisoners, and a large number of small arms, wagons, and camp equipage. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded estimated at three hundred.

A considerable part of Lee's army was now withdrawn, to reenforce Bragg in the West; but with his diminished numbers he assumed a threatening attitude against General Meade, manœuvred to turn his flank, and forced him to fall back to the line of Bull Run. Having destroyed the Orange and Alexandria Railroad from the Rapidan to Manassas, the rebels again fell back to their former position near Orange Court-House. During these operations there were several severe engagements between detached forces-but no Our force in North-Carolina, during the past general battle: October tenth and eleventh, at year, has been too small for any important operaRobertson's River; twelfth, at Brandy Station; tions against the enemy, and, consequently, has fourteenth, at Bristoe Station; nineteenth, at Buck- acted mostly on the defensive, holding the importland Mills; twenty-fourth, at Bealton and the Rap-ant positions previously captured from the rebpahannock Bridge; and on the seventh of No- els. Nevertheless, General Foster has given vember, on the south bank of that river. Our much annoyance to the enemy, and taken every

DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH-CAROLINA.

favorable opportunity to threaten and cut his up a rebel party known as the Confederate Vollines. In December last, he marched against unteer Coast-Guard, who were engaged in smugKinston, and on the fourteenth defeated the ene-gling goods across the Chesapeake from Marymy and captured the place. He then moved up land and the Eastern Shore. Most of these coastthe south side of the Neuse River to Goldsboro, guards were absent at the time, but the expediburned the railroad bridge at that place, and tore tion resulted in capturing one hundred and fifty up much of the railroad between the river and boats and schooners, and eighty head of beef Mount Olive. cattle.

He captured four hundred and ninety-six prisoners and nine pieces of artillery. His loss was ninety killed, four hundred and seventy-eight wounded, and nine missing. In March, the rebel General Pettigrew, with a large force of infantry and artillery, made a demonstration on Newbern, but was forced to abandon the attempt on that place. General Foster's loss was only two killed and four wounded. In April, General Hill laid siege to Washington, on Tar River. The place had only a small garrison, and was but slightly fortified. General Foster, however, immediately directed all his energies to strengthen the works so as to resist any assault till reinforcements arrived from Newbern, to raise the siege there. No report of the losses on either side.

The navy has given efficient aid in all the operations in this department.

DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH.

The withdrawal, last year, of most of our troops in South-Carolina, to reenforce General 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 Sumter and Charleston had long been in contemplation by the Navy 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 An expedition sent against a rebel camp at navy. Accordingly General Foster, with a conGum Swamp, in May, which captured one hun-siderable force and a large siege equipage, which dred and sixty-five prisoners and military stores, and another, in July, against Rocky Mount, on Tar River, which destroyed the bridge at that place and a large amount of rebel property, terininate the military operations in that State to the present time.

had been prepared for another purpose, was sent to assist in this naval attack.

It was thought that his talents and experience as an engineer officer, and his personal knowledge of the localities and defensive works of Charleston harbor, rendered him peculiarly suited for On being compelled to abandon his attempt this duty; but not proving acceptable to the upon Washington, the rebel General Hill marched Commanding General of the department, he was toward Nansemond to reenforce Longstreet, who permitted to return to his command in the Carowas investing Suffolk. Failing in his direct as- lina, leaving his troops and siege preparations in saults upon this place, the enemy proceeded to the Department of the South. The naval attack establish batteries for its reduction. General on Fort Sumter took place on the seventh of Peck made every preparation for defence of which April; but being unsuccessful, nothing, apparthe place was capable, and started the construc-ently, remained to be done by the land forces. tion of his works, till finally, the attempt was A siege of Charleston and its defences by land abandoned. Our loss in these operations was had never been attempted, and, therefore, was forty-four killed, two hundred and two wounded, | no part of the plan. and fourteen missing. We captured four hundred prisoners and five guns during the siege.

As Suffolk possessed no advantages as a military post, and was not susceptible of a good defence, the garrison was afterwards withdrawn within the new lines constructed around Norfolk. When the rebel army was moving North, upon Maryland and Pennsylvania, General 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 handful of militia. The expedition, however, failed to accomplish a single object for which it had been fitted out.

The failure resulting, as it was alleged, from the inefficiency of one of the generals commanding, General Dix, therefore, ordered its return, and sent the troops of which it was composed to reinforce the army of General Meade, north of the Potomac. On the fifth of October, BrigadierGeneral Wistar was sent with a small force, aided by gunboats, to Matthew County, Virginia, to break

It was now represented by the Navy Department that a second attack upon Fort Sumter and Charleston was preparing, and that its success required the military occupation of Morris Island, and the establishment of land batteries on that island, to assist in the reduction of Fort Sumter.

The establishment of these batteries and the reduction of the enemy's works, Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg, being a matter of engineering skill, Brigadier-General (now Major-General) Q. A. Gillmore was selected to command the land forces engaged in these operations. In addition to being an educated and skilful military engineer, he had considerable experience in the special duties required in these operations. General Gillmore, despite the enemy's defensive works, landed his force on Morris Island on the tenth of July, and immediately commenced the slow and difficult operations of conducting the siege of Fort Wagner, and establishing batteries against Fort Sumpter.

Without, however, waiting for the reduction

Buchanan, crossed Berwick Bay, and attacked the rebel gunboat Cotton, in the Bayou Teche. This gunboat, being disabled by the fire of our naval and land forces, was burned by the rebels.

of the former, he opened, on the seventeenth of with a force of infantry and artillery, aided by August, his fire on the latter, and, on the twenty- the gunboats under Lieutenant Commanding third, after seven days' bombardment, Fort Sumter was reported a shapeless and harmless mass of ruins. Being under the fire of other forts of the enemy, and inaccessible by land, our troops could not occupy it, and a few guns have since been temporarily remounted, but they have been as often silenced. General Gillmore now vigorously pushed forward his sappers against Fort Wagner, and on the morning of the seventh of September, took possession of that place, and also of Battery Gregg, most of the garrison having made their escape in boats during the night.

He captured in all thirty-six pieces of artillery and a large amount of ammunition. General Gillmore's operations have been characterized by great professional skill and boldness. He has overcome difficulties almost unknown 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 established powerful batteries, which effectually command Fort Sumter, and can render efficient aid to any naval attack upon Charleston. They also control the entrance to the harbor.

DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF.

The loss of General Weitzel's command in this expedition was six killed and twenty-seven wounded. A number were killed and wounded on our gunboats, and among the former, Lieutenant Commanding Buchanan.

On learning of the capture of the Queen of the West by the rebels, above Port Hudson, and their movements in Red River and the Teche, Admiral Farragut determined to run past the enemy's batteries, while the land forces at Baton Rouge made a demonstration on the land side of Port Hudson. The demonstration was made, and, on March fourteenth, Admiral Farragut succeeded in passing the batteries with the Hartford and Albatross. The Monongahela and Richmond fell back, and the Mississippi grounded, and was blown up by her commander.

Had our land forces invested Port Hudson at this time, it could have been easily reduced, for its garrison was weak. This would have opened communication, by the Mississippi River, with General Grant at Vicksburgh. But the strength Major-General Banks took command of the of the place was not then known, and General Department of the Gulf on the seventeenth of Banks resumed his operations by the Teche and December. Almost immediately on assuming Atchafalaya. In the latter part of March, Colcommand, he ordered a detachment of troops to onel Clarke was sent with a small force up the Galveston, Texas, to occupy that place under the Pontchatoula, and destroyed the railroad bridge protection of our gunboats. Colonel Burrill, at that place. He captured a rebel officer and with three companies of the Forty-second Mas-four privates, and three schooners loaded with sachusetts volunteers, the advance of the expe- cotton. His loss was six wounded. dition, arrived at that place on the evening of the twenty-fourth December. On consultation with the commander of the blockading force, he landed his men upon the wharf, and took possession of the city on the first of January.

At the same time General Dickerson was sent to the Amite River to destroy the Jackson Railroad. He proceeded as far as Camp Moore, captured forty-three prisoners, a considerable amount of cotton, and destroyed valuable rebel manuBefore the arrival of the remainder of our factories. In his operations up the Teche and forces, the rebels made an attack by land, with Atchafalaya, General Banks encountered the artillery and infantry, and by water with three enemy, under Sibley, Taylor, and Mouton, at powerful rams. Colonel Burrill's command of several points, and defeated them in every entwo hundred and sixty men were nearly all kill-gagement. Buttea La Rose was captured, with

ed and taken prisoners. The Harriet Lane was a garrison and two heavy guns. By the guncaptured, and the flag-ship Westfield was blown boats, under Lieutenant Commanding T. Cooke, up by her commander to prevent her falling into of the navy, General Banks reached Alexandria the hands of the enemy. The rebels also cap- on the eighth of May, the enemy retreating totured the coal-transports and a schooner. The ward Shreveport and into Texas. commanders 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 thirty-first, and arrived off Galveston on the second of January, the day after our forces there had been captured or destroyed by the enemy. Fortunately they did not attempt to land, and returned to NewOrleans in safety. It is proper to remark that this expedition was not contemplated or provided for in General Banks's instructions.

On the eleventh of January, General Weitzel,

In this expedition General Banks reports the capture of two thousand prisoners, twenty-two pieces of artillery, two transports, and a large amount of public property. We destroyed three gunboats and eight transports. Our own loss, in the different engagements with the enemy, was very slight-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 twenty-third of May, with General Augur's forces from Baton Rouge. The latter had an engagement with the enemy at Port Hudson Plains on the twenty

third, in which he lost nineteen killed and eighty wounded.

Port Hudson was immediately invested. While awaiting the slow operations of a siege, General Banks made two unsuccessful assaults upon the place; finally, on the eighth of July, the place unconditionally surrendered. We captured six thousand two hundred and thirty-three prisoners, fifty-one pieces of artillery, two steamers, four thousand four hundred pounds of cannon powder, five thousand small-arms, one hundred and fifty thousand rounds of ammunition, etc.

Of the wounded, many were but slightly wounded, and continued on duty; many more required but a few days or weeks for their recovery, and not more than one half of the wounded were permanently disabled.

In order to facilitate General Grant's opera- When we consider the character of the countions, by destroying the enemy's line of com- try in which this army operated, the formidable munication, and to prevent the early concentra- obstacles to be overcome, the number of the tion of any reenforcements, Colonel (now Briga- enemy's force, and the strength of his works, we dier-General) Grierson was sent with a cavalry cannot but admire the courage and endurance of force from La Grange on the seventeenth of April, the troops, and the skill and daring of the comto traverse the interior of the State of Missis-mander. No more brilliant exploit can be found sippi. This expedition was most successfully in military history. It has been alleged, and conducted. It destroyed many of the enemy's the allegation has been widely circulated by the railroad bridges, dépôts, and much of the rolling press, that General Grant, in the conduct of his stock, and reached Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in campaign, positively disobeyed the instructions safety on the second of May. of his superiors. It is hardly necessary to remark that General Grant never disobeyed an order or instruction, but always carried out, to the best of his ability, every wish or suggestion made to him by the Government.

On returning to Vicksburgh, General Grant found his forces insufficient to entirely invest the enemy's works. There was, therefore, danger that the two bodies of the enemy, under the command of Generals Pemberton and Johnston, Moreover, he has never complained that the might yet effect a junction, as it was known that Government did not furnish him all the means the latter was being largely reenforced from and assistance in its power to facilitate the exeBragg's army in Middle and East-Tennessee. cution of any plan which he saw fit to adopt. Under these circumstances, General Grant de- While the main army of Tennessee was operattermined to attempt to carry the place by assault. ing against Vicksburgh, the enemy's forces on Two unsuccessful attacks were made on the the west side of the river made successful atnineteenth and twenty-second of May; but as tacks on Milliken's Bend and Lake Providence, reenforcements reached him a few days after, on the sixth and tenth of June. Our loss in the sufficiently large to enable him to completely in- former was one hundred and one killed, two hunvest the rebel defences, he resorted to the slower dred and eighty-five wounded, and two hundred but more effective way of a regular siege. By and sixty-six missing. Loss in the latter not the third of July his sappers were so far ad-reported. It is represented that the colored vanced as to render his success certain, and on that day General Pemberton proposed an armistice and capitulation, which were finally accepted, and Vicksburgh surrendered on the fourth of July.

troops in these engagements fought with great bravery, and that the rebels treated this class of prisoners of war as well as their officers with great barbarity.

siege, as absolutely to require several weeks of repose before undertaking another campaign. Nevertheless, as the exigencies of the service seemed to require it, he sent out those who were least fatigued on several important expeditions, while the others remained at Vicksburgh, to put that place in a better defensible condition for a small garrison.

It has not been possible, however, to ascertain In the language of General Grant's official re- the correctness of the representations in regard port, the results of this short campaign were: to the treatment of these prisoners. After the The defeat of the enemy in five battles outside capture of Vicksburgh, General Grant reported of Vicksburgh; the occupation of Jackson, the that his troops were so much fatigued and worn capital of the State of Mississippi, and the cap-out, with forced marches and the labors of the ture of Vicksburgh and its garrison, and munitions of war; a loss to the enemy of thirtyseven thousand prisoners, among whom were fifteen general officers, at least ten thousand killed and wounded, and among the killed Generals Tracy, Tilghman, and Green, and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of stragglers, who can never be collected and organized; arms and munitions of war for an army of sixty thousand men haye fallen into our hands, beside a large amount of other public property, consisting of railroads, locomotives, cars, steamboats, cotton, etc., and much was destroyed to prevent our capturing it. Our losses in the series of battles may be summed up as follows:

As soon as Vicksburgh was captured, General Sherman was sent in pursuit of Johnston's forces. The latter retreated to Jackson, Mississippi, which place was taken by us on the sixteenth of July. Our loss was about one thousand in killed, wounded, and missing. General Sherman cap tured seven hundred and sixty-four prisoners,