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that of previous years. The estimates of the Government were based on an army-organisation of a million men. Supplies were provided with the most lavish profusion. New drafts were ordered, and put in execution throughout all the loyal States. Arms, ammunition, clothing, subsistence, medical stores, and forage, were accumulated in enormous proportions, and the most elaborate agencies were created for the transportation of great armies, and the insuring of constant communication between one army and another, and of all with the seat of Government. Money was forthcoming to any extent that might be required; for Congress knew it might depend upon the willingness of the people. The combined efforts of all the Federal hosts were to be made in the spring; but at a still earlier date General Sherman was to conduct a series of operations in Mississippi. It was arranged that he should march from Vicksburg on Jackson, and thence proceed to Meridian, a small town situated in the eastern parts of Mississippi, not far from the borders of Alabama. At the same time, a large cavalry force, under Generals W. S. Smith and Grierson, was to move down the Mobile and Ohio Railway, and effect a junction with Sherman at his ultimate point of destination. The expedition was ready by the 3rd of February, and on that day it started from Vicksburg, under the personal leadership of the eminent General who had so brilliantly distinguished himself as the coadjutor of Grant. To say that it was successful, is hardly to convey a correct idea of what ensued. The Federal army met with scarcely any opposition, and employed itself mainly in burning what remained of Jackson, in ruining villages and private houses, in plundering farms, and in devastating a wide extent of country. From the testimony of Northern writers themselves, it seems impossible to doubt that the conduct of the Union troops on this occasion was needlessly cruel and wholly unjustifiable. Many civilians, including women and children, were rendered homeless by the destruction of their dwellings, and reduced to the worst extremities of want by the pillage of their possessions. In one respect, however, the losses of the people do not deserve commiseration. As the Northerners advanced into the country, negroes flocked to their standard to the number of about five thousand in the whole campaign; and these of course received their liberty, and were sent northward. Many white refugees also sought the protection of the Federal lines, and it was evident that the power of the Union was being recognised in those remote regions in more ways than one. While at Meridian (which he reached in eleven days), Sherman made what he afterwards described

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as "the most complete destruction of railroads ever beheld." The object of this measure was to damage the communications of the enemy, and to cut off from the western armies of the Confederation the large supplies of corn which were derived from Mississippi. The work was accomplished with great expedition, and Sherman then began to look out for the cavalry force under General W. S. Smith, which was to have arrived from Memphis by the 10th of February. It afterwards turned out that that officer did not even start until the following day; that he proceeded not much more than half the distance; and that, after a signal reverse, he retraced his steps on the 22nd. General Polk, who was now in command of all the Confederate troops in that department, had crossed the Tombigbee River, into the interior parts of Alabama, on the approach of Sherman's army; but he had previously ordered his horsemen to operate against the cavalry of the invaders. The Confederate troopers were under the directions of General Forrest, a man of humble origin and great ignorance, rough in manners and coarse in speech, yet possessed of genius as a military leader. Smith's retreat had been caused by the operations of this commander, who, encountering his adversary at Okolona, on the borders of the prairie country, inflicted on him a very serious defeat, attended by circumstances of panic. This closed the campaign. Sherman, finding that he was not joined by his cavalry, retreated to Vicksburg, and abandoned all further operations for the time.

It had been part of the Federal plan that Admiral Farragut should attack Mobile while the army was advancing in the same direction, and that General Thomas should make a movement against Johnston, so as to prevent his sending any reinforcements to the threatened positions. This portion of the design, however, could not be carried out, owing to the derangements consequent on the defeat of Smith. Farragut bombarded Fort Powell, at the entrance to Mobile Harbour, but was obliged to retire with the loss of a gunboat; nor was Thomas at all successful in his demonstration against Johnston. The Confederates were now in a position of command, and Forrest, entering Western Tennessee and Kentucky, captured the city of Jackson on the 23rd of March, compelled the surrender of Union City on the 24th, and sacked Paducah on the 26th. Appearing on the 12th of April before Fort Pillow, on the eastern shore of the Mississippi, Forrest prepared to storm the works, after two demands to surrender had been refused. The fort was to a great extent garrisoned by negro troops; and when the attack

slaughtered. What makes this crime still worse is the fact that, as the Confederate troops approached the fortifications, a flag of truce was flying. It has been alleged, as an excuse for this execrable crime, that some steamers were seen ascending the river, crowded with what appeared to be reinforcements; but it is idle to pretend that this can in the slightest degree palliate the action by which General Forrest has eternally disgraced his name.*

General Banks, who was still in command at

The facts were shortly afterwards fully investigated by a Committee of Congress, whose report reveals horrible atrocities.

Department was General Kirby Smith, whose forces were but small in comparison with those arrayed against him. He directed General Taylor to obstruct the course of the Red River; despatched Generals Price and Marmaduke to harass the march of Steel through the swamps and forests of southern Arkansas; and prepared to meet his enemy in such positions as would make defeat more probable. To hinder the progress of the Federal gunboats up the Red River, it was determined to defend Fort de Russy, situated about fifty miles from the confluence of that stream with the Mississippi. exposed situation of the fort, however, was such that its retention could not be much prolonged

The

Albert L. Lee, with the cavalry of Banks's army, was ordered, on the 28th of the month, to march upcr the old French settlement of Natchitoches, and that town was occupied on the 31st. Admiral Porter had by this time arrived at Grand Echore, on the Red River. On the 6th of April, the army moved from Natchitoches towards Shreveport, with General Lee's cavalry in advance. Next day, the leading column encamped at Pleasant Hill, and on the 8th reached Mansfield. All this while.

ing troops the Federal cavalry were constantly engaged between Natchitoches and Mansfield. Price's infantry had, moreover, arrived at Shreveport, so that Taylor felt himself much stronger than at the commencement of the campaign; but he was at the same time sensible that the nature of the country had become less favourable to defence. Beyond Mansfield, the forest gave place to open fields, and, although his orders were to pursue his retreat until he reached Shreveport, Taylor con

sidered that existing circumstances justified him in assuming the initiative at once. He therefore took up a position three miles to the south of Mansfield, where, on the 8th of April, an action of a serious nature was fought. It was a disastrous day for the Federals. The several divisions of General Banks's army were widely separated by the tracts of woody country through which they were toiling, and were also greatly encumbered by an unnecessary amount of baggage, stowed away in numerous waggons, which blocked up the narrow paths leading through the forest. Green's cavalry, which had for some time been falling back before the Federal horsemen, suddenly found themselves supported by two divisions of infantry, and, turning with fiery suddenness on the pursuing troops, threw them into disorder. Other Confederate forces were hurried up, and the Federals, abandoning their artillery, fled with precipitation. In rear of the baggage-train, the 3rd division attempted to make a stand; but nothing could stop the advance of the Confederates, or the flight of their opponents. Arms and accoutrements were cast aside, and even those regiments which were filled with a better spirit were swept away by the terrified rush of the fugitives. The pursuit was at length checked by the 19th corps, under cover of whose guns General Banks retired towards his former camping-ground at Pleasant Hill.

At this spot it was at first decided to take up a position, and await the further action of the Confederates. The army, however, was in so shattered a state, and, as regarded many of its corps, was so destitute of arms, that it was soon afterwards resolved to continue the retreat. Kirby Smith ordered his subordinate to pursue with vigour; but the Confederates were too much exhausted to press their advantage with alacrity. They followed slowly, but during the afternoon of the 9th came into collision with the Federal 19th corps, which, together with some other troops, was stationed on a rising ground. The action that ensued was fierce and prolonged, and the right wing of the Confederates gave way with heavy loss. The left wing was to some extent successful; but, on the whole, the Federals retained their ground, and even recovered several of the cannon which they had abandoned on the previous day. After nightfall, the Confederate infantry retreated eight miles, under pretence of seeking for water; but it was evident that they had found their adversaries too strong for them. Nevertheless, the position of General Banks was so difficult, if not absolutely critical, that the commonest prudence dictated a further movement to the rear. The army accordingly fell back to

Grand Echore, where it enjoyed the protection of the gunboats. Admiral Porter had penetrated higher up the river than that point, but had returned on hearing of Banks's disaster. His own movements were attended by many perils. The shores of the river were crowded with Confederate infantry, and it was necessary to sweep the woods with grape-shot to enable the gunboats to pursue their return voyage. One of those boats, moreover, had been blown up by a torpedo, and, whilst the army was halting at Grand Echore, two transports were captured by the enemy. The low state of the water in the Red River, and the consequent difficulty of keeping up the line of supplies, now caused the army to fall back on Alexandria. The march commenced on the afternoon of April 21st, and was continued on the following day, when the Confederates pursued, and occasionally came into collision with the retreating troops. A sharp action took place on the 23rd; but the Federals continued their retrograde movement without much obstruction, and on the 27th reached their temporary place of destination.

The position of the fleet continued to be serious. The vessels were caught by low water above the falls of Alexandria, and Admiral Porter despaired of getting them out that season. Indeed, he considered that he might find it necessary to destroy the greater part of his squadron; but from this calamity he was delivered by the ingenuity of Lieut.-Colonel Bailey, acting engineer of the 19th army corps, who proposed to construct a series of dams across the rocks above the falls, so as to raise the water high enough to permit of the vessels passing over. The best engineers ridiculed the idea as impossible; but Colonel Bailey was so sanguine of success that Admiral Porter requested him to undertake the work. General Banks placed at his disposal a body of 3,000 men, with two or three hundred waggons; the neighbouring steam-mills were torn down for material; trees were felled by soldiers from Maine, who in their own country had been accustomed to the forest-work called "lumbering;' quarries were opened; flat-boats were built to bring down stone from above; and every one worked with zeal, though few had any belief in success. One of the most remarkable characteristics of American armies is the power of adaptability to the most unlooked-for circumstances which is possessed by the several regiments. This is explained by the fact that few of the men are soldiers by profession, but that most have followed some industrial pursuit; so that, when any sudden emergency arises, there are certain to be men specially qualified to execute the particular work that is

1864.] required. Such was the case on the present occasion, and a very difficult piece of engineering was carried out with results which, perhaps, would have been impossible in any other army. The falls were about a mile in length, and were filled with rugged rocks, over which the water raced furiously. The work was commenced by running out from the left bank of the river a tree-dam, made of large trunks, strengthened with brushwood, brick, and stone, and cross-tied with heavy timber. Four large coalbarges were then filled with bricks, and sunk at the end of the tree-dam. From the right bank of the river, cribs filled with stone were built out to meet the barges; and all these works had to be prosecuted in spite of a current which coursed onward at the rate of nine miles an hour. After eight days of indefatigable labour, the completion of the enterprise seemed near at hand. On the morning of the 9th of May, however, the pressure of water became so great that two of the coal-barges were swept away. Porter, seeing this unfortunate accident, and doubting whether the persons employed on the undertaking would have resolution enough to renew their toils, galloped up the river-bank to where some of his gunboats were anchored, and ordered four of them to attempt the passage. The first of these vessels to obey the Admiral's injunctions was the Lexington. "She entered the gap," says Porter, in an official narrative addressed to the Secretary of the Navy, "with a full head of steam on, pitched down the roaring torrent, made two or three spasmodic rolls, hung for a moment on the rocks below, was then swept into deep water by the currents, and rounded-to safely into the bank." The three others followed more or less dexterously, and all were greeted with deafening cheers by the soldiers congregated on the banks. With admirable hopefulness and determination, the men then set to work repairing the dam, in which, however, Colonel Bailey decided to leave a gap of fifty-five feet, while at the same time he built a series of wingdams on the upper falls. This was accomplished in three days, and the large vessels on the upper falls were then enabled to pass down, and get safely into smooth water.*

The main army of General Banks was now at Alexandria, in the neighbourhood of which the soldiers are said to have revenged their recent discomfiture by a wanton destruction of towns and villages. On abandoning the pursuit of Banks, Kirby Smith turned on Steel, who had by this time penetrated as far south as Camden. At that city he learned the defeat of his chief commander, and

Report of Rear-Admiral Porter to Mr. Gideon Welles.

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at once commenced a retreat to Little Rock, whence he had started. He was pursued by Kirby Smith, whose movements, however, were delayed by his adversary having destroyed the bridges over which he had passed. The road lay through a marshy and desolate country, where all the ways were involved in a sea of mud, consequent on heavy rain. It was some time before the Confederates could come within sight even of the rear-guard of the retreating Federals; but at length, on the 30th of April, the fugitives were encountered on the banks of the Saline River. In the midst of marsh and forest, with the river at his back and the enemy in his front, Steel, brought at length to bay, made a desperate stand. The Confederate divisions, as they arrived on the ground, were hurried forward to the attack; but the men, wearied out by their long march, fought with but little animation. Under a deluging descent of rain, and in the ooze and mire of a plashy soil, the combat continued for some hours. It was attended by no results of value to the Confederates, for on the approach of night the Federals, abandoning several of their waggons that were imbedded in the mud, crossed the river, and gained the shelter of Little Rock. The Confederates then retired towards the lower Red River Valley, with a view to further operations against Banks; but the Federal commander had learned sufficient of his enemy to hold him in dread. Having burned Alexandria, he retreated, about the middle of May, to the neighbourhood of New Orleans. The failure of the expedition excited much indignation at the North, and an inquiry was instituted into the causes of the disaster. A considerable minority acquitted General Banks of any serious blame; but the majority of the court condemned the whole plan which it had been sought to carry out, as well as the methods adopted towards that end.

A portion of the force before Charleston, South Carolina, was despatched in February on an expedition into Florida. General Gillmore has recorded that the objects in view were, to procure an outlet for cotton, timber, &c.; to cut off one of the enemy's sources of commissary supplies; to obtain recruits for coloured regiments; and to inaugurate measures for the speedy restoration of Florida to her allegiance, in accordance with instructions to that effect received from the President. The first object of attack was the city of Jacksonville, burned by the Federals nearly a year before; and here the troops landed, with but little opposition, on the 7th of February. The Confederate com

+ General Gillmore to the Secretary of War, Jan. 31st, 1864.