to Frederick, then up the Monocacy Valley through Mechanicsburg and Emmitsburg toward Gettysburg. The second and fifth corps crossed the Monocacy east of Frederick, and marched northeast through Union to Frizelburg, near the State line. The sixth moved to Westminster. The routes were so selected that Washington and Baltimore could be covered. Harper's Ferry was ordered to be evacuated, under the impression that it was without provisions, but the order was recalled. On the 30th General Meade changed the line of march of all his corps except the first and eleventh, toward Gettysburg. Those already were moving thither.

On the morning of July 1st the armies joined battle, and the brave Major-General Reynolds fell. Through the day the conflict raged, and night came on with results not favorable to our cause, for only our advance was brought into action. Thursday afternoon there was another desperate struggle, which closed without decisive results. On Friday, the 3d, the storm of battle was almost without precedent. The massed artillery of the enemy was directed against the left center of General Meade, and continued three hours. Twice the enemy rushed forward with desperate fury, charging up to our guns only to be broken and thrown back with fearful slaughter, the dead and wounded lying in windrows.

The Battles of Gettysburg were ended, and the defeated army of Lee began its retreat. Congratulations danced along the wires. General Meade was the hero of the hour.

That same "Fourth," the stronghold of the Mississippi was surrendered, to be followed by the surrender of Port Hudson, thus opening the Great River. And so Vicksburg and Gettysburg shouted their glad triumph across the mountains, the plains and the rivers! The national heart grew strong; the national faith took new life. Henceforward the Fourth of July was to have a new and grander meaning than ever.

The country expected confidently to hear of the capture of Lee and his whole army. The Potomac was behind him, and, as if to render his escape impossible, heavy rains swelled it to flood-tide. Not more manifestly fought the stars in their courses against Sisera than fought the elements against Lee, and Providence seemed to have given him into our hands. But there was delay in pursuit,

halting, and “caution." On the 14th came the word from General Meade himself, "the enemy are all across the Potomac." The war, which seemed so near its completion, was to be indefinitely extended, and General Meade missed the glory which seemed his inevitably.

It was a well-fought series of battles at Gettysburg, and should be wisely estimated; there were bravery and skill, but again a victorious army was halted within sight of grand results.

The valley of the Shenandoah, until the later days of Grant and Sheridan, was our valley of Hinnom. Banks, Hunter, Fremont, Milroy, Sigel, all failed to clear it of the foe, and there we seemed destined to defeat. Yet some of the most brilliant heroism was displayed, and by none more than by Illinois troops which chanced to be there. In the operations on the coast of North Carolina and before Charleston, Illinois had so few men engaged as to not warrant extended notice. The 39th was with General Gilmore in the early stages of the siege of Charleston and distinguished itself by gallantry in an assault, which will be hereafter noticed.

On the 1st of March, 1864, the President gave his signature to the bill establishing the grade of Lieutenant-General, and, as Congress, the people and the army expected, nominated to receive it, MajorGeneral U. S. Grant, the hero of Vicksburg and Mission Ridge, and on the 8th the commission was handed to the former Colonel of the "21st Regiment Illinois Infantry," by the President in person, in presence of the Cabinet, and he became commander of the armies of the United States. He framed a vast and comprehensive plan, the outworking of which we begin to see. It included the movements of Sherman through the Confederacy, of Thomas before Nashville, Sheridan in the Shenandoah, and Meade upon Petersburg and Richmond. The army of Lee was to be broken or driven within the defenses of Richmond, and held there, while Sherman, Thomas and Sheridan should operate elsewhere, and then, like the iron-chamber of the inquisition, the walls of steel should close in upon Lee's army on every side. On the 17th he formally assumed command. The fears freely expressed that he would be buried in Washington, and possibly come to manage the armies after the fashion of his predecessors, was relieved by the announcement that his "headquarters would be in the field "-where they remain.

The army of the Potomac had been concentrated in great strength at Culpepper, while that of Lee was at Orange Court House. Grant's army, under the immediate command of General Meade, moved, with six days' rations, on the 3d of May, 1864, and crossed the Rapidan on pontoon bridges at Germania and Ely's fords. It approached the Wilderness without opposition, avoiding the heavy works at Mine Run. The 5th corps was commanded by Warren; the 6th by the brave and accomplished Sedgwick; the 2d by Hancock, and the 9th by Burnside, as reserve, holding the north bank.

On the 5th the armies met in the tangled brush and undergrowth of that Spottsylvania Wilderness, and joined battle. There was obstinate bravery on both sides. Lee adopted his tactics of massing his forces and inflicted great loss upon us. Subsequently our forces inflicted severe punishment upon his columns. The loss of the two armies in that day's fighting is estimated at more than 12,000 men. It was no artille ry duel, for the undergrowth was too dense for its use, but the ste n hand-to-hand fighting of infantry and cavalry. No decisive results were reached, but General Grant selected a more advantageous position.

On the 6th Lee's army began the melee. His force was thrown now against one wing and now another, and the loss of Shaler's and Seymour's brigades periled our right. The gallantry of Sedgwick saved the day for us.

The next day our guns were in position and all ready for battle, but Lee was moving southward to interpose between Grant and Richmond at some other point. The army of the Union advanced to Spottsylvania Court House where the enemy was strongly intrenched. A cavalry fight for certain points along the line of march

cost us 300 men.

On the 9th General Sedgwick, himself equal to a division, was killed by a sharpshooter. Generals Hays and Wadsworth had previously fallen. On the 10th the fighting was of the most desperate and sanguinary character. The line of battle was six miles, and for this length our brave men stood before the breastworks of the enemy. The corps of Burnside, Hancock, Warren and Wright were all engaged, and for the first time in the battles of the Wilderness our artillery came into deadly play. The carnage was frightful. It is

said we lost 4,000 men killed, and that 8,000 wounded were left on the field! Generals Stevenson and Rice fell. There was constant skirmishing. On the 11th Sheridan made his great raid, in which General J. E. B. Stuart, one of the most efficient rebel cavalry officers, was killed. Up to this date we had captured some 5,000 prisoners. The 12th witnessed fifteen hours' terrible strife. Hancock threw his corps upon the rebel entrenchments and captured a division of 3,000. Thirty rebel guns were also captured. Five times did the forces of Lee, with bravery and audacity unsurpassed, attempt the re-capture of their works, but they beat hopelessly against the granite corps of Burnside and Warren. At another point our troops put forth most heroic courage and desperate daring in an unsuccessful effort to carry the rebel entrenchments. The Union loss of this day is estimated by some at 11,000. Four thousand prisoners were captured. Through that night was the incessant roar of artillery.

It became evident to the enemy that they were dealing with such persistence and dogged resolution, and with such masterly combinations as they had not before met on the Potomac. They claimed victory but had found themselves compelled to fall back before a beaten foe who steadily followed them. The "Colonel of the 21st Illinois" meant war, and knew how to wage it. There was constant skirmishing for some days, but no general engagement.

On the night of the 21st Grant moved his forces quietly southward, on toward Richmond, and it became a question who should sooner reach it, he or Lee! "Grant is in full retreat" was the rebel news, but strange to say it was by a flank movement directly toward the rebel capital! The defences at the North Anna were stormed on the 23d, and on the next day our army crossed that river, having to fight their way at every ford. At the South Anna the enemy had constructed defences almost impregnable.

Another flank movement threw our forces across the Pamunkey, and it was apparent that the Federal leader was maneuvering to approach Richmond from the North. There was constant fighting in some direction. On the 1st of June there was a desperate engagement at Cold Water. On the 3d was fought a desperate battle at Cold Harbor, where our loss was nearly 6,000.

The line of the Chickahominy was abandoned, and the Federal

army led to the south side of the James, and on the 16th operations were commenced before Petersburg. It may be conceded that General Grant did not in the campaign of the Wilderness accomplish all he wished, for he did not destroy the army of Lee. But it was shown that ours could march from Washington to the defences of Richmond in spite of it, clearing the way with ball and bayonet and breaking both the power and prestige of the grand army of the Confederacy.

The events of the siege can be adverted too only incidentally in the present volume. The iron-hand closed upon that great army compelling it to remain inactive, while in other directions the armies of the Republic were winning glorious victories. Sherman had occupied Savannah, Charleston and Columbia. Wilmington had fallen, and the coast was sealed to the importation of supplies. Sheridan had swept the valley of the Shenandoah, repeatedly defeating Early, capturing large numbers of cannon and prisoners, and cutting railway and canal at his pleasure. All looked well, and in calm trust the people were content to wait, for waiting had come to mean victory instead of defeat.