A critical history of the late American War

469 Pages·1877·22.489 MB·English

by  Asa Mahan, M. W. Smith (ed.)

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A CRITICAL HISTORYiiMJ
OF THE LATE |i *"•"—' /j^
WAK
AMERICAN
BT
MAHAN.
tAra1l)ijl>/3 A.
(Il^ntarlq
WITH AN INTRODUCTORY LETTER
BY
LIEUT.-GENERAL M. W. SMITH.
BARNES
A. S. & CO.,
NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND NEW ORLEANS.
1877.
&
Copyright, 1877, by A. S. Barnes Co.
United Service Club, Pall Mall,
2Zth November, 1876.
—
My dear Sirs,
According to Dr. Mahan's wish I have read over
the portion of the proofs of his work which you have
furnished me with.
It seems to me that his book will prove both interesting
and instructive to those who wish to trace out the causes
which have led to the success or failure of campaigns, and
how battles have been lost and won.
Although the Doctor is not a military man, he seems to
have studied carefully the science of strategy as It has
been developed at different periods, and applies his know-
ledge in indicating where established principles have been
deviated from.
He compares, plainly and practically, what he conceives
might have been done in accordance with such principles,
with what was actually done the results in the latter case
;
having now become matters of history.
The author appears to have been familiar with the
.
ground and scenes he describes so graphically, and
to have been also fully furnished with all details relating
to the strength, positions, etc., ofthe forces engaged.
IV INTRODUCTORY LETTER.
As to his comments upon and criticism of the conduct
and capabilities of those who occupied prominent positions
during the years of the last American War, I am not
prepared to offer any opinion. Whether the readers of
the present work agree with all the views of the author
or not, its perusal may lead them to think out the matter
for themselves, and to consider at least one phase of
military combinations on a large scale; and in these
critical and uncertain times this may prove a beneficial
exercise of the intellect, with reference to both military
men and civilians.
Yours faithfully,
M. W. SMITH.
Lieut.-General.
PREFACE.
Science, like its divine Author, is "no respecter of per-
sons." This is equally true of impartial criticism, and
especially so when such criticism pertai—ns to the deeds
and character of men of world notoriety, men who con-
sent to assume the conduct of enterprises and interests
upon the issues of which the destiny of nations depends.
In assuming such responsibilities, such men invite, and
even challenge, such criticism, and will receive it from
every *' wise and understanding people." In the prepara-
tion of the following work, it has been a fixed aim of the
author, not only to furnish needful information to his
countrymen, but to exemplify the ideal represented by the
words impartial historic criticism. He lays no claim to
infallibility in the statement of facts, or in his deductions
from the same; and will gladly confess, and promptly
correct, any errors of any kind into which partial or im-
partial criticism may prove him to have fallen. In his
criticism of the deeds and character of our Generals, of
their campaigns and the conduct of the war, he claims to
have known no man as a member of this or that political
party, but to have contemplated and presented all in
common from one exclusive standpoint, the military. If
any of my countrymen regard any military commander as
faultless, or void of merit, because he belongs to this or
that political party, this history was not written for them,
—
but for American citizens citizens who would know that
they are Americans who have occupied high places of
trust and power, and under whose conduct oceans of
American blood and treasure have been poured out.
Criticism, when honest especially, is an important disci-
pline of thought. Historic criticism not only furnishes
—
VI PREFACE.
the means of such discipline, but enables even those who
may differ from an author in his statements and deductions
better to understand the subject treated of than were
otherwise possible. All my countrymen who would under-
stand this war as really conducted, will, it is believed, read
this treatise with interest and profit. Nor was the work
prepared for Americans alone, but for all friends of truth,
of every clime, into whose hands this treatise may fall
friends of truth who take an interest in what concerns this
great nation, and who would understand events which
have for all future time shaped its destiny. With these
suggestions, the work before us is commended to the
consideration of my countrymen especially.
THE AUTHOR.
Oct. zirdf 1876.
CONTENTS.
-------i
CHAP. rMSM
Introduction
L The Bull Run Campaign - - - - - 19
IL Administration of General G. B. McClellan in the
Department of Washington - - - - 35
iiL The Command of General Fremont in the Western
Department . . - . . - - 42
IV. General McClellan as Commander-in-Chief - - 59
V. The Spring Campaign of the Army of the Potomac - 76
VI. General Halleck's Measures and Campaign in Missouri 113
vu. General Plan of the Union and Confederate Authori-
ties FOR the Conduct of the War - - - 118
viiL The Campaign in Kentucky, and Eventswhich followed 126
IX. General Halleckat Pittsburg Landing and at Corinth 139
X. General Halleck appointed Commander-in-Chief ofthe
Armies of the United States - - - - i44
XI. General Pope and the Army of Virginia - - - 146
xiL General Lee's Invasion of Maryland - - - i79
xiiL The Army of the Potomac under General Burnside - 209
XIV. Movements in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi - 216
XV. Expeditions on the Seaboard and Ocean . - - 223
XVI. My Visit to Washington in the Month ofJanuary 1863 231
XVII. Winter Campaign of General Rosecrans - - - 244
xviiL The Siege o-f Vic-ksbur-g and-Port-Huds.on ---- 248
XIX. General Hooker in Command of the Army of the
Potomac 256
XX. General Leea SecondTimeon Free Soil.—Gettysburg - 279
Vlll CONTENTS.
CHAP. PACK
XXI. The Chattanooga Campaign - - - - - 308
XXII. Minor Campaigns during this War - - - - 334
XXIII. Our Naval Expeditions around the Southern Coasts - 340
XXIV. Operations of the Army of the Potomac prior to the
Appointmentof GeneralGrantasCommander-in-Chief 343
XXV. Appointment of General Ulysses Grant as Lieutenant-
General and Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of
the Unite.d Sta-tes -- .- -- -- •- -- 351
XXVI. Campaign of the Army of the Potom.ac u.nder.General
Grant 360
XXVII. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign - - 390
zxviii. Operations West of the Mississippi - - - . 406
XXIX. Results of the Great Campaigns of 1864; Plans forthe
Future of the Union and Confederate Commanders 408
XXX. General Price's Last Invasion of Missouri - - 316
XXXI. The Campaign of General Hood in Tennessee - - 422
XXXII. Sherman's March through Georgia - - - - 431
xxxiii. Shermans March from Savannah, Georgia, to Goldboro',
North Carolina; the Surrender of Lee and John-
ston; AND the Close of the War - - - 438
INTRODUCTION.
I PURPOSE, from a standpoint hitherto unattempted, to
write out a HistcMy of the War of the Rebellion. In the
multitudinous works now before the public, all that is
needful has been said in regard to the causes which led to
that memorable scene of " terror, tears, and blood," and
to matters of detail in respect to our battles and campaigns,
and to our unexampled national expenditure. My plan
pertains, not at all to the causes and details of facts as they
actually occurred, but to the conduct of this war. In this
war the nation lost more than half a million of precious
lives, accumulated upon its hands hardly less than a mil-
lion of its maimed and pensioned soldiers, expended many
billions of treasures, and has loaded itself down with a
present debt of upwards of two thousand millions of
dollars. What the nation needs to be informed about is,
not how this war was, but how it should have been, con-
ducted, and whether such an appalling expenditure of
time, life, limb, and treasure was needed in bringing the
conflict to a successful termi—nation. One fact is undeni-
able, that another such war— a war as protracted and as
wasteful of life and treasure as this would ruin the nation.
It is hardly to be expected that our national patriotism, or
prudence, would endure such another draft upon time,
blood, and treasure, and a doubling up of the debt under
which we are now groaning. Yet, amid the possibilities
of the future, it would imply infinite presumption to
affirm, or calculate upon, the impossibility of another such
a national catastrophe. If the war was wisely, and es-
pecially most wisely, conducted, the nation needs, as her
guides in the future, to understand the facts and the
reasons for the same. If, from its beginning to its close,
I
2 THE AMERICAN REBELLION.
it was badly conducted, as badly especially as can be
conceived, this fact also shoul—d be known, with a full
disclosure ofthereasons thereof that, as a nation, we may
become wise and prudent through the knowledge and
appreciation ofpast errors.
We
need, also, to understand clearly the conduct ofthis
war, as the immutable condition of knowing and appreciat-
ing the character and merits of the men whom we have
elected, or may elect, to rule over us, and the wisdom, or
unwisdom, which has induced the nation to elect these
men to the high places which they occupy.
No free people can become ** a wise and understanding
people," and as moral as they are wise, unless by their
votes they shall fill our c—hairs of state and represent-
ative halls with statesmen, statesmen *' with Atlantean
s—houlders fit to bear the weight of mightiest monarchies,"
statesmen, too, whose integrity and trustworthiness are
as visible as their greatness. None but diminutive bodies
can revolve around a small central orb. As long as this
nation shall fill our chairs of state with small specimens
of human nature, minds characterised by ignorance of
national affairs, by greediness—for filthy lucre, and in-
difference to official corruption, statesmen fit to sustain
the weight of the mighty interests of this great Republic,
statesmen whose integrity and trustworthiness shall be as
manifest as their great talents and wisdom, will be invisible
in our Cabinets and halls of legislation. Had I a voice
which could command the attention of the nation, that
voice should break "trumpet tongued " upon the ear of
every individual who is under the weight of the responsi-
bilityof the electivefranchise charging him, as he regards
;
the best interests of his country, if he would save our
Government from misrule and corruption, and prevent
general demoralization, to shake off, at once and for ever,
the shackles of party, to step out from the circles of party
rings, and enter into a solemn covenant with his con-
science and his God never again—to cast a vote for any
man to fill any important office, any man whose high
talents, wisdom, integrity, and trustworthiness are not
" known and read of all men." When manifest wisdom
and trustworthiness shall become the sine gud non con-